Irish Charter Boat Skipper Daryl Ewing
Skipper Services, Deep Sea Fishing Ireland
Daryl learned his trade from his late father, Harry Ewing. Harry was a commercial fisherman and was also head of the local RNLI station for Sligo bay.
Daryl has been a keen angling enthusiast since his father first showed him the bay, at the tender age of 5, and has shown it by winning local angling competitions since, and fishing different species across the globe. He is now passing the local and international sea-faring knowledge he has learned from his own, and his father’s 50+ years of experience in the Bay and beyond, to find all the best sights and fishing spots, and is more than happy to pass you on a few fishy tips and advice, to ensure you get the best angling experience.
Daryl has gained his valuable experience through the following:
- Angling worldwide, constantly fishing for new techniques, rigs and tackle
- Ex commercial fisherman for lobster, crab, crayfish, spur dog, prawn, and salmon
- Commisioners of Irish Lights Sligo Head Boat Contractor
- RNLI Helmsman and Mechanic
- Survey Vessel Sligo and Donegal Bay
- Boatman for Sligo Yacht Club, (after finishing his sailing courses there!)
- Pilot vessel for the local harbour board,
- Driving water taxi vessels in Boston Harbour (and has even built up registered sea time on the North Sea!)
Recently Daryl also spent some time working as camera vessel, and head of Marine Safety for the feature film Occi vs the World, Calvary and with other screen productions such as BBC Coast (Series 5) and RTE’s Living the Wildlife (Series 4).
He is also the head contractor for Irish Lights (Lighthouse Keepers) for the last number of years around Sligo Bay and is a member of the North West Chartered Skipper Association.
He is a multiple-time winner of the local fishing competition’s best skipper prize.
He also has experience at marine surveys and other harbour related works, having being involved in them, and even boat salvage work since a young age.
At the 2010 AGM, Daryl was elected secretary and joint marketing consultant for the North West Charterd Skippers Association, and is a current member of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers (IFSA) and Mullaghmore SAC (Sea Angling Club).
He is also a very active fully trained RNLI lifeboat helmsman, mechanic and crew member of Sligo Bay Lifeboat Station (RNLI), and has been featured in regional and national newspapers, The Irish Times, The Sunday World, The Sunday Independent, in national domestic television on TV3′s The Morning Show and Ireland AM and on national domestic radio 2FM, Ocean FM and Newstalk for his innovative and successful approach to fun family/party trips on the water, including the popular catch ‘n cook trips offered in combination with other well liked water activities which are designed with people and groups from all walks of life in mind. He has also featured in international trade shows in Ireland and mainland Europe.
A Word From Your Skipper on Fishing in Ireland
Hello all and welcome to my website. My name is Daryl Ewing and you may have guessed I run this charter company called Sligo Boat Charters aka Ewing’s.
I’m delighted to get this opportunity to tell you a little bit about my business and a little on charter sea fishing in the North West of Ireland.
First off, a little about myself. Although I have sea experience worldwide, my background in fishing has mainly been commercial, helping my dad on his trawler with his sea-fishing business since I could walk. It wasn’t long after that that I could hold a rod, and another decade or two later, I managed to turn my hobby into a passion for life.
I now run a successful charter business departing from Rosses Point in Sligo which currently operates two vessels, the latest one having being bought in 2015. We have rods and tackle available for hire on board which includes everything from light spinning class to stand up tuna gear which is connected to top class tackle from around the globe. In my spare time I am the Sligo Bay Lifeboat Mechanic and a volunteer helm for the lifeboat.
You don’t have to go to Gloucester Massachusetts to catch giant Bluefin tuna nor Westport to catch common skate! The areas in Sligo and Donegal Bay which I target have excellent varied ground for everything from these monsters to sea trout and shark. We catch a massive variety of over 40 species in Sligo and Donegal Bay (our prime location gives us a great choice between both bays). Getting out on the water isn’t just about the fishing though, (although it’s a huge part) it’s fantastic for getting people together from anniversaries to team building and I love opening people’s eyes to the wealth of our ocean and getting the craic going. It’s amazing to see how a hot mug of tea on a wet day or some fresh mackerel landing on the pan can put a smile on someone’s face! I especially love the challenge of an angler telling me what his or her target species is for the day and seeing their dream come true. I also enjoy paying attention to the little details, giving advice and tips to anglers and watching their catch rates improve drastically. Advice is a big part of the job from the first phone call to giving an indication of the gear to bring on the day, to where to get your fish cooked up after, or where to get the best pint that night! Fishing lessons are free and even the experts have been known to pick up the odd tip here and there.
We offer all types of angling from trolling to reefs & sandbanks and more but a lot of customers especially enjoy the spinning on light gear. The really big ones fight like tigers and it’s hard to beat the rush you get when a really big one bends the rod in two and rips off most of the spool. Game fishing is another favourite for seasoned anglers with species like sea trout, tope, skate, shark and giant bluefin tuna available. I keep a detailed diary and constantly try new spots and techniques for different species on days off and know that when you put the work in you will get the reward. I believe it’s this will to experiment, improve and succeed coupled with excellent catch ratios which keep my customers coming back for more.
No matter where you choose to go fishing, it’s important to choose a good charter skipper, not only so you can enjoy some of the most rigorous safety standards in Europe, regulated by the Marine Survey Office in Ireland, but so you know you are visiting the best spots in that area according to the local and seasonal conditions on that day. As I often tell customers, it’s all well and good to buy a boat, but it takes a lifetime to learn how to put it where the fish are!
So that’s it for my little blurb on fishing in our little part of Ireland. I hope you enjoy the blog and the next time when you’re booking a charter that you don’t leave things to chance and come out and enjoy the excellent fishing in Sligo and Donegal Bay with me.
Give me a call on : +353 (0) 86 8913618