Lough Sheelin
by Brenda Montgomery
Angling Report June 25th to July 1st 2012
Anglers battled the elements this week on Lough Sheelin particularly from thursday onwards with deluges of rain resulting in the water levels rising dramatically and rapidly and the temperatures plunging, by Saturday we were up to winter levels and the water looked black, menacing and uninviting.
Before the onset of the rain, the lake fished well with massive hatches of sedges to be seen particularly around Crane island. Ideal conditions for fishing the sedge are calm but continually changing wind directions played havoc with this, of all of the vagaries of weather, wind is probably the one most dreaded by anglers. In a game that places a premium on casting accuracy, constant changing wind directions can create serious problems, but at the same time wind is an almost constant companion to the fly fisherman and on Sheelin all is required is to study the lake and head to the butt of the wind and take it from there, the angler must adopt different strategies for dealing with windy conditions, its all part of angling tactics.
The trout started to feed on perch fry for the first time this week. Shoals of fry were spotted around Orangefield, Plunkett’s pt and along Derrysheridan shore and into Goreport Bay. Bashing trout lash the fry with their tails in an apparent effort to stun the tiny fish, they then feed on the dead fry lying on the surface. Silver and gold bodied flies fished very slowly can get results.
The L.S.T.P.A will be running a ‘not to be missed’ Youth Angling Day on Saturday July 14th at Lough Sheelin. This day is open to all 8 – 18 year olds. The day will include fly tying, casting and then fishing, finishing with a Bar-B-Q. Everyone must bring a life jacket and eye protection and of course lots of enthusiasm and energy.
Contact E.Ross @ 087 9436655 or Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033
A catch and release policy is actively encouraged on this lake
Please remember anglers that the size limit on this lake is 35.5 cm (14 inches) – we need our small fish alive…….
Best flies for the week: murrough, small brown sedge, selection of dabblers ( golden olive, claret and green), bumble, watson’s fancy, black pennell, connemara black and spent.
The dark and ominous appearance of the water this week reminded me of angler Frank Reilly’s writing about the ‘cloak and dabbler’ when he talked about dabbler fishing usually when he was bobbing up and down on a big wave on some lake.
The heaviest fish for the week was caught by Kildare angler – Nile Bentley with his 4lb wild trout caught on a buzzer pupae.
Total catch recorded: 37
Selection of catches:
Andrew Brown L.S.T.P. A – on a small bumble 1 trout at 2lbs on Tuesday.
Peter McArdle, Dundalk – 4 fish using a dry sedge, averaged 1½ – 2¼ lbs, fishing around Crane island and Plunkett’s pt.
Mourice Mc Devitt, Donegal – on Friday night June 29th in Chambers Bay, 1 trout at 3½ lbs on a murrough.
Michael Kelly, Dublin – 5 fish heaviest was 3½ lbs using LF flies and sedges.
Nile Bentley, Kildare – 5 trout, heaviest 4 and 3½ lbs on Sunday July 1st using a buzzer pupae.
Brenda Montgomery, 2nd July 2012
