When to use it
On the Irish east coast
Pier and rock marks when fishing straight down or short casts. Summer pollack and coalfish at Greystones, Wicklow, Howth and Dún Laoghaire piers. Also effective for mackerel strip when fishing mid-water on a rising tide.
Wicklow Town Pier and Greystones South Beach pier produce pollack and coalfish on a paternoster through summer; Howth and Dún Laoghaire walls take the same pattern. Use a 3 to 4 foot rig body of 20 lb mono, two 6 inch snoods spaced 18 inches apart, and a 2oz bomb at the bottom. From Bray Harbour wall the same rig takes dab and flounder on the bottom hook with worm, pollack on the top hook with strip.
Rig diagram
How it is built
Every part numbered, with what it does and the size to buy.
Fishing. Every hook sits above the lead, so baits fish in the water column rather than down in the weed. Made for lowering down a pier wall or a rock face.
Targets
- Pollack
- Wrasse
- Coalfish
- Mackerel
Baits. Ragworm, mackerel strip, sandeel
What it is made of
- 1MainlineStraight to the top of the rig
- 2Stand-off boomsTwo or three, keep the snoods off the body
- 3Snoods20 lb, 20 to 30 cm off each boom
- 4HooksSize 2 to 1/0, fished up in the water
- 5BodyBetween booms, 30 to 40 cm apart
- 6Lead2 to 4 oz at the very bottom, below every hook
Every hook sits above the lead, which is what keeps baits clear of kelp and rock. Do not add a hook below the lead.
Tying sequence
Step by step
Rig body
Cut 3 to 4 feet of 20 to 30 lb mono as the rig body. Tie a swivel at the top for the mainline connection.
Dropper loops or swivels
Tie two dropper loops (or attach swivels) spaced 18 inches apart in the lower half of the rig body. Each dropper carries a 6 inch hooklink.
On the diagram
Two snoods hang from the main boom.
Hooks and lead
Tie size 1/0 to 2/0 hooks to each snood. At the bottom of the rig body, tie a lead link and attach a 1 to 3oz bomb (lighter than beach fishing; you are often fishing vertical).
Bait up
Mackerel strip or sandeel on the top hook for pollack; worm or strip on the lower hook for bottom feeders. On rock marks, a single hook paternoster reduces tangles.
Fish the wall
Lower the rig beside the pier wall or rock edge. Jig slowly for pollack; hold bottom for flounder. Wind slowly on the retrieve to avoid snagging barnacles on Wicklow harbour walls.
Components
What you need to tie this rig
Researched for Irish shore conditions on Dublin and Wicklow marks. Where we have fished an item ourselves, we say so. Links go to Amazon.ie; omit anything you already carry in your tackle box.
Shore fishing rigs mixed pack (12 pack)
Mixed pre-tied sea rigs including paternoster patterns for pier sessions. Good backup when you do not want to tie.
View on AmazonPhoxinus Aberdeen hooks 2/0
Slightly larger Aberdeen for mackerel strip and sandeel on pier paternosters.
View on AmazonPlain bomb leads mixed pack
Light bombs for pier paternoster fishing. 1 to 3oz covers most Wicklow harbour walls.
No live Amazon.ie listingBarrel swivels size 6
Size 6 barrels for paternoster droppers and top connection. Cheaper than rolling swivels for static pier rigs.
No live Amazon.ie listingPower Cast 6lb mono
Light mono for short hooklinks and mullet-style finesse; also usable for 12 lb paternoster snoods when doubled.
View on Amazon