Dave Warburton and Tim Bradshaw made their annual trip to Ireland again this May. This was their sixth trip to Ireland to pleasure fish for coarse species in the Cavan lakelands. Dave comes over from Aberdeen, Scotland, while Tim travels all the way from Boston, USA. The pair have been lifelong friends, originally growing up as next-door neighbours in Sheffield, England. They stay at Lake View Cottage on Town Lake, Killeshandra, and do most of their fishing either at Town Lake or at Killykeen.
As we all know, the weather was cold for them this year, but they still managed to catch some decent fish. Here’s Tim’s summary of the trip:
I managed to catch five tench in two weeks. It was hard going, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
The best bream was caught on the first cast on a 7m pole with a light setup for rudd, a single maggot on an 18 fine-wire red hook. We hadn’t even put any bait in! It was very lucky and caught us off guard, really, so we didn’t weigh it, but it was probably 5-6 lb. I had put Dave in the ‘Best Tench Peg’ that day!
Tim’s tench and bream
Dave did manage some bream on one of the days at Killykeen – caught in the feeder at fifty yards. Anyway, we are coming back again next year – we love the place!
Dave and his bream
We at fishinginireland.info look forward to next year’s report!
This latest report in from Padraig English of Louth Pike and Trout, who followed up last week’s PB carp with another impressive specimen…
Last week I managed to land a new PB carp, and heading into this session I was already feeling confident and excited to get back on the bank. Little did I know, things were about to get even better.
After putting in the time and staying patient, I finally connected with a proper tench — and from the first few moments of the fight, I knew it was a special fish. It hugged the bottom hard, powered off repeatedly, and gave an incredible account of itself all the way to the net.
When I finally got it on the mat and onto the scales, I was absolutely buzzing to see the needle settle at 6lb 11oz — a brand new PB Tench.
For me, tench fishing is hard to beat. Early mornings, quiet water, and that moment when the float disappears or the alarm finally screams into life — it all makes captures like this even more rewarding. To land back-to-back PBs in consecutive weeks feels incredibly special and is something I’ll remember for a long time.
Programme to Encourage Women to Become Successful and Independent Flyfishers
For information about this event and other beginners days please email the PRO Maddy Kelly [email protected].
Exciting opportunities for women interested in learning about flyfishing, will be happening over the summer. The first is at the Southern County Fishing Resort near Garryhill on Saturday 13th June 2026.
This event begins at 11am and will include a short indoor session followed by 4 hours of casting instruction and practice outside.
The course is aimed at beginners or novice anglers aged over 18 and all equipment will be provided.
No experience is necessary but booking is essential. For information about this event and other beginners days please email the PRO Maddy Kelly [email protected].
Women will be travelling from all over Ireland to take part and full joining instructions will be sent to those who book.
Dan O’Neill Lead Instructor
Dan O’Neill from Killkenny who is an APGAI Qualified Fly-Casting Instructor will be the lead instructor. He will be assisted by Maddy Kelly from Co Down.
Maddy Kelly who has 25 Caps for the Irish Ladies FlyfishingTeam and has been Team Captain on 3 occasions said,
‘This is an amazing opportunity for women to learn about flyfishing and getting started can be an enjoyable, relaxing, and rewarding experience. There are very few women in Ireland who fish but attending a beginner’s day for women lets you meet like-minded women.
The benefits of angling have been known for a long time but it’s been a well-kept secret. To be outdoors with nature surrounding you, in beautiful places, really gives a boost to your health and well-being. So even if you don’t catch any fish, the physical exertion from your fishing adventure will leave you feeling rejuvenated. Walking to your fishing spot, carrying your gear, scrambling 5 miles up along a river bank and wading really works your inner core. Fishing also requires concentration, patience, and attention to the surroundings, which are all components of mindfulness, helping to improve focus and distract from worries.
If you catch fish that are suitable for consumption you have an excellent source of lean protein, as fish contains essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. Catching your fish is also an excellent way to help to reduce your carbon footprint since it minimizes the distance that your food has to travel before it arrives on your plate.
