We enjoyed some warmer and drier weather at the weekend and have some great reports to share this week. Since then despite staying bright it became a little more windy and definitely cooler. But having said that there is a real sense of the seasons moving on and the fishing getting better…

Fishing in Ireland - river boyne

Salmon anglers are still working through a slow start to the season. Following a month of floods there were high hopes April would be better but for the majority of anglers it’s been tough. Conditions have been favourable enough, but the catches have not been great on the Munster Blackwater or the Boyne. It’s been slow too on the Moy, but some good spring fish to 15lb have been reported. It’s seems the loughs are fairing better with some good fishing reported from Carrowmore and anglers have had few salmon including one of 15lb, and a sea trout of 9lb, from Currane again this week.

Elaine Caffrey get a photo with her huge Blackwater trout before releasing it

Last week’s trout fishing on Lough Arrow was very tough, with low temperatures, rain and strong winds and it was a similar story on Lough Conn. At Sheelin, over the past ten days, we have been treated to a mixture of just about everything – hail, thundery downpours, a sprinkle of snow, undesirable wind directions and temperatures rising to 20°C and plummeting to -3°C. Nonetheless good fish are being caught on a regular basis regardless of what is being thrown down on us from above. Buzzers are hatching when they can and fish are coming to a mix of buzzer, lure and wet fly. We have a couple of reports from the Nore and again, fish are being caught but it can be hard going. We also have a late report from the Careysville on the Munster Blackwater where a huge trout was caught and released by a visiting salmon angler.

bream
Mark Llewellyn caught good hybrids and big bream during his stay at Carafin Lodge including this whopping double-figure bream

There has been a buzz around Lough Muckno this week as 200+ anglers, coaches, managers and runners from twenty eight teams in eighteen countries descended on Castleblayney to fight for the title of FIPSed Club World Champions for feeder fishing. The good news for the competitors is that conditions should improve since the mostly slow catches reported last week. An exception was the Erne at Carafin Lodge where a double figure bream was caught. This super bin lid wins Catch of the Week.

Pike anglers from Italy, UK and France staying at Melview Lodge have been enjoying great sport. No monsters caught, but plenty of action on bait, lure and fly. Homegrown anglers have also been busy. The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs held their season final last week as over 50 pike anglers battled it out to make the international team to face the UK later this year. There were 141 fish caught on the day, with the heaviest weighing in at 14lb 15oz.

IRISH SPRING ANGLING FAIR

IRISH SPRING ANGLING FAIR 2023

After the success of the first Irish Spring Angling Fair in 2022 Ned Maher of Ardaire Springs Angling Centre, Mooncoin  County Kilkenny is once again hosting the IRISH SPRING ANGLING FAIR.

Taking place on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, the Fair will open to angling enthusiasts on Saturday 29th April and Sunday the 30th of April 2023 over the bank holiday weekend.

It is without doubt a must attend event…

And now the weather…

Saturday night will be cold with clear spells and variable amounts of cloud as showery rain in the east and south clears. Sunday will have scattered showers with some bright spells, but showers may turn heavy and prolonged in the northeast later in the day. Sunday night will have showers continuing in the north and east, but with long dry periods in the south and west. Monday will be fresh and breezy with a mix of cloud and some bright spells, remaining largely dry but with the potential for the odd shower. Tuesday will start cold and mostly sunny with frost in places, but cloud will build up during the day with outbreaks of rain in the southwest towards evening time. Not the worst fishing forecast ever but hopefully we’ll see the back of these easterlies soon enough…

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].


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