It was another busy week for anglers in Ireland with specimen salmon, tench, congers and more landed in the last few days. The warm weather and mostly settled conditions encouraged more anglers to take to the waters and the wilds, and with extra time to play with at the long weekend, the opportunities to fish were seized by many.

Congratulations to Steven Rayner who records the first blue shark of the season
Catch of the Weeks goes to Steven Rayner who records the first blue shark of the season. Blue shark were also caught from Clonakilty at the weekend.

There were some fine sized salmon caught around the country last week. On the Delphi fishery a 19lb 9oz fish was caught during a busy week. This fish is the biggest taken from Delphi in the modern era. A 22.1 lb salmon was taken during the last week of May at Screebe, though the fishery has been a bit quiet since. Salmon to 14lb were reported from the Moy and Laune. Inagh Lodge fishery reported its first salmon of the year. Anglers on the Moy Estuary have had some great sea trout fishing recently with fishing coming well to fly and bait.

England won the Spring International Match on Lough Owel last week. Using conventional reservoir rainbow angling methods the team caught 59 trout for just over 75lb to secure first place. Lough Sheelin had another good week as the Mayfly patterns continued to tempt some good trout. The heaviest trout reported for the week was a beautiful 9 pounder caught on Thursday May 29th by Noel McLoughlin, Kells on a spent gnat. Lough Ennel is also reported to be fishing well. Two anglers on Lough Conn last week had 28 trout to 2lb over 4 days. Dry mayfly patterns and Green Peters were the killing flys. This week’s banner image was taken at the end of a good day on the lake as the sun set.

The first blue shark of the season were early again this year. Steven Rayner fishing on the  Loch an Iasc had the first blue of the season fishing from Union Hall on Saturday. Anglers on the Tigger out of Clonakilty had  8 sharks between 50 and 90 lb the same day. Tope were also recorded for the first time this season at a number of places over the weekend including the Shannon Estuary, Sligo Bay and Downings, Co. Donegal. Charter boat fishing in Valentia Island saw some great catches for a group of German anglers including conger to 45lb. The fishing was also good at Kinsale where large whiting and good haddock made for happy anglers. Pollack anglers fishing with Richie Ryan learned the value of the fly as other methods failed to produce while a fish a cast was possible on a fur and feather lure. At Wicklow anglers enjoyed some great fishing for bullhuss, spurdogs and smooth hounds.  At the Tag a Ray competition in Tralee Bay over the weekend 6 Stingray, 7 Thornback Ray, 1 Painted Ray and 27 Undulate Ray were caught and tagged. A highlight over the weekend was the catching of a 60lb female stingray which was close to pupping, proving these fish breed locally.

In coarse angling, Tommy Pickering won the Mahons Festival with 109.900kg, a match record. This was an exceptional catch made just as many of the coarse species become particularly elusive as the urge to spawn takes over. Will Freeman won the Ottewill 3 Day Feeder Only Festival on Inniscarra Reservoir. The match was fished on 3 venues including the new stretch at Coachford which is now closed in advance of the World Feeder Fishing Championship. While many of the silver fish are off spawning anglers at Ballyhoe still had some good tench fishing with some great specimens to 7lb reported.

Pike fishing seems to have slowed down a bit though jacks are still quite obliging, particularly in the shallows. Some better pike were reported at Derravaragh on the troll where fish into double figures hit a variety of brightly coloured lures.

The weather forecast for the weekend is for more rainy, unsettled conditions though it will remain warm with temperatures into the high teens during the day and staying in the double figures overnight. Sunday is to be more breezy and the broken conditions will continue into next week.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,

Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release

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Heading for home after a good day on Lough Conn
Heading for home after a good day on Lough Conn