Donavin Brinklow reports from the Erriff as the season came to an end.
September ended the dry summer on the Erriff, with a couple of small floods early in the month, followed by another dry spell, and bookended by better water towards the end of the month. A -storm on the last day rendered the river unfishable by mid-morning with a flood of 2.4m.
The rod catch for the month was 32 fish.
John O’Halloran landed the first fish of the month on the 4th, a 2.5lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on a Cascade. The same day Osgur Grieve landed a 3.5lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on a Posh Tosh on Beat 9.
The following day Willie Cotter landed a 5lbs salmon off the Falls Pool, and Arthur Muckian landed a 5.5lbs salmon in the Yellow Banks pool on Beat 5.
On the 6th, John Geary landed two sea trout and a 6lbs salmon on the Falls Pool using a Cascade. The nest day Roger Stephen landed a 4lbs salmon from the Falls Pool on a red shrimp pattern, and Margaret Downs landed a 3lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on Beat 9.Margaret landed another 3lbs salmon from the Garden Pool on the 8th fishing a Cascade, and Lucy Downs also landed a 3lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on a Cascade.
Fast forward to the 11th and Peter Coyne landed a 3lbs salmon, and Charley O’Connor landed a 4lbs salmon on beat 9.
On the 12th, Francois Calvar landed a 3.5lbs salmon and two sea trout weighing 1lbs and 2lbs on Beat 2 using a Black Pennell. Albert Caffrey landed a 3.5lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on Beat 9. Levi Caffrey landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 and Donal Chambers landed a 4lbs salmon in the Falls Pool.
The 13th was another good day, when Paddy Donegan landed a 4lbs and a 3lbs salmon in the Garden Pool using a small Sunray. Levi Caffrey landed a 0.5lbs sea trout and a 3.5lbs salmon in the Falls Pool. Francois Calvar landed two sea trout around a 1lb, and a 3lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Black Pennell and Leroy Pierre landed 5 sea trout and a 3lbs salmon on beat 9, also on a Black Pennell.
#CatchPhotoRelease
On the 14th J. Pilkington landed a 2.5lbs salmon on beat 2, and the following day Paddy Donegan landed 4 salmon to 4.5lbs in the Falls Pool using a small Sunray. Donal Chambers landed a 6.5lbs salmon, also in the Falls Pool.
Albert Caffrey landed a 5.5lbs salmon on beat 9 on the 17th, and Paddy Donegan landed a 2.5lbs salmon on a micro tube Sunray on Beat 9.
Rain on the 22nd saw an improvement, and Sam McMenamin landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 4 using a lemon shrimp pattern. Peter Coyne landed a 4lbs salmon in the Sea Pool, a 3lbs salmon in the Gauge pool and a 4lbs salmon in the Garden Pool, all on a green butt Cascade. Two days later Kieran Hannigan landed a 5lbs salmon in the Coronation Pool on Beat 8.
A Chip Off The Old Block
The 25th was a great day for young Matthew Brinklow, who landed a 4lbs salmon in the Garden Pool and a 3lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on Beat 9 using a green butt Cascade. Ian Ferris landed a 3lbs salmon in the Lower Garden Pool on a Cascade and a 6lbs salmon in the Falls Pool.
On the 26th Luke Cameron landed a 5lbs salmon in the Schoolhouse Run on Beat3 on a black and red shrimp pattern. The next day Kevin McNamara landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9.
On the 29th Osgur Grieve landed a 7lbs salmon on Beat 3 using a green butt Cascade and John Geary landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 6 using a Foxford Shrimp. The last salmon of the season was caught in the storm on the last day by Ian Ferris – a 3.5lbs salmon off the Bridge Pool on Beat 9.
2022 Season
Overall it was a disappointing season on the Erriff, not helpled by the long dry spell in the summer, with very high water temperatures. The spring run was encouraging, with 58 fish landed by the end of June, but there were just 98 recorded thereafter to the end of the season. The total catch was 156 wild salmon, 45 Ranched salmon and 53 sea trout.
The heaviest fish was Mark Helmore’s fish on June 30th, estimated at 20lbs, followed by John Foley on the 9th July with a fish of 14lbs.
The top fly pattern for the season was the Sunray Shadow, followed by the ever-popular Cascade, then the Willie Gunn.
The 2022 season wasn’t as restricted with covid as the 2021 season but we had the challenge of a really hot and dry summer with low water condition making it nearly impossible to fish. We all still enjoyed our time out on the river doing what we love .
Thank You
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the IFI Ballinakill staff who assisted with the smooth running and protection of the fishery during the year. Also we would like to thank the land owners along the fishery as well as the Community Scheme staff for all their hard work with maintenance and angling access to the fishery during the year. Finally, the anglers who visited the fishery, thanks to all anglers following our catch and release program to ensure a healthier river for the coming years and look forward to seeing you all again in 2023.
