Aidan Traynor had a beauty of a pike with a belly full of eggs ready for spawning. The pike was caught on Ross Lake in Galway and weighed in at 21lbs. The fish was caught by Aidan on a jerk bait and was landed by Mike McNamara, who also posed with the pike.
Mike got to pose with Aidan’s 21lb pike…
The reason Aidan couldn’t pose for a picture with his monster pike was that he got the treble right through his finger. It’s a cautionary tale for anyone – when you are handling big strong fish and using sharp hooks take care.
…while Aidan got to pose with his jerk bait…
The pike was released safely and she slowly swam through the shallows for little rest before she took off into the darkness again. Aidan tells us his finger feels much better too.
A sharp hook will go right through when a big fish gives a shake – take care.
Reports from Munster Blackwater at Fermoy are that the dace fishing is going well. Junior angler Joseph Ensko had some nice fish to half a pound from the new walkway in Fermoy town last Sunday evening.
A nice bag of Dace from Fermoy for Joseph Ensko
He was just out for a short session and had fifteen dace in just over an hour. Joseph was on the pole and fished a single maggot over groundbait at 6 metres.
Kenny Sloan Foxford, with friend Paul McGrath from Swinford with a nice fresh Springer from The East Mayo Water's
Good weather and dropping water levels saw an increase in the number of anglers on the river last week with 17 salmon reported caught throughout the system. On the Ballina salmon anglers water Noel Maloney had a nice 9 lb fish on the worm. Mid river Brendan Breslan had an 8 lbs fish on Armstrong’s Fishery.
B. Breslan with his 8lbs salmon from Armstrongs
Upstream of Foxford East Mayo anglers (www.eastmayoanglers.com) produced 9 salmon for the week, with local angler Billy McGhee getting the first fly caught fish of the season, a nice fish of 11 lbs. Also on East Mayo George McCloud Scotland had 13 lbs on worm and Palo Panti from Italy 7.5 lbs on spinner. Paul McGrath from Swinford was out with Kenny Sloan and also a nice fresh Springer from The East Mayo Water’s. This was his first fish of the year and was caught on The Rolla Flying “C” Black & Copper.
Kenny Sloan Foxford, with friend Paul McGrath from Swinford with a nice fresh Springer from The East Mayo Water’s
With the big spring tide’s from this weekend fishing should pick up.
Winter really hung on this year. Where I live we had snow at the beginning of March. I wisely proclaimed, to anyone who’d listen, that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. Wrong again. It went out with bitter north-westerly winds and rain. It was quite frustrating. I was behind in the vegetable garden and cancelled a planned trip on the boat— apart from the discomfort of the weather, the river levels were too high to be safe… Irish Examiner, 13/04/15. Read the full article ‘The signs of spring’s arrival are visible by the river‘.
If Fermanagh’s tourist industry was able to tamper with the hands on a barometer it would move them from bright and sunny at Easter to dull and cloudy for the second week in May. Visitors basked in glorious weather over the Easter weekend but anglers travelling to the county for the €20,000 Classic Fishing Festival in a month’s time will be looking for more subdued skies. Fish and fishermen prefer warm but cloudy conditions… The Impartial Reporter, 13/04/15. Read the full article ‘John targets hat-trick at 40th Classic‘.
Monday to Friday brought bright and sunny weather which were not ideal angling conditions and winter seemed to return at the weekend with strong winds that brought showers of rain and hail! There were a number of salmon caught on Melvin however. On Monday, Niall Sweeney landed a 9lb salmon. Seamus O’Dare reported a 9lb salmon caught and Gerald Higgins reported a 9lb 2oz salmon caught on Thursday. These salmon were all caught trolling.
D. McKee registered an 11lb salmon caught on Worm from the Mill Pool
Monday to Friday brought summer like conditions with little wind, warm air temperatures and bright sunshine. Hardly ideal salmon angling conditions but it was nice to feel the warm sun on our backs. The weekend was almost the polar opposite with strong winds and wintry showers that left the tops of the mountains white! The river ran at lovely levels over the week. The gauge read 0.81m on Monday and the river gradually dropped over the week to read 0.69m by Sunday which gave lovely fly fishing levels. Despite the bright weather from Monday to Friday catches were good and some 15 plus salmon were caught for the week.
Paul McCausland caught and released an 8.5lb salmon from the Mill Pool and also had a 12.5lb salmon caught on a ‘Flying C’ from the Cascades
Paul McCausland caught and released an 8.5lb salmon from the Mill Pool. R. Burke caught an 11lb salmon on a ‘Flying C’ from the Wee Drain. Prionnsas Doherty, recorded a 12lb salmon caught on prawn from The Meadow. Paul McCausland reported a 12.5lb salmon caught on a ‘Flying C’ from the Cascades.
