After a pretty wet weekend, the past five days have seen a return to normality, a welcome break from some of the more severe stuff we’ve endured in recent weeks. According to Met Éireann, rainfall was about average, temperatures were a bit above average and sunshine a bit below average. It looks like being much the same for the coming week, so it might give us all an opportunity to get out on the water without getting soaked or blown into next year…

In looking through this week’s angling reports, it strikes me how important a role angling clubs and competitions play in encouraging many of us to get out and fish. No fewer than ten out of the eighteen reports posted this week come from angling clubs and/or competitions. I think that during the winter months, in particular, angling clubs become an important focal point to encourage us to go fishing. Left to our own devices, it’s too easy to look at a bad weather forecast and make excuses not to venture out, but when you are engaged in, e.g. a club winter league, you have that extra incentive to get out there, knowing you’ll meet like-minded folk to share the fun or the failures. So, if you are wishing you could do a bit more fishing but can’t find the motivation to do it, maybe it’s time you checked out your local angling club; most are more than happy to welcome new members.

Speaking of angling clubs motivated to go fishing, none are more active than the Killybegs Mariners, who seem to have boundless energy when it comes to getting out on the water. Last weekend saw their final league outing of 2023, and they had to cope with strong winds and heavy rain, but it takes a lot more than that to put them off. Tralee Bay SAC also faced some wet and windy weather, which forced them to change venue for their club competition. But Liz McMahon made light of the situation, beating off 11 international anglers with a run of 10 fish in 90 minutes to storm the field and win comfortably. Liz’s catch included a fine 39cm flounder, and her stellar performance wins this week’s Catch of the Week.

Liz McMahon (pictured with her 39cm flounder) beat off competition from 11 international anglers out of a field of 15 fishing to win comfortably and take the pools to boot.

On the east coast, South Shore SAC had a long walk over rough ground to reach their pegs on the North Beach in Wicklow, but they were rewarded for their slog when they found the sea was a lovely colour for fishing, and the whiting were there in numbers. Meanwhile, last weekend saw the first outing of the Irish Light Line series in Cobh, where serious competition anglers from Ireland and abroad competed in the first of six matches to be run over the coming months.

In charter boat fishing, skipper John Fleming reflects on some of the fishing over the season just gone, and reminds anglers that he is still open for business whenever the weather allows over the winter months. To wrap up the sea angling section, the long-running Diawa Pairs competition is already open for bookings for the 2024 event, enabling anglers to lock down accommodation at reasonable prices before the tourism season kicks off.

To pike fishing now, and Tulla & District Angling Club held an interclub competition on Lough Graney last weekend. Six teams competed in what was a close competition, where the newly formed Savage Gear team just pipped the Banner Anglers to the prize by a few centimetres. The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs also held an interclub event last weekend, which saw 18 teams compete against each other, while also raising €840 for charity. The Whitewood team won for the third year running, while the best fish on the day fell to Keith Ren with a super bank-caught 25lb+ fish. For any pike anglers looking for a bit of competition action, Newbridge & District Pike Anglers are running their open competition on Poulaphouca Lake (aka Blessington) this weekend, which is open to all, and promises to be a fun fishing and social event.

Cracking 25lb+ pike for Keith Ren was the best fish at IFPAC’s interclub

Moving away from the club/competition scene, Peter Driver, better known as a trout fishing specialist, showed that he can sling a pike streamer or two as he tackled some of the canals on the Shannon Erne system last week. Water clarity was poor, and they had to do a bit of searching to find a likely-looking spot. As luck would have it, they had only just found some fish when they were called away to prepare for a wedding (the real reason for their journey up there…). To wrap up this week’s pike reports, Steven Powell of Lure Guides had a husband/wife couple out on the lakes of Enniskillen last weekend. In a short session, they managed a duo of pike using jerkbait tactics and a few perch on the drop shot.

To coarse fishing now, and the Lucky Anglers Club held the final match of their 2023 season on Gill’s Pond in Ballinakill last week. They have been fishing a range of venues, mostly in east Clare, from March through November, and in the final standings, Piotr Poprawski was crowned club champ for 2023. While one club wraps up a league, another club kicks one off, and last week CM Lakelands Feeder Club got their winter league off to a start on Lough Muckno. Small silvers were the main feature in the catches, and Damian Folytn had his tactics right to win the day with around 100 fish for just under 5kg.

A bag of small silvers from Muckno

The Irish Fly Fair was held last weekend in Enniskillen, and there were a host of interesting exhibits and demonstrations, as well as plenty of tackle and fly-tying gear on show. We have a couple of reports giving different perspectives from people involved with the show. Firstly, angling guide and instructor Dan O’Neill tells the story of his busy weekend, spent giving casting instruction and taking the opportunity to network with the fly fishing community. Also at the show was Jackie Mahon, well known fishing guide and fly tyer. He spent his weekend in the fly tying room, knocking out some killer lake flies for the Irish loughs, and Jackie will be off to Itlay in the new year to show off the Irish style of tying at a show in Vicenza.

Dan O’Neill in action at the Irish Fly Fair

We wrap up this week’s report with some podcasts and social media offerings. Cormac Walshe of the Lure Fishing Podcast has released his 21st episode, where he speaks to well-known mentalist, hypnotist and magician Keith Barry, who is a pretty accomplished angler in addition to his other credentials. This week’s Ireland on the Fly podcast sees Tom & Daire talking to Sean Dempsey about the international fishing competition scene and the insights he has gained from fishing at elite level. Finally, Peter Driver found time to host his regular online fly-tying session despite traipsing up and down the canal banks and attending a wedding… This week he focuses on deer hair patterns and the various techniques used in tying with this sometimes tricky material.

And now the weather

Friday afternoon will be cool with a mix of cloud and sunny spells. It will remain cool overnight with temperatures as low as -2 °C in places, and Saturday morning will see some frost followed by a cloudy, cool day with some patchy drizzle. Sunday will be much the same, with some rain in western areas spreading to the east in the afternoon before breaking up. Monday will be wetter, with rain spreading from the south in the morning, before clearing to cooler and brighter conditions as the day progresses.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland. If fishing in the sea, don’t forget to check the tides.

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to reports@fisheriesireland.ie and don’t forget that all of our fishing reports are available on our dedicated Angling Ireland Facebook page.

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