Portumna Coarse Angling Club are affiliated to the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland and are members of the Angling Council, the National Governing Body for coarse and predator angling. www.ncffi.ie
Eddie Long, NADA PRO, reports on a NADA knock up on Sunday on the river barrow ahead of next month’s BARROW BONANZA which saw a mix of club members and local Carlow legends on the bank of the historical town of Leighlinbridge…
Despite promised rain we stayed dry with the sun coming out in the second half leaving unsuspecting anglers like myself looking like a half cooked lobster with one red ear and red neck.
Paul McLoughlin had 240 dace on the pole for just under 20kg
The fishing was nothing short of sensational for the time of year with fish coming to all nets most of the day. Prematch favourite Ollie Doyle drew right bang in the middle but managed to snare a few hybrids and roach along with the dace for over 25lb. Paul McLoughlin’s 240 pole fished dace came up short weighing in over 20lb while local angler Danny Murphy was 3rd with 17 lb.
Ollie Doyle
Speaking of angling legends we were graced by the company of John Holmes on the bank today with his usual mix of craic and fishing tales. Throw James (gather) Foley and Duncan Collins into the mix along with Alan Doyle’s amphibious car with Lynch, Doyle and o’Riordan and that might explain why my sides are still sore…
Danny Murphy came 3rd with 17lb
Back up weights were also good and everything is looking positive for next month’s BARROW BONANZA which boasts a guaranteed first prize of 1000 euro.
The Naas & District Anglers Club was set up on the 31 August 2012. Our Club is a Social club. The waters around Naas are Home to brown trout, salmon, eels, pike, perch, bream, rudd, tench. Naas and District Anglers are dedicated towards getting kids involved in the sport of angling.
Club Members are responsible for restocking and ensuring that all angling byelaws are complied with.
Membership of the club is always open and we welcome new members with open arms.
It was fantastic to see club anglers and those visiting from overseas take part in the NCFFI All Ireland Championships 2016 held in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.
Julian Kendrick and Cormac Goulding, IFI, present Shelia Bromley her trophy
Congratulations to the 2016 Senior & Ladies Champions Vaidas and Shelia.
Seniors
Vaidas Jagela caught 23.300kg to win 1st place
1st Vaidas Jagela 23.300kg
2nd Tommy Dowd 17.250kg
3rd Jimmy Douglas 16.000kg
4th Jordan Hall 15.400kg
5th Philip Jackson 13.250kg
Thanks to Ballybay Angling Association, Riverdale Ballybay, Inland Fisheries Ireland and various members who assisted with the organisation. Full report and gallery of images coming soon.
Ballybay Angling Association are affiliated to the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland and are members of the Angling Council, the National Governing Body for coarse and predator angling. www.ncffi.ie
This year saw the NCFFI make its base for Ireland’s National Coarse Angling Championships Ballybay in County Monaghan. The market town which sits on the shores of Lough Major was chosen for its accessibility to a number of nearby competition angling venues which has the Dromore system on its doorstep. The Ballybay Angling Association have recently enjoyed excellent fishing at their festivals and offered to host the event on their productive waters.
Recent wet weather dampened the spirits of some anglers but 113 arrived at the Riverdale hotel to register for the competition in a torrential downpour of rain. This was to continue throughout the day with short sunny spells in-between and did impact on weights of fish recorded during the day.
Local venues fished included Lough Major, White Lake, Lough Egish, Corkeeran and Lough Sillan in County Cavan. After the all important net dip, anglers headed inside to make the draw for their peg for the day. This year to facilitate those travelling from afar, a car draw was introduced with the competitors provided with maps and driving directions additionally supplemented with road signage.
The long running National Championships now in it’s 56th year is open to everyone and attracts those from all communities representing a range of clubs across Ireland; also joined by the visiting angler from the UK., Irish internationals, aspiring juniors, festival goers and those out for a good days fishing all contributing to the buzz in the draw hall. Sadly some anglers from the southern end of Ireland did not travel on the day to this lovely northernmost venue in Co. Monaghan.