I hope that this encourages women to think about trying out flyfishing. All equipment will be provided and participants just need to wear warm clothes and to bring waterproofs.’
For more information about womens flyfishing in Ireland or to take part in this event please email Maddy Kelly PRO at [email protected]
There are a range of events throughout Ireland for women who wish to learn to flyfish or to take part in other angling disciplines including a number at Straid Fishery in Co Antrim being organized by ‘Reel Women’, courses organized by the Ulster Angling Federation throughout NI, beginners days being run by the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association and events run by the Irish Ladies Shore Anglers.
Information on all events is available from Maddy Kelly at [email protected]
We have reached the midpoint of May, and so far it has been a pretty cool month, with temperatures remaining stubbornly below the norm for the time of year. While sunshine levels have been around average for the week, and there has been plenty of blue sky, as soon as the sun pops behind a cloud, we are reminded that summer is not quite here yet. We have a bit of unsettled weather coming our way over the next few days, but there is a promise of better weather towards the end of next week.
As we head towards summer and sea temperatures begin to rise, we can expect an influx of nomadic species that tend to visit our shores over the summer months, as well as an uptick in activity from our more resident species as they move inshore to feed. One of those resident species, and one of the most popular for sea anglers, is pollack, and we begin this report with the worrying news that a daily bag limit of three pollack is set to come into force from the 1st of June. It’s worrying because it signals that a fish stock that has always been abundant in our waters is now under threat, to the point that intervention is needed to support long-term sustainability.
These new measures will certainly affect some anglers who like to keep a few fish ‘for the pot’, but they could also have serious implications for our charter boat fleet. For many skippers, the tradition of groups booking a ‘once a year’ trip and returning home with a box of fish remains an important part of their business mix. At a time when those skippers are already facing rising costs and increasing pressures, continued support from anglers will be more important than ever, as they are a hugely important part of our sea angling mix.
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To our more regular reporting now, and we start with the sea anglers, who seem to have been the most active cohort this week. Well-known sea angler James Raymond was in touch with an update on the species hunt competition he is running, where anglers compete to catch the greatest variety of species over the course of the year. With the seasons beginning to change, summer species such as gilthead bream and mullet are now starting to appear in catches, adding extra excitement to the competition. On a similar theme, but on a shorter timescale, a 24-hour species hunt was held last weekend, with all proceeds going to Pieta House. Despite some very adverse weather conditions, the participants managed to land 36 different species over the course of the competition, with JP Molloy storming the field to take the top prize with 22 species. Well done to all involved 👏
Gilthead Bream, a summer visitor to our shores
On the club scene, Ballybrack SAC fished the third leg of their Master Angler competition on Wicklow North Beach on Sunday. A combination of slack tides, calm weather and time of year meant that fish were in very short supply, and it only took 3 scoring fish for Peadar Taite to take the win. Meanwhile, in charter boat fishing, there has been some decent fishing in the Donegal area over the past week, with anglers catching a good range of species, including a run of cod and some nice pollack. In bass angling, an early start proved to be just the tonic for bass angler David Galvin on the Clare coast. Fishing at dawn, he managed to land a fine 63cm bass on an imitation sand eel lure, while bathed in the warm glow of the early morning light.
Good cod fishing reported in Donegal
The IMREC team has produced its quarterly report on sea angling for the first three months of the year. Whiting were the most common species encountered by some margin, with dogfish, bass, coalfish and spurdog making up the rest of the top 5. And we wrap up the sea angling section with news of a couple of upcoming open competitions: South Shore SAC will be hosting the Mick Kearney Open Competition on Morriscastle Beach on Saturday, 23rd May, from 12.00 – 17.00. While the following weekend, New Ross & District SAC will be hosting their annual three-day open competition on Hook Head. It’s a shore competition, fished over rough ground with all baits allowed.
