Conger eel at Bray Harbour.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner

Catalogue rank

Occasional

Why fish Conger eel at Bray Harbour

Dargle-mouth working harbour. LRF-style mixed-species pier; codling, dab, flounder and plaice with summer bass and mullet.

Working harbour at the mouth of the River Dargle, two breakwaters and a slipway.

The most accessible north-Wicklow venue for Dublin-based anglers.

Fishes more like a UK LRF (Light Rock Fishing) venue than a heavy beachcaster mark, small hooks, light leads, rag baits are the productive setup.

Codling, dabs, flounder and plaice are regular catches with bass appearing periodically in summer; shoals of mullet visit the inner harbour.

Rocky ground, pier pilings and harbour walls with crevices and snags where eels lair by day and hunt after dark. Greystones Harbour, Wicklow Town Pier, Jack's Hole and Wicklow Head Long Rock are the Wicklow marks where conger feature.

Dargle mouth harbour, mixed LRF species, dab and flounder, summer bass and mullet in the channel.

Bray Harbour fishes like a UK LRF (Light Rock Fishing) venue, small hooks (size 6), light leads, rag baits are repeatedly the productive setup in SAI session reports.

Bites can be in seconds and baits stripped fast, go expecting numbers of small species, not bag-fillers.

Corkwing wrasse, shanny, small pollack, codling, whiting all on the same session is a typical SAI report from here.

Season and tide

At Bray Harbour, Conger eel is worth targeting in occasional inner harbour. Coast-wide, Conger eel runs Year round (peaks June to October on night sessions over rough ground and harbour walls. Wicklow Head fishes best around October when the herring run is on, while Brides Head and Long Rock produce only the occasional conger on whole-fish baits.).

Wider mark season: Codling: October to February, Dab: October to February, Flounder: year round, Plaice: spring to summer, Mackerel: June to September (HW spinning), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; periodic summer appearances), Grey mullet: summer shoals in inner harbour, Pollack/Coalfish/Whiting: autumn to winter, Corkwing wrasse and Shanny: year round on light gear, Conger: occasional inner harbour

Tide guidance here: First two hours of the fill is the most-cited productive window. HW for mackerel spinning. Night sessions on the outer wall for codling and dabs.

After dark is essential, conger rarely feed in daylight. First two hours of darkness on a flooding tide consistently produce the best results. Summer and early autumn nights are most productive.

Fishable phases: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, high.

Tactics on this mark

Run heavy mono traces and large hooks straight down pier pilings or into cliff-base holes after dark. The first two hours of darkness on a flooding tide are the classic pier window, but Wicklow Head only fishes safely at slack water, so match your plan to the mark rather than a generic flood rule. At Long Rock, conger are under-targeted on a second bottom rod while most anglers spin for mackerel and pollack.

Two-hook flapper with size 6 hooks (LRF-style); Light spinning rod; Mackerel feathers at HW; Standard ledger for night codling

Gear: pier wall. Facing NE.

• Heavy beachcaster or pier rod, 30 to 50 lb class
• Running ledger or simple paternoster, 50 to 80 lb mono trace
• Large strong hooks, size 6/0 to 10/0 depending on bait size
• Drop straight down beside pier pilings or into known snags
• Two-hook flapper with size 6 hooks (LRF-style)
• Light spinning rod
• Mackerel feathers at HW
• Standard ledger for night codling

Baits and lures

Conger eel baits and lures: Whole or flapper mackerel; Herring; Squid; Small whiting or pouting (where legal).

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm; Mackerel strip; Sandeel.

Ragworm; Lugworm; Mackerel strip; Sandeel

Access and ground

Free parking on Bray seafront; harbour fully accessible on foot. The southern end of Bray beach proper, where the Loughlinstown River enters the sea, holds wrasse and rockling on weed-covered rock and occasional specimen autumn bass. Access to the beach is via an underpass from the R119.

Parking: Free parking on Bray seafront.

Safety: Busy with public year-round; family suitable on the inner walls. Standard pier safety; live boat traffic.

Nearest tackle: Bray town has fishing tackle shops within walking distance of the seafront.

Nearest town: Bray. Skill level: Beginner.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 2 to 5 kg from deep pier walls and cliff-base rock. Specimen class: Double-figure conger are possible from Wicklow piers at night.

Long, thick, muscular eel body with no scales. Continuous dorsal, tail and anal fin running the full length. Grey-brown on top, pale grey-white beneath. Pectoral fins present (unlike common freshwater eels). Large mouth with strong blunt teeth.

Tip: Conger live in specific lairs and rarely travel far. Local knowledge of pier marks is invaluable, experienced anglers know exactly which piling or corner holds a big eel. Once hooked, a large conger will kite into the structure immediately. Apply maximum side pressure straight away to steer it clear. At the surface, support it in the water and remove the hook with a dehooker.

Irish shore context: record class around 47.49 kg (boat).

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Codling, Dab, Flounder, Plaice, Mackerel, Pollack. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Bray Harbour updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Conger eel species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Slow-growing and late-maturing; all conger should be returned quickly and supported in the water during release.

Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Conger eel species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Other species at Bray Harbour

• Cod
• Dab
• Flounder
• Plaice
• Mackerel
• Pollack
• Coalfish
• Whiting

Full mark guide lists all 16 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.