Jason Nash reports that bright sunshine and low water is taking its toll on the salmon fishing but the Bandon still has the odd fish for persistent anglers…
River Bandon
01 June: Blazing sunshine and roasting temperatures have been the story so far this week as the summer truly grips West Cork. Far from ideal salmon fishing conditions, yet a few more fish to 13lb came to the bank. A couple of early grilse between 3 and 5lb were also caught and it seems there are a smattering of these throughout the system. Shrimp and spinner were the most productive methods.
25 June: Fishing on the Bandon is now beginning to pick up momentum as 11 fish were reported caught during the week, 5 of which were intercepted yesterday. The quality of salmon is excellent, with most weighing between 8 and 14lb. One grilse of 4.5lb was also captured. More were lost, including another belter estimated at 20lb. One of these big fish will come to the bank yet!
Go Fishing…
For the new year, Bandon Angling Association have set up a new website which you can view here. A new guiding service has been launched in conjunction with Jason Nash, Peter Aspinwall and Phil Dewey. Details of the guiding service are provided on the website and they are looking forward to making memories and enhancing people’s fishing experiences on the river Bandon. Web: https://bandonangling.com/
Billy Downes reports that as of Thursday 2nd June water just fallen below 1m at the Laune Bridge. The river is producing good sea trout fishing still and the odd salmon despite the nets. News of salmon being landed during the week was scarce enough, but Pat Sullivan managed to at least lose a really good fish on Monday last week and he landed a nice grilse of 5 lbs at Broderick’s on Thursday. The commercial nets will be off over the long weekend and the best tides of the month are on Saturday to Monday thus improving prospects of a pull from a salmon. The Laune has only fallen below 1m in the last day so water level will allow good fishing on all methods.
Visiting anglers will be welcomed by our members provided they have the required permit otherwise you will be trespassing on a several fishery and this will not be tolerated. Display your permit on your car and have the other portion in your possession and show it to water keepers and members when asked to do so.
Enjoy the weather and the fishing!
Billy Downes, Secretary Laune Salmon and Trout Anglers’ Association
Go fishing…
Day permits are the same as last year €25 to the end of July and €35 for the months of August and September. Be sure to display your permit on the dash of your car with the date and permit number visible and have the other part with you because you will be asked by members to identify yourself as a legitimate ‘One Day Member’ / Permit Holder.
Eileen Carroll from the Macroom office reports that for the for the week ending Sunday 22nd of May there were 5 salmon landed for the week mostly on fly. Water levels very low. Last week 4 salmon were landed, best 8lbs, all on fly by local anglers on club waters
ESB FISHERY INNISCARRA
1 salmon weighing 12lbs approx landed by a local angler on the fly. Some salmon are running but are not being caught.
Go fishing…
The River Lee drains a catchment of 484 square miles of which much is taken up by two large reservoirs. Salmon Angling is confined to an 8 mile stretch from Inniscarra dam to Cork city.
Inniscarra Fishery
This salmon fishery is located between Cork City and the dam at Inniscarra (9 miles). The fishery is run by the ESB (Electricity Supply Board) and an ESB permit is required. There is a fair run of fish with a very good grilse run dependent on water. Permits can be purchased on site: Dan O’Riordan: ESB Inniscarra; 087-9983879.
Lee Salmon Anglers Club
The Lee Salmon Anglers club was established in 1967. It was formed by a group of anglers interested in protecting and promoting the sport of salmon and trout angling on the river Lee. Day tickets available: http://www.leesalmonanglers.ie/
What a day! Sunshine and the occasional light shower, a scatter of mayflies blowing off the lake and all my chores completed… well, postponed, then. Still, the trout would be hopping fit to clear the water. Days like this are too few to waste. When I got as far as my favourite stream I was not a little disconcerted to find a car, a foreign car at that, straddling both available parking spaces, as if the driver was sending out a message, not that He owned the parking but that He was angling along the river and since it was He that was angling then nobody else should intrude on his solitude or, indeed, dare so far as to share in his sport… The Mayo News, 31/05/16. Read the full article ‘Vive la différence‘.
AFTER all this time, I think I am entitled to a little self-indulgence. And so we come to “Water quality and recreational angling demand in Ireland”, published in the ‘Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism’. This is serious research, mind you, by John Curtis and Brian Stanley for the ESRI. They were, after all, trying to find out what anglers want. After the question of what women want, this may well be one of life’s great puzzles… Irish Independent, 02/06/16. Read the full article ‘Clean water is good news for both fish and fishermen‘.
Bright sunshine, high temperatures, clear water and low water levels have all provided challenges for anglers during the recent spell of good weather. Peter Cunningham has been guiding some French clients for pike over the last few days in the north east. On one occasion the lure being fished was hammered by what was thought to be a small pike but when the fish was landed it turned out to be a fantastic 43cm perch. The fish was unhooked and returned safely to the water.
