The weather continues to be wintry with easterlies dominating forecasts coupled with heavy rain in places in recent days. A change is due and hopefully it will see spring take a proper hold, water temperatures increase and angling prospects improve. Having said that there were a few anglers who managed to connect with some decent fish during breaks in the weather.

Nice male skate 115lb
This male skate of 115lb wins Peter Catch of the Week

Some good charter fishing was reported from Dunmore East where a party of 8 anglers had 11 species including cod to over 10lb. At the other end of the country small boat anglers enjoyed greater success with a much smaller catch. Peter and friends fished a mark off the Maidens and landed a male skate of over 100lbs which wins Peter Catch of the Week.

There were a number of encouraging salmon reports over the last 7 days, but again it was all down to anglers making the most of lulls in the poor weather conditions. At Lough Currane there were days when fishing was impossible but some sea trout and salmon were reported including two fish landed yesterday evening to 14lb. Sea trout and salmon also featured on the Laune despite low water, though the salmon were of a smaller size.  On the River Bandon salmon to 17lb were reported including a lovely fish of 15lb landed in the town. Fort William on the Munster Blackwater enjoyed some great fishing with 10 salmon to 11lb to mark the start of April. Good fishing continued on the Slaney with a number of salmon reported and at Delphi despite fishing being very difficult with the level at ‘0’ on the scale, 3 salmon were landed.

Cold winds and cold waters made fly fishing for river trout a game for the wets as there were few hatches of anything at all to tempt trout to the surface. Traditional flies in a team of 3 did well for one angler on the River Suir. On the River Liffey anglers using modern streamers had good fish, while nymphs accounted for some pretty trout on Cavan’s smaller waters. Black Minkies and Humongouses accounted for some good fish on Lough Sheelin, though  duckfly and tradional patterns did well where there was a bit of a buzzer hatch in the lake’s more sheltered corners. Some good trout were taken on Lough Owel and Robert Farrington fished a Silver Invicta to good effect, catching 6 fishing and winning the Jimmy Allard Cup.

Double trouble in the pike world came in the form of twins John and Michael who had a number of double figure pike on the Shannon near Athlone. The pair had pike of 20lb, 18lb, 2 at 16lb and a number of more fish over 10lb. On the River Barrow conditions were tough last Friday with just jacks to show for the efforts of a father and son team.

Coarse angling reports are still thin on the ground but good weights were recorded last week at  the Lough Muckno Easter Festival 2. The winner at White Island on Friday was Darren Fairhurst from the UK and Dublin with a 8.860kg net of mixed fish. The best weight from Section B on Black Island was taken by Rory O’Neill from Newry with 11.020kg.

The forecast is for unsettled and changeable weather over the weekend and next week, with temperatures recovering close to normal. Sunday should see the winds move into the southwest quarter, the change nearly everyone has been waiting for. Daytime temperatures will be as high as 14C next week there will still be frost at night

Tight lines,
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release

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A Nice April Evening on Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan
A Nice April Evening on Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan