Fishing Marks: Peel Castle
Location and description
Peel Castle, situated on the west of the Island, is the place where I learned to fish. It is far from being the best fishing spot on the Island, but it will always be a special place to me and I make an effort to fish it a couple of times each year. This is a comfortable rock mark, with clean sand generally from about 30 yards. There are many places to fish from, and each angler probably has his own favourite rock, all of which are easily accessible. It is a relatively shallow mark with a moderate tidal current at most.
Species
There are a surprising number of species to be caught here. The obvious target for many anglers is mackerel, but dogfish, coalfish, callig, ballan and the odd dab and plaice are also there to be caught.
Tackle required
A standard beachcasting rod coupled with a light spinning outfit will cover all situations. Distance is only an advantage when targeting flatties. Ballan and callig are literally under your feet. A hot zone for coalies is the area about 30 yards out where the rocks meet the sand. This area can be fished with a light beachcaster rated 2-4oz and provides more sport than the conventional 5-6oz set up.
Best fishing
I usually head here for one of two reasons. Firstly, it is an excellent place to target big mackerel early in spring. There is a bit of a trick to catching them, which you might find mentioned in the blog section. I have had mackerel in excess of two and a half pound from here in March. After a very long and usually poor February, the potential for catching such fish is very appealing.
The second reason that normally attracts me to Peel Castle is the big ballan wrasse that can be caught during the summer and autumn months. I have to admit that there is not a great quantity of ballan (indeed it is possible to blank) but the lack of quantity is more than made up for with the quality of fish that can be caught. Several 4lb+ specimens have been caught here. Catching such a fish on light tackle is awesome. I would plead for all ballan to be returned unharmed.
If targeting flatties, then the best fishing is toward the south, where you have a fine view of Peel Hill plunging steeply into the water. The area nearest the breakwater is popular for summer mackerel anglers, and can get crowded at times.