Peter Cunningham with a Fantastic 43cm Perch from the North East
Guided Fishing
If you fancy a days guided fishing with Peter Cunningham and the Boyne Valley Fishing Guides then why not give Peter a call on his mobile at 086 4682516 or email him at petercunningham3@gmail.com
Charter skipper John Brittain from Bluewater Fishing in Clifden says recent fishing has been excellent, with up to 10 species a day, and great numbers of good size pollack, ling and other species abounding. Mackerel are proving plentiful at the moment, which is helping matters. With the current spell of fine weather, sea angling should be really picking up over the next few weeks as water temperatures improve further. To book a day aboard Bluewater call John or Sue at 095 21073, or check www.seafishingireland.net
Orioles Martinez from Barcelona with a fine ling caught aboard Bluewater
Leen Verhoeven from Belgium with her first Galway salmon, May 2016
Water levels have remained at one gate this week, with Mediterranean0like conditions prevailing, and the bright sunshine has not made things easy for anglers, although grilse have started to appear in greater numbers again. In spite of the bright conditions, there were 39 fish landed for the week, with fly fishing proving very successful in the lower water.
Billy Moylan landed 2 fish of 5.5lbs and 7.5lbs on fly, while Moycullen man John Anderson had 3 fish of 4, 5 and 11lbs on fly. Richard Odlum caught and released a 5lbs grilse on fly, while Waterford boys Brian Hennessey, Mossy Brown and Eamon Power had 8 fish on fly, all released bar 2, ranging from 4lbs to 8.5lbs. Mossy won the friendly competition with 4 fish caught and released.
Dublin angler Tim Keane had a 3.5lbs grilse on fly, and John Ryan landed 2 on fly of 4 and 5lbs.
Owen Jackman had a great day landing 4 fish on fly from 3 to 6.5lbs, while Fintan Murphy from Oranmore had a 4lbs grille on shrimp. Galway angler Denis Quill had 2 fish of 4.5 and 5lbs on shrimp, and Neil Spellacy landed 2 on fly of 6 and 3lbs, releasing one.
Michael Parker had 3 fish between 4.5-5lbs on the fly, while Ennis angler Gus Murphy had a 5lbs fish, also on fly, and fellow Clareman Pappy Cotter had 2 fish to 5lbs on shrimp. Crispin Rodwell landed 2 on fly to 4.5lbs, with one released.
Water conditions are perfect, and as long as anglers remember the sunscreen, angling should be very enjoyable over the coming week in Galway.
Leen Verhoeven from Belgium with her first Galway salmon, May 2016
Kevin Doyle with a fine 6lbs trout caught on the Cong Rive, which was sportingly released after the photo.
Ronan Cusack says the Mediterranean weather around Mask this week has made angling a bit of a challenge to say the least. The past few days has been a case of being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and make the most of what’s hatching in front of the boat. Nymphs and dries have produced the majority of the fish as winds have been light.
Gerry O’Brien from Ballinrobe fished for a day on Saturday last and struggled until late evening. As the sun dropped behind the mountains Gerry had 4 good fish on dries (best fish 2.25lbs, all returned). Ronan Cusack fished for a few days this week with regular visitors from Scotland, John Webb and Mike Donaghy, and had some excellent sport. Again calm weather conditions dominated their stay, but the lads averaged 5/6 good fish each day on buzzers and nymphs (best fish 3.25lbs, all returned). Glen O’Connell from Shannon and local angler Kevin Egan fished both days this weekend and they finished with 7 fish on a combination of dries and buzzer (best fish 3lbs, all returned). Ballinrobe angler Denis Kelleher had 3 fish on wets for a few hours one evening during the week (best fish 1.75lbs). Noel Fay from Kildare fished dry olives and mayfly on Sunday last and he finished with 8 (best fish 1.75lbs, all returned). Noel fished again on Monday with local angler Kevin Sheridan and they had 5 good fish, again all on dries (best fish 2.5lbs, all returned).
Mike Donaghy from Scotland releasing a nice trout from Lough Mask.
Mayfly hatches have been reasonable during the week, mainly around the southern end of the lake. There has also been excellent hatches of sedge this week and trout are responding well.
Margaret Gorman from Isham Self-Catering was in touch to report on good fishing for some of their guests. Kevin Doyle and his son Jake, Switzerland and UK fished with us last week. Kevin caught a fine 6lbs trout on the Cong River which he photographed and returned.
Kevin Doyle with a fine 6lbs trout caught on the Cong Rive, which was sportingly released after the photo.
Later that evening, Jake caught and returned his first trout on Lough Mask. Boats are available for Hire – with or without engine. For further information on accommodation and angling advice, please contact Margaret Gorman at 094 9546582 or check www.congselfcatering.com
Jake Doyle with his first trout caught on Lough Mask. Jake has got the fishing bug now and is promising to be back for another visit soon!