Predicting where the top weight was going to come from was difficult. Lough Egish and it’s fine stamp of roach was a contender and several top anglers were drawn there. A smaller venue, Corkeeran Lake, which recently produced a 26 kg. weight during a recent festival or the unknown of Lough Major which had not been used by the competition anglers for a while. During the competition, most anglers used two main methods to fish at most sections on these great loughs. Feeder fishing at longer range was one method building up a swim at distance hopefully for bream and also alternating feeding bait into an inside swim which most anglers fished with long pole and short line. Anglers mainly switched between the two baited areas during the five hours fishing. The usual baits were all employed including blends of groundbaits, hemp, maggots, casters and worms that anglers used on the day. At most sections on the loughs, small fish of mainly roach, some hybrids and perch formed the main bulk of catches weighed in. The smaller Corkeeran lough did produce a few bigger bream but sadly only smaller numbers were recorded on the day.
After five hours of fishing, Vaidas Jagela from Dublin and a member of the Go & Catch Feeder Fishing Club took the title with a great 20.300 kg. net of roach all caught on a 6 metre and 4 metre whips. Vaidas was able to take his great catch of small fish on this deadly method on an inside swim that was full of fish. A delighted Vaidas for whom Ireland has been home for the last twelve years was immensely proud to take the title explaining that he and his club members regularly hold their own competitions in order to gain the experience required to reach the standard to fish alongside the Irish anglers. All venues fished well with very good nets of smaller fish recorded on the day and competition was keen among the anglers for the vital section wins. One feature which contributed to the competitive nature of the match was that the winner from every five anglers earned a cash payout at the end. On all venues, many catches of over 10 kilos of small fish were taken on the day with all anglers catching fish at all pegs which contributed to a great match. Sadly the bigger bream which reside at all of these venues did not feed this day.
Just two ladies joined the anglers this year with current holder Mary Tigwell unable to defend her title. The honour went to Sheila Bromley of Ballybay Angling Association who just pipped 13 year old Roisin Bohan from Country Leitrim who was putting in some practise ahead of her trials for the Irish Youth team.
The anglers were treated afterwards to food and refreshments at the Riverdale Hotel in Ballybay and the winners dually collected their trophies and cash at the end of a very successful championships. Great thanks are due to Ballybay Angling Association, Riverdale Hotel Ballybay, Inland Fisheries Ireland IFI, Irish Bait & Tackle Limited and Paul Bourke.
Next up is the NCFFI Championships for Clubs which takes place on the Grand Canal the weekend of the 13th & 14th of August. The event includes an optional entry for those teams who wish to qualify to represent Ireland at the World Clubs Championships in France in 2017. Contact Gavin Walsh on 087 613 9551. The Junior version of the All Ireland championships will be held in Killeshandra, Co. Cavan on the 27th of August – call Sean Ward on 086 811 5526 to book
Siegy Grabher, skipper of Siouxout of Valentia Island reports on the fishing around the Skelligs and Valentia Island…
A good brace of pollack
17th – 22nd July 2016: A nice and summery week for our regular guests from Bavaria. They caught a lot of pollack and coalfish, a few ling in good sizes, and also cod, pouting, cuckoo wrasse, ballan wrasse, mackerels and sandeels.
Not every day was sunny, but the fishing was dazzling at times
The charter boat “Sioux” is an Offshore 105 equipped with a 300 hp Ford Sabre Turbo Diesel engine. The season for most species is from April to the end of September; cod, pollock, ling, coalfish, whiting, haddock, mackerel, garfish, pouting, plaice, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, grey and red gurnard, seabass, mullet, skate, ray-thornback, conger eel, dogfish, bullhuss and blueshark (July – September)
Kevin Johnson with one fish from a total of over 70kg caught in the competition
Dick Caplice reports on Kevin Johnson’s master class performance at the Lough Muckno July Festival…
We predicted late on, that this man would exceed the 70 Kg mark on this festival and his final days scintillating performance achieved this with some exceptional style and exceeded the mark by several kilos.
Sheer mastery all week with an unrelenting super focused Kevin Johnson approach, were once again his trademark, as he streaked away from the field in the end.
Kevin Johnson with one fish from a total of over 70kg caught in the competition
Kevin’s performance belies the class field that was assembled for this prestigious Festival on the fairest and most even venue in the land, now beyond any doubt.
When some of the newer renowned anglers, like legend Les Thompson got to grips with the venue after the first two days, they showed what it is truly capable of and this, from pegs that are normally termed as average or less.
