Surfcasting on the Dingle Peninsula

Fishing and hunting guide Daniel Brosnan gives his verdict…

Although I don’t claim to be an expert, I have spent nearly 20 years fishing the various beaches and estuaries.

In my opinion, the Dingle

Peninsula has some of the best surf beaches in Europe. The beaches here are extremely shallow and some are as long as 13km. They fish best with a stiff south-west wind and preferably overcast. The best bait is fresh lug.

Tourists visiting the area to fish can be unlucky if conditions are not right, but if they are correct, the sport can be extraordinary. If you have an east wind or blinding sunlight, then fishing can be tough.

The main beaches are Inch and Brandon. Inch beach is over three miles long and hugely popular with both tourists and surfers. The main area used by anglers is the highest sand dune, and directly out in front of that is a local favourite for both pleasure and competition anglers.

The beach is drivable, but once you come off a public roadway, insurance no longer covers your vehicle. Always check the tides before driving on any beach, especially Inch, because it is so shallow that the tide comes in very fast and can cut you off.

Brandon Bay runs from the top of Castlegregory all the way to Formoyle. It consists of four named strands – Stradbally, Kilcummin, Gowlane and Formoyle. My favourite is Gowlane, but it can sometimes get busy with both surfers and anglers.

Stradbally can fish well when there is little surf on the other strands.

All the strands are signposted and there is a very good lugworm bed near Kilshannig.

I fish both Inch and Brandon Bay with a simple two-hook trace with short snoods and size 6 or 8 long-shank hooks. Have both snoods above the grip lead. I never use rod stands when fishing these beaches, preferring to be in the surf and waiting for the bite.

If the conditions are bad then yes, you should mix it up a bit and use different rigs to catch flounders. Other species that can be caught on these beaches are turbot, rays, plaice and sea-trout. ■ Daniel Brosnan is a fishing guide for JMM Killorglin Ltd in County Kerry, tel: 00353 (0)66 9761393 or 2211. Email: info@jmmhunting.com