Rob Love of Carton House Fishery reports that  the water clarity on the RyeLake should improve somewhat over the next few days…

When water is clearing after (slightly) higher water like we witnessed over the last few days the prospects are quite good for a spot of fly fishing for pike.

pike bite

When pike attack… Ghillie Malcolm McLagan shows his war wounds after removing a deeply hooked fly from a pikes mouth – artery forceps or a long-nosed pliers are essential kit for pike anglers.

Some lovely double figure pike have been returned over the last few weeks providing thrilling sport for a few lucky anglers.

I hopefully will be meeting up with a couple of the members from our fishing club over the weekend and will be able to report next week on how we got on.

Anyone considering fly fishing for pike on the RyeLake over the next week or so will be served well by a perch imitation fished near the margins.  Both floating or intermediate lines are working well. Please make sure that flies are on single barbless hooks or hooks with barb’s firmly squashed down.

The Sheet of Water is perhaps more suited to the beginner / improving angler and it is far more sheltered than the RyeLake which helps with anyone brushing up on casting technique.  Please note that fishing on the Sheet of Water is only permitted when with a guide.

A day permit is €50 and a 3 hour permit €35.  Anglers should note that this means they can fish for pike on the Rye Lake and rainbow trout on the Sheet of Water (all fly only) in this timeframe – so if one is not working the other might.

Rob Love
Carton House Fishery

If you have any queries about fishing at Carton House please contact Guest Relations on (01) 5052000 or me on 087
1947811.  You can also see the other activities on offer at Carton House by checking the Carton House website www.cartonhouse.com

Guidelines for handling pike

pike

Download: Pike Handling and Conservation [.pdf 850 KB]

When landed, the fish should be laid flat preferably on a protective mat and the hooks removed with a suitable tool such as long handled artery forceps or a long nosed pliers. Anglers may find it useful to wear protective gloves. Sometimes it can be easier to release the hooks by working very carefully through the gill covers.

The use of pike sacks can be used for the short time retention of fish enabling them to recover prior to weighing or photography. When weighing and photographing fish, the pike should be cradled and supported properly to avoid injuring the fish. A pike sized weigh sling should always be used if the fish is be weighed.

When being released, the pike should be held carefully in the water to promote recovery until it is ready to swim away. At all times, the pike should be returned to the water in the shortest possible time.