Ronan Cusack reports that fishing on Mask has been hampered a little this week by cold northerly winds and wintry showers. The Partry Angling Club held the Horan Cup competition on Sunday the 15th, which was won by local angler Pat Feerick, with 4 fish for 5.7lbs. In 2nd place was Martin Feerick with 3 fish for 4.3lbs. Alan Dowling took 3rd place with 1 fish for 1.25lbs.
Tourmakeady anglers held the Churchfield Cup on Sunday last, which was run on a catch-and-release format. This won by local angler Eddy Gibbons with 5 fish measuring a total length of 178cm. Nigel Greene from Fermanagh took 2nd place with 4 fish for 153cm. John Murray, Sligo, took 3rd place with 4 fish for 139cm.
Joe Fitzharris and Derek Madden, Ballyhaunis, fished Mask on Monday last and they boated 22 trout with only 7 over the 13-inch limit (best fish 1.75lbs). Ballinrobe angler Kevin Sheridan reported 6 fish for 3 outings during the week (best fish 3lbs, all returned). Danny Joyce, Ballinrobe, fished on Sunday and he had 3 trout for his day (best fish 1.5lbs). Well known wetfly angler Adrian Gorman had 3 nice fish for a few hours on Sunday (best fish 2lbs). Adrian also reported returning numerous undersize fish during the afternoon. Billy Graham, Fermanagh, fished with Sean Maloney over the weekend and they had 4 keepable fish for two days (best fish 2lbs). Greg O’Donoghue, Ballinrobe, and fishing partner George Goodwin, Dublin, fished during the week and they had 4 nice fish for a day (best fish 2.5lbs all returned). Most anglers fishing on Mask this week said that is was not unusual to return up to 20 under-size fish for a day at the moment! So many small trout bodes well for angling in the next couple of years as they grow and mature.
Young anglers PJ Feerick and fishing buddy Sean Cusack had a nice ferox trout on Mask on Sunday last for 9lbs, and ferox fishing is reportedly quite good at the moment.
