The weather has become quite mild after last week’s snow and ice turned to melt water. But as Christmas draws closer there are fewer angling reports in – office parties and present buying are taking their toll. Which is a pity, as there were some good fish taken in the last few days…
Catch of the Week goes to Izaak Bradley who caught a 3lb 12oz whiting onboard the charter boat Tigger out of Clonakilty. Other sea anglers who made reports in the last week were the Killybegs Mariners fishing Donegal Bay and the Tralee Bay Sea Angling Club who fished their Christmas competition at Fenit.
Bass anglers should take note that all bass angling in Ireland will be on a catch and release basis next year following the outcome of negotiations at the Fisheries Council in Brussels.
A huge congratulations goes to the Iascaire Feeder Fishing Club who held a charity match last weekend which raised €650 for children with cancer. The event was fished on Lough Garadice and was well attended. The angling was reported as tough but everyone still enjoyed the day. Sheemore Angling Association fished a Christmas competition at Carrick on Shannon. Again, it was not easy fishing, and Brian Bohan did well to catch 17lb of roach to take the win.
Midlands anglers are reporting some good pike from Midlands venues. Fish are said to be feeding well and have fallen to a range of methods. Predator anglers taking a break from pike are getting good numbers of perch on drop shot tactics from Ennell and Derravaragh.
The salmon regulations for the 2018 season have been published. There will be 76 rivers open for salmon fishing next year – 36 of these on a Catch and Release basis. All the information regarding open, closed and catch and release rivers, including Statutory Instruments and Bye Laws, is available online at:
https://fishinginireland.info/salmon/salmontagging.htm
Staying with salmon angling, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) would like to remind all salmon and sea trout anglers to submit their 2017 logbook & unused gill tags to the relevant IFI office using the pre-printed envelope supplied at time of purchase. If you have not already returned yours, please do so immediately. Your contribution to the management of our wild Atlantic salmon stocks for 2018 is very important. 69% of anglers returned their logbook and unused tags last year.
The outlook from Met Eireann is for the weather to stay mild, cloudy and misty with just patchy drizzle over the weekend. It will then become unsettled in the early days of next week, gradually turning cooler from Christmas Day onwards with the risk of some grass frost and winds will freshen.
For the last time in 2017, I wish safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland. Here’s to a very peaceful Christmas and plenty of angling adventures in the New Year.
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release
If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to contact@fisheriesireland.ie.
Headlines
Coarse angling reports
- Brian Bohan wins Sheemore Christmas match with 17lb of roach
- IASCaire Feeder Fishing Club Christmas comp for kids with cancer
Pike angling reports
- Perch mania setting in on Ennell and Derravaragh
- Some good pike reports from the Midlands
- Flooded river spoils fishing for pike anglers Eileen Horgan Cup
Sea angling reports
- Farrelly and Foley take firsts at Tralee Bay Christmas competition
- Shore fishing by the light of shooting stars in Donegal
- Specimen whiting mark the end of 2017 on board Tigger
- Wicklow Boat Charters annual awards
- Ruairi Coleman wins South Shore SAC Master Angler
- Spotted ray, flounder, bass and more for Donegal Bay shore anglers
Salmon angling news
Other news
- State Fisheries Tender Process 2018
- Kyne welcomes funding of €2.2m for 115 community-based angling conservation projects
