Mark × species · Occasional

Garfish at Jack's Hole.

Garfish is an occasional catch at Jack's Hole near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: May to August. Direct road access has been closed off due to holiday-home development.

Full mark guide Garfish species guide

Mark type: Beach
Skill: Intermediate/Advanced
Catalogue rank: Occasional

Why fish Garfish at Jack's Hole

Mixed beach/rock cove south of Wicklow. Autumn night fishing for bass and pollack.

A mixed cove between Silver Strand and Brittas Bay offering both beach AND rock fishing, unusual on this coast.

Wrasse and pollack patrol the rock platforms; bass, flounder and the occasional pollack take baits and lures over the sand patches.

Regional sources also note occasional school bass outside the scored April to November window; treat winter reports as local colour, not the scored season.

Autumn night fishing is the documented best window.

Surface water around pier mouths and mixed rock marks where they track mackerel and sandeel shoals. Greystones Harbour, Wicklow Town Pier and Jack's Hole are the main Wicklow venues.

Mixed cove south of Wicklow town, autumn bass and pollack at night, check access and tide cut-off.

School bass appear in numbers in winter here, which the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide documents and most season charts miss.

Both beach and rock fishing produce, and most anglers commit to one or the other and miss half the productive ground.

The rock platform on the right (south) side is for wrasse, pollack and bass on lures over the colour change; the sand patches are for bass and flounder on bait.

Season and tide

At Jack's Hole, Garfish is worth targeting in May to August. Coast-wide, Garfish runs May to August (peaks June to July garfish hold around harbour walls through summer, with the best sport on calm, warm summer evenings when there is some movement in the water.).

Wider mark season: Wrasse: April to October (peaks May to August), Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November, peak Sep to Oct), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Flounder: autumn to winter, Coalfish: October to February

Tide guidance here: Two hours either side of high water gives best access to the rock ledges and puts fish in range. At low water the ground is very rough and snaggy on the rock side. The flooding tide is best for wrasse and bass, fish the colour change where reef meets clean sand. Crab particularly good in autumn.

Calm, warm summer evenings are the prime window. Moving water helps concentrate baitfish. Garfish are surface feeders and visible from pier walls when present.

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

Tactics on this mark

Float-fish strip or sandeel no more than 30 to 60 cm down. Fishing too deep is the common mistake. Watch for silver fish tracking the bait to the rod tip and slow the retrieve so garfish can commit.

Float rig (wrasse); Running ledger over sand patches; Texas-rigged soft plastics; Jig fishing (pollack)

Gear: rough rock. Facing ESE.

Float fishing, set the bait just 30 to 60 cm below the surface
Slow surface retrieve with a small lure or strip bait
Light spinning rod, 6 to 10 lb mono or fluorocarbon
Small size 6 to 8 hook, garfish have narrow mouths
Float rig (wrasse)
Running ledger over sand patches
Texas-rigged soft plastics
Jig fishing (pollack)

Baits and lures

Garfish baits and lures: Small strip of mackerel skin (bright side showing); Sandeel; Tiny soft plastics; Small spinners and spoons.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Peeler crab (autumn, particularly effective); Sandeel; Mackerel strip.

Ragworm; Peeler crab (autumn, particularly effective); Sandeel; Mackerel strip

Access and ground

Direct road access has been closed off due to holiday-home development. Two access routes: opposite McDaniels pub via the caravan park (swipe-barrier access), or from the Wicklow side past the disused hotel and holiday homes (private property signage). Walk-in or coastal approach from Silver Strand or Brittas Bay is the alternative. Take the coastal road south from Wicklow town. Sturdy boots with ankle support essential. Not suitable for children or inexperienced anglers.

Parking: Parking at Jack's Hole is very limited with only a handful of spaces available near the access points. Arrive early especially at weekends as spaces fill quickly. If the small car park is full there are very few alternatives nearby so plan accordingly.

Safety: Slippery rock ledge with south-easterly swell wash. Non-slip footwear is essential. Check sea state before descending, budget for snag losses on the rock side, and never fish this mark alone.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, approximately 5 to 8km north. Stock up before leaving town.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Intermediate/Advanced.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 300 to 500 g and 40 to 70 cm long. Specimen class: Larger fish occasionally exceed 0.8 to 0.9 kg.

Unmistakable, very long, slender silver body with a pronounced beak-like jaw lined with small sharp teeth. Brilliant silver flanks, blue-green back. The bones are green (a result of biliverdin pigment) which surprises many anglers but is completely normal. Often seen skipping across the surface in calm conditions.

Tip: Garfish are surface creatures, the most common mistake is fishing too deep. Set the float so the bait is no more than 60 cm down. Garfish often follow the bait right to the rod tip before taking, so watch for a silver flash tracking your retrieve and slow down to let them commit. Fresh garfish filleted and pan fried in butter is excellent eating.

Irish shore context: record class around 0.95 kg.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Wrasse, Pollack, Flounder, Whiting, Coalfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Jack's Hole updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Garfish species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

No restrictions; highly edible but often under-targeted, keep only what you will use.

Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.

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

Other species at Jack's Hole

Full mark guide lists all 11 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

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

NEXT STEP

Open the full mark or species guide.

Pair pages assemble mark and species catalogue facts for this ground. Depth sessions live on today's plan.