The heatwave has impacted on salmon fishing everywhere, but Galway is possibly one of the few places where good fishing is still possible. Although water temperatures have hovered around 21-22C, even touching 24C on the hottest days, the oxygenation provided by the water tumbling over the weir means fish are still lively enough. Water levels remained at one gate open until last Friday, when this was reduced to half a gate, but fish are continuing to be caught daily.
94 fish were reported for the last 2 weeks, including 3 grilse to 5lbs on fly for John Anderson from Moycullen. Dublin visitor Mick Brown had 3 to 5.5lbs on shrimp and fly, while Spanish visitor Sergio Diaz landed 2 to 5lbs on fly. Clare man Brian King had a nice 6.5lbs fish on fly, while Roscommon brothers Padraic and Donal Corrigan had a grilse each on shrimp. Billy Moyland from Laois had 2 fish, including a fine fish of 8lbs, both on fly, while regular German visitor Wolfram Hoppe landed 2 fish for his visit to 5lbs on fly. Miguel Gomez, visiting from Spain, had 4 fish for his visit on fly, best fish 4.5lbs, while German angler Jurgen Kommallen landed a lovely 6.5lbs grilse on fly.
Tom Harrington from Limerick had 3 grilse to 5.5lbs on fly, and long time German angler Manfred Wilkie had 4 fish for visit between 4 and 7lbs. Manfred is 93 years young and still fishing Galway every year, 49 years after his first visit here!
Brian O’Donoghue from Dublin had 2 fish to 4.5lbs on fly, while local angler James Dunne had 2 to 6lbs on fly and shrimp. Northern irish angler Terry McDermott hd 2 to 6lbs on fly, while English visitor Michael Black landed 2 fish to 8.5lbs on fly. Clare man John Murphy landed 2 grilse on fly, while Westmeath man Liam Gilsenan had the best fish of the period – a fine salmon of almost 10lbs, that he landed on a single-handed rod after an epic battle.
There are fresh fish still running every day, and provided we can keep water levels at half a gate, fishing should continue to be good for the next couple of weeks.