“Ne’er cast a clout ’til May is out” as the old saying goes, meaning don’t shed that jumper just yet, as May can throw any weather at you. Well many a clout was cast this week, as temperatures soared to 26 degrees yesterday; the hottest day of the year so far. Some rain was had over the weekend, but in general it was a dry week, with many rivers still experiencing low flows.

The fresh water in some places did improve salmon fishing, and grilse have started to arrive in numbers. There was a big improvement in fishing on the Moy , while the arriving grilse in Galway also gave great sport. Although floods were small and brief on some rivers, there was clearly a head of fish waiting to run, as fisheries from Donegal to Cork reported fresh salmon being caught, from the Owenea in Donegal to the Munster Blackwater, and nearly all points in between.

With more rain forecast today and tomorrow, there should be more salmon to report next week.

 

Spring Salmon Fishing in Galway

Video of a nice spring salmon caught on fly at the Galway Fishery this morning

Gepostet von Inland Fisheries Ireland am Freitag, 19. Mai 2017

 

 

The evening light shines over Gavin Rogan’s spent gnat fish of 5lbs
The evening light shines over Gavin Rogan’s spent gnat fish of 5lbs

Mayfly fishing has been tough at times this week, with hatches reported as patchy on Corrib, where some anglers enjoyed great sport, while others blanked.  The mayfly hatch was up on Mask, where decent fishing is reported, while Sheelin produced some lovely fish to the spent gnat in spite of difficult conditions. Fishing also picked up on Melvin, where mayfly hatches are starting.

 

 

Some great coarse fishing has been reported, with 2 UK visitors catching 740lbs over 6 days in Longford, while bream and hybrids provided good sport in Inniscarra, and anglers enjoyed good sport at several festival events around the country.

 

Pike fishing is providing good sport too, with French anglers enjoying excellent sport in the midlands, while competition fishing produced some nice fish to 17lbs , and various Cavan venues producing very good fishing as well.

 

Sea angling is really picking up at the moment, as water temperatures increase and more species move inshore. Smooth hound fishing is really taking off in Wicklow, with the arrival inshore of these hard-fighting fish, while elsewhere shore anglers in Donegal have enjoyed great sport with a variety of species. A number of charter boats around the country are reporting a big upswing in catches, particularly in Clare, but skipper Luke Aston’s clients are going after bigger fry altogether of late. Andy Griffith caught not one, but two monster sixgill sharks on Wednesday, both over 1,000lbs! The bigger fish measured over 18 feet in length and was estimated at 1,400lbs and wins our Catch of the Week.

Sixgill shark
We’re gonna need a bigger boat!

 

 

Crayfish Plague

All water users are being urged to take precautions after confirmation of an outbreak of Crayfish Plague on a stretch of the River Suir downstream of Clonmel to Carrick-on-Suir. Anyone using the river is being urged to observe the ‘Check, Clean and Dry’ protocol once they leave the river and before using it again. This means that all wet gear (boats, clothing and equipment) should be checked for any silt or mud, plant material or animals before being cleaned and finally dried. Disinfectant or hot water (over 40 degrees Celsius) should be used to clean all equipment and this should be followed by a 24 hour drying period.

The weekend forecast is for a bit of unsettled weather, though nothing too windy, but welcome rain today and tomorrow will bring relief to many rivers and lakes. The outlook is for slightly cooler and fresher weather than this week, which may prolong mayfly hatches on the big lakes.

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

Kevin Crowley

Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to contact@fisheriesireland.ie.

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