It was another busy week for anglers in Ireland with specimen salmon, tench, congers and more landed in the last few days. The warm weather and mostly settled conditions encouraged more anglers to take to the waters and the wilds, and with extra time to play with at the long weekend, the opportunities to fish were seized by many.

There were some fine sized salmon caught around the country last week. On the Delphi fishery a 19lb 9oz fish was caught during a busy week. This fish is the biggest taken from Delphi in the modern era. A 22.1 lb salmon was taken during the last week of May at Screebe, though the fishery has been a bit quiet since. Salmon to 14lb were reported from the Moy and Laune. Inagh Lodge fishery reported its first salmon of the year. Anglers on the Moy Estuary have had some great sea trout fishing recently with fishing coming well to fly and bait.

England won the Spring International Match on Lough Owel last week. Using conventional reservoir rainbow angling methods the team caught 59 trout for just over 75lb to secure first place. Lough Sheelin had another good week as the Mayfly patterns continued to tempt some good trout. The heaviest trout reported for the week was a beautiful 9 pounder caught on Thursday May 29th by Noel McLoughlin, Kells on a spent gnat. Lough Ennel is also reported to be fishing well. Two anglers on Lough Conn last week had 28 trout to 2lb over 4 days. Dry mayfly patterns and Green Peters were the killing flys. This week’s banner image was taken at the end of a good day on the lake as the sun set.

The first blue shark of the season were early again this year. Steven Rayner fishing on the  Loch an Iasc had the first blue of the season fishing from Union Hall on Saturday. Anglers on the Tigger out of Clonakilty had  8 sharks between 50 and 90 lb the same day. Tope were also recorded for the first time this season at a number of places over the weekend including the Shannon Estuary, Sligo Bay and Downings, Co. Donegal. Charter boat fishing in Valentia Island saw some great catches for a group of German anglers including conger to 45lb. The fishing was also good at Kinsale where large whiting and good haddock made for happy anglers. Pollack anglers fishing with Richie Ryan learned the value of the fly as other methods failed to produce while a fish a cast was possible on a fur and feather lure. At Wicklow anglers enjoyed some great fishing for bullhuss, spurdogs and smooth hounds.  At the Tag a Ray competition in Tralee Bay over the weekend 6 Stingray, 7 Thornback Ray, 1 Painted Ray and 27 Undulate Ray were caught and tagged. A highlight over the weekend was the catching of a 60lb female stingray which was close to pupping, proving these fish breed locally.

In coarse angling, Tommy Pickering won the Mahons Festival with 109.900kg, a match record. This was an exceptional catch made just as many of the coarse species become particularly elusive as the urge to spawn takes over. Will Freeman won the Ottewill 3 Day Feeder Only Festival on Inniscarra Reservoir. The match was fished on 3 venues including the new stretch at Coachford which is now closed in advance of the World Feeder Fishing Championship. While many of the silver fish are off spawning anglers at Ballyhoe still had some good tench fishing with some great specimens to 7lb reported.

Pike fishing seems to have slowed down a bit though jacks are still quite obliging, particularly in the shallows. Some better pike were reported at Derravaragh on the troll where fish into double figures hit a variety of brightly coloured lures.

The weather forecast for the weekend is for more rainy, unsettled conditions though it will remain warm with temperatures into the high teens during the day and staying in the double figures overnight. Sunday is to be more breezy and the broken conditions will continue into next week.

Tight lines especially in Ireland,

Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release

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Headlines

Salmon fishing reports

• 18 salmon last week on Delphi including 19lb 9oz fishery record
• A few salmon at Screebe including one of 22.1lb
• Two firsts at Inagh as salmon make an appearance
• Grilse and bigger salmon in the Moy system, estuary fishing well for sea trout
• Hopes for salmon fishing on Laune to improve
• John Joe lands a cracker at Fortwilliam on the Munster Blackwater

Trout fishing reports

• Fine trout on the Maigue and a good Deel of wilderness fishing
• Dry fly working well on Conn, some better fish on Spent Gnat and Green Peter
• Lough Ennell starting to fish well
• From bright sunshine to downpours on Sheelin’s superb lake
• Irish angler Robert Reilly came up trump and won the Harry Lafferty Cup for the best Irish rod
• Carrigavantry and Knockaderry are alive with hatches of flies tantalising the trout
• Anglers from around the globe enjoy the fishing with Clonanav’s Andrew Ryan

Sea angling reports

• Good fishing at Valentia including conger to 45lb
• Sligo Bay reports its first tope of the season
• No shortage of tope for anglers on Rosguill
• Fly proves deadly for pollack at Cork Harbour
• Great charter fishing reported at Kinsale
• Tope move into the Shannon Estuary as fishing continues to improve
• Tag a ray weekend on Tralee Bay
• Spurs, Huss and Hounds, smiles and tales to tell in Wicklow
• Blue shark, whiting and hake for Tigger in Clonakilty
• First blue shark of the season reported from Union Hall
• Great company, great scenery and great fishing in Donegal
• Donegal Bay shore marks continue to shine

Coarse angling reports

• Specimen tench from Ballyhoe as spawning takes over
• Will Freeman wins Ottewill 3 Day Feeder Only Festival
• Coarse angling coaching at Loughfest 2014
• Hybrids, Bream and Perch as Muckno Slows Down
• Huge weight for Tommy Pickering at the Mahon’s Festival in Fermanagh
• Nick Chaffer wins Fermoy’s Spring Festival

Pike fishing reports

• Lough Glore anglers were in action last weekend
• 10 lovely pike on colourful lures and in great condition at Derravaragh
• Poppers for pike in the shallows, better fish on fly at Mayo venues

News clippings

• Irish ladies win bronze, Ulster Star
• Living the dream, Leitrim Observer
• Whopper salmon contract landed with Harrods of London by Clare company Burren Smokehouse, Irish Times

Other news

• Inland Fisheries Ireland investigates fish kill on River Lear, Co. Cavan
• Father and son convicted for illegal fishing on river Inagh at Ennistymon
• 3rd Place for Irish Ladies Fly Fishing Association
• Venue Development in the Clones Erne East area
• St Mary’s School Drogheda Hooked on Angling
• Dunbrody Festival at Oaklands Lake Fishery on July 5th & 6th