High wind and high rainfall were the weather headlines in the early part of the week, as Storm Bram paid a visit and brought with it orange wind warnings covering the whole of the country, with red warnings for inshore areas. Rainfall was also up to 230% of normal. Together with the high wind and high rain were high temperatures, as the southerly source of the storm brought a brief spell of relative warmth, and parts of the east rose to over 17°C – the highest December temperatures ever recorded for parts of the country.

A week of unusual weather, which actually began with a recorded gust of nearly 300kph in Ringaskiddy – that was before Storm Bram even made landfall.  Not a whole lot of fishing done this week then, as one would expect, but the usual hardy anglers did get a cast or two in before the weather went too wild…

The weather warning map from earlier in the week

In Donegal, the Killybegs Mariners held the daylight leg of their league, where they were treated to some actual sunshine for a brief spell on Silver Strand. Turbot and flounder were the main fish on the scoreboards there. The Ulster Krakens fished their final match of the year over the weekend, a fixture carrying significant weight with several league positions still to be decided. Also in Ulster, the Carrick Beach & Rockers SAC held their 30th Anniversary Competition on Waterfoot and there were plenty of fish there for the taking; Paul Beggs won top prize with an impressive 44 landed. The final leg of this year’s Munster Shore League is scheduled to be held this weekend at Youghal Beach. With the weather looking a bit dicey, the organisers are keeping a close eye on developments and have a Plan B in mind.

In freshwater, the 4th leg of the Oaklands Winter League was held and it was a miserable day in Wexford, where every competitor should have been given a prize for sticking it out. The VDE Baggers held the 5th round of their league on the Erne; they used some strategic pegging to avoid dead areas and managed to get all their anglers on fish. The CM Lakelands Club had to abandon their league match on Muckno due to very high water levels, but they still managed to run a match on a difficult Annahierin, where sixteen anglers fished.

In Limerick, the Limerick County Pike Anglers held their last competition of the year last Sunday. The pike certainly had an appetite on the day, and plenty of fish were landed. On the east coast, Padraig English, of Louth Pike and Trout, plans to get more pike fishing done this winter and hopes to get more content up on his YouTube channel. Padraig has some nice instructional videos up on the channel already, but now he’s on a mission to get a monster for his subscribers before the pike season is out.

While the trout fishing at this time of year is confined to commercial fisheries, the clubs on waters that are currently closed have plenty of time to plan for the season ahead; that is what the Milford and District Anglers, the Loughanure Anglers and the Lough Arrow Anglers have all been doing, as they have planned their competition calendars for 2026 already. 

Finally, we would like to once again draw your attention to a brand-new book on sea trout by retired fishery scientist and angler Dr. Paddy Gargan. At 368 pages, The Connemara Sea-Trout Fisheries offers a comprehensive and engaging history of these iconic fisheries, richly illustrated with atmospheric photographs, detailed maps, and informative diagrams—a great Christmas gift for anyone with an interest in these iconic fisheries.

Other news

A reminder that the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment is running a public consultation on the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and Conservation Measures for 2026. Details of the proposed regulations and information on how to make a submission are available here: Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Regs and Conservation Measures for the 2026 Season announced. The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm on 20 December 2025.

erriff salmon

And now the weather

It will be mostly dry on Friday night with clear spells and a few western showers, turning cloudier later and coldest in the east, with lows of 0–5°C. Saturday starts dry before rain spreads southeast, becoming windy with coastal gales and highs of 8–12°C.  Saturday night stays wet and blustery but mild with lows of 10–12°C. Sunday begins wet and windy, with rain clearing the west by evening but lingering longest in Munster and south Leinster. Highs of 11–13°C. Rain clears further Sunday night with scattered showers and milder conditions, and Monday looks brighter for most with isolated showers, though rain may persist in the southeast.

Don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.

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

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to reports@fisheriesireland.ie. 

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