It has been a quiet week for angling in Ireland as the unsettled weather of last week continued with wet and windy wintry conditions in most parts of the country. The first days of December saw vast amounts of rain, and as a consequence, many inland fisheries experienced high water levels and flooding. Some estuaries were full of freshwater too and this no doubt impacted on the sea angling recently.
However, some areas escaped the windy weather for a little while allowing for almost perfect angling conditions. This was the case in West Cork where angling Guide David Norman of West Cork Bass experienced excellent kayak fishing together with a client in almost perfect conditions.
In sea angling news we have a further report of excellent late season fishing from Co. Kerry. Sea Bass Hunter Tomasz Eckert has been enjoying some late season sport recently, deep in the Kingdom of Co. Kerry. A passionate lure angler, Tomasz knows his marks intimately, and when they will produce. But even he probably didn’t expect the quality of the recent sport for late November and early December when he caught a fantastic bass of 73cm which wins our Catch of the Week!
Elsewhere, Sea-Angling-Ireland SAC hosted the annual All Ireland Open Cod Championships on Youghal Beach on Saturday last. Over 50 anglers took part in this popular event but the fishing in general was difficult. There were fish to be had by anglers willing to experiment with different ranges and smaller baits. Check out the full report and results here.
In pike angling we received a fantastic report from Ronan Murray of Irishpikefishingguides.com. Ronan fishes on a range of lakes in and around the Cavan area, and with water temperatures being so high for this time of year, he and his clients have had some great success fishing lures catching over fourteen 20lbs+ fish and two falling just shy of the magic 30lbs over the past few weeks.
Twenty lbs+ pike were also common on Lough Erne for clients of Simon Gibbons from Guided Predator Angling ,while Dutch anglers Patrick and Ruben enjoyed world class pike fishing together with host Kevin Lyons of Melview Fishing Lodge. The two Dutchmen who are no strangers to the Longford area had several pike over the magic 1 meter mark including a personal best of 110cm!
There was also some pike fishing taking place in the east of the country. Newbridge & District Pike Anglers held their annual open pike competition last weekend and had a huge turnout with over 100 anglers turning up to fish on Poulaphouca Reservoir.
In coarse angling, the CM Lakelands continued their winter feeder league on Lough Muckno last weekend. There was a good turnout with 33 anglers showing up on the day. Full results online here: CM Lakelands.
Other news
Inland Fisheries Ireland wishes to confirm that a fishing permit is required for angling on the River Suck and its tributaries for the 2022 season. It had been reported that the Midland Fishery Group permit was abolished for the River Suck, and its tributaries. However, Inland Fisheries Ireland wishes to clarify that this is not the case. In the mean-time, details about the 2022 permit scheme for the River Suck and its tributaries can be found at http://permits.fishinginireland.info/product-category/shannon/.
Finally, we would like to remind interested parties of a public consultation on the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2021 and Conservation Measures for the 2022 Season (launched 10th November/deadline for submissions 9th December): https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/3aee7-consultation-on-the-wild-salmon-and-sea-trout-tagging-scheme-regulations-2021-and-conservation-measures-for-the-2022-season/
And now the weather
Early tonight rain will extend southeastwards across the country, with further scattered showers following behind, some of which will be heavy with the potential for isolated thunderstorms, hail and sleet, particularly over higher ground in the northwest. Frost may develop in some sheltered areas with lowest temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees in moderate to fresh westerly winds. The weekend will be cold with more wintry showers and moderate to fresh west to northwest winds. The outlook for the week ahead is for more cold and unsettled weather with winds gradually easing but there will be further showers, some wintry, and spells of rain.
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Markus Müller
Catch, Photo, Release
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All the angling news
Pike Fishing Reports
- Dutch Anglers do well at Melview Fishing Lodge, including a Personal Best
- Over 100 anglers turn out for Newbridge Pike Anglers Open Pike Competition
- 22lbs+ pike from Lough Erne
- Super month’s fishing for Irishpikefishingguides Ronan Murray
Sea Angling Reports
- Late Season Bass Sport In Kerry
- You’re Codding Me! Cod a No-Show For Cod Champs
- Great kayak fishing in West Cork