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We move to trout fishing now, and mayfly hatches are on the increase on most of our fisheries, not least on Lough Arrow, where mayfly fishing is said to be well underway, with strong hatches reported across the lake throughout the week, and while cold northerly winds made conditions challenging at times, anglers still enjoyed some productive fishing. Staying on the lakes, the Lough O’Flynn & District Anglers held the Malone Cup competition on the lake over the weekend, and were welcomed to the lake by a grim north wind that put a chill in the air… Expectations were adjusted downwards accordingly, but the fish proved surprisingly cooperative as the hours unfolded, with many anglers filling their quota and most boats wetting their nets by the end of the day.
Fly are up on Arrow
Next to the rivers, and thirteen members of the North Kildare anglers were on the banks of the Liffey at the weekend for their latest C&R club competition, where 44 trout were caught, photographed and released as Gary Reville finished the day on top with a combined length of 120.8cm in a very close run competition. In the south east, angling guide Dan O’Neill has been out and about on the River Nore, where his clients have had some great dry fly fishing, with the peak of the hatch usually between 11.30am and 3.30pm. Fly patterns needed to be small in order to tempt the trout to take. We wrap up the trout reports with some reading material. Angling guide, instructor, and blogger Keith McDonnell usually has some interesting takes on fly fishing, and he recently put together a piece on dry fly fishing for the Guide Flyfishing website.
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To coarse angling now, and we begin with a regular visitor, Paul Waghorne, who has been travelling to Ireland for over 35 years, and he reckons this is the coldest May he has ever experienced. He has been fishing some reed-fringed lakes in the Midlands with a couple of friends this week, and they have caught some fabulous tench, with a couple of 7lb+ beauties the pick of the bunch. Paul and his buddies win this week’s Catch of the Week for their impressive tench haul.
To the salmon scene now, and after a long winter, we can finally report that the Galway Weir has produced its first salmon of the season. James Carney hooked a springer on the spinner, and he landed a lovely fresh fish of just over 10lbs. Well done, James! In the south-west, the River Bandon saw a few more salmon caught last week. Conditions on the river were described as good for the week, and 5 salmon were reported caught on a spinner and a shrimp, the best of which was a 10lb fish. Meanwhile, in Co. Mayo, angling pressure on the River Moy was down this week, as low water and cold winds meant that many anglers stayed away, waiting for more favourable conditions. There was a smattering of catches throughout the system, with a few fish around the 13lb mark, most of which fell to the prawn. Finally, to Kerry, where Vincent Appleby reports that salmon fishing remains very slow on Lough Currane, but at least he has one fish to report this week, as a salmon was landed on 6th May, before the lake reverted to the sluggish state we have unfortunately become used to.
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The pike anglers have been quiet this week, but we do have a couple of reports for you. Firstly, angling guide Kevin Lyons welcomed some Dutch visitors to the Midlands for their annual pike fishing trip. Being regular visitors to the area, they know the local waters really well, and they proved this with some smashing pike – the best of them at 112cm and 103cm.
Pouring rain, but Dutch visitor Thomas isn’t complaining with his super Midlands pike
Lastly, thirty-two members of the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs headed to a river venue over the weekend to fish the first qualifier of 2026. It was a venue that they had not fished in a few years, so who knew what was in store… but the river fished well on the day, and 169 pike were caught and released, with Sean Marky winning on the day, with 14 pike for 54lb+.
And now the weather
After a mainly dry start to Friday with some sunny spells, conditions are set to become increasingly unsettled over the coming days, with rain, showers and breezier weather expected across much of the country. Eastern areas will see the best of the brighter conditions initially, while cloudier weather in the west and southwest will gradually spread nationwide. Temperatures will remain coolish throughout the period, generally ranging from 9°C to 16°C.
Friday night will turn cloudier as light rain and drizzle spread eastwards overnight. Saturday will start dull and damp, with outbreaks of rain becoming more persistent as they move across the country through the morning and afternoon. Brighter conditions with sunny spells and scattered showers will follow later from the west.
