My name is John Ryan. I am a charter fishing skipper and have been for over 25 years. I still love fishing, the sea and boats, and it shows. I fish off the west coast of Ireland among habited and uninhabited islands where water is warmed by the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Drift as the more technically correct prefer to call it.

The warm waters of the Gulf Stream are responsible for our mild climate, not too hot in Summer, and not too cold in Winter. because of this we have warm water species such as blue shark, rays and bream mixing with cod, pollock, boalfish and porbeagle shark which prefer the colder waters.
The coastline is extremely varied with a mixture of deep bays, sandy estuaries, rocky cliffs, and quiet sheltered inlets with a beautiful mountain backdrop. The depths we fish vary from 10 to 100 metres.

A day's fishing usually starts at 10 am. Leaving Clifden Bay heading out to sea we arrive at the fishing grounds before 11 am and fish for mackerel bait and then drift over the very productive reefs for pollock, cod, boalfish, wrasse etc. which fall to baited feathers: pirks, muppetts, eddystone ells, red ells etc all of which we have on board. We usually try 10-12 different fishing marks during the day, and sometimes anchor over a reef in the afternoon and try for other species such as conger, ling, dogfish, bull huss etc. In fact there are at least 25 different varieties of fish in this area. We arrive back in port at about 6-6:30 pm.

We also fish quite a lot for blue shark during the season. The sharking season begins early July, and lasts till the end of September. We begin a sharking day by first catching a box of mackerel for bait and "Rubby Dubby". "Rubby Dubby" or "chum", as it's known in other parts of the world, is a wonderful mixture of minced up mackerel, bran and fish oil, which is put in a string bag, such as an onion bag, and hung over the side of the boat, and as the boat drifts along spreads out a trail which attracts the sharks to the boat and onto the baits. The blue sharks weigh up to 120 lbs. Most sharks caught are tagged and returned to the sea, living to fight another day.

If the weather is a little windy to fish offshore we usually fish behind the islands or in the sheltered bays where one can expect to catch a variety of fish such as rays, plaice, dabs, turbot, dogfish etc. There is also a chance of seeing dolphins, seals, and the occasional whale. The coastline is spectacular and there is a fantastic variey of seabirds.

Tea, coffee and soup is served all day free of charge, and if you wish we will cook your catch direct from your line - it doesn't come fresher than that.

We welcome the serious angler, the not-so-serious, and beginners, as well as ladies, who always seem to catch the biggest fish.
We have on board a full range of top class rods, reels, and tackle for those who need it, and if after all that you still think you won't catch a fish, here's the punchline: "No Fish, No Fee", and in 25 years fishing nobody's got a refund!

Now to the boat itself. I can say without fear of contradiction that the 52ft. "Celtic Queen" is the longest, most luxurious, and best equipped angling boat in Ireland. Recently purpose-built of steel, with aluminium superstructure and flybridge constructed to a very high standard, and sporting twin diesel engines (total HP 550). It has a large deck area, and a very spacious deck saloon with comfortable U-shaped seating and dining table. There are two twin-berth cabins, separate tiolet compartments with handbasins (hot and cold water). A diesel generator (220 volts) powers an all-electric gallery with electric kettle, coffee-maker, fridge and microwave oven.

The "Celtic Queen" is fitted with all the most modern safety, navigation, aand fish-finding equipment, including 2 liferafts, inflatable dinghy with O/B engine, lifejackets, radar, G.P.S., clour plotter, Decca navigator, 2 colour fishfinders (10" and 6"). There are also 2 VHF radio telephones, radio, stereo, colour TV and video, with a selection of films including "Jaws".

The "Celtic Queen" fishes 12 anglers in comfort.

Fully insured. Irish Tourist Board approved, Board of Trade approved., we guarantee a great days adventure!

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