The massive deluge of rain which fell across the east coast and elsewhere caused massive flooding, the effects of which are still visible days later. Many river are still running bank full with surrounding land under inches of water. For coarse and pike anglers fishing was ruled out at many venues. Being less affected by the floods fly anglers managed to enjoy some good sport at rainbow fisheries. Sea anglers too had good sport at a number of venues, and the east coast shore marks were fishing well until the weather deteriorated.
Before the huge downpour of rain over the weekend much of the mid top upper Shannon, midlands and Erne catchments were already in flood so there is little to report from the coarse angling scene. Legih Maitland reports that the competition fished on the Boyle Canal on Sunday was a difficult affair, but that the anglers stuck it out and Shane Dunne was the eventual winner with 4.480kg. On Lough Erne, Kevin Ashurst finished his season in Ireland with an estimated 100lb of bream.
East Coast Angling had their first pike competition of the season at Shercock last week, where 11 pike were caught by 24 anglers. Colm himself had better fishing in the midlands with John Baker. They had four fish for 64 lb, the best one weighing 24.5 lb. Franck Guglielmi and friends from Corsica fished with angling guide Pat Mc Loughlin. The visiting group had 44 pike for their weeks fishing and Franck had the best fish, a great pike of 111cm.
Catch of the Week goes to Glenn Drennan for his 183lb skate caught on a 12lb class rod with a light fluoro hook length. Glenn was fishing with Terry Jackson and friends and they had some great pollack, blonde rays and cuckoo wrasse at inshore marks despite the rough conditions at sea. Over the last week flounder numbers started to gather in the South Wicklow and Wexford estuaries. Good numbers of flounders have been caught and best bait has been peeler crab or crab/lug cocktails. Anglers are asked to bring a good quality disgorger to ensure safe unhooking when practicing catch and release. There has also been a noticeable improvement in numbers of bass taken by shore anglers on the Wexford and Wicklow beaches. Again crab baits are fishing best. If the weather settles for a bit then there is always the chance of some tope from the north Wicklow beaches. Anglers targeting shore tope get the best results a few days after Westerly winds which allows time for the weed to drop out of the sea. The winter cod season has kicked off in earnest in Cork Harbour with reports of good cod catches at the Harbour’s prolific inner marks such as “De Wall” at Monkstown, the Station Master’s hole and the Halfpenny hole at Cobh.
Paul Kay won the 1st qualifier of the Rathcon Winter League Competition was held on Saturday the 22nd of October. 16 anglers fished the day and in total 46 rainbow trout were landed on a variety of lures and buzzers. A Ladies Fly Casting Day also took place on Saturday. Annamoe fishery hosted the event in aid of Action Breast Cancer. 12 ladies took part and they caught 25 rainbow trout up to 3 lbs. Everyone enjoyed the fishing and over €500 was raised for the charity. Staying at Annamoe, Patrick McDonnell won Heat 1 of the Annamoe Winter League. Although the conditions were good for dry fly such as Daddy Longlegs most anglers opted for lures, small nymphs and boobies on sink tips. Congratulations to the Irish bank fly fishing team who came a very respectable second in the 2011 Home International Bank Fly Fishing Championship held on Barfinnihy lake, Kenmare Co Kerry. This is the second such competition to be held and is set to grow into a major home nation’s event into the future. Congratulations also go to Ireland’s Terry Kelly who took the individual gold on the day.
Weather for the weekend looks like it will be windy and wet, with heavy persistent rain spreading from the west in a strong southerly breeze. The outlook for early next week has more rain but the winds should moderate.
Tight lines to all,
Paul Bourke
Catch, Photo, Release
Coarse angling reports
Pike fishing reports
Sea angling reports
- Winter cod fishing going well in Cork Harbour
- Tope possibile off north Wicklow beaches if weather settles
- East coast bass angling picks up – crab best bait
- Flounder gathering in South Wicklow and Wexford estuaries
- 183lb skate on 12lb rod plus lots more great inshore fishing
