Conditions on Lough Arrow were fairly difficult during the week. Cold and bright days early in the week changed to wet and windy conditions towards the weekend with strong north westerly winds making trout fishing difficult.
However, Peter Dunne, Drumshanbo, reported 4 fish all between 2 and 3 lbs., while Thomas Walsh, Castlebaldwin, caught 2 trout weighing 2.5 and 3 lbs. respectively. Peter Moran, Derry, had a nice four pounder and local angler, Paul Maxwell, was also successful catching a 2.75 lbs. fish. General wet fly patterns worked best for anglers.
Declan Cook reports that it has been a slow week for trout angling on Loughs Conn & Cullin as bright, hot, calm conditions were superseded by a sudden return to winter weather. Despite the backdrop of Nephin Mountain with a snowy cap, the first of the Mayfly are now hatching on Lough Cullin. These brave forerunners are, hopefully, a harbinger of good angling in the coming weeks and their timely arrival precedes two major trout angling events scheduled to take place on the lake over the forthcoming bank holiday weekend. Up to 100 anglers will be arriving to the Foxford-Pontoon area from Monaghan and Dublin to compete in the Albert Berry and Dublin Trout Anglers’ Cup.
Last week, a few anglers ventured out on North Conn where Ian Wise and Johnny Warren from Crossmolina enjoyed moderate fishing. They recorded 3 – 4 trout a day over 5 days averaging 1.25 lbs., mostly on dry Olives in Bog Bay. They reported numerous rises and refusals as well with trout spooking at the glint of leader in the bright sunshine. They also returned a lot of 11 to 12 inch trout.
Jack Corcoran, Crossmolina, had 3 trout for 5.5 lbs on Buzzers also in the Bog Bay area, while Harry McCafferty, Ballina, had some trout all around 1.25 lbs. on Olives Dabblers mostly in Cloghans Bay. Local angler, Stephen Browne boated 4 trout on Buzzers off Brackwansha Shore, two of which were over 2 lbs.
Brendan Breslin, Knockmore, caught 3 trout on Sunday last to Sooty Olive patterns in Carrowgarve Bay and Peter Roach, Cloghans, had 4 trout last Friday in Cloghans Bay on wet patterns.
Jason and Mark from Barton-Smith Angling in Sligo averaged 3 -4 trout each a day over a few sunny days on dry Olives. They also reported losing a salmon around islands near Bog Bay.
Best flies for the week included dry and wet Olive patterns, Yellow Mayfly, Green Peter and Chilli Bumble.
John Coyne, Dublin, with a fine Carrowmore Springer
As in previous weeks, Carrowmore Lake stands up to its reputation as one of Ireland’s prime spring salmon fisheries. Despite the changing weather throughout the week, the fishery produced a total of 11 salmon, 4 of which were released.
John Coyne, Dublin, with a fine Carrowmore Springer
Amongst the successful anglers were Eddie Corry, Clare, who caught & released a cracking 12 lbs. salmon and Clive Long who boated fish of 9 lbs. and 10 lbs. John Coyne, Dublin, spent a memorable day on Carrowmore catching the first salmon on a fly dressed by himself. John’s 73cm salmon took a size 8 Black Pennell and was carefully released.
Other successful flies for the week were Clan Chief, Claret Dabbler, Bibio, and various Shrimp patterns.
Please note that Carrowmore Lake is a Brown Tag Fishery this year! For fishing on Carrowmore Lake contact Seamus Henry on +353 (0)97 83487 or visit www.bangorerrisangling.com
John Howley with the first Ridge Pool salmon of the 2015 season
For the second week in a row salmon were reported caught throughout the Moy system.
John Howley with the first Ridge Pool salmon of the 2015 season
On the Ridge Pool, John Howley had the first of the season; a 7.5 lbs. salmon caught spinning. Further upstream, Rob Shepard landed a twelve pounder on Armstrong’s, while John Marshall caught an 11 lbs. fish on Gannon’s.
On The Cloongee Fishery, Thierry Coulm had a fish of 8 lbs. on spinner. The East Mayo water produced an 8 pound salmon for German angler, Walter Posselt on worm, while his countryman, Andre Babik took a fine springer on fly weighing 11.5 lbs. Also on East Mayo, fly angler, Ronnie McMorris, Northern Ireland, had a 9 lbs. fish.
Prospects for the Moy system are looking good for the coming days with water levels in the middle and upper reaches remaining ideal for fly fishing.
Alice Murtagh in the Corelesmore office reports that the pike fishing in the Cavan area is going very well…
There are about 20 Belgium anglers staying in the Killeshandra area fly fishing using belly boats catching plenty of Pike. Some French anglers who have been fishing here twice a year for the past twenty five years report the best fishing ever with plenty of Pike including 4 which measured greater than 1 metre in length. They fished mostly the Cavan Town area and Lough Oughter system.
