Fishing is a… discipline in the equality of men – for all men are equal before fish.
Herbet Hoover
This week’s fishing consisted of seven days of considerable frustration and restlessness on the lake. The first few days fishing were crippled with gusty strong southerly winds forcing the guides to cancel customers. Each day tested the nerves of anglers in the seemingly eternal wait for Sheelin’s elusive mayfly. It was all a bit like a faulty car engine having starting difficulties as the hatches of mayfly spluttered their way through the week. Thursday showed a possible start to this season with more substantial hatches and on Friday afternoon/ evening we thought we had kick off when a number of anglers reported good hatches along the western shore with corresponding ‘heart stopping’ rises and takes of trout. One angler landed 24 trout between 2 ½ – 3 ½ lbs, all caught on the dry mayfly (and released).
The weekend saw a large increase in angling numbers on the lake as the angling drum beat far and wide but Saturday and Sunday were disappointing with gusty winds and cold particularly on Sunday where a North east wind sliced down the lake making fishing particularly difficult. There were hatches of mayfly but nothing serious and they were very scattered and isolated to the sheltered shorelines and bays.
The hatches…
The weather is stalling the mayfly on this lake but if it’s any consolation Lough Sheelin’s mayfly season traditionally does not start until the month enters the twenties, around May 23rd so we are still in the run up.
Weather does have an impact as to how early or late the Mayfly season is. For the past two years Sheelin’s mayfly has been early, starting in the first week of May but both years had different weather patterns to the normal. Water levels are still high on the lake and temperatures are low and it is the cold that is delaying a serious start to the trout angler’s greatest perennial pleasure on Lough Sheelin i.e. the appearance of Ephemera dancia or the Mayfly. With the cold and lack of heat in the sun the larvae are slow to develop at the bottom of the lake.
In the week or more that runs up to the Mayfly it’s best not to get fooled into thinking the trout are just hanging around in anticipation because they’re not, after a long winter they will be all hungry for the right offering. Mayfly nymphs are an obvious contender, plus Iron Blue that like to hatch on cold, blustery days with Black Gnats in various sizes and guises the default pattern.
The month of May can be divided into three distinct portions – the first is in early May when there will be the Hawthorn hatch and Buzzer. The third is later in the month when the Mayfly is on. It is the second or middle bit, that bit between the two that can be the trickiest and for this week this is where we are at now on this lake – the middle bit, with the expectation, anticipation and excitement of the Mayfly yet to come.
The Buzzer fishing was very good during the late afternoon and evening and various patterns were used – Epoxy, Wet and Balling. The Bog Bay area of the lake fished particularly well. This lake has tons of fly life on it with massive hatches of Buzzer, good hatches of Olives and that hesitant smattering of green fly. With such an abundance of food available, the trout can become quite pre-occupied on one type of insect. Many fish fall to the dry Mayfly and it is also worth fishing patterns suggestive of a Mayfly nymph on a midge tip or ghost tip.
The Catches…
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
John 21:3
The total number of trout recorded for the week 174. The heaviest fish was a 7 pounder caught by Joe Nicholl.
Selection of catches
- Tony Harton fishing with Barry Harton, Westmeath – 2 trout each weighing in at 3 and 4 ½ lbs on the buzzer.
- Dara Murtagh, Cavan – 1 trout at 3lbs using a small Cock Robin fishing off the Stoney Islands.
- Paddy Lyons, Cavan – 2 trout at 2 ½ and 3 lbs fishing in Chambers using Buzzer patterns.
- Vincent and Danny Hatton, Wicklow – 2 fish on Epoxy Buzzers, heaviest at 3 ½ lbs. Vincent reported that there was a prolific hatch of balling buzzers in the shallows where they fished a team of buzzers at varying depths.
- Ken Hunting Reilly, Navan – May 11th 1 trout at 3lbs.
- Michael Pollen, Lurgan – May 12th , 4 trout at 2 ½, 2 ¾, 2 and 4 ¾ caught on green Buzzer patterns.
- Pat Burn, Trim – 2 trout both weighing in at 2lbs using a Golden Olive Bumble.
- John Horsan, Cavan – 4 trout averaging 2 ½ – 3lbs, all on Buzzer patterns.
- Pat Hannon, Oldcastle – using a Green Dabbler, 2 trout at 2 ½ and 2 lbs.
- David White – on Sunday May 17th 1 trout at 5 ½ lbs using an Octopus.
- Tim Llewellyn, Wales – 7 trout for the week, all on the Silver Invicta averaging 2 ½ – 4 ½ lbs.
The Flies…
The flies used this week are predominantly the Buzzer patterns, olives – drys, emergers and nymphs and also a selection of the Dabblers (claret, fiery brown, silver, golden olive, peter ross and green), golden olive bumble, sooty olives, sedges, green peter, klinkhammers, stimulators, red tailed claret, red tailed green peter and hoppers.
The bumbles are good patterns and are working well on the lake, they are great for creating a disturbance on the top layer of water, great for bring up curious trout and best fished as a top dropper.
The most popular areas for fishing depending on wind direction were along the Western Shore – Chambers up to Orangefield, Holywell and around the Bog Bay, Sailors Garden and Goreport areas of the lake. Mid lake did not fish well and the best fishing plan for now is to stay two to three boat lengths out from the shore.
Pat McLoughlin
It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I write about the untimely death of Sheelin angler Pat McLoughlin. The proceeds of this year’s Sheelin Classic trout competition held on Easter Monday, April 6th was in aid of Pat who had been battling cancer since 2014. Pat attended on the day with the intention of fishing this competition but the fact that illness prevented him was a sad and worrying omen for the future. Pat was well known in fishing circles in Ireland and abroad and passed his skills on to many.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to Pat’s brother Noel and his wife and young family. The angling world will be a poorer place without this generous, enthusiastic angler.
Catch and release
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
“It is only the inexperienced and thoughtless who find pleasure in killing fish for the mere sake of killing them. No sportsman does this.” – W.C. Prime, 1888
Go fishing…
A permit is required to fish Lough Sheelin. Buy your permit online at:shop.fishinginireland.info or from any of the permit distributors listed here.
Guides and ghillies
Grey Duster Guiding
Kenneth O’Keeffe
Tel: 086 8984172 Email: [email protected]
Lough Sheelin Guiding Services
Tel: 087 1245927 Web: www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com
D.C Angling & Guiding Services
contact David @ 087 73946989
Michael Farrell
Tel: 087 4194156 or +353 43 6681298
Email: [email protected]
Michael Flanagan,
Trout and Pike Guide.
Email: [email protected] Web: www.midlandangling.com
House Rules
All anglers are required to have a Fishery Permit to fish Lough Sheelin which must be purchased before going out on the lake.
Please remember anglers to abide by BYE-LAW 790 which strictly prohibits
- All trolling on the lake from March 1st to April 30th (inclusive).
- From May 1st to June 15th – no trolling between 7pm –6am and no trolling under engine between 6am – 7pm and
- June 16th – October 12th – no trolling under engine between 7pm – 6am.
- No trout less than 14 inches should be taken from the lake
Lifejackets
Life jackets are required by law – SI No 921 of 2005 – Pleasure Craft (Personal Flotation Devices and Operation) (Safety) Regulations 2005.Water rarely gives second chances and a life jacket is just that – it saves your life, so we would implore anglers and all other users for their own safety as well as it being the law.
Please put on and keep on that life jacket until you are back on dry land.
