The weather certainly turned very wintery in the past week with sleet, snow and hail on most days in the past week but it still did not deter anglers from venturing out and recording some fine fish. In sea angling this week, the Leinster Provincial Council Shore Committee held an open shore angling competition and awards night in Courtown. 56 anglers turned out for what was to be a terrific event. An estimated 800 mainly small fish were reported to have been taken during the event. The main species taken were whiting, dab and flounder but small numbers of other species such as codling, coalfish and rockling were also recorded. The overall winner of the open shore event was Alan Mulcahy with 46 fish and the winner of the ladies section was Paula Dunphy with 23 fish. Junior section winner was Roy Daniels with 20 fish. The seniors section was won by Frank Lawlor. Up in Red Bay in Co. Antrim, anglers fishing with charter skipper Hamish Currie had good sport for Spurdogs and some juvenile skate while confined to the shallower waters due to rough seas offshore.
On the River Barrow Carlow Coarse Angling Club Junior member Lewis Parr from Graiguecullen managed to net himself a huge surprise whilst fishing for a Pike locally to Carlow town. Fishing a small roach he landed a very big brown trout which was photographed quickly and then returned to the river. The trout season is closed at present. Neither storms, nor snow, nor ice could spoil the excellent rainbow trout fishing at the Curragh Springs Fishery where anglers recorded some fine big fish. There was a group of Carlow club anglers fishing the new South County rainbow fishery at a competition recently. Several anglers in the fly fishing only competition netted Rainbow Trout that were over two foot long thus keeping judges Gerry McStraw and Leon Deere from Graiguecullen busy for the day measuring and documenting each angler’s catch. Anglers turned up from Shileliagh and as far afield as Sallins and Dublin for the competitions and were not disappointed at the stamp of fish being caught, most of which were in the 4 to 5 lb bracket. Up in Derry the bitter weather does not stop the rainbows from biting at the Cashel Fishery where anglers enjoyed good fishing.
A group of anglers from a new online fishing tackle company top tackle fished with many of their new lures to capture some lovely pike on several lakes in the Roscommon area. There was many fish into double figures recorded on swimbait lures. Anthony Greene landed a lovely fish over 20 lb. and wins our Catch of the Week. Many rivers and lakes are flooded at present and anglers are asked to be careful with ice on some roads and very cold conditions for the next few days.
Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Paul Bourke
Angling Information Officer
Catch, Photo, Release
Pike fishing reports
- Top pike fishing for TopTackle duo on Roscommon lakes
- Pike angler on the Barrow gets an unseasonal surprise
Rainbow trout reports
- Neither storms, nor snow, nor ice spoil the fishing at Curragh Springs
- Carlow coarse anglers judge the catch at Southern Counties rainbow fishery
- Bitter weather does not stop the ‘bows at Cashel