D. McKee registered an 11lb salmon caught on Worm from the Mill Pool
On Sunday. D. McNeice caught and released a 7.5lb salmon on Prawn from Foggan’s Bushes. D. McKee registered an 11lb salmon caught on Worm from the Mill Pool. William Marshall recorded a 7lb salmon caught on prawn from the Money Hole. S. Morgan caught two salmon on prawn from the Money Hole weighing 7 & 8lb with the smaller of these released again. Bernard McCullough reported an 1lb salmon caught on a ‘Flying C’ from the Otter Hole. Darren McNelis logged a 7lb salmon caught on fly from the Eel Weir and Eddy Tuft accounted for a 6.5lb salmon caught on worm from the Money Hole. There was also another 7lb fish caught on prawn from the Boat Pier.
Prionnsas Doherty, recorded a 12lb salmon caught on prawn from The Meadow
At the time of writing the weather is somewhat cold and blustery and is forecast is for the same for the early days of the week but fairer weather is forecast towards the weekend. Prospects look good for the coming week. Lindsey Clarke IFI-Ballyshannon. email:[email protected]
“I salute the gallantry and uncompromising standards of wild trout, and their tastes in landscapes” John Madson
Bill Shanley, Kinnegad guided by D.C Angling & Guiding Services with his Sheelin trout
For this week on Lough Sheelin it felt like being on a section of the Mediterranean rather than on a freshwater brown trout lake in Ireland. For the entire week when the remnants of early morning mists and night cold had disappeared, the sun beat relentlessly down and temperatures reached an unseasonal high of 20 degrees. Despite the apparent sudden projection into summer, there was a falseness about the heat, no lingering soft warmth existed because as soon as the sun disappeared a chill immediately crept in followed by substantial night time air temperature drops. There was a change at the weekend with strong cold blustery winds on Saturday followed by rain and sleet the Sunday.
Steve Collins, England (guided by Lough Sheelin Guiding Services) Lough Sheelin April 10th
There seems to be no middle ground in April – the days are positively spring (or summer) like or they can be as wintry and gloomy as can be. This week’s mix of weather particularly the tenacious harsh bright sunshine and surface calm made fishing exceptionally difficult and for those who did catch fish everyone reported it as being ‘a hard slog’.
Martin Connor of DC Angling & Guiding Services with his 5 ½ lb fish, April 12th
After the long cold of the winter and perhaps a tricky wind swept first month of opening season, it is perhaps easy to be swept along with good weather and the fast approaching may fly season. But no amount of sudden heat wave or angling enthusiasm will change the fish on this lake, it is worth reminding ourselves that for the trout, water temperature and insect activity changes very little from day to day, it is all a gradual process. The water temperature is still cold and in early season it is the cold winds that are the killer, especially when from the North or East, these coupled with our consistently frosty nights, chill down the surface film, keeping the waters cold and sending any emerging fly back down to wait another day while reducing tentative duck fly, olive and buzzer hatches to a mere scattering. The fly life was poor for this week and the trout were not rising because there was nothing for them to come up to the surface for.
‘Going Home’ – Lough Sheelin, April 2015
Selection of Catches
A total of 27 trout were recorded over the week. The heaviest fish for the week was a 5 ½ lb caught by Martin Connor, Armagh on Sunday April 12th
Peadar McAvinney, Clones – Saturday April11th 2 trout at 4 ½ and 2 ½ lbs, caught using Minkie’s at Orangefield.
Bill Shanley, Kinnegad – 1 trout at over 2lbs using wet flies.
Brian McAvinney, Scotshouse – on Sunday April 12th 1 trout at 2lbs using a Minkie at Derrysheridan.
Steve Collins, England – 1 trout at 46 cm fishing with Lough Sheelin Guiding Services.
Paul Tracey, Scotland – 1 trout at 2 lbs using a Diawl Bach and 1 trout at 1 ½ using a Sooty Olive.
Mark Smith, Monaghan – 1 trout on April 11th at 2 ½ lbs using a Cormorant.
Gary McKiernan (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com) with his trout of over 3lbs
For this week Sheelin remained firmly stuck in a kind of transitional gap between the very early season of fishing lures, fry patterns and traditional wet fly patterns and the much anticipated next stage of olives, buzzers and more traditional wet fly patterns. This lake hasn’t made the jump yet and despite the tropical weather refuses to be rushed. Mid April can be frustrating time on this lake because Spring is making itself known with the increasingly bright evenings, the swallows are back, sweeping low to the water’s surface and the gorse bushes are like patches of yellow fire on the surrounding hills. We are nearly there but not quite.
A 51cm trout, caught and released by Lough Sheelin Guiding
The flys…
The trout are slow to come up from feeding in the lower regions of the lake simply because there is no food there to tempt them up so for this week, the Minkies and Humungus using sinking lines still are at top position.
Lough Sheelin April 9th 2015
A few trout were seen pitching reminding the anglers that the trout are still there but are not yet prepared to investigate what’s being offered to them by the ever hopeful Sheelin angler.