Jenny Carter with a nice 2lbs Corrib trout caught while fishing with Tom Doc Sullivan
The past week has seen difficult fishing on Corrib, with flat calm or light winds and bright sunshine making mayfly fishing next to impossible, as hatches petered out a lot. Indeed, mayfly hatches have been disappointing all over the lake this year and the mayfly season of 2016 will not go down as a vintage one. With temperatures hitting the early 20s and the sunshine beating down, the best fishing over the past week has been to buzzer, with Caenis hatches also providing good early morning sport since the weekend.
In the Cornamona area Tom Doc Sullivan (087-6113933) was guiding visiting angler Neil Carmichael, fishing for 5 days and catching 11 trout on wet fly patterns for his visit. Nicholas Steedman and Jenny Carter also enjoyed their visit, catching some nice fish on wetfly.
Jenny Carter with a nice 2lbs Corrib trout caught while fishing with Tom Doc Sullivan
Staying in the Cornamona area on Saturday last the Cornamona Anglers held their Junior Competition with 28 rods participating, and young Cornamona man Micheal Greaney taking first prize. On Sunday The Cornamona Anglers held their Annual Mayfly Competition, with 40 rods participating and 11 of those weighing in 19 fish for 32.73lbs, averaging 1.72lbs per fish. The EJ Sullivan Memorial Cup was presented for the first time by Tom Doc Sullivan, in memory of his father, Dr. Eamon Sullivan, who was extremely popular in the area. The inaugural winner of the trophy was Peter Curran, with 4 fish for 5.5lbs. Second place went to Gerry McDonnell with 3 fish for 4.8lbs and in third place was John Somerville Jnr with 2 fish for 4.2lbs.
Peter Curran from Cornamona, who was presented with the inaugural EJ Sullivan Memorial Cup by Tom Doc Sullivan for winning the Cornamona Annual Mayfly Competition, May 29 2016
In the Oughterard area Kevin Molloy of Baurisheen Bay Boat Hire, Guiding and Self Catering (087-9604170) reports on Kerry angler JJ Canty having excellent sport for three days fishing on wet fly, landing 11 trout – best fish being 3lbs. Visiting Welsh Anglers Tony Procter and Victor Bonvitton enjoyed their visit to Lough Corrib catching 19 trout for 3 days, sportingly returning 17 of the fish. Also in the Oughterard area Gerry Molloy (www.loughcorriboughterard.com) hosted 2 visiting anglers from Brittany who enjoyed good sport catching 12 trout over 13 inches – all released – and numerous smaller fish on dries and dapping. The McCarthy group from Kildare enjoyed some good sport catching 22 trout for their week’s stay in Oughterard.
Basil Shields of Ardnasillagh Lodge, Oughterard (091-552550) hosted Shannon angler Mark Kinnane, who landed 11 trout for one day, all on buzzer – best fish 3.25lbs. Padraig Fahy, Moycullen and Tony Bevan, Scotland enjoyed a good day’s fishing, landing 9 trout mostly on buzzer to 5.4lbs. Gary Maguire from Fermanagh had 6 fish for 2 days to 3lbs, 5 of which were caught on buzzer and one on a wet mayfly.
Larry McCarthy from Corrib View Lodge, Glencorrib (www.corribangling.com; tel. 093 31718) says there has been a huge improvement in fishing over the past week, with some great catches on buzzer and Caenis. A party from Cumbria enjoyed some fantastic fishing on the lower lake earlier in the week with several fish in the 3-4lbs mark on dry buzzer patterns. Mayfly was sporadic but some good days were reported at the lodge with 4 to 5 sizable trout to each boat out mid-week. Caenis appeared mid-week and Larry, fishing with Owein Melling from Wales, caught 19 over 2 days with many in the 4lbs bracket.
Danielle Price, also from Wales, had a memorable morning, catching her first ever trout, a beautiful fish of 2lbs 10oz, on a Caenis pattern as well.
Danielle Price from Wales with her first ever trout of 2lbs 10oz, caught on a Caenis pattern while guided by Larry McCarthy.
On Sunday last Headford and Corrib Anglers hosted their Annual Wet Fly & Dapping Competition with unfavourable conditions in the area which saw Loughrea Brothers Robert and Basil Reilly with 2 trout for 3.5lbs take first place.
In the Cong area Stephen Lydon of Lydons Lodge, Cong (lydonslodge@gmail.com; 094-9546053) reports of fishing being mixed during the week. On Tuesday last Gabriel Cosgrove had 4 trout dapping in the Castletown area ranging in size from 1.25 – 2.25lbs. On Wednesday John and Peter Moran had a fish each, both sportingly released, and on Thursday John and Conor Moran had a fish each on wets both sportingly returned.
Galway angler Harold O’Toole had excellent fishing on the Lower Corrib, catching 4 trout on Saturday for an estimated 9lbs and on Sunday had 2 cracking trout for an estimated 13lbs all caught on buzzer and sportingly released.
