Lindsey Clarke reports from Owenea Fishery – Monday 29th July to Sunday 4th August 2013.
We received some rainfall at last towards the weekend. The river was very low up until Thursday when we received a small fresh (0.16 metres). Friday and Saturday gave better water levels with the gauge reading 0.26 metres on Friday and 0.27 metres on Saturday. Sunday saw lower water levels with the gauge reading 0.18 metres as Saturday’s flood ran off. The gauge average for the week read 0.23 metres. With the floods after the long dry spell came a good run of grilse and there were good catches on the river on Friday with a few caught on Saturday too. There were also good numbers of sea trout caught by rods after salmon and it seems that there are good numbers of sea trout in the river this season.
Given here are some of the catches taken from the Catch Register. On Thursday, Bart McHugh recorded a 6lb grilse caught on a spinner from beat 9. On Friday, Fergal Mallon registered an 8lb salmon caught on a fly from beat 8. Michael McLaughlin recorded 2 grilse weighing 4 & 5lb caught on a spinner. John McFadden accounted for 2 grilse also weighing 4 & 5lb and caught on a spinner. Sean Campbell logged grilse of 2 & 5½lb caught on a spinner from beat 8 with the smaller of these being released. Nadar Farvardin reported his first fly caught salmon. This weighed 7lb and was caught on a fly from beat 7 and released again. Chris Gallagher registered 3 grilse caught from beat 8 on spinner & worm. These weighed 3, 5 & 8lb with the 5lb fish being released again. Davy Sullivan recorded 2 grilse caught & released weighing 3lb each and Michael McCrory logged a 5½lb grilse caught on a fly from beat 7. On Saturday, Michael reported another 2 grilse caught on a fly from beat 7 weighing 4lb each and also lost 2 other salmon. Another rod accounted for grilse of 5 & 6lb caught on a fly from beat 5 and Chris Gallagher recorded a 4lb grilse caught on a spinner from beat 8. On Sunday Bart McHugh recorded a 5lb grilse caught on a spinner from beat 8.
There is good rainfall forecast this week which will hopefully translate into good water conditions and prospects look good.
Lindsey Clarke
IFI Ballyshannon
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For info/bookings etc on the Owenea Fishery –
Tel: 074 9551141. (9am to 1pm April to May & 7am to 1pm June to Sept).
For beat maps and more visit https://www.fishinginireland.info/salmon/north/owenea.htm
