Lough Derravaragh Angling Report By Brenda Montgomery, IFI – December 9th – December 15th 2014
Hauling in the big one – 10lb plus pike caught trolling a lure on Saturday December 13th
It’s been a tough week for angling on Derravaragh with temperatures dropping and remaining around 1 – 3 degrees accompanied by a bitter air chill that would take the ‘hair off a cat’, the cold seemingly intensifying when out on the water.
On Thursday polish friends – Mikolaj Nazwisko and Pawel Kaczmarek braved the elements and setting out from Clinton’s Bay fished the lake for a number of hours. Squally winds forced them to stay close to the Southern shore for shelter but still they found a bait fish shoal and landed themselves two nice jack pike. These two anglers seemed very happy to have got anything and in a mixture of broken English and Polish excitedly reported that they had caught a few 4 – 10 lb pike using a gold spoon ‘under the hill’ earlier in the week.
Lough Derravaragh is described as resembling the shape of Italy but to me it is more akin to a saucepan. The handle (or skinny end) being the deep (locals believe tipping 100ft but more like 60) Southern end and is more suitable for pike fishing.
There are really only two suitable access points for anglers on this leg of the lake – Clinton’s Bay near Crooked Wood and a long narrow winding rain water eroded lane near Whitehall.
The saucepan or wide part of the lake (where the River Inny enters and leaves) is shallow and has only one public access point and that is at Donore near Multyfarnham. The middle of this wide stretch can be good for trout fishing when the season starts on March 1st.
At the weekend I met up with Dublin pike angling enthusiast Marcus Fagan and we launched from the trickiest point access wise ( i.e. from keeping your car exhaust intact ) – Whitehall. My companion produced an amazing selection of hard and soft lures in all shapes and sizes, wonderful colours that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Christmas tree. We trolled using a black and luminous orange bulldog and a smaller silver and red one about 20 metres out, there was a slight kick to the water blowing down the lake from the Western shore. It was crisp, clear and cold which was not only good for the lungs but good for the ego and spirit.
Lough Derravaragh’s neighbouring lake Lough Sheelin has now been closed for eight weeks, not to reopen for a further ten so with the lack of fishing there is a feeling that something important in life is missing. Catching a 7 pounder got rid of that feeling immediately and after some delicate maneuvering to get the hook out of that teeth studded mouth, the Irish wolf – Esox Lucius slid back under the water’s surface.
After an hour or so I changed to the more soothing affair of spinning using gold and silver spoons, casting out the lure, winding in, casting out again was almost monotonous until a pike took and livened things up.
The cold eventually won and once it started to steal the fun out of the day we returned to shore pleased enough with our catches – 7 in total, heaviest taken by ‘the expert’ weighing in at over 10lbs, all safely returned.
All kinds of everything – the rule in fishing is that there is no rule
Angling numbers were few on this lake during the week probably due to the inclement weather.
While on a quick excursion down to Donore on Sunday, an old man walking his dog impressively informed me that a local man (reluctant to divulge his name) fishes Derravaragh every day without fail and then concluded with the words ‘sure he only goes out there to annoy himself’.
This lake – Loch Dairbhreach (as gaeilge meaning ‘The lake of the Oaks’) had its eco system changed with the arrival of the zebra mussels some years ago causing roach populations to crash but perch are making a big come back and will replace the roach as the fodder fish so the pike population although not as high as in previous years should be on the way back and there are still a lot of big fish out in this magical lake.
The rule about fishing is that there is no rule and for Derravaragh this couldn’t be more true – trolling using artificial lures, soft rubber baits (like the bulldog) or dead bait, spinning and jerk baiting can all be equally successful but it’s best to stick to the deep so the handle of the saucepan along the Southern shore can yield the best results at this time of the year.
With Christmas just around the corner and the often frequent difficulty in buying for that person who seems to have everything or wants nothing, what about booking a day’s fishing on this braising and magical lake. The best man for the job would be Mullingar man Michael Flanagan whose knowledge of this lake and indeed all the midland water ways is second to none. It would be a unique present, getting back to nature and waking the ‘hunter/gather’ instinct that may have got buried somewhere beneath work, deadlines, shopping and the pressures of everyday life.
Just a suggestion.
Mick (who can supply all fishing gear and life jackets just bring yourself) can be contacted at 087-2797270. E- mail [email protected] web- site www.midlandangling.com
Upcoming Events
The Lough Derravaragh Angling Association will be holding their AGM in February 2015 and all are welcome (date to be decided later). This progressive club promotes and encourages angling in the Lough Derravaragh system and assists in the protection of the waters from pollution and illegal fishing with a view to improving wild brown trout stocks within the system. Membership levels for 2014 stand at 46 senior anglers and 13 juveniles. Anyone interested in joining should contact Joe Keena at 086 8722449.
Up-Coming Events
The Derravaragh Anglers will be hosting the Abbot & Tight Lines Brown Trout Competition in March 2015. For further information please contact Joe Keena at 086 8722449
Lough Derravaragh – Whitehall, December 12th 2014
Brenda Montgomery IFI