Other anglers in the region include a party of Germans who are fishing Trinity, Lough Oughter and they also report good pike fishing, also Cullies river Dereskit Lake some good pike and some nice coarse fish.
Some French anglers fished Sally Lake, White Lake, Putiaghan, all fly fishing for pike and catching plenty of small pike.
Cool temperatures keep the roach quiet as Gary Robinson of Kayak Fisherman Ireland goes trotting:
With the wind still blowing hard I decided that the best option would be to stay inland and find sheltered water. Local knowledge told me that roach are amassing in large numbers, getting ready for their spawning run.
The bays of Lough Corrib, and indeed many other lakes around the country, are filling up with prime roach waiting until the river temperatures rise just high enough to signal them to start their run up into the feeder streams. Not just the Corrib though, this scene is replicating itself on many lakes up and down the country, all that’s now needed is the right temperature.
It was with this in mind that I set off for one of the rivers that feeds the mighty Corrib. A fine roach is not to be sniffed at even in trout country, especially when the time of year for catching big ones has all but landed. I figured I would spend the blustery and showery day trotting for roach. The plan was to anchor up in the river and trot maggots under a stick float from the kayak. For this I would need my float gear and centrepin reel.
I fished for a couple of hours sitting through all kinds of weather, trotting the bait downstream accompanied by loose offerings but the roach were not present yet. There was a lot of fry in the river but nothing of any substantial size has started the migratory run just yet. Recent rain and hail have dropped the water temperatures which will knock everything back at least a few days. I’ll have another look on Monday, maybe a rise in water temperatures will see my luck will change then…….
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. Needing no more encouragement, he set about rigging his first sit on top kayak and transforming it into a fishing platform to gain access to some of the more inaccessible waters. Now into his fifth year of kayak fishing he shows no sign of slowing down.
Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery on the Munster Blackwater reports that two salmon were caught on the fly on Saturday at Ballyduff Bridge, one weighing six pounds, the other eight.
Both were returned successfully. A few nice fish seen and quite a few good sea trout in the vicinity.
Ballyduff
Make a booking…
The Ballyduff Bridge fishing beat is almost a mile long offering a huge variety of water and is particularly suited to fly fishing. The fishery caters for beginners and experienced anglers alike; it has something to offer every angler – exceptionally good fly runs, very good spinning areas and some deep pools for occasional bait fishing.
Yet another bright slightly frosty morning today. Air temperature 4ºC at 07.30. Frequent showers topped up the upper river over the last couple of days. The forecast for today & tomorrow is mainly dry, but quite a lot more rain is forecast for Saturday & Sunday. Temperatures will also be on the rise from today.
The upper river at Millstreet peaked at 10.00 yesterday morning up 15cm & peaked again at midnight last night up another 5cm. Excellent clarity.
The upper river at Killavullen is up 11cm to 1.31mat 07.00.
The lower river at Ballyduff Has just peaked up 7cm to 0.38m at 07.00. Clarity is about 5-6 feet.
Water temperature at Ballyduff: 9.3ºC / 49.0ºF @ 07.00 today.
Water temperature at Killavullen: 10.6 – 9.2ºC / 51.2 – 48.6ºF.
Prospects.
Conditions remain perfect for fly on both the lower & upper river.
Still challenging fishing for now, but hopefully between the recent rise & the rain due on the weekend, there will be enough water in the river to start the run of the Blackwater’s May fish.
High tides are 3.4m today, but increase to 3.8m by next Monday, which might also help to push fish into the system.
Report at 12.30 today Thursday
Just had a report from the only rod out today. He met 2 fish on fly on the upper river but neither took properly. One crushed the hook on his #11 fly. It looks as if the rise has livened up the fish a bit on the upper river.
Paul Whelan reports tells us of the Salmon Spey Casting Course on Sunday May 17th:
Learn to spey cast and fish for salmon on the beautiful Fortwilliam Estate beats of the river blackwater. An amazing venue to learn to fly fish with expert instructor Andrew Ryan. Salmon fishing is often perceived to be very difficult, but join us on in May and learn to Spey cast the easy way. This one day intensive course is the ideal way of getting into salmon fishing and much more!
During this 1 day course you will learn both single and double spey, switch cast, Snake roll, snap t, circle c etc. Also covered will be modern salmon fishing equipment, spey lines, how to use shooting heads and lots more! Gift Vouchers are available.
