A glorious weekend for some was followed by changeable weather for the early days of this week. With the improvement in temperatures has come an increase in angling activity, and more reports coming in – great to see!
Salmon fishing is really picking up now, with several fisheries reporting their first salmon, including the Erriff and Inagh fisheries, while the Moy continues to produce good numbers of spring fish. Delphi is having a great season so far, with 44 fish landed for April, well ahead of their average and the best since 2011.
Mayfly hatches are only really starting now on most of the lakes, and it will be next week at least before the main hatch is in full swing. An old observation said that the mayfly came with the whitethorn blossom, and the whitethorn tree outside my window still looks very green! Olive hatches and buzzer fishing in the meantime have provided good sport, with some lovely fish off Sheelin and Corrib in particular.
Sea angling has produced some nice pollack and coalfish this week, with the Catch of the Week a rare megrim from the Killybegs Mariners on a boat trip in Donegal Bay.
Pike fishing has been excellent on Lough Derg recently, with many fish to over 1 metre recorded by guides and their clients, while Mick Flanagan also reports good piking on Lough Ree. The festival season is in full swing now in the coarse angling scene, and good bags were reported from the 3-day Suck Valley Festival which was won by Rory Dunne with 32.300kgs. The All-Ireland Canal Championships also saw some good bags from the Grand Canal, with Fint Brennan taking the honours with 13.95kg.
On a sad note, the Lough in Cork City experienced a significant fish kill, with many of the large carp in the lake dead or dying in recent days. Dead carp have also been reported from Belvelly Lake in Cobh. While laboratory tests are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fish kill, these and other fisheries have closed in order to prevent the spread of disease. We would remind all anglers and, in particular, those who may have fished the affected waters in the last number of weeks, to follow appropriate disinfection procedures for all gear and to comply with local notices and bio-security measures.
And now the weather…
It’s back to wet and windy weather tomorrow, with heavy rain and gales forecast. Small boat warnings are in effect so sea anglers in particular should not be on the water. With the rain clearing later tomorrow, cool and showery weather is forecast for the weekend, but more settled weather and a recovery to normal temperatures will follow early next week. Wherever you’re planning to fish, pack your rain gear and stay safe!
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Kevin Crowley
Catch, Photo, Release
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Headlines
Salmon angling news
- Erriff off the mark with first salmon
- West Cork rivers producing salmon
- Carrowmore unsettled by winds but the odd fish being caug
- Water levels improving on Laune and salmon running
- Low water on the Bandon but a few springers caught
- 122 salmon caught on the Moy last week
- After slow start good sea trout fishing on Moy Estuary
- Owenmore Fishery looks good for weekend
- Some beautiful May fish from the Munster Blackwater
- Some good salmon landed at Currane, sea trout scare
- Inagh’s first salmon of season right on schedule
- Fresh fish running Costello with good water for fly anglers
- Salmon going cuckoo at Delphi
Trout angling reports
- Lene fishing well
- Olive hatches on L. Arrow produce a number of nice trout
- Mayfly scarce on Corrib after a cold Spring but trout happy to feed on olives
- Mask fishing well to variety of methods as international competition approaches
- Trout fishing on Conn still a little patchy
- Sheelin slowly wakes to spring
Coarse angling reports
- Coarse fishing improves in Cavan area
- Some good fish about Leitrim for Sheemore Anglers
- Rory Dunne wind River Suck festival with 32.300kg
- Good roach fishing on the Suck for Ballyforan anglers
- Team Sensas Dennetts win All Ireland Feeder Club Championships
- Fint Brennan wins All Ireland Canal Championships
- Inland Fisheries Ireland investigating fish kill in Cork City
- Inniscarra closed for angling following fish disease outbreak at The Lough
- Oaklands closes to protect carp stocks
Pike angling reports
Sea angling reports
- International group enjoys day out on Killala Bay
- Difficult fishing at Ballinamona for Menapia anglers
- Decent charter boat fishing for anglers in Kerry
- Cliff rescues and fishing adventures on Clare coast
- Megrim and more for Donegal angler from boat and shore
Other news
- Angling suspended at The Lough and at Belvelly Lake in Cork
- Minister Denis Naughten Launches Funding for Local Environmental Initiatives
- Inniscarra closed for angling following fish disease outbreak at The Lough
- Public consultation: Designated Salmonid Waters Bye-Law
- Jobs at IFI: General Operatives
- Jobs at IFI: Research Officer (Lagarosiphon)
- Jobs at IFI: Technician (Lagarosiphon)
- Jobs at IFI: Research Officer (Hydromorphology)
- Jobs at IFI: Technician (National Barriers Programme)
