The fine dry weather at the start of March has certainly brought a lot of anglers out fishing and now that the trout season is in full swing, there is plenty of fishing to be enjoyed all around Ireland.  In comparison to last spring, this spring in March has ensured good fishing all around but there is still high water levels on some rivers and loughs but they are dropping every day in the present nice spell of weather.

8 lb 11oz trout is our Catch of the Week and is among many good trout catches on a cold Lough Sheelin
8 lb 11oz trout is our Catch of the Week and is among many good trout catches on a cold Lough Sheelin

Down on Lough Currane there some nice salmon fishing reported including a fine 11 lb. fish for an American visitor.  Conditions on the Blackwater Lodge fishery on the Cork Blackwater are bringing better fishing and several salmon were taken in recent days.  The dropping water levels are helping the salmon fishing at Delphi in Co. Mayo with the occasional fish reported. The River Drowes produced ten salmon for the week and although there was a good run for fish into Lough Melvin there was none reported to the rod in the past seven days.

Out at sea anglers fishing with charter skipper Hamish Currie enjoyed good conger and spurdog fishing in the cooler but calm conditions in the last few days.  The Galway SAC held a celebration for Conor McDermott a junior sea angler who finished in the places for the Irish Home Junior team.

Father and son team Timmy and Philip Cunningham caught some fine trout up to 7 lb. from Lough Ree.  A few trout were also reported be moving on Lough Owel where more anglers are fishing in the nice weather this past week.  Well known chef Kevin Dundon was out fishing on Lough Lene with angling guide and journalist Mick Flanagan and caught some lovely which he then cooked for a fabulous lunch at the lake shore. Angling tackle dealer and guide Pat Cleere reports good river fishing on the River Liffey near Clane where there were good hatches of dark olives and midges and fish were rising to them.  Angling guide Jason O’Riordan ran a successful course at the rainbow trout fishery at Ardaire and his pupils certainly enjoyed the course and caught many fish on the day.  On Lough Sheelin, Gary McKiernan of Lough Sheelin Guiding Services caught impressive trout of 68 cm, tipping the scales at 8 lb. 11 oz., on a glister Ollie and this is our Catch of the Week.  This was one of many good trout reported from the fishery where sunk fly lines and big flies brought success to the hardy anglers out fishing in the past week.  The cool dry weather did not put off anglers fishing at Carrigavantry last week with good trout fishing reported.  The Courtlough Winter league in north Co. Dublin continued last weekend with good catches of Rainbow Trout reported.

Pike angling was a little slower last week with loughs in Co. Monaghan fishing well for anglers using soft plastics baits and Jerk baits.  Some French anglers fishing with angling guide Kevin Lyons had good sport on loughs in the Longford area.

Small loughs in the Monaghan area are producing some excellent roach fishing at present. In the same county junior anglers fishing a competition at Lough Muckno had some excellent catches including bream, roach and hybrids last weekend.

In this week’s update, there are many other angling stories, clippings and club announcements and you can access all these through the angling update on the website.  Prospects for fishing in the coming weekend look excellent and I expect more anglers out fishing on inland waters and at sea.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,

Paul Bourke

Catch, Photo, Release

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

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Some good flies for Lough Sheelin
Some good flies for Lough Sheelin