More and more clubs and fisheries are closing for angling as everyone is intent on doing their part to stop the spread of Covid-19 and help save lives.
As we all look forward to going fishing in the future, here’s a look at how things were going this time eight years ago…
Irish Angling Update 05 April 2012
It has been quite a week weather wise here in Ireland with the bright sunny warm weather at the start of the week followed by a very cold snap with snow, sleet, rain and hail and since then much generally cooler weather with bright and overcast conditions at present. Despite the changeable weather fishing activity coming up to Easter is wonderful with anglers enjoying very good fishing for most species in freshwater and at sea. The only fishing which is slow is salmon fishing because water levels on most of our rivers and lakes are very low but that said I just heard that ten salmon were caught yesterday on Carrowmore Lake up in North West Mayo!
At the start of the week, there was plenty of activity down in Lanesborough where coarse anglers had some terrific fishing with good catches of bream up to specimen size along with big roach who appear to be ready for spawning so early this year. There was some excellent catches of tench reported there early in the week with some nice fish to 5.5 lb. Up north the final of the float only league was fished last Sunday on the Roslea lakes and John Potters won the event with a nice catch of small roach. Down on the River Barrow there was some wonderful bream fishing reported from the lower Graiguenamanagh area where catches up to 60 lb. a day were reported.
Pike anglers are looking forward to the Lough Key angling festival this weekend and the big international pike festival taking place on Lough Ree, where there were some good fish reported in the past week. €20,000 of prize money is on offer for this popular annual international competition. The Lithuanian Pike angling club had an outing to Lough Sillan last weekend and they enjoyed excellent fishing and all fish were returned safely.
It is great to report at this time of year so much sea angling activity particularly offshore and well known charter skipper Mark Gannon reported some excellent deep sea fishing for his clients at Courtmacsherry. One of his clients, well known specimen hunter Christy Lane from Cork caught a fine Ling of nearly 25 lb. and wins our Catch of the Week award. Well known Welsh angling journalist, Mike Thrussell, supplied us with an interesting article on stingrays in British and Irish waters. Charter skipper Siegy Grabher down in Valencia Island reported some fine fishing with good catches of Pollack, cod and coalies and many big basking shark were also spotted while fishing. Charter skipper Luke Aston reported on good deep sea fishing for his clients out from Carrigaholt on the Shannon Estuary including cod to 10 lb. and mackerel in good numbers in mid water. Similar catches were reported up in Mayo by skipper Donal Kennedy with cod featuring in good catches. There were many reports this week of good bass fishing off the Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Kerry coastlines.
Salmon anglers are praying for rain in most parts of Ireland as water levels have plummeted to record levels for this time of year. There were a few fish reported around but fishing is generally slow on most of our major fisheries. On Lough Currane only two fish were reported for the week while up in Carrowmore Lake in North West Mayo sport was excellent with many salmon coming to the fly in the past week. A few fish were reported from the River Moy and there was fish reported on the opening days of Beltra and on the Ballisodare River. At Delphi a few fish were reported but the area needs water badly. Conditions on the Drowes River and nearby Melvin produced a few fish but generally higher water levels are needed and salmon anglers are praying for rain.
Trout fishing has certainly come to the fore on many lakes and even the rain starved rivers but fishing was generally good with good hatches of flies providing good sport for anglers. Lough Ennell, Owel and Lene are fishing well with duckfly and other patterns working well. The duckfly fishing is practically over in the great western loughs where some hatches of olives have been seen in recent days. Anglers enjoyed good sport on Lough Conn in the past week. Many trout anglers are trolling on Lough Derg but fishing was described as tough. There were reports of good trout fishing on rivers in the Limerick area and up in the River Lagan and the Cusher. Rainbow trout fishing is still very popular around the country and there were good reports from Cashel, lough na leibe, Lough Rowan and on the Annamoe trout fishery.
Finally over the Easter period if you are going afloat, be sensible please wear a lifejacket, – it is the law and enjoy the excellent fishing that Ireland has in abundance on loughs river and at sea,
Tight lines especially in Ireland
Paul Bourke
Angling Information Officer.
Catch, Photo, Release
Headlines
Coarse angling reports
- Big bream early spawning roach at Lanesborough
- John Potters wins the final of the float only league final at the Roslea Lakes.
- Tench, big roach and specimen bream reported in good catches in the hot water stretch at Lanesborough.
- Philip Jackson in Pole Position at Lough Muckno Match
- Fish bite when baits are right at the hot water section at Lanesborough in Co. Longford.
- Good bream fishing reported from the River Barrow below Graignamanagh.
Pike fishing reports
- Good pike fishing reported from Lough Ree
- Rainbows Galore at Lough Rowan Opening Day
- Lithuanian Pike Angling Club Go and Catch competition on Lough Sillan
- €20,000 cash prize fund at the Lough Ree International Pike Festival 2012
Salmon fishing reports
- Cold affair in a boat on Lough Melvin
- Angling on the Drowes was variable
- Over twenty salmon caught for the week on Carrowmore
- Success on Lough Beltra opening day
- Twelve salmon on Ballisodare opening day
- Mid and upper Moy Fisheries produce salmon
- Lough Currane needs rain as only a few salmon reported in the past week
- Mixed weather for fishing at Delphi
- Waterville anglers had the last laugh on April 1st
Sea angling reports
- Near specimen ling and good deep fishing reported from Courtmacsherry.
- The Search for Stingray
- Cod to 10lb on Shannon estuary charter boat trip
- Cod appear in good numbers during the first outing of the season for the Leah on Killala Bay
- Mullet on lures for the South Coast angler
- A Silver Dozen for the South Coast Angler
- Pollack, cod and coalies off Valentia, and many big basking shark were spoted too
- Big bull huss off the Co. Antrim coast
- Bass en masse around Kinsale!
- Early wrasse on soft plastics from the Wexford shore
- Latest bass fishing report from Cahersiveen
Trout fishing reports
- Trout report for Lough Ennell and Owel in the midlands.
- F Flies and Damsel fly patterns produce good rainbow fishing at the Cashel Trout Fishery.
- Rainbows Galore at Lough Rowan Opening Day
- Trolling for trout tough going on Lough Derg
- Lough Conn continues to produce sport despite weather conditions
- Emy Lough Anglers Cleaning Up
- French nymphing techniques fare better on the Cusher
- Low flows on Lagan, but quality trout for those in the know!
- American angler enjoys good brown trout fly fishing on rivers in the Limerick area.
- Plenty of Duck Fly hatching on Lough na Leibe
News clippings
- Big scoop for journos – Irish Times
- Canal closed due to New Zealand plant predator – Leinster Leader
- Island ‘survival plan’ calls for review of fishing limits – Donegal Democrat
- Rainbows return to Stradbally – The Leinster Express