Consistency was the mark of Craig Ellis and Ray O’ Sullivan all week and this sufficed to keep them in 3rd and 4th places with great runs of dogged fishing on each and every day. Having struggled to gain a foothold early on, Ewan Weed the Scottish raider showed his class on the final days, with sparkling weights that challenged the top daily spots and earned loads of cash on the way.
The top anglers
The vastly underrated Conor Browne who has come into his own this year with some spectacular performances was the sole home based competitor to make it onto the podium in 5th place and he did it in style, with a faultless performance all week, topped off with two brilliant results on the final two days. Tony Hopkins and Andy Leathers were a constant threat throughout as usual and with both finishing just under the 60kg mark they can be justly proud of their massive challenge in one of the best fields assembled in many years and over many festivals anywhere.
All the winners
Les Thompson split this awesome pair on the podium and if a question ever hung over the magnificence of Lough Muckno, Les dispelled that myth this week on his first visit but truly not his last, by turning in massive performances on the “so called” wrong ends of every section drawn.
Nicky Harrison, Steve Harwood, Tony Green and Andrew Lightbown after some grim and determined competing just came up short on this occasion but gave cause for concern to the leaders throughout the event and were never out of it till the final all out came.
The remainder of the field was made up of quality anglers to a man and some pre match favorites were scattered throughout, with one or two suffering from a surprising Tuesday blip on Concra Lower, leaving a comeback a forlorn hope, try as the might and try as they certainly did.
In this random rotation, got caught, two of the genuinely certain favorites pre event, Lee Klimczuk and local hero Cathal Hughes and then winning was an exceptionally tough ask, even though the former made a valiant effort moving up into the plus 50kg bracket with fine results on the final days.
It can now truly be said that if you can win on Muckno you can win anywhere such is the level of competition to be had there and such is the evenness of the venues and the prolific nature of the fishing, when spacing gives the best, the greatest chance of honest and fair success.
I commend all of our competitors on a brilliant, fair and sporting Festival and look forward to seeing you on this great venue if not on one of our 4 Festivals to come this year, then on this one in 2017 when we expect a bigger and equally challenging field of top class runners.
Fishing the July Festival on Lough Muckno
To Irish Bait and Tackle ltd, many thanks as always for your special attention and fantastic fresh bait.
Raymond Watters and his great staff again provided every off bank comfort possible, with great food and drink along with first class midweek entertainment in the most courteous and convivial surroundings.
At the presentation of some magnificent cash prizes last night after a courtesy presentation meal, in the Old coach Inn, Councilor Aidan Campbell chairman of Carrickmacross and Castleblayney Municipal Council welcomed all of the 50 travelling anglers from the UK who spent in most cases more than 10 days each and also especially welcomed ten travelling wives and girlfriends, who also accompanied the anglers, in what was erstwhile looked on, as a mainly, manly pursuit.
We are delighted to accommodate this most welcome development and are proud of what the local area has to offer the accompanying friends, partners and spouses.
Aidan also thanked the organisers for their energy and dedication to the Angling Tourist product in the region and reaffirmed his and the Councils commitment to Angling and the Angling Tourism product in this very special and important region, now becoming the hub for Coarse and Pike Angling tourism in Ireland.
Ger Murphyskipper of Sea Breeze III out of Kinsale reports some seriously good fishing over the week.
They struck off the wrecks on Wednesday morning and had a fantastic trip with 3 specimen ling and 27 ling between 15 and 25 pounds and 1 haddock 6 lbs.
Ger with a heavy weight …
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Sea Breeze III
The Sea Breeze III is a 38ft Aquastar based in Kinsale. It contains advanced navigation, fish finding and safety equipment. The boat can reach speeds of up to 22 knots. With it’s large deck space, you will be assured a comfortable experience. We will provide all the rods and tackle for your trip.
Gary Robinson sums up what it’s all about, with the next generation angler strapped firmly to his chest, he shares a wonderful father and son day in the splendid surrounds of the Kingdom:
It has been a while since I have done any sort of fishing. Finishing up college saw me very busy for a few days while I tried to sort myself out with some work.
Work quickly presented itself but along with it came a house move and all the fun that entails. It could be worse; I moved to Kerry. The Kingdom certainly does not disappoint when it comes to scenery and almost every direction you look in provides a wonderful backdrop for angling and angling photos!
Casting into the surf with the wee man
With moving house I had to put the fishing on the back-burner for a while. A few failed meetings which were scuppered by weather and wind meant that I couldn’t get out on the water with a couple of people visiting the area and a mixed schedule has made it impossible to meet with a couple of local anglers so far.
