Lough Currane and River Inny updates from Vincent Appleby and the Waterville Lakes and Trust…
The Appleby reports
28/3/18 All Lough Currane’s action comes from renowned Kilkenny Angler Mr. Tommy Duggan and his Gillie Mr. Dominic McGillicuddy of www.fishingwithdom.com who were in great form this morning in the trolling department and finished his trip off with a cracker of a 12 lbs. Salmon and returned another. They also caught a good few Kelts and for the rest of My Noble anglers they looked on with envy! Wind was all over the place light to calm all day with good cloud cover with hale showers. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall,1.1mm Maximum air temperature 11.4c.
27/3/18 Lough Currane was all quiet on the SW front, the only bit of action was in the Kelt department where local Angler Mr. Robert Elson of the http://thecrescentwaterville.ie/ and his good friend Mr. Brod O’Sullivan, caught 3 Kelts on the troll. Brod was telling me “As you know Vince, I have 70 years experience out there and the Kelts this year are the biggest I’ve ever seen and you have to look twice just in case it’s the right fella, but I ain’t been fooled yet but”. As I said, you can’t beat experience. Wind NNE light variable with reasonable cloud. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 8.5mm. Maximum air temperature 11.7c.
26/3/18 All today’s headlines go to renowned Kilkenny angler Mr. Tommy Duggan, while fishing with his Gillie Mr. Dominic McGillicuddy of www.fishingwithdom.com caught a cracker of an 11 lbs. Salmon on the fly, off the point of Grassy Island and there is a good bit of history to this fish. It is 40 years to be precise in catching his first Salmon off Grassy, even though Tommy has caught many Salmon on the fly all over the Lake the Grassy always got the better of him. Well Tommy you put that long spell to rest and everything comes to those who wait. Not satisfied with his fine Salmon caught on the fly, Tommy and his Gillie put their trolling rods out and finished their day off with a fine 8 lbs. Salmon. SSW light and overcast with misty rain. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 10.9c.
25/3/18 There was some good action in the catching and releasing today. We start in C&R department. Mr. Paul Saunders of Glengarriff caught and released a fine lightening fresh Wild Atlantic 10lbs. Salmon, while fishing with his Gillie Mr. Neil O’Shea of www.oshealoughcurrane.com. Staying in the trolling department, local Gillie Mr. Bob Priestley, while manipulating his lures also caught a lightening fresh 10lbs. salmon and Bob’s quote of the day was “8 bloody weeks to catch that Salmon, Cheers!” Wind WNW light and variable and bright and sunny all day. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 0.4mm. Maximum air temperature 10.2c.
24/3/18 Straight to the C&R department. Mr. Thorsten Weigand of Germany was the toast of Lough Currane and for good reason. While Fishing/trolling with his Gillie Mr. Neil O’Shea of www.oshealoughcurrane.com he caught two Salmon. His first strike of the day was a 11lbs. Salmon, and they finished their day off with a 9 lbs Salmon which they sportingly put back. Wind N light to calm and bright. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 8.4mm. Maximum air temperature 8.2.
23/3/18 There was some good action on Lough Currane today so straight to the action. Fish of the day and that goes to Master Joshua Clarke of the UK and of Waterville, Co Kerry and Bailieborough, Co Cavan, you can say Joshua is an all round Ireland angler after catching a cracker of a 11 lbs. Salmon on the troll while fishing with Gillie and his Uncle Tham and just for the record that was Joshua’s first ever Salmon and may it be the first of many. Now we head for the Bungalow, Wexford angler, Mr. Michael McCormack, caught a fine 8 ¼ lbs. Salmon on the troll while fishing with his Gillie Mr. Tom O’Shea of www.flyfishingatloughcurrane.com I will finish today’s notes on a cracker of a 20 lbs. Salmon that got away during the week, thanks to Canadian and Bahrain Angler John Ghazzawi of Canada who sportingly put it back while trolling and best of all the release was all caught on video. Staying with the one that got away I would like to Thank David of Dooleys Restaurant for his great support for Waterville angling because if it wasn’t for David I wouldn’t be linking you all with the one that got away! Wind E light and overcast with rain at times. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 19.7mm. Maximum air temperature 11.0c.
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
This last week has seen some very changeable weather on the Waterville Lakes, from blue sky days with flat calms to mist, fog and rain. Nevertheless the conditions seem to have suited the Anglers and the Salmon alike! The modest run of fine multi sea winter fish has continued with several fish caught during the week and by all accounts the fish have continued to be in excellent condition. They have obviously found good feeding in the North Atlantic this last couple of years. These spring salmon are magnificent creatures and well worth our protection! The Waterville Lakes & Rivers Trust is a keen proponent of CPR – Catch Photograph and Release- and it was good to see a visiting angler, this last week, releasing a fine Salmon back into Lough Currane!
We were also very interested to hear of the capture and release of a ‘well mended’ hen kelt, which was originally ‘fin clipped’ at our conservation hatchery in the autumn of 2015! Clearly a fish which had returned and spawned in the wild. Lets hope she fares well in the North Atlantic again and returns to spawn a second time next year!
We have reached the vernal equinox and the water temperature is rising and the lakes are coming back to life again. The salmon and sea trout parr, which dropped out of the small streams in the winter to find greater security in the lakes, are now met with their first feeding bonanza of the year – the vast hatches of the Black Chironomid anglers know as the ‘Duck Fly’. Our scale reading programme has shown us that the advanced parr in the lakes in the early spring have a spurt of growth before they smolt and run to sea. Undoubtedly the Currane Duck Fly hatch contributes greatly to this observed growth. Although it is the vast clouds of these adult flies in the air above the lake shore which attract our attention, it is the subsurface pupal stage which attracts the attention of the trout and parr!
There are vast numbers of different species of Midges hatching out in the lakes at different times of the year but the hatching of these black midges at this time of the year, coinciding as it does with the outward migration of our salmonids, it is surely one of natures special events! Yet another example of the synergy in The Waterville Lakes ecosystem!
In the next few days we should hopefully be seeing the beginning of the early run of the large ‘specimen’ sea trout for which Lough Currane is famous. We urge anglers to show restraint when contemplating killing these magnificent fish. Although not the most fecund of the sea trout population they nevertheless contribute immeasurably to the gene pool. In view of the year on year decline in the runs of these very special fish, which we are experiencing, the more of them which survive to spawn, the more we help our environment!
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
