Donavin Brinklow reports that July was another tough month of fishing with low water condition and high temperatures.
Conor O’Leary kicked off catches for the month on the 2nd when he landed 2 grilse to 4.5lbs the Falls Pool, and John Phelan landed a 7lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on a black and silver shrimp pattern.
Barry Fox landed a 6lbs salmon on the 5th in the Falls Pool on a Green Butt Cascade.Two days later Niall Lynch landed 4 finnock and a 5lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on Beat 9. Alastair Purdy landed 3 finnock and a 2lbs salmon in the Falls Pool. Thw following day John Godfrey landed a 6lbs salmon, also in the Falls Pool.
On the 9th Eoin Cosgrove landed a 5.5lbs salmon in the Falls Pool, where Charlie Phelan also landed a 4lbs grilse. Charlie landed another 4lbs fish the following day, and John Phelan landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Cascade. John Ryan landed grilse of 4lbs and 3.lbs in the Falls Pool on Beat 9.
James O’Neill landed a 6lbs salmon and a small sea trout on the 11th from the Falls Pool and John Ryan landed a 4lbs salmon and a finnock in the Upper Garden Pool.
On the 12th, Niall Lynch landed 3 salmon around the 5lbs mark and Kevin Mitchell landed two 4.5lbs salmon and a 7lbs salmon on Beat 9. Paddy Gargan landed a 5lbs ranched salmon on Beat 9. James McGuire landed a 1lbs sea trout in the Garden Pool.
Neil Spellacy landed a fine 8.5lbs salmon on the 15th in the Sea Pool on a Sunray. The next day John Phelan landed a 5lbs salmon and two 1lbs sea trout in the Garden Pool, and Jake Delaney landed a 3lbs salmon in the Upper Garden Pool and a 4lbs salmon in the Falls Pool fishing a Stoat’s Tail.
Jake Delaney fished on the 17th and landed a 3.5lbs salmon in the Bridge Pool and a 7lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on a mini gold Cascade. John Phelan landed a 3lbs salmon in the Falls Pool and a 4lbs salmon in the Bridge Pool using a Stoat’s Tail. On the 18th Seamus O’Neill landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Silver Stoat. Alastair Purdy landed grilse of 3lbs,5lbs and 3.5lbs and a 1lbs sea trout on Beat 9.
Rain on the evening of the 18th and further rain on the 19th gave a welcome spate with the river rising to over 1m on the 20th. James O’Neill was back on the 19th and landed a 3.5lbs salmon in the Coronation Pool on Beat 8 using a Cascade. Niall Lynch landed a 4lbs salmon and a 1lbs sea trout on Beat 9 using a Cascade, and Kevin Mitchell landed a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 9. James then landed a 6.5lbs and a 3.5lbs salmon from the Falls Pool, and Jim Ryan landed a 6lbs and a 3lbs salmon from the Upper Garden Pool on a Cascade.
The 20th saw good fishing again John Ryan landed a 5lbs salmon and two 0.75lbs sea trout in the Falls Pool 9, Jim Ryan landed 2 grilse to 4lbs from the Falls Pool and a 7lbs salmon in the Upper Garden Pool on a Cascade. Osgur Grieves landed two 0.75lbs sea trout on Beat 3 School House on a Cascade. Seamus O’Neill landed 7lbs and 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Cascade. David Flynn landed a 3lbs salmon on Beat 4 Poleen. Peter Coyne landed 3lbs and 5lbs salmon off the Falls Pool on a Cascade.
The 21st saw regular visitor from Austria, Tobias Stern land a 4lbs salmon from the Upper Garden Pool on a Black and Silver. Michael Wade landed two 3lbs salmon, 1 in the Falls Pool on a Green Highlander and the other in the Sea Pool on a Collie Dog.
Eoin Cosgrove was back on the 22nd and landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Black and Silver. Neil Spellacy landed a 4lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on a Black and Silver and a 4lbs salmon in the Lower Garden Pool on a Munro killer, he also landed 6 sea trout in the Lower Garden Pool around 0.75lbs. Alastair Purdy landed a 6lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on an Alastair and a 5lbs and 3lbs salmon in the sea Pool on Beat 9. Niall Lynch landed 5lbs, 7lbs and 3lbs salmon in the Falls Pool and two 0.5lbs sea trout on a Sunray.
On the 23rd Alastair Purdy landed a 3lbs salmon in the Sea Pool ,and Eoin Warner also landed a 4lbs salmon in the Sea Pool. John Phelan landed a 4lbs salmon and two 0.5lbs sea trout, also in the Sea Pool.
The 24th saw Ian Carter land an 8lbs salmon on Beat 9, fishing the Falls Pool with a Francis. Peter Murphy landed 5lbs and 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Posh Tosh. The next day Peter Coyne landed 6.5lbs and 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 on a Stoat’s Tail. James O’Neill landed a 0.75lbs sea trout in the Falls Pool on a Silver Dabbler.
Conor O’Leary landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 on the 26th, and Solomon Skinner landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Silver Stoat.
A spate on the 27th saw some more fish caught – Peter Coyne landed a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Stoats Tail. William Maire landed 4.5lbs and 6 lbs salmon on Beat 5 (Bridge Pool) on a Vanbech and a polar bear fly. Jon Ridout landed his first ever salmon weighing 9lbs on Beat 9 using a Stoat’s Tail.
The next dayJake Delany landed a 7lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Posh Tosh. On the 30th Michael Wade landed 6lbs and 4.4lbs grilse in the Falls Pool, and a 2lbs grilse in the Bridge Pool on Beat 9. Conor O’Leary landed a 3lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a black tube. David Noseworthy landed a 5.5lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Stoat’s Tail. July finished with 3 fish on the 30th – James O’Neill landed 5.5lbs and 7lbs salmon on a Cascade and John Phelan landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9.
Despite the prevailing low water, July still saw 86 salmon landed, as well as 25 sea trout.
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
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