There was light at the end of the tunnel for the anglers on the Moy.  After a hard month of low water levels and little fish The Moy ended on a high with well over 500 salmon reported. Catches on the Drowes were up compared to last week with water level at the Four Masters Bridge good.  Some 20 salmon were caught at the weekend, mostly coloured but some fresh grilse were caught too.

Lucky Don Fraser from the US was out and about with Guide Andrew Ryan on the Munster Blackwater where he landed and released a whopping 17lb salmon that had been in the system for some time.  The fish fought hard and took a size 15 holographic cascade but Don fought harder and after a struggle the angler won out.

Lough Currane and Burrishoole were pleased with the number of sea trout caught over the last few days.  Vincent Appleby tells us that Mr Sean Smiths from the UK caught and released a 7 ¼ lbs sea trout. While the trout in Burrishoole provided some excellent sport for a crowd of anglers at Mount Falcon.

Tony Grehan with his superb Sheelin Trout. Tony is our ‘Catch of the Week’ winner
Tony Grehan with his superb Sheelin Trout. Tony is our ‘Catch of the Week’ winner

Lough Corrib and Lough Melvin made trout anglers work hard for little reward although things improved as the weekend approached and water levels rose. With the trout season coming to an end on September 30th, Lough Lene gave up its fish and delighted Cork anglers Gary Casey and Alan Murray who spent a couple of hours out trolling and fly fishing.

Congratulations to Cavan angler Kenneth O’Keeffe who won the Harry Lafferty Cup for the top Irish angler at the 2013 International Fly Fishing Match .  Kenneth is a member of Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association.  Another fan of Lough Sheelin is Dubliner Tony Grehan.  Using a chocolate drop sedge, in Orangefield Bay Tony caught a cracking Sheelin cock fish estimated to be around 9lbs-10lbs in weight.  To add to the Sam Maguire victory, Tony can now claim our ‘Catch of the Week’ title.

‘Overcast nights and warmth in the autumn can mean success when going coarse angling’ that’s the advice of Lee Reservoirs Angling Services guide Ross Macklin.  He took a crowd of avid specimen hunters to Westmeath at the weekend where he  pre-baited the swim and set the scene.  Patience paid dividends when the lads finished with 50 fish that included 15 tench and a large bag of specimen bream and hybrids. These included a monster 5lb 14oz hybrid roach bream plus an 8lb+ and a 7lb 15oz bream.

Melview Lodge’s Kevin Lyons is also a believer in pre-baiting.  They had impressive catches of roach and hybrids during the week. UK anglers Allan Mannion, Ste Albiston, Chris Carr and Greg Wright spared nothing when they pre-baited their patch.  Allan took several large Bream to 7lb among a large quantity of fine quality fish.

Busy Beara Peninsula was the destination for anglers who stayed with Paul Harris of Dromagowlane House . A magnificent 18 lbs 3 oz. ling along with bass to 7.5 lbs, thornback rays to 11 lbs, huss to 12 lbs, pollack, wrasse and doggies and just to add some variety small eyed, spotted and blonde rays were caught.  Later in the week Dubliner Mark Noble put his stamp on the place by catching a fine 14lb Pollack on a soft plastic lure.

If it’s variety you are looking for this week, look no further than Wicklow Boat Charters . Skipper Kit Dunne had a group up from Wexford, guided by Sid Jones .  The gang had a great time out in Dublin Bay catching everything from squid to Gurnards, Bullhuss, Codling and Dogs, not to mention the large one that got away after a 20 minute battle.  But not to worry, Sid informs me that the elusive tope has his cards marked and the Wexford gang will be back to catch him next time!

Reminder

Anglers are reminded that they are required by law to return all completed Anglers’ Log Books (even where there is no catch recorded), as well as any unused tags to Inland Fisheries Ireland before the 19th October 2013, using the business reply envelope issues with the Anglers’ Log Book.

Competitions

Open Pike Boat Competition, Lough Boderg

Lough Allen Pike Competition, 7- 8 October

Lough Arrow competition details

Lough Muckno Autumn Festival 30th September to 4th October

Weather Prospects

It will be another cloudy and misty night tonight with fog developing in many parts again. There will be more drizzle and rain, especially along the east coast but most of the country will remain dry. Mild with lows of 10 to 14 degrees and light easterly winds.

A dull and misty start to Friday with more fog patches during the morning. It will brighten and dry up during the afternoon with some bright or sunny spells developing. A very mild day as temperatures climb to between 17 and 20 degrees, and may even reach 21 in longer sunny spells. Winds will be light to moderate east to southeast.

Rather mild for the time of year with temperatures in the mid to high teens (values lowest in the east and south with onshore breezes here). Whilst there will be some sunny spells, dull at times too. Rainfall will be below average, but nonetheless some scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle are expected, with mist and fog lingering in some regions also.

For Saturday a mix of cloud and sunny spells, with some showery outbreaks of rain across the country. However much of the northern half of the country will hold entirely dry, and even further south rain will be well scattered. Highest temperatures 16 to 19 degree Celsius (best values in the west, coolest in the east). Easterly winds will be no more than moderate in strength.

Breezier on Sunday and Monday with moderate to fresh east to southeast winds. Long dry spells with some sunny spells, however overall rather cloudy with some scattered outbreaks of rain through the day. Highest temperatures 15 to 18 degrees Celsius – again coolest for southern and eastern counties with winds feeding in from the Irish and Celtic Sea.

Tight lines,

Nancy Hearne
Catch, Photo, Release

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Headlines

Salmon fishing reports

Sea angling reports

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Coarse angling reports

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News clippings

Clonanav - Master and pupil
Clonanav – Master and pupil – photo compliment of Andrew Ryan