Fishery manager Shane Gallagher describes the glum picture on the Drowes so far this year:
Almost midway through February and the 2015 season has already broken records. Unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. The first season in which only 1 fish was recorded in January, first season in which no fish have been reported for the month of February at this stage of the month.
The previous worst start to a season was 2005. By mid February in that year only 6 fish had been landed. This was followed by a much better 2006 which showed 28 fish recorded by mid February.
The conditions at the moment are as near to perfect as one could hope for early spring fishing. The water is at an ideal fly height of 0.64 on the gauge. The fish are just not yet present in any significant numbers. One fish was lost on fly last Sunday but few fish have been seen in the past week.
There seems to be a remarkable absence of kelts in the system this season also.
On a ten year average we would expect upwards of a dozen fish by now. That just about a dozen fish have been recorded for the whole country at this time points to a paucity of fish throughout the country so far this year.
Last season, fishing picked up pace towards the end of the third week in February. With a reasonably settled weather forecast, water levels set to remain favourable for the week ahead and the largest tide of the year due this day week, lets hope the 2015 season starts making records for all the right reasons.
Shane Gallagher
Drowes Salmon Fishery
T: +353 (0) 71 98 41055
M: +353 (0) 87 8050806
http://www.drowessalmonfishery.ie/reports/
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For info/bookings etc on the Drowes Fishery & Lough Melvin see http://www.drowessalmonfishery.com/ or Tel: 071 9841055 (8am to 12 noon).
