While the first week of September saw dry and very warm weather, the rest of the month featured more broken weather, with the last 10 days of the season particularly wet. There were 63 salmon landed for the month, a reasonable return after a difficult season.
Many thanks to Donavin Brinklow for his reporting through the season, and for this season update.
3 September
J. Stevenson landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool using a Park Shrimp.
8 September
P. Gargan landed a 10lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a sunray. N. Lynch landed a 12lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Sunray.
10 September
P. Donegan landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Dunkeld.
13 September
P. Donegan landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool on a Bann Special.
14 September
P. Donegan landed a 7lbs and a 3.5lbs salmon on Beat 3 on a vimen tube and a 4lbs and 5.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 Garden Pool on a Collie Dog. J.F. Calvar landed 1.5lbs and a 4lbs salmon and two 1.5lbs sea trout on Beat 5 Bridge Pool on a Black Pennel and a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 6 Black Banks on a Black Pennel. A. Caffrey landed a 3.5lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 Middle Garden Pool on a Willie Gunn and D. Chambers landed 3.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool.
15 September
J.F. Calvar landed two 1.5lbs salmon in the Garden Pool and two 1.5lbs sea trout and a 7lbs salmon in the Bridge Pool on Beat 9 using a Black Pennel.
16 September
P. Donegan landed 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool on a green butt Cascade.
20 September
J. Murry landed a 7lbs salmon on Beat 4 in Poleen Pool on a Bann Special.
21 September
O. Trill landed a 6lbs and a 5lbs salmon on Beat 3, and H. Arce landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 3 on a red ally shrimp. P. Hunt landed a 3.5lbs, 4.5lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 5. C. O’Leary landed a 11lbs salmon on Beat 4 Kelly’s run on a Cascade and a 3lbs and 6lbs salmon in poleen on Beat 4 using a Cascade. B. Miller landed a 1.5lbs sea trout and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 3 school house run on an orange shrimp and a 7lbs salmon on Beat 6 high bank. D. Convery landed a 3lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool.
22 September
B. Miller landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 6 Black Banks on an orange shrimp and I. Ferris landed a 3.5lbs salmon on Beat 6 using a Cascade. P. Chew landed a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 3 School House on a red shrimp.
23 September
I. Ferris landed two 3.5lbs and a 6.5lbs salmon on Beat 3 School House run using a Cascade.
27 September
A. Vonderhaar landed two 4lbs salmon on b6 on a Cascade and T. Neilenberg landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 8.
28 September
D. Flynn landed a 11lbs and a 7.5lbs salmon on Beat 4. D. Edwards landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 3 and a 7lbs salmon on Beat 7 Mickey’s Run.
29 September
D. Edwards landed a 11lbs, 5lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 3 Gowlan Pool. B. White landed a 7lbs salmon on Beat 4 Kelly’s bend on a Garry Dog. M. Witort landed a 6.5lbs salmon on Beat 6 Willows on a Cascade. P. Errity landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 3 Oaks and another 6lbs salmon on Beat 5 Broken Bridge on a Cascade. S. McManamon landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 5 Broken Bridge on a Cascade. P. Hunt landed a 6lbs and a 2lbs salmon on Beat 3 School House.
30 September
M. Witort landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 6 and S. Skinner landed his first ever salmon on Beat 9 weighing 5lbs on a Cascade. O’Leary landed a 4lbs and a 7lbs salmon on Beat 4 on a Cascade in Poleen. N. Wickham landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a black shrimp pattern and K. Wickham landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a Cascade.
2023 Summary
There were 203 wild salmon, 55 Ranched salmon and 30 sea trout caught this season.
2023 season was a tough angling season with a good number of salmon showing but not taking the fly due to the warm and humid weather. The water levels were also a little bit of a problem, but the anglers pushed through the conditions producing a good rod catch for the season which was higher than last year’s considering we were closed for most of June.
Development
New stiles and footBridges have continued to be replaced during the year where needed by IFI staff along with community scheme members.
Acknowledgements
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 2024.
Monthly catches 2022
Month |
Salmon |
Sea-trout |
April |
0 |
0 |
May |
5 |
3 |
June |
31 |
4 |
July |
94 |
9 |
August |
65 |
12 |
September |
63 |
2 |
Totals |
258 |
30 |
Heaviest salmon of 2022
Name |
Date |
Beat |
Pool |
Fly |
Weight (lbs.) |
Wild/Ranched |
N. Lynch |
08/07/23 |
9 |
Gauge pool |
Willie Gunn |
14 |
Wild |
C. Lynam |
30/07/23 |
9 |
Falls |
Collie dog |
13 |
Wild |
C. Lynam |
30/07/23 |
9 |
Falls pool |
Collie Dog |
13 |
Wild |
I. Ferris |
07/08/23 |
6 |
Cascade |
12 |
Wild |
|
N. Lynch |
08/09/23 |
9 |
Falls |
Sunray |
12 |
Wild |
C. O’Leary |
21/09/23 |
4 |
Kelly’s |
Cascade |
11 |
Wild |
D. Edwards |
07/05/22 |
3 |
Gowlan pool |
11 |
Ranched |
|
J. O’Neill |
02/07/23 |
9 |
Bridge pool |
Cascade |
11 |
Ranched |
Top 5 fly patterns of 2022
Rank |
Fly |
1 |
Cascade |
2 |
Sunray |
3 |
Willie Gunn |
4 |
Black Pennell |
4 |
Collie Dog |
5 |
Posh Tosh |