Despite this week’s struggle on the angling season, Sheelin’s angling returns still passed into the twenties and some sizable fish were landed. The fact that it was all tough going made the success of catching a trout all the sweeter. These past few weeks have certainly been no ‘Duffer’s Fortnight’ but the best is yet to come and although most of the fish were caught on lures, some heavy weights were still landed using the Silver Dabblers, Sooty Olive, Black Pennell, the F Fly, the Cormorant and some Olive Emerger Patterns.
Because the trout are favouring the deeper water columns, a pattern with a bit of sparkle threaded through is a good plan, anything really to attract a passing trout.
There are hatches of duck fly particularly around the Western shore and with a promise of increasing temperatures, the fly life will improve and with it the sub surface and surface feeders.
The F fly
The F fly
The F fly can be used when buzzers are hatching and it fishes in the film as an emerger. The cdc feathers being naturally oily hold the fly in the film and the fish will usually sip them in. Fish the fly static and do not attempt to put any floatant on the fly. The only drawback is that after a fish has been caught the fly must be changed and allowed to dry before using again. When the fish are on it you get through plenty of flies !! In larger sizes the olive version can be very effective during hatches of olives. The fly can fish very well on mild winter days when there are nearly always some buzzers hatching and locally a black version in size 18 can perform very well in winter for those anglers willing to try the floating line. On the rivers the fly is a good one to try when fish are rising but you are not certain what exactly they want. Experiment with sizes and colours until you find the right combination. Do not allow to drag or else the fly will become water logged although it can still take fish beneath the surface
Blast from the past
Kit Rooney, Crover, Lough Sheelin (1980)
Kit lived all his life in a small house overlooking Lough Sheelin at Crover. He served as a ghillie/boatman to numerous anglers and gentry for over 50 years on the lake and for him Lough Sheelin was undoubtedly a second home.
Brenda Montegomery Inland Fisheries Ireland
For anyone interested in joining Lough Sheelin’s Angling Club – The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033.
All anglers are required to have a Fishery Permit to fish Lough Sheelin which must be purchased before going out on the lake.
Please remember anglers to abide by BYE-LAW 790 which strictly prohibits
All trolling on the lake from March 1st to April 30th (inclusive).
From May 1st to June 15th – no trolling between 7pm –6am and no trolling under engine between 6am – 7pm and
June 16th – October 12th – no trolling under engine between 7pm – 6am.
No trout less than 14 inches should be taken from the lake
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
Lifejackets
It won’t work if you are not wearing it.
Life jackets are required by law – SI No 921 of 2005 – Pleasure Craft (Personal Flotation Devices and Operation) (Safety) Regulations 2005.
Water rarely gives second chances and a life jacket is just that – it saves your life, so we would implore anglers and all other users for their own safety as well as it being the law.
Please put on and keep on that life jacket until you are back on dry land.
Blackwater Lodge's second fish on fly & 14th. springer to date. Taken on the upper river.
Ian Powell reports that springer no. 14 was landed (on the fly) yesterday following the 45cm flood on the upper river on Sunday…
The first fish since the three we caught last weekend was caught on monday. It’s our second so far on the fly and was caught by Gavin O’Shea (Cork) with his variant of a Posh Tosh on Woodstream on the upper river.
Blackwater Lodge’s second fish on fly & 14th. springer to date. Taken on the upper river.
Conditions. It was a dry mixed sunny/overcast day here on Monday. There is no more rain forecast for the next 8 days with high pressure building again from mid-week on. Air temperature was 14ºC at 17.00 this evening.
The Millstreet gauge has fallen 35cm since peaking at 16.00 yesterday afternoon. Clarity at Mallow early this morning was about 2 feet, but improved as the day went on.
The Killavullen gauge rose 25cm – peaking at 1.61m at 01.00 this morning. It is already back to 1.42 by 18.00 today.
The lower river at Ballyduff peaked at 0.63m at 09.00. It is back down to 0.54m at 18.00. Clarity about 4+ feet.
Water temperature at Ballyduff: 9.2ºC / 48.6ºF @ 18.00 today.
Water temperature at Killavullen: 9.1 – 10.1 ºC / 48.4 – 50.2ºF @ 18.00.
The Munster Blackwater at Blackwater lodge yesterday evening
Prospects.
Conditions were challenging over the last week due to very bright sunshine & clear water. The 45cm flood on the upper river yesterday together with quite cloudy weather has improved the situation.
Rob Kavanagh enjoyed the fishing - whipping them out of the canal.
A practice session for The NCFFI Tubertini Junior Team Ireland U23’s took place on the Town Stretch of the Newry Canal on Sunday 12th April in preparation for the FIPS-ed World Youth Angling Championships 2015 taking place in Serbia this August.
Rob Kavanagh enjoyed the fishing – whipping them out of the canal.
The order of the day was angling for small fish using whips up to 3.5m. After a snowy start the session was productive with over 1200 fish caught. 15 minute race sessions were introduced with an average of 30 fish winning.
In attendance were team members, Ciaran Haughian, Haydn Kellegher, Rob Kavanagh, and James O Doherty, with a guest appearance by Josh Kavanagh. Thanks to Irish International Vincent Walsh for demonstrating the method today.
