Catch of the day in Achill

Ciara Galvin

TWO lucky anglers got more than they bargained for when they went fishing off Keem Bay, Achill, in July.
Robert Corrigan and Barry Doyle landed two huge skate fish while angling in Keem Bay.
Robert and Barry caught the fish on the same day, at the same location. The total weight of the two catches was an impressive 315lbs.
Skipper Michael Corrigan, Robert’s father, said it took fellow angler Barry 35 minutes to land his 110lbs catch, while his son Robert was an hour bringing in his 205lbs fish.
Doyle, a native of Prosperous, Co Kildare, visits Achill several times a year to fish the Mayo waters, and he had never caught anything close to the 110lb fish.
Twenty-nine-year-old Robert had also not caught anything as big before.
The bigger of the two fish measured 6ft in wingspan and 8ft from nose to tail.
All three men were needed in order to pull the catches onto the boat, and also in returning them to the water.
“You’d never think you’d catch anything like that. I’ll keep the photos on the boat to show people. Everyone likes to go out and catch a big one. And it was the only decent day this year for fishing,” said Michael Corrigan, who retired in Achill from his native Wexford.
He added, “It was unbelievable, you just thought you were catching the bottom. It’s a big achievement.”