The very wet weather that we had in June has continued into July and the general higher water levels have helped salmon anglers around the country with great numbers recorded nationwide.  Coarse angling has been superb despite the weather and Chris McGregor’s night’s fishing paid off on the Royal Canal at Kilcock where he took a great catch of bream and roach.  Down in Carlow, the local club introduced fishing to many new anglers on the River Barrow last week.  The NCFFI inter provincial championships were held on Inniscarra Lake and they enjoyed super fishing.  Over on Lough Derg a group of English anglers enjoyed super fishing amassing 1,300 lb. of coarse fish for the week. 3 Merseyside lads hit the East Clare Lakelands area for the best bream fishing sessions they had coming to Ireland in 20 years. Some of better known Inny anglers in Westmeath enjoyed a trip down the River Camlin and took a wonderful catch of Bream and Roach.  There was super bream, roach and tench fishing reported from many waters in the west and middle Cavan Lakelands.  Polish national Michal Wrobel living in Cavan enjoyed some super bream and tench fishing in Lough Oughter and his lovely catches plus nice photos earn him the Catch of the Week.

Lovely catch of Bream and a nice tench recorded by Michael Wrobel in Cavan.

The higher water levels certainly helped salmon angler and some huge fish up to 25 lb. were reported from Rivers Nore and Suir.  There was some superb salmon reported also from the Munster Blackwater on most beats.  In many of the smaller rivers in the Cork Kerry area, there was some tremendous fishing in the past week.  On lough Currane there was some fine grilse fishing reported along with some sea trout and a cork angler returned a fine specimen sea trout of 8 lb. which he caught on fly. The Owenmore Fishery in Co. Kerry had its first two grilse of the season.  The higher water levels did curtail salmon fishing on the River Feale at Listowel.  In Connemara, there was a great improvement in salmon and sea trout fishing on Lough Inagh where a fine specimen brown trout was recorded. On the nearby Kylemore Abbey Fishery, the 50th salmon of the season was recorded along with good sea trout fishing.  On Delphi Elaine Corps out fished her husband, Mark Corps, angling adviser with IFI and took her first ever salmon at Delphi! There was plenty of salmon and sea trout running the Newport River and into Lough Beltra and Salmon fishing improved on the Burrishoole Fishery. There was excellent conditions and excellent salmon and sea trout on the Owenduff River.  Carrowmore Lake continued to produce good salmon and it was another exceptional week on the River Moy. The Ballisodare Fishery produced excellent sport and the good run of grilse continued for the Drowes with fish in the double figures.

There was plenty of sea angling activity to report and even in Dublin on the east pier in Dun Laoghaire some fine wrasse and mackerel were reported. In Wicklow Bay deep sea fishing produced Tope, Thornback and Homelyn Rays in the shelter of Southerly winds. Danny Meagher and friends enjoyed some fine Smooth Hound fishing in the dark on Wexford beaches. Congratulations to Jim Hendrick, SEAi on winning joint runner-up in Wexford Business Awards.  There was good bass fishing reported from Cork Harbour. There was good deep sea angling for groups of Dutch and Irish anglers fishing with Mark Gannon out from Courtmacsherry. A fine 26 lb. Ling was taken by a German angler on board the Sioux in Valentia There was great fishing, breath taking scenery and a tasty supper at Dingle by shore anglers. Mackerel are plentiful along with some tope, pollack and flats along the Clare coast. Nice pollack and ling were taken deep sea fishing aboard “Bluewater” fishing out from Clifden. There was “lousy fishing” for anglers fishing with Michael McVeigh off the Donegal coast but some fine fish were recorded all the same.  Plenty of Tope were reported but no big females were caught by deep sea angler fishing out from Red Bay.

The higher water levels helped better fishing for trout at Carton House on the River Rye. There was great fun at Aughrim for young anglers on Dublin Angling Initiative course. Fine Carrigavantry trout please the anglers fly fishing there. An Argentinian guide fished on the Nire River and landed some amazing fish.  There was good trout and pike reported from Lough Ennell as fishing is generally quiet in the Midlands. There was tougher fishing conditions for anglers fishing on Lough Sheelin this week. There was some nice Trout reported from Pallas lake and the Camcor River despite the mixed weather conditions. Hatches of Sedges started to entice trout to feed on Lough Acalla.  There is a fine 19ft Sheelin boat for first prize for the McConville Cup to be fished on Bilberry and Lannagh Loughs. Junior anglers enjoyed trout fishing on Lough Doon near Dromahair. Finally there was some very good pike fishing reported from Lough Derg.  Weather condition look set to be cool and changeable so the good fishing should continue although some parts of the Rivers Shannon and Erne are unfishable due to flooded fields.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,

Paul Bourke

Catch, Photo, Release


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