There is a lot to report this week. The first blue shark of the season, a strong run of grilse with some big salmon, trout anglers winkling out fish on a variety of methods, big bags of coarse fish from the more productive venues and pike to over 30lb from Lough Corrib all feature this week’s Irish Angling Update.
Summer piking can be provide very exciting sport and on Lough Corrib there have been some great results recently for anglers fishing with Tomi Kurman from the Corrib Predator guiding team. Maciej Krajewski did particularly well, he hooked a monster pike of 30lbs 9oz, which measured 117.5cm winning him this week’s Catch of the Week.
Grilse continued to run the River Drowes in significant numbers this week despite slowly dropping water and anglers had their fair share some hooking up to 8 fish on Saturday. It was another successful week at the Ballisodare Fishery, where 188 salmon were recorded for the week, 55 of those released. Around 300 salmon were landed on the Moy last week as the levels dropped. With little rain forecast the prospects on the river are good. Carrowmore has fished very well in the last week. Two boats had 10 salmon and lost more. Another angler had a fine salmon of about 17lb on trout gear. Low water levels prevail in Connemara at the moment, with rain badly needed for many fisheries. However, the grilse run is beginning to arrive, with fish making their way into some fisheries on this week’s high tides. Delphi, Ballinahinch, Kylemore and Screebe all reproted grilse last week. On the Galway Fishery the run of fish has been excellent, with large numbers of fish entering on every tide. 123 salmon were recorded for the week, with many more fish hooked and lost. Anglers report a good run of grilse on the Laune and at Lough Currane there are fresh salmon and some good sea trout being landed daily. The river Lee is another river that has had low water conditions but some fresh fish are still running the river. Fishing on the Munster Blackwater was much improved last week with some fine salmon caught on the Blackwater Lodge beats. At the Slaney anglers are looking forward to the sea trout runs but a few fresh salmon continue to run the river.
Switching between size 18 dry flies and larger steamer patterns produced some “deadly” fishing on the Fane last week. The River Suir also reported some good fishing. Most of the lakes are a bit betwixt and between at the moment but the enterprising angler can still enjoy good sport if he is willing to experiment a little. Caenis patterns are popular this time of year and though the fishing is notoriously frustrating some anglers on Lough Derg and Lough Corrib are enjoying success on these tiny flies. Caenis and sedges also have been working on Lough Sheelin and a similar experience was reported from Lough Conn.
There were some great sea angling reports again last week. Bass fishing is going particularly well with some great reports coming in from Waterville, Co. Kerry, Cork Harbour, The Copper Coast in Waterford and parts of Wexford. Shore anglers in general report good fishing from a variety of venues with specimen ballan wrasse and more from West Cork marks and some great smooth hound fishing on the east coast. Charter boats, too have seen fishing improve especially where mackerel numbers have started to build up. Dutch anglers had good skate and spurdogs at Red Bay. At Wicklow big tope and better hounds including a specimen featured in catches last week. Anglers in Downings made up for average ground fishing with some great tope, though there were some fine turbot, conger and a few good cod also had. Leaving the best till last it is with great pleasure that we report the first blue shark of the season. Dutch anglers fishing with Ger Murphy on the Sea Breeze III out of Kinsale had 5 sharks on Thursday 20th June.
Holiday angling activities
Juvenile Angling Day on the Cathedral Beat
The Moy Fishery is hosting its annual Juvenile Angling Day on the Cathedral Beat in Ballina on Monday, 8th July. Rods, tackle and tuition are available free on the day with the event open to anyone 17 years or younger. Angling will commence at 9.00am and finish at 6.00pm. Those wishing to participate should call Inland Fisheries Ireland – Ballina on +353 (0)96 22788 to book their place.
Juvenile fishing camp at Graignamanagh
Graignamanagh Angling Club will be running a Juvenile fishing camp on the river Barrow in Graignamanagh on Monday July 8th -Thursday July 11th from 10 o’clock until 1 o’clock each day.
Prospects
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with rain and drizzle spreading down from the Northwest during the day. Later on it will turn brighter and fresher in the North and West. Highest temperatures 16 to 21 C. Saturday will be warm and dry in most areas with pleasant sunny spells across the midlands, south and east, but it will be cloudier in the north and northwest with a little light rain or drizzle at times. Southwest winds will be light to moderate with temperatures in the high teens.