The unsettled weather will continue through Sunday and Monday, with widespread rain and drizzle, turning heavy at times, particularly later on Sunday and again on Monday afternoon and evening. Some thunderstorms are also possible on Sunday. Conditions will gradually become milder, especially overnight, with Monday night expected to be noticeably warmer than recent nights.
By Tuesday, showery rain should ease gradually, with drier weather and some sunny spells extending from the south later in the day.
Don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.
Water levels continue to drop slowly at Ballylahan from 0.59 m on Sun 3rd May to 0.41 m on Sun 10th of May with recent rainfall amounts well below average locally for the past week. However more unsettled weather is expected as the week progresses with a possible 30 mm of rain to come in the west. Angling pressure remains low in the catchment for the time of year as anglers wait for more favourable conditions, with the cold winds playing their part in keeping people off the water.
Armstrong Fishery
George reports of two salmon caught on the prawn with the best coming in at 13 lbs.
Gannon’s Fishery
Pat reports of three salmon caught for the week of which two were released with the prawn working best.
Foxford Fishery
Granville reports of six salmon caught mostly on the prawn of which three were released.
Foxford Salmon Anglers
Harry reports of one salmon caught and released for the week.
Cloongee Fishery
Three salmon were reported caught for the week of which two were released with the best weighing 13.5 lbs caught on the bubble & fly.
East Mayo Anglers Association
Kathleen reports of three salmon caught for the week of which two were released with the best being 13 lbs which was caught spinning.
Dutch anglers Thomas, Joop, Nick and Benji were over for their annual pike fishing trip to Ireland, where they stayed once again at Melview Fishing Lodge in Longford. Being regular visitors to the area, they know the local waters really well, and they proved this with some smashing pike – the best of them at 112cm and 103cm, with one or two others shaking the hooks.
Pouring rain but Thomas still keeps going.
They mixed it up during their stay depending on conditions, with both lures and dead baits proving productive for them. It wasn’t all easy fishing, though, as they experienced the whole range of different weather conditions during their stay, with sunburn some days and soaking-wet clothes the other days!
A happy Joop with his Pike taken on dead bait.
Host Kevin said, ‘The guys never worry about the weather conditions; they just get on with their fishing. A great week was had with lots of fun and laughs along the way. Thanks, guys, and see you next year!’
Nick is all smiles with this lovely Pike.
As ever at Melview, all fish were released unharmed.
Kevin has over 30 years experience of fishing in Ireland and is happy to offer a guided tour on your arrival, and to advise where the on-form waters in the area are. We can arrange your bait order so it’s here when you arrive. Melview offers free use of 17ft lake boats with engines to our guests (pay fuel only) and Kevin is happy to assist with any pre-baiting requests. Maps and other information regarding fishing are also available.
Paul Waghorne reports once more from annual fishing pilgrimage to Ireland…
I honestly consider May 2026 to be the coldest I’ve experienced in 35 years of visiting the Irish Midlands. Since my main focus of Roach on the former hot stretch at Lanesborough finished a couple of weeks ago, my intended plan was to target a bag of Bream on the rivers entering the Western Loughs of Mask and Corrib. These smaller waters such as the Cloon River and the Robe all see huge shoals of fish moving into the running water to spawn. The unfortunate downside is the very long drive and keeping bait fresh for a visit.
I had two bashes at the Robe, both unsuccessful with the prolonged wind and rain forcing an early exit from the Cloon. If I were younger and perhaps more disciplined, I would have seen out a four day session bringing Castlegrove Lake near Tuam into the equation. This lake has huge potential, but the very long walk (almost ½ mile) to the best swims is a deterrent to all but the most athletic angler. Steven Keogh and myself both blanked there so it was back to the relative safety net of the Strokestown Lakes to boost morale.
Our next target was a largely reed fringed and potentially virgin water in the Midlands. Getting a boat out proved to be extremely difficult. After a three hour reconnaissance trek around the margins, we opted for two swims which ultimately saw some of the best Tench fishing I’ve ever experienced.
