Lough Currane and River Inny updates from Vincent Appleby and the Waterville Lakes and Trust

The Appleby Reports

9/5/18 Lough Currane was on the wild side with a strong NW wind blowing, wind or no wind the Currane anglers did venture out manipulating their flies and lures, but sadly all Currane anglers caught was a wind tan. Wind as already stated and just for the record there were a few heavy showers. Yesterdays weather, amount of rainfall 3.2mm. Maximum air temperature 13.3c.

10/5/18 Great news on the Specimen Sea Trout department and we will let the captor have his say on this great Sea trout!  The ‘man with the hat  strikes again, catch and release department. Lovely fresh specimen sea trout in the 9 lbs class. “No pictures unfortunately as by myself and had to get fish back in water quickly and with minimum distress”. All I can say is congratulations Mr. Jerry O’Sullivan. Now we head for the Salmon department, Mr. Michael Roden , while fishing with his Gillie Mr. Junior Scully, caught a cracking 12 lbs. Salmon on the troll.

Ken and Vincent
Ken and Vincent – 30 years a fishing

Now to the fly department UK and Waterville angler Mr. Ken Towner caught a fine 8lb salmon on the fly today, while  fishing with his gillie Mr. Vincent O’Sullivan. This fine fish gave Ken one almighty good rise and took him right  down to the backing on its first run and Vincent O’Sullivan had the last say with the net.  Ken told me, “An important picture of 30 years! Vincent O’Sullivan and I caught a lightning fresh 8/9 lbs. Salmon on the fly. We have fished on Lough Currane for 30 years and this one was a bit special”. Well here’s to the next 30 years. Wind strong SW good cloud cover. Yesterday’s weather,  amount of rainfall 8.8 mm. Maximum air temperature 12.2c.

11/5/18 Now today’s  facts, there was a fine 7lbs.Salmon caught on the fly by Mr. Jack Murphy, while fishing with his gillie Mr Dominic McGillcuddy of www.fishingwithdom.com  and for the rest the Currane anglers it was all quiet on the SW front. Just for the record it made a big flood early this morning. Wind W fresh to strong with good cloud cover at times. Yesterday’s weather,amount of rain fall 3.0 mm. Maximum air temperature 12.4c.

12/5/18 Lough Currane was all quiet on the SW front in all departments after yesterday’s 19.8mm of rainfall and the next few days should be interesting once the lake settles down.  Just for the record there was a fine 4 lbs plus Seatrout caught and released. Wind W light to fresh with reasonable cloud cover. Yesterday’s weather amount of rainfall as already stated, maximum air temperature 12.2c.

13/5/18 All the action comes from the Bungalow, so straight to the facts of the day. Dr. Tim O’Connor caught a cracker of a 11 lbs. Salmon on the fly, while fishing with his gillie Mr. Tom O’Shea of www.flyfishingatloughcurrane.com. Staying at the Bungalow, also in good form was Mr. John Smith of Co. Offley, while fishing with his gillie Mr. Neil O’Shea of www.oshealoughcurrane.com caught a fine 8 lbs.Salmon on the troll and Neil also reported that an angler fishing out of the Bungalow caught a fine 10 lbs. Salmon on the troll. Wind SW Moderate with good cloud cover. Yesterday’s weather,maximum air temperature 12.3c.

14/5/18 Today’s notes are short and for good reason, it was all quiet on the SW front, but to be fair we Lough Currane anglers can’t complain with the Wild Atlantic Salmon’s activity  today because they were in a lethargic mood. Wind W light with reasonable cloud cover. Yesterdays weather, amount of rainfall 2.0mm. Maximum air temperature 13.1c.