Sunday will be generally cloudy though mild with most places dry. However a few spots of light rain may occur – mainly in the north and west. Southwest winds will be moderate. Any sunny breaks will be best in the far south.
The further outlook (Monday until midweek) is for mostly dry very mild and quite settled weather. It will be rather cloudy overall though – especially across the north and west where outbreaks of rain will occur at times. However amounts of rain will be small and Munster and Leinster will stay mostly dry with warm sunshine at times. Winds predominantly from the southwest will be no more than moderate and temperatures will get into the low twenties in many areas away from coasts. That sounds like a good fishing forecast…
Tight lines,
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release
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Headlines
Salmon fishing reports
- Significant numbers of grilse running the Drowes despite dropping water
- Another successful week at Ballisodare – 188 salmon recorded
- Close to 300 salmon caught on the Moy last week
- A handful of salmon on the Feale
- Outgunned by Carrowmore salmon but the battle was won
- Screebe gets its first good run of salmon as grilse enter the system
- Some good grilse fishing reports at Kylemore Abbey
- Grilse and sea trout running at Ballynahinch Castle
- Excellent run of salmon at Galway, 123 fish caught last week
- Doubles and triples for anglers on the river Drowes
- An invasion of Sparkling silver grilse take the Yellow shrimp on Dephi
- Sea trout and salmon galore on Lough Currane
- Good prospects as runs of grilse and large salmon come in on the Munster Blackwater
- A good run of grilse in the river Laune
- Ten salmon over two days and more lost on Carrowmore lake
- 9lbs salmon on the fly on the Munster Blackwater
- River Lee still quite low but some fresh salmon and grilse at Inniscarra
- Sea trout slow to arrive in the Slaney but fresh salmon available
Trout fishing reports
- Lough Conn a bit quieter but good flyfishing still possible
- Corrib a bit quiet, Caenis fishing well in early mornings
- Two master guides land some amazing trout
- Lough Sheelin moves from the mayfly and spent towards the sedge
- Brilliant fishing expected at Carrigavantry & Knockaderry with lakes restocked
- Carton House Fishery closed from the 23rd – 30th June inclusive.
- Fantastic Fly Fishing on the River Fane
Sea angling reports
- Jim Hendrick goes pink in the sun…
- 2.7kgs specimen ballan wrasse caught on Beara
- Henry Gilbey tackles the suspended weeds to land the Bass
- First blue shark of the season reported from Kinsale last week
- Fishing only average but tope is good.
- Hallelujah the Mackeral are here at last !
- Clare shore anglers find angling difficult in persistent strong winds
- Dutch anglers get good fishing at Red Bay
- Conger Capers on the Beara
- Rays of Sunshine in Deepest West Cork
- Beara Baskers, Burgeoning Biomass, and Guinness of Course.
- Another double for Wexford guide Sid Jones
- Wicklow producing big tope and the hounds are getting bigger
- A great nights fishing for Paddy on an East coast beach
- Bass in the early morning at Wexford
Coarse angling reports
- Juvenile Fishing Camp on the Barrow at Graignamanagh
- Excellent rudd reports from Templemore
- A busy weekend lined up for Oaklands Lake Fishery in New Ross
- Plenty of bream and tench at Leitrim venues to keep anglers busy
- Excellent catches of tench and bream for German angler
Pike fishing reports
- Catch and Release pike competition for Milford Hospice
- Summer piking on Corrib very productive – fish to 30lb 9oz reported
- Fiery pike attacks anglers catch at Templemore Lake
- Pike Fly Tying/Pike Fly Fishing open day at Buttermarket, Enniskillen Sat 29th June
- A few jack pike enough to hook new angler in Monaghan
- Poulapoucha pike on fly
News clippings
- Irish Ladies Fly Fishing Squad land gold medal – Three Mayo women on team that beat opponents from England, Scotland and Wales – Connaught Telegraph
- Gone fishin’: Tony Hibbert is on the cover of this month’s Angling Times, ladies – The Score
- Want to help conserve fisheries? Now you can get in on the Act, Irish Times
- Ireland’s fish farming plans cause environmental concern, Financial Times
- Recreational angling sector generates €500m annually, Irish Examiner
- Anglers catch glimpse of killer whales
Other news