Paul Vicary with Tench of 6lb 12oz
Youtuber Paul Vicary from Kent and Kevin Fawcett from Yorkshire joined up with myself and some friends from Tuam for a joint effort to which most of us caught our intended species. One area produced several fish averaging a little over 3lbs, but the other deeper swims saw many specimens over 6lb with three going over 7lbs. Paul Vicary had the best weighing in (on two sets of scales) at 7lb 12oz, and along with Kevin’s 7lb 2oz, there were about 6 or 7 over 6lbs plus a male of 5lb 15oz which is the biggest Male I’ve seen in Ireland.
The water temperature is barely 14c, so I’m confident that there is a potential record breaking ‘tinca‘ in this water come spawning time. Unfortunately, we will be long gone so will have to see what next year brings.
Whilst fishing, I also note the bird life, and this year I’ve heard (and seen) a Cuckoo at over ten locations. The one missing is the ‘Swift’ which has seen numbers declining at an alarming rate in recent times. At this point of writing (May 14th) I’ve yet to see one!
Onwards and upwards, for my final few sessions, I’m hoping the Inny will see a Roach run worthy of its former glory.
In recent days the River Nore has thrown up some nice trout. There were a couple of days where we had some great dry fly fishing. There were many steady hatches, mostly around 11.30pm till 3.30pm then the fishing slowed down a bit. I did find that patterns needed to be small and fished mid to the end of the runs mostly, if the wind picked up we would switch to wet fly tempt some takes that way.
Georges Milan with Trout, River Nore
I have mentioned before about watching what’s around you, let nature teach you. Check under the rocks in the river, check riverside cobwebs. I got asked quite a lot over the past week how I decide what size nymph or fly to use. Once you see what’s about then try as best you can to match the size of the fly you’re using with what you see. I do find trout will take a little more freely when the morsel your offering is slightly smaller. I have seen anglers trim a fly a little bit and catch trout that earlier refused that fly. I believe it taps into their inquisitive side.
It also can add to success when we check out water temperatures and what time during the day they peak; this can really narrow down the feeding windows and give you the best chance of success.
Where do I start!!
With the season well under way ! get quite a few people asking me where to start in relation to flyfishing or fishing in general really. It doesn’t have to be expensive but certainly can be if you want it to. Over the past 12 months I have been working with Cadence on an entry level beginner fly rod. I did showcase them at the Irish spring angling fair and will be posting out some more videos in the coming weeks where we will take a closer look. For beginners also there is what I call the experimental route where we can get on the water cost effectively to see if this is what we want to do. As mentioned, these videos will be going out over the next couple of weeks on my Facebook, Instagramand Tik Tok accounts.
Matchin what’s Hatchin with Matthew Cooper
I recently spoke to Matthew Cooper. Matthew, like myself, loves all things fly fishing. I sent Matthew some pictures of flies and nymphs to see what he thought, and he sent back a nice simple pattern that we could quite easily tie at home. Mathew will soon be releasing his own newsletter so be sure to check it out
Matthew Cooper’s nymph
The Hare’s Ear Nymph is one of those tried and tested patterns that simply put fish in the net. Its buggy appearance imitates a wide range of aquatic nymphs, making it effective on almost any trout water.
I usually tie mine on a size 16 wide gape hook. I keep a range of sizes in my box but a 16 has served me well. I don’t add a bead to my fly. If I need extra weight for faster or deeper water, I’ll add some wraps of lead adhesive foil to the shank which allows me to keep the natural buggy look.
Over the coming months I will be holding classes on fly fishing and course fishing from beginner level up. Fun ways to get involved in fishing, learn more so that you can get out there and catch some fish.
Everything is supplied so if you don’t have the gear and would just like to see if you like fishing before you make the commitment of buying your first fishing rod then contact me on the below details for availability and times.
