It was another week of fine weather throughout the country but there were more foggy conditions prevailing on many of our inland waters for most of the week with little or no wind.  Water levels are very low and salmon anglers are praying for some rain in the closing days of the season where catches in the last two months are the lowest for the period in many years.  Sea angling is still going strong at venues all around the coast in the past week.

5m six gill shark
Jim Powell wins Catch of the Week with one the biggest fish ever landed in Irish waters, this 5m six gill shark

A fine 54 lb. tope was the best of the day for Geoff Murphy fishing with skipper Kit Dunne operating out from Wicklow last weekend.  In the Waterford area, Steve Neely along with his dad reported a super day’s bass fishing recording fish up to 83 cms. which was estimated at around 12 lb.  Small boat “Escapade” won the Cork Small Boat’s Festival with 31 species in Cork Harbour out of a total of 43 species recorded by all boats during this popular annual event.  Charter skipper Luke Aston reported that a group of English anglers fished with him for skate and sixgill shark last week.   One of party, Jim Powell, caught and released a sixgill shark of 5 metres.  Skipper Luke conservatively estimated the enormous fish to weigh over 1200 lb. This fish is one of the biggest fish ever recorded in European waters on rod and line and wins our Catch of the Week.

Jimmy Walsh supplied us with some lovely photos and videos of some salmon which were caught and released on the River Suir at Carrick on Suir.  A three rod French party caught and released 22 salmon up to 12 lb. from two upper beats at the Blackwater Lodge Fishery on the Munster Blackwater on Sunday, 21 September.  Unfortunately many fisheries in the west Cork and Kerry areas did not produce any salmon in the low water levels although there were some sea trout reported from the River Laune. It was a great two weeks for sea trout fly fishing on Lough Currane with only the occasional salmon recorded.  Despite the record low water in Connemara, manager Colin Folan reported a sea trout rod catch of 274 fish in the last three weeks. The low water conditions at Delphi did not put anglers off fishing and 30 fish were recorded for the week.  The very low water conditions look set to continue on the River Moy where only a handful of salmon were reported.  A small party of German anglers fished on the River Drowes and were rewarded with six grilse in very low water conditions. It was worse up on the Owenea River where no salmon were reported in the low water conditions.

Angling guide Eamonn Conway reported some excellent trout fishing on the River Fane mainly on small dry flies and on nymphs.  David Tantrum reports that trout fishing on all the lough fisheries in the Waterford area are fishing well and visitors can book some end of season fishing on these prolific waters. Fishing is still quiet on Lough Sheelin but some nice trout were captured by the few anglers who ventured out in the still conditions.  I had the pleasure to fish with angling guide Mick Flanagan on a lovely smaller trout fishery in Co. Westmeath at Mount Dalton near Mullingar.  We had a lovely day’s fishing catching and releasing some lovely coloured brown trout   Conditions were poor on Lough Melvin all week for trout fishing but the end of year charity event did produce some nice catches on the day.

Brothers J.C and David from Belgium enjoyed good pike fishing with Kevin Lyons on several venues out from Melview Lodge in Longford.  A group of anglers from Jersey fly fished with angling guide Kenny Sloan on loughs near Foxford and enjoyed some fine fishing on a variety of flies.

Kevin Lyons from Melview Lodge in Longford reports that he had parties of Belgian anglers who enjoyed some excellent catches of bream up to 150 lb. in a day and a few nice pike as well on some days.

Finally please do wear a lifejacket or an approved floatation device when going afloat at all times.  We get many photographs of lovely fish caught but we cannot publish them because not all anglers are wearing them.  Don’t forget to do so at all times.  Be safe and enjoy the great fishing Ireland has to offer whether at sea or on inland waters.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Paul Bourke
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to contact@fisheriesireland.ie.

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Lough Inagh
An ariel view of the Derryclare Butts at Lough Inagh where the sea trout is providing plenty of sport