Congratulations to Team Ireland which won 3rd place at the 2015 World Shore Angling Championships in the Algarve in Portugal. While the rest of us endured winter weather at home, the sun shone on  them and their efforts, which proved good enough for a podium finish – another great result for Irish anglers…

Stephen McGarvey with 32lb 2oz pike
Well done to Stephen McGarvey who landed this cracking 32lb 2oz pike to Win Catch of the Week

Carrickmacross Angling & Junior Development Club held an Angler of the Year competition on Namachree Lake last weekend. There was a frosty start to the event and the coarse fish were harassed by pike, so the anglers did well to make up the weights they caught. The fourth match of the Erne Anglers Float Only Winter League was held on Killyfole, Drumacrittan and Inver Low. Drumcrittan produced the top 3 weights. Scottish International Ewan Weed, won with a great catch of around 80 roach for 5.980kg.

There were loads of pike reports this week with fish coming from venues in Cork, Limerick, up the Shannon from Lough Ree and over on to Lough Derravargh, all across the midlands and into the north east. There are a few winter leagues underway and there were good fish taken in both the Dublin Pike Anglers and Leinster Winter Leagues. The headline grabber was from Armagh angler, Stephen McGarvey who was the envy of every pike angler in the country this weekend when he landed a 32lb 2oz beast of a fish. For this super pike Stephen wins Catch of the Week.

There was a total of  165 fish caught by the anglers fishing the Grauvell Irish Cod Championships on Saturday in Youghal. The species caught were Cod, Whiting, Coalfish, Painted Ray, Dogfish, Conger, Rockling and Flounder. All together, 56 anglers competed for the title Cod Champion 2015 but only 1 angler won that prize – Troy Francis with his 67 cm Cod. In Cork Harbour the first leg of the Light Lines was fished on Sunday. Pat Condon romped home for what looked like an easy victory on paper but with so many fish being caught many anglers must have felt they were in with a shout. There are 5 more matches to be fished in the series and plenty of places for anglers interested in having a go.

Fluff chuckers are reminded that amongst the various options open to them during the trout and salmon closed season is Derrymore Springs. Some really good looking rainbows are being caught there at the moment as the fish feed along the flood margins of the fishery.

As we go to press there is a wind warning in operation. The outlook is for very unsettled and changeable weather – often quite wet and windy.  Saturday will be cold, windy and wet with gales later in the day. Sunday will be much the same and Monday might see a bit of sleet added for good measure. After that the trend is for windy, but mild weather. There is likely to further heavy rain at times midweek, with just occasional dry, bright spells.

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

Myles Kelly

Catch, Photo, Release

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A scene from the Leinster Winter League
A scene from the Leinster Winter League