Lough Sheelin Angling Report By Brenda Montgomery, IFI -March 1st to March 3rd, 2014

…Perhaps the greatest satisfaction on the first day of the season is the knowledge in the evening that the whole rest of the season is to come … Arthur Ransome

 Sheelin - Mullaghboy

Mullaghboy, Lough Sheelin

 It’s been a long winter or feels that way and a certain ‘eternity’ since the last boat ventured out on Lough Sheelin for a day’s fishing, now 18 weeks ago – it’s good to be back on this lake.
Lough Sheelin’s 4500 acreage has increased dramatically due to the continuous rains and winds which have hammered its shores almost relentlessly for the months of January and February (5.29 inches of rain – over twice that of 2013) A few carelessly tied boats have sunk, some with a section of the bow looking up forlornly at the sky and some being wedged in bushes along the lake’s shore line.  Usually there is a mass return of boats in the run up to the start of the season but this year it’s difficult as the most popular docking pier – Kilnahard has disappeared under flood water and even the most brazen of angler would be afraid that his freshly painted and manicured boat would be either beached on the concrete due to receding waters or driven through some fellow angler’s mobile home by more flood water.
Looking out at all this water, I can’t help but think of a line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem ‘The Ancient Mariner’ – Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink

Sheelin - March (1)

Sheelin - March (2)Sheelin - March (3)There was once a pier at Kilnahard before the rain took over

 While the lake rested from its anglers, the trout did not and from October 2013 onwards there was a  noticeable rise in the numbers of trout spawning in the rivers, almost twice that of the previous year, so much so that you felt that the fish were taking it in shifts to visit the spawning grounds. It was hard not to feel privileged to witness the huge numbers of trout, their back fins slicing through the surface water as they headed towards their spawning sites.
The L.S.T.P.A were not idle during the close season and ran a very successful series of fly tying classes starting in November and ending Monday February 17th, these classes were very popular and the enthusiastic participants ranged in age from 8 up to over 60 years.

 ‘Perfecting the Master Fly’

Darragh Darcey, Mountnugent, Cavan at the LSTPA fly tying class at Lough Sheelin
Darragh Darcey, Mountnugent, Cavan at the LSTPA fly tying class at Lough Sheelin

Lough Sheelin’s angling club – The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association held their AGM on Saturday, February 22rd in Crover House Hotel.  This year the club invited its members to visit the rehabilitation work they had carried out during the year (under the design and supervision of IFI) on the Carrick river, this was followed by fly tying where some of the younger members demonstrated their newly acquired skills and then the AGM followed on with the normal agenda.  This new beginning brought a refreshing touch to this annual meeting, which was very well attended by an enthusiastic, exuberant and dedicated group of anglers.  As a guest at this AGM it never ceases to impress me the strength and relentless dedication that this club has towards the care and protection of Lough Sheelin.
For anyone who is interested in joining this club, please contact Eamonn Ross 087 @ 9436655 or Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033.

‘Sheelin is Back’

Lough Sheelin, our Fairy Pool, wove its unique magic for the anglers who ventured out on its waters on the first day of this brand new season, by producing some fantastic angling and some lovely trout, the heaviest weighing in at 4lbs caught at 10am by Dublin angler, Andrew Brown.  Sheelin is starting as it means to go on.
Although cold with water temperatures hovering around 3 ½ degrees the rain kept at a distance during that first day and the water looked surprisingly clear given the amount of rainfall in the run up to this opening season. The sport was good and a variety of wet flies, single and in teams were used with varying degrees of success but the so called ‘killer flies’ were the Fiery Brown Dabblers, Humungus, Hare’s ear, Connemara black, March Brown, Claret Dabbler, Gold Olive Bumbles. Bibios, the Glister Ollie and the Minkie. An interesting new comer which landed its Northern Ireland user two nice trout was The Midnight Stalker which despite conjuring up spooky visions wasn’t that scary at all and instead was a really nice wet fly more than worthy of consideration in the future.
Sinking lines were the order of the day with the Wet Cell 11 (now called the professional series full sinking line) being the pick.  The lake on these first two days seemed to fish better in the afternoon and depending on wind direction, the Western shore and around Kilnahard and Chambers Bay yielded the highest results.

Sheelin - Andrew Brown, Dublin making it look easy with his 4lbAndrew Brown, Dublin making it look easy with his 4lb trout caught at 10am on March 1st

In early season for Lough Sheelin the trout are mainly preoccupied with feeding on freshwater shrimp and freshwater louse (assellus and gammerus) with a smattering of snails, nymphs and zebra mussels thrown in for variation.  In previous years with this lake it was refuted that the best trout fishing was mainly along the rocky shores and exposed points but it’s a little different this year because with the extensive flooding of the lake the rocky shores have disappeared to be replaced by bushes and trees but there are lots of exposed points and areas worth trying (depending on wind direction) are Sailor’s Garden, Merry Point, Gaffney’s Bay, Inchacup, the south shore of Derrysheridan and Ross Bay and along the north shore of the lake from Chambers Bay to Crover.
Sheelin - The Gold Ribbed Hare’s EarThe Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear – The best known wet fly pattern ever tied.  Good to fish in early season in a size 8 on a sinking line

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Sheelin - The March BrownThe March Brown – this is like a cousin to the Hare’s Ear, it’s a great fish catcher that will attract larger fish when fished on sizes 10 and 12.  Also like the Hare’s Ear, a version tied on a size 8 hook brings in big trout
 
 
 
                                                                    
 
 
 
Sheelin - The Midnight StalkerThe Midnight Stalker – Sheelin’s newcomer
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times

  Sheelin - March (4)  
Please remember anglers to abide by BYE-LAW 790 – we need to keep our small fish alive……………

Sheelin - Gary McKiernan with the first 2014Gary McKiernan (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com) with his first 2014 trout, March 1st

The first competition of the year – The Kilroy Cup will be held on the lake on Sunday March 16th from 11.0 am – 5pm, starting from Kilnahard pier.  Please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033 for further details.

Sheelin - ‘A new arrival’ at Lough Sheelin‘A new arrival’ at Lough Sheelin

Please remember All anglers are required to have a Fishery Permit to fish Lough Sheelin which must be purchased before going out on the lake.

The heaviest fish for the week was a 4 pounder caught by Andrew Brown using a Golden Olive Bumble.

Total number of trout recorded: 25

Selection of Catches             

Sheelin - Happy angler cartoonEddie Shanagher, Clare – 2 trout fishing wet flies, heaviest was 2lbs on Sunday March 2nd fishing with Gary of Lough Sheelin Guiding Services.
Paul Lunney, Ballyconnell, Co.Cavan – March 1st 3 trout heaviest was 3.5lbs using wet flies.
Thomas Lynch, Kilnaleck – Saturday March 1st, 1 trout at over a pound using wet flies.
Peter Boyle, Monaghan – March 1st 2 trout heaviest at over 2lbs, caught using a Fiery Brown Dabbler and a Humungus.
Andrew Brown and Garry McKiernan – 5 trout in total on March 1st, heaviest was 4lbs, the rest of the fish ranged in weight from 1 ½ to 3½ lbs, caught using bibios, golden olive bumbles and a glister Ollie (all released).
Michael Gillespie, Donegal – 2 trout on March 1st, heaviest was 3 ½ lbs both caught on a midnight stalker.
Brenda Montgomery IFI
Sheelin - Snow at Finea‘All Kinds of Everything’
Snow at Finea, Lough Sheelin
February 2014