I have been dreaming of Kayaking/sailing to an Island and cook some fish or even camp on it for a few years now. Finally now as things come together and feeling ready I finally embarked on my first mini Expedition.
The weather played its parts very well and so I hissed my sail after a short pedal out of the pier near Trabane (Lettermore) around 10:30 and made my way towards Portmurvy Beach on Inishmore.
The wind direction was pretty much ideal so i made good progress.
From studying navionics (FREE on webapp.navionics.com) I saw that there is a huge bank that in some areas drops for nearly 20m about 3km off the island. I had to pass this to get to the beach so I tried to fish it to see whats down there. Didnt really work out as it was quite windy and the swell/current was pretty fast and saw me drifting about 4kph even with the small drogue deployed.
So I left and went closer to the Island where I had eyeballed a nice looking reef. I needed to get some fish before landing on the Island for Lunch, that was the plan! The weather changed for the better big time so as soon as I was on the mark I started spinning paddletails and sandeel imitations for Pollack.
Saw fish on the sonar and the reef just looked perfect but I wasnt getting any bites, not a nibble. So I changed to a curlytail worm and first cast into fish very aggressively, again and again nealry every second cast into fish. nothing big all around 40-50cm. I was very surprised with the total black and white difference between the lures. When I gutted the one I kept for lunch I opened the stomach and it was full to the brim with nothing else but Ragworm?! I didnt know that Pollack would go after Ragworm that live in the sand, didnt think they were bottom feeders like that but it surely proved the "Match the Hatch" theory to me
Maybe the ragworm came out of the sand for breeding?
Happy out with my lunch caught and a bit of craic with the Pollack on the light lure rod (1.5-20gr) I headed in to the beach that was now about 2.5km away. I was conscious of the time as I still needed to make a fire and cook and have enough time for the journey back including potential hickups/wind change etc.
All went perfect though and the beach looked just stunning, water clarity was unreal, like the caribbean even the tourists on the beach said it
So landed on the Beach feeling like Robinson Crusoe absolutely delighted that it I made it.
Was initially a bit worried about (my nightmares) of that 20m Bank and waves crashing over me etc but none of that
Made a little very bad fire with the wood I brought with me and cooked the Pollack which tasted like the best thing ever, fire was enough to cook a coffee and then make my way back.
Took it all in on that fabulous beach it was a dream come true for me
Coming from a landlocked country it was a bit of a stretch of the comfortzone too, which is much bigger now 
The Way back was quite fast and easy as I had the wind in my back, getting pushed by the waves. Unfortunately I managed (I dont know how) to bring the spare battery for my new camera completely empty! Grrrr....
Had another go at the bank on the way back and actually got a coalie again about 45cm nothing big but I was happy enough to leave it with at least having caught something. I am sure there must be Monsters down there and might try again sometime.
Blissful and knackered I arrived at the pier just as light started to fade.
The journey took about 2hr each way without all the stops for fishing, 43.2km total distance travelled.
Hopefully its picking up soon I havent caught anything to brag about this year but Summer is on its way
