Good fishing on Erriff for August

Donavin Brinklow reports from the Erriff on a good month of fishing in August. River levels were good for most of the month, with regular spates and plenty of rainfall keeping the river topped up. As Davud McEvoy reports from the nearby Delphi Fishery, it was the wettest August on record since 1985 in this area!

During the month there was a disastrous escape of thousands of farmed salmon from a nearby industrial salmon cage and a number of these fish entered the river, but were either removed at the trap or caught by anglers on Beat 9 below Aasleagh Falls.

 

Ian Ferris kicked off our August fishing when he landed a 7lbs salmon off the Falls Pool on a Cascade. Eamon Power landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Sunray. Brian Hennesey landed 5lbs and 4lbs salmon, also on Beat 9 – Falls Pool – on a Cascade.

2^nd August: Peter Kavanagh landed a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Bann special. James O’Neill landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool on a silver stoat and Connor O’Leary landed a 4.5 lbs salmon on a Cascade on Beat 9 Falls Pool.

3^rd August: James O’Neill landed 4 salmon on Beat 9 using a silver stoat, Paddy Gargan landed 3 ½ lbs salmon on a Cascade and Niall Lynch landed 2 salmon around 4 lbs on a Sunray on Beat 9.

4^th August: Conor O’Leary landed a 7lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Cascade.

5^th August: John Geary landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 5 bridge Pool using a silver shrimp pattern.

6^th August: Kevin Mitchell landed a 15lbs salmon on a McCormick and a 8lbs salmon on a Munro killer on Beat 9. Paddy Gargan landed 2 salmon on a Cascade and Niall Lynch landed 2 salmon on a Cascade on Beat 9. Paul McCarthy landed 2 sea trout on Beat 3 and 2 sea trout on Beat 4.

 

7^th August: John Phelan landed 3 salmon on Beat 9 using a Cascade and Peader Robinson landed a 5.5 lbs salmon on Beat 9. David Taggart landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 8 Island rock.

8^th August: Jake Delany landed an 8 lbs salmon on a Cascade, Peader Robinson landed a 4.5 lbs salmon on a Sunray and Peter Coyne landed a 9.25lbs salmon using an Allys shrimp and another 3 salmon using a Collie Dog on Beat 9.

9^th August: Jake Delany landed a 6lbs salmon and a 1lbs sea trout on a purple shrimp fly, Paddy Gargan landed 2 salmon on a Sunray, Kevin Mitchell landed 2 salmon on a Cascade and Niall Lynch landed 1 salmon on a Cascade on Beat 9.

10^th August: Ian Ferris landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 6 High banks and 4 sea trout and one 3lbs salmon on Beat 3 School House. Simon Cassidy landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 6 Black Banks on a Stoat’s Tail.

11^th August:  Niall Lynch landed 2 sea trout and 2 salmon on Beat 9 Middle Garden Pool on a Munro and a 6lbs salmon in the Upper Garden Pool. Alastair Purdy landed a 5lbs salmon and a 1lbs sea trout in the Falls Pool.

12^th August: Isaac Byrne landed 2 sea trout on Beat 9. Eugene McCarthy had a great day with 6 salmon landed on Beat 9 on a Cascade and Michael Wade also had 3 salmon on Beat 9 using a Collie Dog. Luke Tunney landed his first salmon on Beat 3 School House on a Sunray weighing 6lbs.

13^th August: Ciaran Breedy landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 Upper Garden Pool on a black shrimp.

14^th August: Billy Moylan landed a 7.5lbs salmon in the Gauge Pool on a black shrimp, Lairgnen McDermott landed a 5lbs salmon also on a black shrimp and Peter Coyne landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9 Sea Pool.

15^th August: Colin Lynam had 1 sea trout and 1 salmon and Declan Convery had 1 salmon on Beat 9 using a Delphi Collie. Stephen Ceilleir had 2 sea trout on Beat 3 Potholes on a Willie Gunn and Jeremy Jonis landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 3 Mikes Pool on a Cascade.