15/5/18 A nice bit of history was made today by Mr. Mike Corner Jones of the UK and Gillie Mr. Terence Wharton Snr, fishing out of  Hogs Head Golf Course, caught a cracker of a 11 lbs. Salmon and by doing so is the first ever client to catch a Salmon on the troll, fishing out of Hogs Head Golf Course. Just for the record this was also Michaels’ first ever Salmon and may it be the first of many for both Michael and Hogs Head Golf Course and to finish the day with a double Grand slam Michael’s good friend Mr. Greg Campbell of the UK caught a fine Brown Trout on the fly while fishing with his Gillie Mr. Terence Wharton Jnr. Now to the weather and in the words of  local Gillie Mr. Terence Wharton and I quote it was bitterly cold out there with a ENE wind blowing. Yesterdays weather, amount of rainfall 1.3mm. Maximum air temperature 14.0c.

That is your ration from the last week on Lough Currane, from your Gillie and the Waterville Fishery, no spin no fly’s just facts.

Vincent Appleby
www.salmonandseatrout.com

The Trust report

It’s Spring and its spawning time for Charr!

It is not generally recognized, when discussing the well known  salmonid populations of Waterville’s Currane catchment, that some of the mountain lakes host relatively healthy populations of Arctic Charr. These Charr populations, in common with the brown trout in these upper mountain lakes, are relict stocks from the last Ice Age when the land, relieved of its burden of ice, rose up again and isolated these relict marine species beyond impassable waterfalls in the uplands of Co Kerry. Charr are a fascinating, often defying attempts to define the various races. It’s generally thought that Charr do not compete well with brown trout in their shared environment and as a result tend to occupy the deeper zones in these glacial lakes where they find a relatively stable habitat. The original marine Charr are still prolific in the arctic north where annual runs of these much larger fish still spawn in the coastal streams of Iceland and Greenland. Both of which countries, incidentally, have become favored destinations for intrepid anglers!

char
Kerry char

In their natural arctic range the Charr have similar spawning patterns to sea trout, running the small coastal streams and spawning in the gravel beds. In the mountain lakes, although some individual strains will spawn in small gravelly streams, there is, apparently, a tendency for them to spawn in the lakes themselves, utilizing gravelly areas well oxygenated by wave action. As a result they are incredibly difficult to observe. Research of other Charr populations has shown a preference for spring spawning and there is every reason to suppose that this pattern occurs in these lakes.

mountain lake
A typical mountain lake in the Currane Catchment with a healthy population of Charr

Ron Greer, the well known Scottish freshwater biologist and Charr fanatic, likens the Charr to a ‘freshwater reindeer’ with the ‘wolf’ predator being the Ferox Trout. It has yet to be established whether this synergy exists in the mountain lakes of the Currane catchment, but undoubtedly there are populations of Ferox Trout in both Cloonaghlin and Derriana Loughs where these fish have been caught in the past by anglers trolling for salmon. It’s an exciting thought that these Ferox trout might also find an existence in the smaller mountain lakes feeding on the Charr.

A ‘Ferox’ trout from Lough Derriana
A ‘Ferox’ trout from Lough Derriana

Fishing on Lough Cloonaghlin?

Could I remind anglers who intend fishing on Lough Cloonaghlin over the coming weeks to please avoid driving over the bog to the lakeshore. Instead, leave vehicles in the ‘quarry’ area and walk to the lake. This bogland is a protected area in the Killarney National Park and as a result of recent very wet conditions, is extremely sensitive to vehicular damage from which it will take years to recover. The Trust has a project planned to enable future access but work on this will only be possible following a period of dry weather.

Rod Robinson
Waterville Lakes & Rivers Trust

 

Go fishing…

Vincent Appleby

Eureka Lodge, Caherdaniel West, Co. Kerry.
Telephone: +353 (0)66 9475248
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.salmonandseatrout.com

Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust

The Waterville Lakes & Rivers Trust, formed by concerned volunteers in 2016, is one of the new Rivers Trusts to be set up in Ireland and is currently aspiring to Charitable Status. Its remit is to protect the fresh and coastal waters of the Iveragh Peninsula.

Find out more and how you can contribute at

Find out more about Lough Currane…

The rivers and lakes of Waterville drain a large catchment and are regarded by many as the foremost Salmon and Sea-Trout fishery in the country. The lake system is well developed with access to boats and guides being readily available to the tourist angler. The Sea-Trout caught here are renowned for their size and quantity. For more details see