Jin Stafford at the Erriff Fishery reports that water levels were low on July21st with temperatures reaching 20.5C.  Rains increased levels to 1.2 meters on the 22nd and this brought more fresh salmon and sea trout into the river. Levels remained good for the next few days but unfortunately water temperatures remained and overall there was little cloud cover or wind.  There was monsoon type rain for an hour or two on the late afternoon of Thursday the 24th – this resulted in several landslides on the mountain overlooking Beat 4.  In a matter of an hour or so water levels increased at an enormous speed with the spate reaching 2.0 meters on the Aasleagh Guage.  The water was muddy from all the sediment but it did clear to allow fishing the following day.

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Taking a morning off from salmon angling French Gerard Garnier gathers a fine flush of Chanterells on the banks of the Erriff River.

Fishing the Falls Pool from the right bank Peter Huggard, U.K. caught a good grilse of 5.75lbs on an Alley’s Shrimp pattern.  Martin Davison, N. Irl. returned a fish estimated at 8lbs taken on a Cascade in the Colonel’s Run on Beat 6.

Gerard Garnier, France fishing the Erriff for a second  week caught nice grilse of 5.5lbs in the Colonel’s Pool on Beat 6 on a s14 Cascade and also 4 sea trout in Jenkin’s Pool on Beat 5 and another 4 in the School House Pool on Beat 3. Gerard also released a grilse of 4.5lbs caught in the Sea Pool on Beat 9.

Jean Jacques Eugene, France managed a nice fresh grilse from the Garden Pool and lost another before the spate finally put an end to fishing on the evening of the 24th. The same day Voler Laux , Germany and fishing friend fishing salmon for the first time were unlucky to part with 3 salmon including one estimated at 8-10lbs in the Falls Pool on Beat 9.

The following day when the river had settled down Enda O’Connell retained a grilse of 4lbs and released another estimated at 7lbs caught in the Guage Pool on Beat 9 on a Cascade.  Arthur Muckian, Irl. released a grilse estimated at 4.5lbs and 2 sea trout caught in the Bridge Pool on Beat 9.

Two rods fishing Tawnyard at the end of last week reported 7 sea trout up to 1.25lbs in relatively poor angling conditions.   Tawnyard Lough is well worth fishing with the excellent run of sea trout this season – so watch out for a decent wind.

Anglers reported seeing a lot of silver fish in the beats upstream – there is no doubt that angling catches would have been higher if conditions had been more favourable as water temperatures remained high at 19.3C .

The total catch for the period was 9 salmon and 28 sea trout.