“It is not how abundant nor how considerable our catch be, but rather to the sport, and manner in which our quarry, the noble trout is angled.” – J.B. Martin
This week hit in hard with hail and snow showers but as the days progressed through the week things panned out to a mixture of sunshine and occasional showers but still there was that persistent ‘difficult to shake off’ cold.
Despite the inclement weather which inevitably lead to challenging fishing conditions for the anglers, Sheelin produced some good catches of heavy weight trout averaging over 5lbs to 7lbs.
There were excellent hatches of buzzer and olives around the lake, clumping in vast numbers, particularly in the sheltered bays, behind islands and along shorelines. The trout initially were slow at rising but as the week moved on they started to lose that low water column feeding and finally showed an interest in the sub surface and surface menu. Thursday and Friday were the pick of the days with the trout giving some of its anglers a feisty battle before succumbing. Most if not all of the fish were released. Monday was a wickedly cold day with a steady blast of hail in the evening but directly after that tortuous shower, the temperature rose momentarily and with it the fish and for those anglers who endured the elements it was worth it as the trout surfaced to feed.
A group of anglers from England and Wales fished the lake for the week. These anglers first fished Lough Sheelin during the International back in 2012 and were hooked then by this lake’s beauty and wild trout. Fishing with the expert guidance of Lough Sheelin Guiding, these anglers caught trout most days despite difficult conditions, with a top weight of over 5lbs – ‘byddwn yn ol’ (we will be back).
John Horsey who was with the group is the UK’s first and best known professional fly fishing guide, with 22 years’ experience behind him, a world champion in 2009 as well as being a writer and TV presenter.
After his week of fishing Sheelin Mr Horsey wrote:-
‘Driving back from Ireland after 4 days of the worst possible weather imaginable for fly fishing for wild brown trout. Lough Sheelin was wet, wild and windy – but still wonderful. 4 Lexus Holiday Prizewinners – Aled Dixon, Mathew Griffiths, Russell Owen and Ben Dobson, together with myself and Peter Gathercole, joined Guide Gary McKiernan to target Sheelin’s legendary brown trout. 6 fish were caught against all the odds by some positive angling in sometimes dangerous conditions. We also had a cracking brownie in the final day. All will be revealed in next month’s Trout Fisherman magazine with story and pictures courtesy of Pete Gathercole.
Even though it was a hard few days all of us want to go back and do it all over again’.
Selection of Catches
The heaviest fish for the week was a 7 pounder caught by Alex Drury, Antrim using a Buzzer pattern fishing from the Sailors Garden down to Derrysheridan.
Total number of trout recorded: 49
- Owen Jacob, Dublin – 2 trout at 5 ½ and 2 ½ lbs on Buzzer patterns.
- Jack Egan, Cavan – 2 trout, on May 3rd, heaviest 2 lbs, both on the Buzzer.
- Andrew Doyle, Kells – 3 trout for the week, all on Buzzers, heaviest was 54 cm.
- Phil Corcoran, Baileborough, Cavan – 1 trout at 2 lbs (31cm) on a Buzzer.
- Stan McCart, Ballymoney – 7 trout averaging 2 ½ – 5 lbs (released) pulling wets.
- Paddy Lyons, Cavan – 1 trout at 2lbs using a Silver Dabbler.
- David Palmer, Armagh – 1 trout at 3 ½ lbs using an Olive pattern.
- Dublin angler – 5 trout for the week, heaviest weighed in at 5 ¾ lbs (23”) caught on a Kingsmill and a 19” using an Olive pattern.
- Mark Smith, Cavan – 2 trout at 2 ½ and 3 ½ using Olive nymphs.
- Fergal Donohoe, Dublin – 2 trout at 3 ½ and 4 lbs using Dabblers and Sooty Olives.
- David Delaney, Antrim – 1 trout at 5 ¼ on a Sooty Olive.
- Kenneth O’Keefe (Grey Duster Guiding) – Sunday May 3rd, 2 trout heaviest at 2lbs all on the Buzzer.
- David Nolan, Wexford – 1 trout on May 3rd at Derrysheridan using a Buzzer.
The areas of the lake which fished well were governed by wind direction but in general it was the Western shore around Orangefield and up to the mouth of the river at Finea and also up around Bog Bay and the Sailers Garden was particularly good. Mid lake fishing as yet is still poor and the best rule of thumb for now is to fish two boat lengths out from the shore.
Guided by Thomas Harton of Lough Sheelin Guiding
The flies
The Humungus and Minkie’s have fallen off their previously top position as the trout are showing more and more interest in the insect hatches above and slightly below the surface. The only real way a Humungus would work at this stage in the season would be if it was a very small mini Humungus.
The olive and buzzer patterns along with the dabblers ruled Sheelin for this week. It was interesting to note that a Dublin angler was particularly successful using patterns which he had used on this lake over thirty years ago, which goes to show that nothing really changes in the food pattern and what appeals to the Sheelin trout. A great deal of beautiful and intricate flies and variants of traditional flies have and are being created but going back to the basics every now and then perhaps isn’t such a bad idea when the going gets tough on this lake.
Olive patterns yielded a steady catch of fish with the Sooty Olive being the favourite but any olive patterns that included a red head and a soft green hackle achieved a degree of success.
Liam Faulkner’s ‘bar of gold’
The Kingsmill featured for a few heavy weights which is interesting as this fly is normally used for sea trout. This fly invented by the legendary angler T.C Kingsmill Moore can be very effective and versatile and is ideal in small sizes for brown trout when midges are on the water and best fished as a point fly.
A small dark fly with a little bit of glitter in the body turned in a few 3-4 pounders. As buzzer larvae make their way up to the surface, gas bubbles form on the body which gives the larvae a shiny coating the closer to the top it gets. Epoxy buzzers or those flies with a little bit of silver and reflective parts on them can therefore work really well because they stimulate this reflecting gas which trout can really key into.
There is no doubt that although the weather is not showing much signs of heating up, the fishing on Lough Sheelin is. The mayfly has appeared already on other trout lakes in Ireland but Sheelin is further north and is traditionally later than the Western lakes and Lough Derg but as the old saying goes ‘anything worthwhile is worth the wait so for now it’s a waiting game but will be worth it.
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
Battling the elements – Lough Sheelin Guiding with the English & Welsh group
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
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.
Life jackets are required by law – SI No 921 of 2005 – Pleasure Craft (Personal Flotation Devices and Operation) (Safety) Regulations 2005.
Please put on and keep on that life jacket until you are back on dry land.