For more information contact our Fishery Manager Paul Whelan on 00353 87 829 2077 or [email protected]
Flowing through Cork and Waterford, in the south east of Ireland, the river Blackwater is most famous for it’s salmon fishing. Fort William Fishery has 5 beats on the river, which include stretches particularly suited to flyfishing. Our beats offer a wide variety of water, suitable for both beginners and the more experienced fishermen. In summer we have also good numbers of sea trout. On the estate there is two self-catering cottages and tackle/freezer room. Whether you like fishing for salmon or fly fishing for sea trout, Fort William will meet all your game angling requirements and much more.
Fort William Guide Brian Hennessy doing a Snap T in the Powdering Tub!
Paul Whelan,
Fishery Manager,
Fort William Estate,
Glencairn, Lismore, Co. Waterford, Ireland
Spring fishing has begun to improve in Galway, with 7 fish landed for the week, and a remarkable number of fish hooked and lost – sharper hooks needed lads!
David McMurtry had a fine 10lbs 11oz fish on spinner, followed by J. Ryan taking a lovely 10-pounder on fly. There were 3 fish landed on Monday, including fish of 9lbs for Sean O’Toole and J. Stevenson, both taken on shrimp, and a 6lbs fish for Gerry Hartigan, also on shrimp. J. Hetherington landed an 8lbs fish on shrimp, while D. Mulligan had a fine 11lbs springer yesterday, again on shrimp.
With 2 gates open, the river is in perfect spring order, and increasing numbers of fish are showing in the river on a daily basis. Fishing prospects for the next few weeks look very good if water levels hold steady.
Tim Rowley with a fine 4lbs 2oz Corrib trout, with angling guide Larry McCarthy (holding fish).
Frank Reilly reports that anglers throughout the Corrib are reporting good hatches of olives and Campto buzzer, with reports of early mayfly in the Corr na Mona area. Caolan Mc Donnell, Cong landed 3 trout in one day dapping mayflies. Tom Somerville, Corr na Mona, also dapping mayflies landed 3 good trout for one day. Peter Curran, Corr na Mona fished for 3 days and landed 10 trout on mayfly patterns. Jimmie Molloy, Cong fished for 1 day and landed 4 trout to wet fly. The Corr na Mona 2015 catch and release pairs competition for Galway Hospice was held on Sunday 26th April, with 58 anglers landing 106 trout over 30cm. 1st was Jerry Dixon and Jonny Faherty from Oughterard with 13 trout recorded. 2nd was Stephen Campbell and Tom Dennehy, Killarney with 7 trout recorded. 3rd was Tom Doc Sullivan Corr na Mona and Davie Breen kenmare, with 6 trout recorded. The largest fish recorded was 58cm caught by Tom Doc Sullivan.
The Greenfields area fished well over the weekend to wet fly, buzzer and dry olives. Frank Guilfoyle and son Frank from Ennis fished for 2 days and landed 5 trout up to 2.5 lbs on wet fly and dry olives. Pappy Cotter, Ennis fished for one day and landed 3 trout. Galway West Garda Angling Club held a competition on Friday 24th, with 10 anglers landing 10 trout. 1st was Peter Mc Guinness with 2 trout for 2.31kgs. 2nd was Mick Bradley with 2 trout for 1.64kgs and 3rd was Sean Travers, with 2 trout for 1.53kgs.
Angling in the Oughterard area over the last week was reported to be quiet, although some good catches were recorded. Kevin Molloy and Harold O’Toole fished for 2 days and landed 14 trout. The Raysuger party, from France, trolling for 3 days landed 18 trout for 30lbs. Well-known French singer and Connemara visitor Pierre Perret went trolling for 1.5 days landed 3 great trout at 13lbs, 7lbs and 6.5 lbs.
It was a week of two seasons at Lakelands,early week bright Sunshine and calm conditions. Two anglers from Holland fishing from Lakeland Angling centre had a good two days on corrib big hatches of olives attracted plenty of feeding trout and fishing dry olives proved fruitful for Douwe Van Sinderen and Douwe Wierstra.
DouweVan Sinderen from holland with a nice 2lbs trout
Jeff Churton from Wales had a beautiful 5lb trout the biggest he ever caught.
Jeff Churton from Wales with a nice 5lb Trout
A drop of 10 degrees in the second half of the week didn’t stop Ray Byrnes and Jonathan Rice they had 6 trout on green dabblers. Mayfly starting to appear not long now .
Larry Mc Carthy of Corrib Angling Services (www.corribangling.com) reported good fishing over the last week on light buzzers and dry olives in tough conditions. Tim Rowley and John Walmersley from Cumbria were very happy with 13 great trout over 6 days, with John landing personal best of 4lb 8oz safely returned to fight another day.
Frank Conroy and friend Ross from the UK fished for 3 days and landed 6 trout with 2 trout over 3lbs.
Tim Rowley with a fine 4lbs 2oz Corrib trout, with angling guide Larry McCarthy (holding fish).
