The warmer summery weather has seen a change for Irish Angling in the past week with nice conditions for anglers fishing in Freshwater and on the sea.  It looks like this steady nice weather will continue with the odd windy and occasional wet spell crossing the country on some days.

117lbs skate
The 117lbs skate taken by Rodger Martin on light gear wins Catch of the Week

Fly and spinning produced some salmon on the Cork Blackwater at Fitzwilliam, Ballyduff and on the Blackwater Lodge beats last week despite the low water conditions.  There was some more good salmon fishing reported from the River Suir last week with several fish caught and released on the fly.  It was a little bit quieter on Lough Currane last week but grilse fishing was steady all week. A few salmon to 14 lb. were reported from the River Laune in Co. Kerry last week with low water conditions prevailing.   In Connemara, Terry Gallagher reported some good grilse fishing at Costello in the past week.  While water levels are low, a total of 253 salmon were reported from the River Moy where the grilse are starting to run in bigger numbers.  There was 84 salmon reported from the Ballisodare.  Trolling was the successful method for salmon mainly grilse on Lough Melvin last week.  There was good grilse fishing reported from the River Drowes last week.

The Dundalk and District Brown Trout and Salmon Anglers Association held some competitions on the River Fane for senior and junior anglers and many trout were caught and released.  The Munster Youth Fly Fishing Championships were held on the River Suir on Saturday last, hosted by the Cashel Golden Anglers and fishing was very good with many trout caught and released.  There was some fine big trout caught on the spent gnat on Lough Sheelin last week and it looks like it will continue for a while yet.  There was some excellent trout fishing reported from Lough O’Flynn during competitions held there last weekend.  Over in Connemara, Brian Curran reported that some of his clients enjoyed some wild brown trout fishing in loughs only 12 miles west of Galway. On Lough Corrib, the good trout fishing continues with hatches of caenis bringing many trout to the surface and anglers using small dry flies are doing well. There are still hatches of Mayfly reported on Lough Mask and anglers are still tempting many trout on a variety of fly patterns.  The Mayfly season finished on Lough Arrow but there is some fine trout reported taken on the dap.  Over on Lough Conn and Cullin the Mayfly is also finished but anglers are catching plenty of trout on wetflies.   The Mayfly season continued on Lough Melvin last week where anglers enjoyed good trout fishing. A rise in water temperatures brought more trout to the fly at the Cashel Trout Fishery in Co. Derry.

The bass season is now open to angling again and the guys in Absolute Angling on the Copper coast reported some fine bass caught already up to 82 cms.  Angling guide John Quinlan in Kerry that the new bass season has kicked off well with some nice bass over 70 cms caught by clients in recent days.   Angling guide Richie Ryan reported that a guest fishing with him in Cork Harbour hooked and landed a fine Cod of 9 lb. on fly last week. Daragh Keating of Kinsale Boat Hire has recently made a new addition to his fleet of small boats in Kinsale. The new Warrior 165 Pro Angler brings the fleet of boats to six and many anglers enjoyed good deep sea fishing off Kinsale in the past week. Siegy Graber, skipper of Sioux out of Valentia Island, reported some more excellent deep sea fishing for his clients in the past week. Donagh Molloy reported some excellent ray fishing from the shore on the Shannon Estuary last weekend.  Charter skipper Luke Aston fishing out from Carrigaholt reported that fresh mackerel were scarce all last week for groups of clients who nevertheless caught some fine cod and some Ray off the Clare coast.  Westport’s Allergan Interfirm boat fishing competition won by Marine Institute and the best skate of 117 lb. wins our Catch of the Week for Rodger Martin, one of the competitors.

Wojciech Mazur landed 3 pike for a total length of 218 cm to win the Fishmaniak pike boat competition on Lough Skeagh near Baileboro last weekend.  Angling guide Paul Bourke from Lough Derg reported some fine pike fishing for clients in the past week with some big fish over a metre caught and released.  A party of French anglers fished with angling guide Kenny Sloan on waters near Foxford and they enjoyed good pike fishing to over a metre on lures fished over deep water.

Hybrids, skimmers and Perch dominated catches at the Concra Wood stretch of Lough Muckno during the Ballybay anglers match last Sunday.  The Canal Festival season continued last week in Daingean and good catches of bream, roach and occasional tench were taken by many anglers from home and the UK.  There were several matches on the Oaklands Carp Fishery down in New Ross last weekend and there were several bags over 100 lb. recorded in some terrific catches.   A group of Merseyside anglers had good catches of mainly bream on waters near Melview Lodge in Co. Longford.

This past week has seen a big increase in water temperatures and coarse anglers are reminded not to overfill keepnets and to keep fish in them for very short periods and release them early.  As usual there are plenty of interesting new clippings and competition notices in this week’s angling update.

Finally, this is my last Angling Update as I retire today after 40 years in the fisheries service.  I began the Irish Angling Update back in 1989 under the guidance of the late Kevin Linanne and ably assisted by staff of the Central and Regional Fisheries Board staff all through the years.  In Inland Fisheries Ireland this work continues to bring you the best of what Ireland has to offer you on a weekly basis.  My thanks to all the contributors over the years and please contact Myles Kelly( [email protected] ) or Nancy Hearne  ( [email protected] ) who will continue to bring you the very best of Irish Angling along with my many colleagues and other contributors.

I am off to enjoy the best of what Irish Angling has to offer so please god I will run across you somewhere but please wear a lifejacket at all times when going afloat in freshwater or at sea,

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.

Paul Bourke

Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].


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Mooring at Church Island,  Lough Sheelin - June 14th
Mooring at Church Island, Lough Sheelin – June 14th