Today I thought I had my opportunity and indeed I did but it would be a departure from the norm and would see a trip that was very much back to basics. No kayaks; I was to be accompanied by the wee man. He certainly seemed to enjoy himself as he looked on at me casting and fishing lures. What better place for a child than outdoors, away from screens and toys and enabling them to experience and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature?
The wee man is a natural angler
As it turned out, the couple of hours by the water produced no fish. Onshore winds left a lot of weed on the beach which made the fishing difficult to say the least. Even the ‘weedless’ Black Minnows and ‘weedless’ rigged Senkos were pulling the stuff in. Although I haven’t been shore fishing in many years, the omnipresent weed quickly reminded me of one of the benefits of the kayak – I can just paddle out past it!
Crabby residents
It was great to be out by the salt again and great to get the little man outdoors and grabbing for the fishing rod. Back at the house “Crab Hotel” (bait fridge and freezers) has been set up in the utility room and already has seventy or so guests present, cooling off from the warm weather! It shouldn’t be long before the kayak gets afloat again.
Gary discovered the thrill, freedom and pure joy of kayak fishing almost by accident. After purchasing kayaks with the intention of paddling trips with his long-suffering partner, he started to assess the suitability of such a craft as a fishing platform. Some internet searches showed him that he was not alone in his thoughts. America and Australia already had blossoming populations of kayak anglers.
Regular readers of our weekly report may remember yearly stories about young Slovakian angler Marek Dobias. The fly fishing enthusiast books Eire Bass guide Richie Ryan every year for a saltwater session. His aunt Jana had to travel with him on these outings to translate for him due to his poor English. Not fond of boats , the kind aunt endured the hardship until last year when Richie told Marek he had to improve his command of the English language.
This week the young angler arrived to fish without his interpreter. Guess what , to the guides delight , his English was very good ! A student still at Ivanka Pri Dunaji where he studies fishing , his fourth year aboard Sea Hawk was by far his best. Pollack were being hooked and released at a hectic pace. Richie’s heart skipped a beat when Marek said he spent the whole year looking forward to this fly fishing trip. Just as well the fly fishing was so good so !
Great fishing for Marek Dobias
American couple Michelle and Scott Butler enjoyed the fishing with Richie too. What better way to start the week than a trip with the Eire Bass guide. Smiles all around !
Scott Butler with a nice Kelly cod on the flyMichelle Butler USA with some nice pollack on the fly
Evan McGovern reports on a day’s charter boat fishing on Loch an Iasc out of Union Hall…
Ten of us headed out on Sunday morning to fish on board Loch an Iasc with skipper Tom Collins. We fished at anchor for the day. A few of the novice anglers onboard choose to fish baited feathers. They picked up plenty of whiting and dogs before they decided to switch to sharking tactics.
Ling were caught on baited feathersCongers came while we waited fro a skate
Meanwhile a few of us fished for skate. We picked up a few conger and ling to keep us busy while we waited. There were a few good runs on the shark rods and they landed a couple of nice blues to 80lbs. I hooked a skate and after a 40 minute battle, we boated my PB of 104 lbs.
Sharks, including pups and good skate at the same timeBlue sharks to over 100lb were got
We stopped off on the way back to base for a few fresh mackerel which are plentiful at the moment. It was a great day out with Tom as always. We can’t wait for the next trip in August. Evan McGovern
Skate
Go fishing…
Sea Angling Charters
Sea Angling Charters is a modern and energetic business driven at the helm by experienced angler and skipper Tom Collins. Whether you are a seasoned angler in pursuit of a catch of a lifetime or a passing tourist hoping to get that photo of a breaching whale we aim to fulfil your every need. Tel: +353 87 2792983 Web:www.seaanglingcharters.ie Facebook:www.facebook.com/seaanglingcharters.ie
Myles Buchanan spoke to Kit Dunne, a member of Wicklow Bay Sea Angling Club who has dedicated his life to angling and has several Team Ireland caps to his name. County Wicklow’s 51 kilometres of coastline is extensively used for local, national and international shore and boat fishing competitions. One Wicklow town man who has been an avid user of the coastline for angling is Kit Dunne… The Bray People, 23/07/16. Read the full article ‘The big catch’.
