There were up to 23 pleasure anglers out on the shores of Lough Muckno yesterday with the majority of them fishing for pike. Families, fathers and sons, friends and individual anglers all endeavoured to catch Ireland’s top freshwater predator, the pike. The weather was extremely cold following a very severe frost overnight. Although it was very cold it would have been much worse if the wind had been blowing. The calm day and winter sunshine made the conditions bearable and in some locations, very pleasant. A couple of small jack pike were hooked during the Ballybay Coarse Angling Match on Black Island but outside the competition zone a father and son from Poland had 5 pike to 85cm on dead-bait. According to captor of some of the fish Sebastien, all the fish were well conditioned and gave a very good account of themselves.
On White Island Kevin McDonald from Belfast has one fish of 8lbs up until lunchtime but most of the other anglers had failed to register a bite. All were hopeful that there would be some activity as the light started to fade.
At South Lodge four anglers had failed to register a bite up until lunchtime and out on the lake 5 boats trolled lures across likely holding areas. Only one fish was observed taken from a boat but it is possible that other fish were taken. One other boat was fishing on the Gas Lake but no fish were reportedly taken.
Meanwhile on Lough Ramor this morning, a young angler from Cavan got off to an early start landing a lovely 17lb fish at 6.30am. Ramor has been producing some nice fish lately with two fish reported taken from the pier on Christmas Eve weighing 17lbs 8ozs and 18lb 1oz respectively. On Saturday 27th December a lovely fish of 19lbs 8ozs was also taken on dead-bait.
