Salmon and trout fishing is all done now for another year and pike fishing is really picking up. Unfortunately the heavy rains have brought up water levels again all around the country which of course takes its toll on coarse angling. The cold water temperatures and high water levels did not impact on sea anglers who were particularly busy in the last week and bass anglers especially reported some good fishing.

Bill Ryan wins Catch of the Week with a lovely specimen Ballan Wrasse

IFI would like to remind all salmon & sea trout anglers who have not sent in their 2012 logbooks and unused gill tags that they are now due for return. If you have not returned them already please send them back now using the pre-printed envelope. In the event that you have lost or misplaced your pre-printed envelope you will find the address for return near the top left corner of your salmon licence. Closing day, 12 October, at Lough Currane was cold with heavy showers and a mixture of hailstones. But a few trout were caught. The last days of the season were good to some, Mr. Jim Sayers and his son, in the last 3 days caught 20 sea trout ranging from Juniors up to 3 lb.

Last Friday October 12th saw the close of the fishing season on Lough Sheelin for another  year with some anglers fishing this lake right up to the last hour before reluctantly leaving this magical expanse of water.  The lake fished well in its final week and trout were recorded on all days with all catches being carefully released back into the water. The many put and take fisheries around the country will start their winter leagues soon and this week we have reports from Loch Mahon in Wexford, Carton House in Kildare and Cashel Trout Fishery in Derry.

43 anglers, mainly from the UK, fished the Carrigallen Festival.  Four lough venues were fished over four days at Glasshouse, Rockfield, the steps at Gulladoo Lake and at Haughton’s shore on Garadice Lough. The winner, John Jowett won the festival with a weight of 34.59 kg to take the €1,000 first prize. Roach dominated the Vintners Cup and Celtic Challenge festivals on the increasingly popular Inniscarra Lake near to Coachford, County Cork.

Despite high water levels and low water temperatures some good pike to 17lb were reported by anglers fishing with guide Peader O’Brien in Co. Monaghan. Lough Carra Trout Anglers held their annual Pike which sees all pike caught on the day transferred alive to a designated pike fishery in the area. Inland Fisheries Ireland staff work closely with Lough Carra Anglers and also play an important role on the day insuring all pike are collected, weighed and transferred safely to their new home. 16 pike weighed and transferred, the bigegst of these was 20.6lb.

The 8th and final leg of the Grauvell West Coast Shore Lague was fished on Enniscrone beach last Sunday. Competitors arrived to a nice rolling surf, but  some pegs were badly affected with weed. Flounder and turbot made up most of the catch, with a sole plaice and bass also caught. The overall winner of the Gold Medal for 2012 was Fiachra McKenna from Corrane SAC, with a fine catch of  15 fish for 431 points.  Small boat anglers from Dublin reported good spurdog fishing at Scotsman’s Bay with fish to 14lb 8ozs landed.  Wicklow Boat Charter’s skipper Kit Dunne welcomed the start of some great Spurdog action in 2012. On Sunday they had 2 specimen fish, one of 18lb 10oz for Paul Heffernan, and one of 14lb 3oz for Anthony Morris. Meanwhile at Greenore small boat anglers report good fishing for bullhuss, doggies and tope. The porbeagle sharks have left our shores for another year, but there are still some good turbot and ray to show for the efforts of anglers fishing on the Predator II out of Red Bay. Catch of the Week goes to Bill Ryan for his specimen ballan wrasse. Bill was fishing at the Bridges of Ross where over the last couple of weeks he has had up to 40 wrasse in a session and pollack to 7lb. Big bass feature in reports from Wexford to Waterford and from Cobh to West Cork. Tim Murrell  had a  9.5 lb. bass fishing with Richie Ryan in Cork Harbour and Absolute Fishing in Tramore are also reporting big fish. Fishing a Wexford beach Ashley Hayden had 19 schoolie bass on bait.

The outlook is for dry and cool weather with winds mostly moderate from the south and south-east.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release

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Lough Sheelin at sunrise on the last day of the 2012 fishing season
Lough Sheelin at sunrise on the last day of the 2012 fishing season