Marina

We here in the West we have been very lucky so far this winter. Some sharp frosts, a couple of days of pretty light snow, but other than that we have not suffered the harsh winter weather which has hit other parts of Ireland and Britain. My relations in Aberdeen have been snowed in since the start of the year for example. There has been rain of course, and plenty of it. The cold wet weather has kept me at home for a a few weeks now, but it was high time I ventured forth to start my ’26 fishing season.

I decided to try for a few roach. There are no certainties in fishing, least of all in January, but some fresh air with the chance of a fat roach drew me from the fireside. Over a month has passed since I have been fishing, just how rusty would I be after such a prolonged gap? I looked out some gear the evening before, trying to remember everything I required, not trusting my dodgy memory and resorting to writing down a list of necessary tackle. I had selected Tuesday as the forecast promised a dry day, all be it a cold one. The roads should be free from frost and flood for a change, always an important factor at this time of the year.

The 11 foot Korum float rod with a 2500 sized reel and the little Shimano Vengeance winkle picker with a similar sized reel would be my chosen weapons for the day. While there is always the chance of a big roach, most of the fish will be 6 or 8 ounces, so the light rods are all that I would require. I toyed with the idea of bringing some ground bait but decided against it in the end. No, I would loose feed some maggots to get their attention but beyond than that I saw no reason for ground baiting.

Winter fishing is a youngsters game. Oldies like me struggle in low temperatures, our thin blood barely makes it as far as our toes and finger tips anymore. As a young man I loved being out in wintry conditions, the colder the better, but that was long ago and these days a short session is all I can manage before numb extremities force me back to the warmth of the car. In an attempt to mitigate the effects of poor circulation I wrapped up well. A warm long sleeved under layer, a thick shirt, a hoodie, my old fishing waistcoat and an oil skin jacket over it all to keep torso and arms warm, with long johns and padded trousers for my legs. Topped off with a snood for my neck and hat on my bald head, the whole ensemble kept me fairly comfortable for the session. I hate wearing gloves when fishing and would rather put up with cold fingers than fret about how gloves get in the way, so I fished bare-handed.

For once, my hook length box was full. Making up hook lengths is not my favourite task, so I do a few now and then over the winter, gradually filling up the spaces. I had run out of size 12 spade ends, but while in Newry for a family funeral last week I picked up a couple of packets from the Newry Angling Centre. This is a well stocked wee shop close to the canal in the middle of the town. Pop in if you are in the area or you can buy online too.

A little later than planned, I hit the road at 8.40am, after scraping the ice from the windscreen then dodging around a couple of back roads to keep away from the dreaded school run. The N5 east was fairly quiet and I made good time to Carrick-on-Shannon and the tackle shop was just opening as I arrived outside clutching an empty bait box. It would be a full one hour later before I emerged back into the sunlight, having spent far too long chatting in the shop. This was not the waste of good fishing time it might at first seem. Aside from general chitchat, I was given directions to a local marina which was fishing well. So off I went, sure of where I was going.

OK, so maybe it is time for an old codger like me to invest in some form of sat nav because I could not find the marina in question. Half-an-hour was spent driving up and down back roads before I happened upon a couple walking a white poodle. When questioned they pointed down a road I had travelled recently and at last I was able to find the venue. Midday was close at hand by the time I had set up between two boats moored to a floating jetty. A cloudless sky overhead and a keen west wind would make for a chilly session, but here I was at last, making my first casts of 2026.

Loose fed maggots flew five meters out, then I set up a simple sliding leger on the Vengeance, a pair of swan shot on a nylon link stopped with a small bead above a diamond swivel to 18 inches of 3 pound and a size 14 hook. A pair of maggots as bait, the lot was tossed out and I tightened the line before beginning to set up the float rod. Half way through that exercise the leger rod rattled and a small perch came out, all 5 inches of it. Ah well, at least it was not going to be a blank on my first outing. The float rod was set up with a waggler and shotted as normal. Plumbing was tricky as the bottom was very silty. On a hard bottom you are sure of the depth, but in silt your plumb can sink into the muck, causing you to fish too deep and the baited hook buried out of sight of the fish. With this in mind I lifted the float a couple of inches, baited my size 16 with a single red maggot and began fishing.

What followed was a lovely session. The roach and hybrids responded well to my steady stream of loose feed and bites were frequent, if hard to hit. The float would dip very fast and if I didn’t lift in time the roach was gone, usually with my bait. I reckon my hook up ration was as low as one in five. Occasionally, the bite was more positive and resulted in a solid hook hold, but the quick bites all lip hooked. Why the roach were biting like this is a mystery to me, but it was fascinating fishing. Sprinkled in amongst the roach were a few perch, small lads except for one good one.

The roach and hybrids were your typical sized fish, mostly small but with one good one. The shoal moved around a bit, never deserting the swim but moving a couple of yards first one way, then another. Aside from the fishing, various dog walkers, joggers and couples out for a walk said hello or stopped for a quick chat. The time flew by as I was busy the whole time, feeding maggots into the swim, casting, watching the float, winding in fish and re-baiting, talking to strangers or fiddling with the end tackle. In an effort to try and improve my hook up ratio I removed the size 16 and replaced it with a barbless 14. This made very little difference, so I dropped to an 18, again without improving hook ups.

By 2pm my poor hands were duck egg blue and the simple act of impaling maggots on the small hooks was proving to be a struggle, to the point where I stuck a hook into the index finger of my right hand and didn’t feel it. That was the signal to pack up, so a final flurry of casts were made as I tidied away my gear. Two trips back to the car, a quick disrobe out of may waterproofs and wellies then I was on my way back home, the car’s heater fan screaming loudly as I had it on the fastest setting. It was twenty miles down the road before the feeling came back to my fingers. The final tally was 30 roach/hybrids and 9 perch, not too shabby for a first day out.

Marinas like this one are dotted along the length of the Shannon and other major Irish rivers. In the summer they throb with the hum of powerful engines and are filled with holiday makers. During the cold winter months though they a quiet and peaceful, and when the rivers are high the roach and perch seek shelter in them. Some are private and deny access, others allow you to enter but charge a parking fee, but most are open to the public and are free to fish.

Fishing so close in made me think again about buying a whip. Long poles, which are obviously much more efficient than a waggler set up, leave me cold. Dismantling pole sections is not my idea of fun, but a wee whip looks like a good option for me on venues like this one. Other anglers have recommended telescopic poles to me, so perhaps I’ll invest in a whip and see how I get on with that before trying a telescopic pole. Let’s be honest here – I have talked about trying a whip or pole many times but never followed through. Maybe this year though………………