Wrasse at Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Advanced only

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Wrasse 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, kelp forest and reef structure where wrasse hold tight to cover and rarely move far from their home territory.

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, Wrasse is worth targeting in May to September. Coast-wide, Wrasse runs April to November (peaks June to September on rock marks).

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.

Wrasse feed throughout the day from mid-May to October. Neap tides allow safer access to rock marks. Sunny calm days in summer produce consistent sport. Avoid big swell which makes wrasse rock marks extremely dangerous.

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

Tactics on this mark

Fish float or light ledger rigs tight to kelp and rock, setting baits just above the weed and applying immediate side strain when a wrasse dives for cover.

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

Gear: rough rock. Facing E.

• Float fishing, set the depth to just above the kelp canopy
• Sink and draw with a ragworm or crab bait through rock gullies
• Drop-shotting soft plastics around pier walls
• Short-range fishing, wrasse don't venture far from structure
• Float rig
• Heavy ledger
• Lure fishing, jigs and shads, weedless soft plastics for snags (pollack/bass)

Baits and lures

Wrasse baits and lures: Peeler crab; Ragworm; Harbour ragworm; Prawns; Soft plastic worms.

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: 300 g to 1 kg from shallow kelp-ledges. Specimen class: Ballan wrasse over 2 kg are realistic on deep rock marks.

Ballan Wrasse are the most common shore-caught species, heavily built with thick lips, a humped back and vivid mottled colouring ranging from brick red and orange through to deep green and brown. Males are often far more colourful than females. Corkwing Wrasse are smaller and more slender.

Tip: Wrasse fight ferociously and immediately dive for kelp when hooked, you need to apply hard side pressure immediately to steer them away from cover. Use a relatively strong fluorocarbon hooklink (12 to 15 lb) and a small hook (size 1 or 2) to present the bait naturally. Wicklow Head Long Rock is an outstanding open wrasse mark; fish with a partner and stay clear of swell.

Irish shore context: record class around 4.59 kg (Ballan Wrasse).

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Pollack, 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 Wrasse species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Highly recommended catch and release; long-lived and increasingly important as cleaner fish in aquaculture.

Guide conservation label: Highly Recommended C&R.

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

Other species at Bray Head Rocks, The Brandy Hole

• Pollack
• Coalfish
• Bass
• Mackerel
• Tope
• Conger eel

Next steps

Related article: Wrasse Fishing Ireland 2026: Rock Marks, Baits and Lures

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