Sunshine and Vitamin D were in plentiful supply this week, as the good spell of weather continued into the first week of May. It’s been a glorious week here in the West, although easterly winds have kept it cool at times, but there was a lot of calm weather too. The whole country has seen the sun, even if temperatures weren’t as high everywhere.

May sees a lot of angling disciplines explode into life, and the recent good weather has seen sea angling really take off. Starting in west Clare, where Sean Naguire reported great mixed species fishing on the Isle of Aran charter boat. Staying local, skipper Luke Aston of the Clare Dragoon reported the first sixgill shark of 2025, as well as some early tope in the Shannon.

Slightly further north, John Fleming reported superb reef fishing in Galway Bay for his guests on the Brazen Hussy, with pollack and coalies galore. In Cork, Jim Clohessy found the bass a bit tougher to tempt, while in west Cork, David Norman completed a mullet slam of the three species of mullet, on 4 different methods no less!

Chunky wrasse are a good craic… but not the target
A wrasse for Jim, to make up for lack of bass

We have news of a new event to replace the postponed 2025 Daiwa Pairs festival in Dingle, while we have a lovely report from Connemara, where 9 year old Mae Kirby float fished hardback crab to catch her first ballan wrasse – not the biggest fish to feature on these pages, but it makes our Catch of the Week.

Catch of the Week – Mae with her first Connemara ballan wrasse

May is synonymous with trout fishing and the famed mayfly hatch, but it was buzzer fishing that proved most productive on Corrib, with superb fishing reported over the past couple of weeks. Buzzer nymph and trolling has produced some beautiful trout, and mayfly hatches are said to be much better than in recent years, although conditions have been tough for surface fishing.

A Corrib trout on dry olive for Vaughn Ruckley (92 years young this month)

Good mayfly hatches were also reported from Lough Conn, where local angler Joe Ferguson made hay to take the win over the Dubs in the annual Pratt Cup competition. Over on Sheelin, Brenda Montgomery reports that the east wind and big temperature swings between warm days and cold nights put the brakes on mayfly hatches, with just a few small hatches and the main hatch still to come. Buzzers and mayfly nymphs were working, however.

Piscari-fly reported on good fishing on the River Nore, as well as on a trip to Corrib, where Mark Driver had a cracking 7lbs trout on Campto buzzer.

A Corrib beauty for Mark

Damien Culliney also reports some nice trout (as well as pike) from Lough Derg.

Moving on to pike fishing, Kevin Lyons reports on a successful first trip to Ireland for French father and son Christophe and Louis, who had some nice pike over 90cm despite hot and calm conditions.

Christophe all smiles with one of his pike

As well as Damien’s report above rom Derg, Paul Bourke also reports on a great trip for his guests on Monday, with over 20 pike  to the boat in a hectic afternoon!

To coarse angling now, and Inniscarra Reservoir produced some cracking fishing over the weekend festival, with Cathal Hughes coming out on top with an incredible catch of 34kgs on Day 2 to win the pairs event with his partner Shane Dunne, who also won his section on Day 2.

Cathal Hughes

The second leg of the VDE Irish Canal Masters was fished at Enfield, where Wesley Slevin had some nice tench and bream in his 14lbs 8oz catch, a great result on a tough day fishing.

Tench

We also feature a great video from UK angler and Youtuber Paul Vicary, who found a great tench spot that showcases the potential of Irish coarse angling, and also gives some great tips on tackle and tactics – well worth a watch!

Salmon angling so far this year has been less than spectacular, to put it mildly, but we have reports of the first couple of fish from Galway, where local man Simon Lenihan landed a lovely 12.8lbs fish to open the account for 2025. I have reports of another fish taken this morning, and a couple more lost this week. The unseasonally warm weather resulted in low angling pressure on the Moy, which was reflected in catches, with a dozen or so fish reported. Anglers’ reels remained quiet on Lough Currane, which is very low again due to the dry spell, but there were a few salmon reported from the Laune. We will need the weather to break before we see a big improvement in salmon runs, and we’re not going to wish for that – not publicly anyway! Finally, anglwers wishing to book fishing on the River Erriff can now buy permits through the IFI permit shop.

RIP Derek

Finally, we bid a sad farewell to Irish Times angling correspondent Derek Evans, who was laid to rest today. Derek was a gentleman who was known, respected and loved by many anglers in Ireland, and whose weekly column was a great read. More here

Derek Evans

 

And now the weather

The good weatyher will continue through Saturday, with long spells of sunshine, temps of 16-21C and just isolated showers in the west. Sunday will start mostly dry and sunny at first before showers or showery outbreaks of rain develop through the day with some heavy possible later. Highest temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees with a light to moderate northerly wind developing.

Showers or showery outbreaks of rain are likely to continue through much of Monday. Some heavy or thundery falls are possible. Generally driest, sunniest and warmest in the north. Highest temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees in a mostly moderate easterly wind. Warm subshine and showers, some heavy, on Tuesday too. Current indications suggest the rest of the week will be largely dry and settled with just a few showers. Temperatures generally reaching the high teens to low twenties.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

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