Lough Arrow Anglers report…
The past week provided excellent mayfly hatches throughout the lake. Weather conditions were favourable too, with overcast skies and moderate winds. The spent tended to go out early because most evenings turned cold, yet there was still great spent fishing to be had. There was a good number of anglers out each day, with slipways and car parks full.
This is a lovely time of year to be out on the lake, with the whitethorn and furze in full bloom and the sound of the cuckoo still looking for a mate. It’s not just about catching fish – it’s meeting up with friends, cooking in a favourite spot on one of the islands, or drifting down a slick with the smell of woodsmoke in the air.
Ryan Richardson and Matt Stranaghan fishing out of Dodds Boats had 16 fish for 3 days. Keith Smith caught a lovely trout of 2½lb on spent just off Flynns Pier. Sarah Maxwell had a great week on the dap, catching fish each day.
The Mayfly Competition was held on Sunday 14th. Well! Someone must have told the trout that there was a competition on, because they kept their heads down all day. Fishing conditions were good enough, but the wets didn’t seem to work at all. Some small trout were caught on dries, with the majority of the fish caught on dap. 75 anglers took part and Ken Murray from Drogheda won the cup for the second year in a row. Congratulations to our junior anglers Josh Smith and Abbie McTiernan who came 1st and 2nd respectively with two lovely fish. Also to Muriel Frazer, our top lady angler.
We had a great evening at the weigh-in in The Mayfly Inn – thanks again to Philip and Ellie for their hospitality.
Results:
1st Ken Murray
2nd Colm McNiffe
3rd Kenneth Conway
4th Keith Smith
5th Mark Deavin
6th Phil Brown
7th Francis McSharry
8th Martin Conlon
9th Muriel Frazer
10th Tom Reilly
The lake is fishing very well at the moment, with greens still hatching and plenty of spent in the trees. So get out there and give it a lash!
P.S. If you are fishing along Gunning’s Shore and you happen to catch a trout wearing sunglasses, please return them to Paul McTiernan – he can’t see the fish without them!
Tight lines and bent rods!
Also on LoughArrow, Keith Coleman reports of a great day’s fishing with two visiting anglers from the UK. They had four fish to the boat, best was 17 inches. The day out was enjoyed by all; it was their first visit to Lough Arrow and their first day dapping the mayfly. All fish were caught along Ballindoon Shore. Boat hire from the Dodd family which provided excellent local knowledge for the visiting anglers.
