It was a hot week and as Sheelin sweltered under the consistently high temperatures the trout during the day, remained deep down in the safe and cold. Surface water temperature is high and levels are low. This lake has always had its fair share of rocks and being a shallow lake these are hazardous even at normal levels but now with this continuing period of dry weather rocks are appearing that haven’t seen the light of day for years and anglers need to be extra vigilant.
The lake’s water is very clear and this combined with the low levels triggered one angler’s comment ‘that it would be easier to stalk the trout than catch them’.
The fishing is slow on the lake with the trout still feeding on the explosion of perch fry. The trout are preying heavily on these fry at the moment and although a little frustrating for the angler (particularly the visiting one) all this is good as with the gorging, the trout will put weight on that will transform them into the renowned magnificent Sheelin trout – thick from tip to tail for later on in the season. For the angler if he wants to fish these shoal invested areas the best bet is to go for a brightly coloured fly like the Dunkeld or the Alexandra and fish early in the morning and in the deeper parts of the lake.
The Alexandra or Lady of the Lake dates back to around 1860. At one point it was such a popular and successful pattern that its use was literally banned on certain waters – but not on Sheelin. This pattern needs to be fished in a certain way, obviously it doesn’t imitate a ‘fly’ but it could well be taken for a minnow, pinhead or beetle. For this reason it should be worked in what might be described as dance time – slow, slow, quick-quick, slow! It is a good idea to vary the pace of line recovery so that the fly darts and hesitates as a beetle might behave in the water, keeping it changing course so that the flashiness may be seen to the best advantage by the fish. The Alexandra is best fished deep- sunk (perhaps on a full sinking line) on a windy day when the fish are taking the fly well below the surface or are sucking up perch fry.
The later part of July should bring a return of sedge and evening fishing. Although there are great hatches of sedges and murrough (in the late evenings) the hot weather is taking its toll in that the fish are reluctant to rise through the ever increasing surface water temperatures and as a result do the bulk of their feeding during the late evenings and very early mornings. Even the sedges seem reluctant to land on the waters surface. When this hot spell is over and temperatures drop to more normal Irish summer temperatures Sheelin’s abundant sedge hatches including Silverhorns and Murroughs, along with the buzzer and apple green midge should get fish moving near the surface again perhaps in early August.
The Apple Green Midge or Blagdon Green Midge is an important and familiar species on Sheelin. The Apple Greens featured in late May and early June and although sporadic at the moment will return in significant numbers towards the end of this month and during August. These flies can begin hatching as early as 9.30am and certainly not later than 11am. The hatch lasts well into the early afternoon and there is further activity around 10pm to well into dusk, as both emerging insects and females return to the water. Angling tactics very much depend on the weather and of course the anglers preference but wet fly fishing should prove successful for this and the other midge Campto Chironomid on patterns such as the Sooty Olive, Blae Sooty Olive, Black & Peacock Spider Size 12 which is a little odd but works. Nymphs will produce good results and take fish feeding close to the surface, particularly along a ripple.
On Friday, July 19th Ireland was declared officially to be in a drought, defined as 15 consecutive days dry days but being in a drought doesn’t mean that Sheelin’s trout stop feeding.
It is an indisputable fact that fishing on the lake is not easy at the moment and requires much more time observing and studying what’s happening than actually casting and this creates a problem in that most anglers want easy fishing and Sheelin for now cannot give them that.
There was a lot of simulium on the water this week and trout are feeding on them in the more sheltered areas. These small black flies are on the surface of the water so therefore the angler’s fly must sit on the surface to imitate the existing menu – a sinking line just won’t do it and this is a perfect example of where studying what’s going on is vital in landing a fussy trout.
The most successful flies used this week were the small brown sedges, the Jack Flash, Hoppers, the Alexandra, the Dunkeld, the Murrough and the Wulff.
The anglers that are venturing out on this lake so late at night, in the twilight zone and in the early mornings but they are very much in the minority and for this week much more is being spent on suntan lotion than on flies.
The trout of the week was a beautiful 5lb trout caught by Mallusk angler Michael Martin.
Total number of trout recorded: 15
Selection of Catches
- Martin Smith, Cavan – 1 trout at 1 ½ lbs on a murrough fishing at 5am around Goreport.
- Trevor McGovern, Wexford – 1 trout at 2 lbs on a dunkeld around Church Island at 1am
- Michael Delahunty, Dublin – 1 trout at 1 ¾ lbs on a hopper fishing around Orangefield.
- Simon and Stephen Reilly, Monaghan – 3 trout averaging 1 ½ – 1 ¾ on small brown sedges and the Alexandra.
