Drowes Fishery manager Shane Gallagher reports on conditions on the river…
21/03/2014: Yesterday marked the vernal equinox so by any measure spring has officially begun. Conditions over the past few days however, were anything but spring like. There were gale force winds and very heavy rain on Wednesday night and sleet and hail showers have turned the mountains white again. The river rose very rapidly as land is still saturated following the very wet winter. The gauge is back over 0.7 metres and the water was noticeably coloured yesterday.
Fishing was quiet yesterday with no fish reported and it had been a similar story today until the afternoon when a fish was reported from the Sand Hole and a second fish on fly from the Trout pool this evening. There have been 15 fish reported since my last update but it has been slow going at times. Among the fish reported during the past week were, Bob Amlung had an 8lbs fish from the Wash Stones on Wednesday evening, On Friday Colin Harbinson had a 6.5lbs fish on a Willie Gunn tube from Brineys , a French angler had a 9lbs fish on spinner from Rooney’s and a small fish was taken on prawn from the Wash Stones.
On Sunday D. Kennedy had a 7.5lbs fish from the Meadow on prawn and Anthony Murphy had a well deserved 7.5lbs fish on prawn from the Soft Hole, on Monday S. Morgan had a 7.5lbs fish on prawn from the Old Sea Pool, T. Browne had a 5lbs fish on fly from Lennox’s and J. Ciconte had a 6lbs fish on rapala from the Perch Pool, on Tuesday morning Michael Foley had a lovely fresh 10lbs fish off the tide at the old sea pool on black flying c and Nash Mc Daid had a 6lbs fish from the Meadow on flying c.
On Thursday M. Schofield had a 10lbs fish on prawn from the Money Hole, a 9lbs fish was taken from the Meadow on spinner and B. Mc Clintock had a 9lbs fish on worm from the Cascades. This afternoon Ian Morris had an 8lbs fish on rapala from the Sand Hole and Packie Mc Dermot had an 8lbs fish on a Green Butt Cascade tied by Denis O’ Toole from the Trout Pool this evening.
The weather outlook is for further cold, wet and windy conditions until drier, milder weather returns on Wednesday.
Fly fishing tuition
The fly fishing tuition weekend at the Fishery on the first weekend of April will also be available on day only tuition and fishing basis, without an overnight stay, pm or email info@drowessalmonfishery.com for details and bookings.
Henrik Mortensen seminars
There is still some availability for the Henrik Mortensen seminars hosted by AM Angling on the 22nd to 26th March, contact salarsupplies@gmail.com
Shane Gallagher
Drowes Salmon Fishery
T: +353 (0) 71 98 41055
M: +353 (0) 87 8050806
http://www.drowessalmonfishery.ie/reports/
Make a booking
For info/bookings etc on the Drowes Fishery & Lough Melvin see http://www.drowessalmonfishery.com/ or Tel: 071 9841055 (8am to 12 noon).
