Conger eel at Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Advanced only

Catalogue rank

Occasional

Why fish Conger eel at Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole

Serious rock mark below Bray Head. Quality pollack and wrasse for experienced anglers only, never alone.

Cliff-base rock ledges below Bray Head, named after the historical smuggling cave largely destroyed in the 1847 railway construction (the name persists locally for the area).

Deep, clear water with strong currents that concentrate pollack, wrasse and coalfish.

Single-figure pollack with occasional 6 to 8 lb fish is the realistic expectation from the rocks themselves; consistent shore-caught doubles are not well evidenced in modern reports (the published double-figure fish come from boat work on the Wicklow wrecks).

A mark for experienced rock anglers who understand the sea.

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.

Serious rock under Bray Head, quality pollack and wrasse, experienced anglers only, never fish alone.

The original Brandy Hole was a sea cave used by 18th-century smugglers and was largely destroyed by the 1847 Bray-to-Wicklow railway construction (Bray Heritage / Ouzel Galley sources).

The name has carried through locally to the rock area beneath the railway tunnels where the cave once stood, anglers still use it.

Older guides claim pollack to double figures from these rocks, and recent shore records do not support it.

Season and tide

At Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole, Conger eel is worth targeting in Year round. 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: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November, peak Sep to Nov), Wrasse: May to September, Coalfish: October to February, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; occasional)

Tide guidance here: Slack water at low tide is the safest and most productive window. The currents run very strongly on the ebb and flood, making casting difficult and dangerous. Target the 30 to 45 minute slack window at low water. October and November produce the biggest pollack on the tide turn.

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: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.

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.

Float rig; Heavy ledger; Lure fishing, jigs and shads, weedless soft plastics for snags (pollack/bass)

Gear: rough rock. Facing E.

• 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
• Float rig
• Heavy ledger
• Lure fishing, jigs and shads, weedless soft plastics for snags (pollack/bass)

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: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Ragworm.

Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Ragworm

Access and ground

Access is currently closed. The cliff walk route to this mark is shut and unsafe. See the notice above.

Parking: Parking is available in Bray town near the seafront.

Safety: Access is closed via the cliff walk. Rockfall risk from above and swell wash on the ledges make this an expert-only mark when access is legal. Never fish alone here. If in doubt, do not descend.

Nearest tackle: Bray town has fishing tackle shops within walking distance of the seafront. Good selection of lures and terminal tackle for rock fishing.

Nearest town: Bray. Skill level: Advanced only.

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 Pollack, Wrasse, Coalfish, Bass, Mackerel. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole 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 Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole

• Pollack
• Wrasse
• Coalfish
• Bass
• Mackerel
• Tope

Next steps

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