◀ Locations

Laherne Rocks

Old Head / Kinsale area · shore

Fish you'll catch here

BassBallan WrasseCodling

How to fish it

Float Fishing

Gear & bait

Beginner spinning setup Peeler CrabRagworm

When to go

Summer–autumn (June–November); codling winter · First two hours of the flood

WARNING — RISK OF BEING CUT OFF BY THE RISING TIDE. Laherne Rocks present one of the most serious tidal hazards of any shore mark in the Cork area. As the tide floods, the access route back to safe ground becomes covered by water, and once this happens there is no safe retreat. Anglers have been cut off here. You must arrive well before the first of the flood, plan your exit before you begin fishing, and leave the rocks with plenty of time to spare — do not push your luck on the tide here. This mark is not suitable for beginners, anyone unfamiliar with rock fishing tides, or lone anglers under any circumstances.

The fishing at Laherne Rocks is the reason experienced rock anglers are prepared to manage that hazard carefully. Bass are the primary target on the early flood — float fishing with fresh peeler crab or ragworm worked along the rock faces and into the gullies can produce quality fish, and anglers should check current bass regulations with IFI before keeping any bass. Ballan wrasse are present on the rock faces throughout the summer, responding well to crab fished tight to structure on a light float rig. The first two hours of the flooding tide is both the prime fishing window and the last safe window before you should be retreating from the rocks — the two timetables are the same, and that discipline must be maintained every session.

In winter the mark produces codling from the deeper water off the rock edges, offering a different fishing experience for anglers willing to fish it in settled, short-day conditions when the sea is calm. However, the tidal cut-off hazard is just as real in winter as in summer, and the shorter days mean that light fades faster — plan accordingly and always have a head torch. A productive mark for the experienced rock angler, but one that must be fished with constant awareness of the tide.

Where it is