The wintery weather is here at the start of November and there were reports of snow and ice in the Cork Kerry areas in the past few days. It is slightly better elsewhere but chilly and wet mostly and as a result there has been much less angling activity to report in the past week. The anglers who brave the conditions were generally well rewarded for their efforts.

Myles Howell - Specimen Spurdog 14lb 6oz, on LISIN
Myles Howell wins catch of the week with his Specimen Spurdog 14lb 6oz, on LISIN

David Muirin from Arklow and his friend Maciek went for a day’s fishing to catch Perch from a big lough and boat fished all day using plastic worms. They landed 166 big perch and returned every fish.  Steve Clinch and Steve Taylor from Kent in the UK both have houses in Ballinamore area in Co. Leitrim and fished prebaited swims to be rewarded with some excellent catches of mainly roach.

There was a fair bit of pike action this week and Phil Alford from Selby, UK was fishing with Brian Bohan in the Leitrim area and was delighted to land a huge pike along with many more smaller fish.  A group of Galway anglers fished with Kevin Lyons from Melview Lodge in Longford and float fished deadbaits from boats did the trick recording many good pike.  Kevin himself landed the best fish of 28 lb. 1 oz.

Despite the weather conditions, there was a fair bit of sea angling activity with the coal quay in Dun Laoghaire providing some interesting sport for pollack, pouting and poor-cod.  Down in the south west at Slea Head in Co. Kerry there was some fine wrasse and pollack taken on lures and bare hooks from rock marks!  There were good reports of bass fishing along the west Cork coastline.  In Cork Harbour, small boat anglers enjoyed good sport for bass mainly on lures. The new Hook Bass Angling Festival was won by Meath angler.    Specimen hunters were reported to be happy to fish the reeds at Red Bay taking good Ballan and Cuckoo Wrasse and an occasional Tope.  Bass angling guide Jim Hendrick from Wexford along with Brian Healy are offering a great opportunity to learn more about making the flies that catch bass and how and where to fish them at upcoming workshops.  Anglers fishing with charter skipper Kit Dunne from Wicklow had superb deep sea fishing last week and one of the anglers landed a fine specimen spur dogfish of 14 lb. 6 oz, which is our Catch of the Week.

Finally Inland Fisheries Ireland will have a stand next week on the 10th and 11th of November at the Irish Fly Fair in Salthill in Galway.  Later on tonight, I will be giving my angling update on the RTE 1 radio show “Seascapes” with Marcus Connaughton at 10.30 pm.  If you miss the show you can get a podcast from the website at http://www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes/

Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Paul Bourke
Catch, Photo, Release


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St. Mullins super moon
Many thanks to David of http://ecoastfishing.blogspot.ie for this suitably eerie photo from St. Mullins on the River Barrow