I checked the calendar once and then checked it again to make sure it was June. The weather is so mixed up one would be forgiven if they thought it was April ! As with the weather, the fishing too is very varied. Water levels on the Slaney and Munster Blackwater remain very high and create problems for anglers with muddy discoloured rivers. While up in the Owenea fishery in Donegal Lindsey Clarke reports that water levels this week were only fair to low.
Despite this some fine fish were caught. Charles Cooper landed a 17lb 6oz salmon up in Delphi after a 40 minute struggle, breaking his net in the process. Paddy Varian confused us all by catching a 5lb 9ozs fish off the Rock Pool using a Tick Tock. At first I thought he had cast his watch into the water, but Paddy is wiser than that…..he knew what he was about !!
High water levels hampered angling at the Moy Fishery but the rest of the river produced great catches with over 500 salmon again this week. With a late run of spring fish and an early run of grilse Ballynahinch Castle has had the best start to their season in over a decade. Vincent Appleby tells us Barry Vaughan caught a 5.5lb Sea Trout on the fly at Lough Currane. This distinctive fly was made for him by his good friend and as he has caught a good few game fish on this fly his good friend has requested to have the fly returned back to him. Mmm…no chance!
Sedge fishing is favoured on Lough Sheelin with millions of sedges reported around Church Island and the Bog Bay section of the lake in particular. There are many tactics that can be employed to take fish during a sedge hatch but the most important thing to remember is that the fly must match the local hatch. Lough Carra fished well with the most successful patterns being the Green Peter, Golden Olive and Alexander. Young anglers take to the water this week too with 14 year old Nora Teter from New York catching a nice brownie on the Maigue near Adare and 7 year old Jack Rosney with two 1½ lb. trout on Lough Owel.
Ian Lindsey and Jay Buckley from Dublin visited Monaghan on Saturday for a spot of Pike fishing and they didn’t let the high water levels discourage them. Commando style fishing, wading through the reeds produced 10 pike for Ian and Jay. While down in East Clare, Keith O’Sullivan caught a whopping 25lb Pike at Clondanagh Lake.
The Athlone Anglers Association Poyntonia Cup went to father and son team James Greene Jnr and James Snr with an 18lb 15oz pike.
Graeme Gannon and his cousin David had a long night out fishing and it paid off. Graeme caught a super Perch weighing 3lb 8oz in Lanesborough. Not too far away in Killeshandra, Tony Mahon got a 6lb 12oz Tench on the Town Lake. Although conditions in Lough Muckno were difficult, feeder and wagglers all produced results, so as the saying goes ‘Persistence pays off’
Our Sea anglers sent us reports from Bass, Wrasse, Monkfish, Pollack, Stingrays and Tope to blue shark. The first blues of the season were reported by Mark Gannon out of Courtmacsherry, where one angler fishing for pollack played a 60lb shark to the side of the boat before loosing it. Later Anthony Hislop managed a shark of over 2m which was tagged and released. From the great day had at the Grauvell West Coast Shore League to the struggle and drama had by a Cork Bass angler who nearly lost his pants in the battle to capture the silver fish of the sea. Rosi from Germany landed a monster Monkfish off Valentia and although this fish was no oil painting it was very impressive indeed. Eugene Farrelly tells us about Kerry’s Stingray alley in Tralee and how to hold and release them safely. From the beauty of Kerry to the scenic West Clare, anglers outwitted the creatures of the sea. Bill Ryan chased the Wrasse, while Neil struggled with a massive Tope. Gary Robinson was out on his kayak in Cork and rounding up some Pollack and Paul Harris headed for Castletownbere. It’s all systems go. Weather or no weather, anglers are a hardy bunch and pursue like pros!
Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Nancy Hearne
Catch, Photo, Release
Headlines
Coarse angling reports
- Lough Muckno Continues to Produce in Tough Conditions
- Good fishing on the Inny but Canal slow
- Excellent conditioned coarse fish around East Clare
- Coarse anglers pleased with their catches around Killeshandra
- A long nights fishing paid off for the two cousins in Lanesborough
- Garda Squads face Testing Conditions on Muckno
- Superb 6lb 12oz Tench on Townlake, Killeshandra
Pike fishing reports
- Lough Muckno Continues to Produce in Tough Conditions
- Father and son team take first prize with 18lb 15oz pike at Lough Ree
- East Clare lake provides angler with a splendid 25lb Pike
- Lough Glore Pike Competition on July 1st
- A fine pike for the two Kings on Lough Lene
- Californian Paul takes to the waters of Coosan Point in search of Pike
- Ian and Jay Undeterred by High Water Levels
- A fine pike for the bass guitarist
Salmon fishing reports
- Owenea water levels low but salmon up to 9.5lbs still being caught
- Good run of grilse continues on Lough Melvin
- Drowes continues to fish very well for salmon
- The Munster Blackwater turns to brownwater as the river rises fast
- Over 500 salmon once again for the week on the River Moy
- The good salmon fishing continues on Carrowmore Lake.
- Lough Beltra fished well as high water leads more fresh grilse into the system
- Last weeks floods brings fresh fish into the Slaney
- Ballynahinch Castle has best start to season for over a decade
- Good grilse fishing on Erriff
- Galway Weir
- Plenty of salmon and sea trout reported from Lough Currane
- 13lb Salmon caught by Tom on the River Feale
- Delphi has it all, 17lb 6oz salmon, scenery and Tick Tocks!
- Munster Blackwater fishing well with outlook good
- Excellent prospects for the coming week on the River Laune
Sea angling reports
- Forty plus……top tope for Neil on Clare shore
- Tope numbers good, but size small says Hamish
- What a difference a few hours makes to the fishing on Beara
- The Hook Bass Fishing Festival
- Pollack Perfection in the South West of Ireland
- From The Bridges of Ross right up to Doonbeg there are gullies waiting to be explored!
- Wicklow anglers see big numbers of Tope
- Sea Angling is picking up in the Clare Area
- Great day had at Grauvell West Coast Shore League
- A struggle ,a drama and a bass for Cork angler
- Reef fishing off Kilmore Quay
- Kerry’s Stingray alley, a unique place with a variety of rare fish
- Monster Monkfish for Rosi off Valentia
- Fish hard to find off Donegal, only the tope oblige
Trout fishing reports
- Carton House looks forward to better weather next week
- Excellent beginners course on Clonanav’s lakes with good catches of trout
- Lough Carra fishing well
- Sedge fishing gets into full swing on Lough Sheelin
- 15 boats with 30 anglers took part in the Donnellan Cup on Lough O’Flynn
- Two fine trout for 7 year old Jack on Lough Owel
- Little and Big Brosna flooded but some lively fishing in Pallas Lake
- Trout fishing in Co Clare good in places
- Lough Ennell making waves on the Angling scene
- Ollie O’Neill tops on the Bane with 4.89lb rainbow trout
- Suir rising after heavy rain in the midlands
- 14 year old Nora bags herself a nice brownie
News clippings
- Muckalee hosts Youths Lake Championship – Kilkenny People
- Native animals ‘at risk of extinction’ as pollution and over-fishing take toll – Irish Independent
- Invasive management – Irish Times