Growing up in the countryside of Gowran, Co.Kilkenny, I started my fishing journey on the River Barrow with my dad, which is where I caught my first fish, a lovely brown trout. The Gowran River was also a short walk from my homeplace, and on the days my dad couldn’t fish, I would walk through the fields and fish the Gowran River. My love for fishing grew and took me to Mount Juliet Estate, where I began guiding at 13. I went on to become fisheries manager at Mount Juliet Estate and, to this day, enjoy taking out hundreds of clients every year fishing on the River Nore. I enjoy all types of fishing and guide all over Ireland. I am an Apgai Ireland-qualified casting instructor and have Ambassador roles with Cadence and Yeti. I joined Fulling Mill as an endorsed pro guide and am part of the Patagonia pro team. My angling journey has been an exciting one and hopefully will continue to be.
I take out all levels of anglers, from beginner to experienced. I enjoy what I do and count myself very lucky to be able to meet and guide new people to what might be their first Irish fish.
This report on a thrilling end to the Spring League from the IASCaire Feeder Fishing Club:
What a way to end the season! Going into the final round, the leaderboard was razor-tight: Sarunas on 6 pts, with Max and Romas breathing down his neck on 7 pts. We knew it would be close, but we didn’t know it would come down to the very last seconds!
The story of the day has to be Samuelis Navickas. At just 14 years old, he drew a peg no one fancied and absolutely smashed it, taking his first-ever league win with over 5 kg. He showed the “older lads” exactly how it’s done—huge congratulations, Sam! Well in, lad!
The margins for the overall title were incredibly slim. Romas managed to pipe Max by just 40g to secure the title, while only 100g separated Max and Sarunas. A tough one to take for those who missed out, but easily one of the most entertaining leagues we’ve ever fished!
TOP 3 OVERALL:
1st Place: Romas Na – 9 pts (15.400kg)
2nd Place: Max Novak – 10 pts (15.130kg)
3rd Place: Sarunas Zenkovas – 10 pts (13.190kg)
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A Massive Thank You
As always, a huge shoutout to our main sponsors: Fishing Tackle and Bait.
They are hands-down the best tackle shop in Ireland! David and the team work tirelessly every single day to make sure every angler has exactly what they need. They are true legends of the sport. Make sure to pop in and show them the support they deserve!
Next stop: American Paris 2026 this August! It’s shaping up to be a massive event with over 33 teams and 66 anglers already booked on. See you all there!
“Great fun out chasing a few species today and yesterday. Great run of cod showing today, and 13 different species today, which included pollock, coalie, pouting, ling, cuckoo wrass, ballan wrass, goldsinney wrass, poor cod, whiting, grey gurnard, dragonet, cod, dab”.
The north wind had a bite, a sharp reminder that May in these waters doesn’t always mean warmth. But beneath that restless, grey chop, the sea was alive. Silver flashes of mackerel tore through the swell, running alongside heavy-shouldered pollock and deep-hued coley. Even the stubborn, painted wrasse were out in force. The salt spray stung, and the cold seeped into bones, but the hauls were heavy enough to make a man forget the shiver. By the time the boats turned for home, the crates were overflowing—once again, the ocean had paid its debts in full. How about we lean into the atmosphere of the harbor next, or should we focus on the hectic energy of the catch?
Dreaming of a getaway? Let us make the arrangements for you. North West Charters has been is offering first-class fishing and sight seeing trips and guidance in Donegal. Our skilled skipper are experts at finding the best fishing spots and helping you secure the best days fishing you could find in the North West.
Pick ups at Burtonport, Kincasllagh and Arranmore piers.
33′ Interceptor. 300HP Caterpillar Skipper: Keith Clarke/ Michael McGettigan / Declan McGettigan Licence: 961 Base: Mullaghmore, Killybegs Operational area: Donegal Bay. Within 30 miles of land.
Authorised Bluefin tuna boat 2025
Notes: General fishing and sightseeing, including trips to Inishmurray Island.
You can now charter the MV Fiona Tee along with the Skipper Keith Clarke for practically any purpose. Whether it’s simply exploring the coast line or a spot of sea angling, The MV Fiona Tee is the perfect vessel for your trip.
Fiona Tee