16^th August: John Geary landed 3 sea trout and 2 salmon on Beat 5. Declan Convery landed 3 salmon on Beat 9 using a Collie Dog. John Curran landed 3 salmon and Pat Oldham landed 1 salmon on Beat 9, Martin Witort landed a 4lbs salmon on Colonels Run (Beat 6) on a Cascade.

17^th August: Colin Lynam landed a 4.5lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on Beat 9. Unfortunately, after the escape of farmed salmon we started catching them on the Erriff with the first one recorded

18^th August: Gerard Brickley landed a 2lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a Ferdinand shrimp. Mick Wade landed a 3 ½ lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Sunray. Several farm escapes were recorded on Beat 9.

20^th August: Eoin Warner landed  a 3.5lbs wild salmon from the Squares Pool on a McCormick’s shrimp and Billy Moylan landed two 5lbs salmon on Beat 9.

21^st August: Billy Moylan landed a 5lbs wild salmon off the Lower Garden Pool.

22^nd August: Conor Graham landed a 5.5 lbs salmon on Beat 4 Poleen on a Sunray. John Byrne landed two 5lbs wild salmon on Beat 9  on a Cascade and Conor Graham landed 3 salmon and 1 sea trout on Beat 9. Colin Lynam landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 3 School House.

23^rd August: John Byrne landed a 2 wild salmon on Beat 9 Middle Garden Pool on an Allys shrimp and Conor Graham landed 3 salmon and a sea trout on Beat 9. John Geary landed a 10lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a yellow shrimp.

24^th August: John Foley landed a  4lbs salmon on a yellow Cascade on Beat 9.

25^th August: Conor O’Leary landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 Squares Pool. Archie McCauley landed a 7lbs salmon on Beat 5 Broken Bridge on a Willie Gunn and William Maire landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 3 Gowlan Pool on a Cascade.

26^th August: Brian White landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 6. David Flynn landed 3 salmon on Beat 5 one weighing 13lbs. Niall Lynch landed 2 salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool on a Sunray, Kevin Mitchell landed 2 salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on a McCormack shrimp and Paddy Gargan landed a wild salmon on Beat 9. Angus Maguire landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a Munro killer. Sean McManmon landed a 5lbs salmon and Pat Errity landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Munro Killer.

28^th August: John Phelan landed 4 salmon on Beat 9. Martin Davidson landed a 6.5 lbs salmon on Beat 4, Hugo Baring landed a 9lbs salmon on Beat 5 on a Cascade and Vaughn Lewis landed 3 salmon on Beat 3 School House.

29^th August: Steven Mann landed a wild salmon on Beat 9, Gerard Coey landed a 3lbs salmon on Sunray, Lewis Matthews landed a 5.5lbs salmon on Beat 9. Marty Henry landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 6 on a Spectrum shrimp and a 10 lbs salmon on Beat 5. Archie McCauley landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 3 Potholes. Ian Ferris landed a wild salmon  on Beat 9.

30th/31st: A few farmed escapes recorded.

The catch for the month was 132 salmon (not including farm escapes), and 23 sea trout.

September can be a very good month on the Erriff is onditions are right, so keep an eye on the forecast and if any rain is coming it may well be worth a cast. Remember the micro-climate here is much wetter with the mountains and the Erriff can get heavy rain when the rest of the country is only seeing a few showers!

 

Go Fishing

The Erriff System is comprised of the Erriff River and the two small loughs of Tawnyard and Derrintin. The River Erriff is one of the premier salmon fishing rivers in Ireland. A spate river, it is characterised by lively streams and deep fish-holding pools. It has 8 miles of prime angling water, divided into 9 beats. Beats are un-crowded with only two rods on most and a maximum of 3 sometimes. Angling is rotated on a daily basis.

Telephone: (095) 42382

Email: [email protected]

River Erriff