It’s new year and the start of another new salmon season. A good number of anglers marked opening day on January First on the Drowes. One fish was lost in the afternoon and as the week progressed rains put the river in flood. So far there has been no spring fish reported but as soon as water levels drop back the chances of that first fish of the season will improve.
The cold, wet and sometimes stormy weather of the last couple of weeks impacted on anglers of all disciplines all across Ireland. But some venues performed incredibly well. Coarse anglers in particular recorded really impressive winter weights at Northern Ireland venues and weights to 60lb were landed at matches fished on the Bann and Blackwater.
Pike anglers also had some very good catches. There were pike to over the 1m mark taken at Lough Forbes at the weekend in a Camlin Anglers competition. While these were good fish Catch of the Week goes to Matthew Duffy who the Loughran Cup on Milltown Lake with a 27lb pike just before Christmas.
Met Eireann tells us that much of Saturday will continue wet over Leinster and Ulster with further rain and a continuing risk of flooding. Munster and Connacht will be drier and brighter. The rain will clear northeastwards through the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will reach 7 to 10 degrees with winds becoming light as rain clears. The outlook is for more unsettled weather. It will be wet and windy on Sunday and into Sunday night, then much colder into next week with brisk westerly winds and wintry showers.
It might be a while yet for before Spring improves angling generally, but I know there are plenty of anglers who’ll be out no matter what the weather throws at them…
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release
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Headlines
Coarse angling reports
- Freezing Muckno a tough venue for feeder league
- Big weights from Northern Ireland coarse venues recently
Pike angling reports
- Some great fish caught at Camlin Anglers event on Forbes
- Big pike to 27lb landed at Milltown Lake Christmas Comp
- Good pike make a good Christmas for Tullamore anglers
Salmon angling news
Other news
- Inland Fisheries Ireland Sponsorship Fund 2018 open for applications
- Minister Sean Kyne announces 78 rivers open for salmon angling in 2018
- New EU Regulations for Irish Seabass Fishery
- State Fisheries Tender Process 2018
News clippings
- Report backs negative sea louse claims, The Fish Site
- Government’s refusal to release fish disease information may be investigated, Irish Times
- Three new jobs as Council set to receive €1.3m rivers investment, Armagh I
- New EU regulations for Irish seabass recreation fishery, Irish Times
- Warning of electric pulse fishing’s ‘disastrous’ effects, Irish Examiner
- New curbs on sea bass angling, Gorey Guardian
- Kildare County Council faces lengthy river and drains cleaning list, Leinster Leader
- Two Erris rivers open to fishermen, Mayo Advertiser
- Initiatives urged to help Donegal become an angling destination with Inland Fisheries Ireland Sponsorship Fund, Donegal Now
- Laois angling clubs urged to apply for grants to support fishing events, Leinster Express