Mike Holian was also in touch to report plenty of olives in the Salthouse Bay area, but the trout were proving hard to tempt, with buzzer hatches starting as well. Ian Kelly, Mullingar, had a nice trout of 5 lbs on buzzer on Friday evening. Ian returned on Sunday with Kevin Martin, also from Mullingar, and had 3 trout for 9 lbs on buzzer patterns. Richard Hunter & John Kiernan, Wicklow, had 4 trout on buzzers over the weekend, best 4 lbs. Simon Ryan, Cong, had a nice salmon of 8 lbs while trolling for trout with a Lane minnow. I hope to have more reports from Mike over the coming weeks, and he can be contacted for boat hire, accommodation and guiding at 087 2130416 or online at www.bayviewangling.com
David Connors from Ballinrobe with a nice Mask trout, April 2015
Ronan Cusack reports that Lough Mask has been a hive of activity over the past week, with dozens of happy anglers enjoying what Mask has to offer. Mayfly hatches could only be described as medium to fair, yet the trout fishing continues to be spectacular. Olive and buzzer hatches were a bit more predictable, with lots of good trout taken on nymph and buzzer patterns throughout the week.
Annual visitors to Lough Mask, Howard Smith and angling partner Mike, from the UK, fished with Ronan Cusack for two days this week and they had approximately 30 trout exceeding the limit on a combination of wets and buzzer (best fish 5lbs, all returned). John Webb and Mike Donaghy from Scotland also fished with Ronan for 4 days recently and they had something between 50 and 70 trout for their stay (best fish 3lbs, all returned).
Howard Smith with a lovely 5lbs trout from Lough Mask
David Hall of Hall’s Angling Centre (www.lakeshoreholidays.com) had nothing but good news again this week. English visitors Bob Forshaw, Paul Davis, Paul Hallmark and Keith Portis had a few days at Hall’s and reported 119 fish for 6 days (best fish 3.9lbs, all returned). The lads also reported many more trout over 2lbs.
Regular visitors to Mask Denis Hill, Steve Ellis, Billy Graham and Larry Gibb from Northern Ireland had a week to remember on Mask this week, boating 120 trout during their 6 day stay (best fish 4lbs). German angler Bendiks Paul fished Mask for the first time ever this week and landed himself a lovely 5lbs trout pulling wets. Ballinrobe angler Kevin Egan had 6 good fish for a few hours on Monday (best fish 2.5lbs, all returned). Local angler Tim Hannon also fished for a few hours on Monday morning and he had 4 trout (best fish 2lbs, all returned). Ulster anglers Ivor Hazlett and angling partner Gareth Luve had a day to remember on Saturday when they boated over 20 trout exceeding the legal limit on a combination of wets and dapping. The weather looks to be quite unsettled for the next few days, so hopefully the good fishing will continue.
Margaret Gorman also reports the excellent fishing continued throughout the week for anglers fishing from Dringeen Bay. 20 trout to the boat for the day were common reports from anglers that fished from here. Huge numbers of small fish continued to be reported. While hatches of mayfly were inconsistent, trout were being caught on artifical mayfly patterns, both on wet fly and dapping. By the weekend, even though conditions were good, trout became more difficult to catch in big numbers.
Digby Lewis, UK, had a nice trout over 2lbs along with his friend Chris Huxley. Shane Ganley, Castlebar and his friend Michael had a lot of sport on their day out. Jim Dix, Cork and his friend Jack Mitchell had good success on the lake. ‘Isham’ guest, Alan Watts, Belfast and his family and friends have had some very enjoyable days fishing on Lough Mask this past week. Boats are available for Hire – With or Without Out-Board Motors. For further information on accommodation and angling advice, contact Margaret Gorman at 094 9546582 or check www.congselfcatering.com
Product placement! John Webb takes a well earned break from fishing on Lough Mask to enjoy a bag of Tayto. A day on the lough at mayfly time wouldn’t be complete without lunch on an island for most anglers.
It was with this in mind that I set off for one of the rivers that feeds the mighty Corrib. A fine roach is not to be sniffed at even in trout country, especially when the time of year for catching big ones has all but landed. I figured I would spend the blustery and showery day trotting for roach. The plan was to anchor up in the river and trot maggots under a stick float from the kayak. For this I would need my float gear and centrepin reel.
I fished for a couple of hours sitting through all kinds of weather, trotting the bait downstream accompanied by loose offerings but the roach were not present yet. There was a lot of fry in the river but nothing of any substantial size has started the migratory run just yet. Recent rain and hail have dropped the water temperatures which will knock everything back at least a few days. I’ll have another look on Monday, maybe a rise in water temperatures will see my luck will change then…….
