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Regular visitors return for another memorable pike session in Boyle

By
IFI staff
-

Bodo Funke from Angling Services Ireland reports on another successful pike angling trip in the Boyle region a few weeks ago, when regular visitors Michael and Rupert returned from Germany for a week of fishing.

The anglers enjoyed excellent sport throughout their stay, with a number of quality pike brought to the boat over the course of the trip. The highlight of the week was a superb Esox measuring 113cm, while seven pike over the magical one metre mark were landed in total.

Michael and Rupert are well-known regular visitors to the area and once again experienced some fantastic pike fishing during their latest visit to the Boyle region.

Go Fishing

Bodo Funke, Angling Services, Ireland

Pike, Game and Coarse fishing Guide

Notes: Angling Services Ireland are based in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, in the North-West of Ireland, an area with many superb angling opportunities.

The Proprietor Bodo Funke holds the Marine and Countryside Guiding Certificate (achieved with distinction) and his expertise and local knowledge will be to your avail when you go on a guided angling trip or angling holiday with Angling Services Ireland. Pike fishing, Fly-fishing for Pike, Game fishing for wild Brown Trout, Float- tubing, Coarse fishing. Salmon fishing and Sea-angling can be organised.

Address: Angling Services Ireland, 3 Canal View, Deerpark, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
Telephone/Fax::+353 71 9663580 or +353 86 6011878

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.anglingservicesireland.com

Cormac back on the bass in Wexford

By
Paul O'Reilly
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After a busy weekend at the Irish Spring Angling Fair, Cormac Walsh of the Lure Fishing Podcast has been back on the water seeking bass in the south-east. The fish are back inshore, and Cormac has had some good success, especially once the sun has set. Cormac’s secret to success after dark is to use a shallow diver with a dead slow retrieve in the first hour after high tide.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Cormac chats with well-known guide Jason O’Riordan. Jason established Game Fishing Ireland in 2013, based on a lifetime of experience in fishing and guiding on the rivers, lakes and coastline in the area.

Jason regularly gives talks on fishing techniques at the leading angling shows in Ireland and is an IFFF-qualified fly-casting instructor, in addition to being a member of the Mackenzie Pro Team for Ireland and an authorised Fulling Mill Guide.

Jason is also just back from a saltwater sea trout fishing trip in Denmark and gives some wonderful insights into the fishing over there.

Dates announced for Munster Junior & Youth Shore Qualifiers

By
Shane O'Reilly
-

Dates have been announced for a series of Munster Team Qualifiers for both Under 16 and Under 23 age groups. Full details in the graphic below:

Ulster Krakens Brave the Elements in Ballycastle Battle

By
Shane O'Reilly
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This post was compiled from angling reports shared on the Ulster Krakens Sac Facebook page:

Leg 4 of the Master Angler qualifying series brought members of the Ulster Krakens club to Ballycastle on a bank holiday weekend, where most people might have chosen family time—but not this dedicated group of anglers. The match took place on Saturday night from 6pm to 11pm, with expectations tempered by recent reports suggesting the venue had been fishing poorly. However, on arrival, conditions appeared promising, with a decent surf and rolling waves along the shoreline.

As always, the pre-match atmosphere was lively, with plenty of banter before the peg draw. Reactions to the draw were mixed, as some anglers were clearly happier with their positions than others. A notable moment of teamwork came when several members helped Craig transport his gear across a difficult stretch of soft sand and shingle to a distant peg—an effort that did not go unnoticed.

Once lines hit the water at 6pm, early signs were encouraging, with fish being caught on first casts for some competitors. As the match progressed, conditions became more challenging. The sea grew choppier, making it difficult to hold bottom and leading to a few tangles between neighbouring anglers.

In Zone A, Raymond “Fish Whisperer” McCann showed strong form, steadily catching fish and appearing to unlock the right bait and rig combination. He was closely followed by consistent performances from Fra, Paul, Gavin Mahaffy, and Yuki, who ultimately topped the zone with six fish for 212 points. Meanwhile, some anglers, including Ally and Craig, struggled to get off the mark despite their efforts.

Zone B saw mixed fortunes, with two anglers retiring early due to the tough conditions. David Rainey made the most of his end peg, delivering an outstanding performance with 11 fish for 258 points to win the zone. Andrew McCallion and Marc Wilson followed in second and third, respectively, while others, including Andy and the two “Stevies,” enjoyed moderate success.

The match concluded at 11pm, with anglers returning to shore for results and well-earned refreshments. Thanks were extended to those who assisted fellow members and contributed to the post-match atmosphere, including the provider of the ever-popular cream buns.

On the night, 15 anglers competed, catching flounder, turbot, and dogfish. The biggest fish was a 27cm flounder landed by Stephen McGarrell. Despite challenging conditions, the event proved competitive, social, and rewarding for those who adapted best.

A full report and more photos can be viewed on the Ulster Krakens SAC Facebook Page.

 

Close Contest at latest Leinster Coarse Fishing Federation Match

By
Shane O'Reilly
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This post was compiled from angling reports shared on the Leinster Coarse Fishing Federation Facebook page:

The Leinster Federation fished their ‘Open’ match today on the Royal Canal around Enfield. Tench, Bream, Hybrids, Roach and perch were the order of the day. Great battle between Sean and Donal to take the honours on pegs 1 & 3, with only 8ozs between them.
 
Results as follows:
1st……Sean Ward……………..15.11.
2nd…..Donal McGuirk……….15.03.
3rd……Colin Oliver…………….12.13.
 

A full report and more photos can be viewed on the Leinster Coarse Fishing Federation Facebook Page.

 

Entry open for King Of The Canal / Frank Holding Memorial Match 2026.

By
Shane O'Reilly
-

The King of the Canal / Frank Holding Memorial Match 2026, hosted by Sensas Ireland, marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of the much-loved Liverpool angler Frank Holding. Held in his memory, this prestigious event has become a standout fixture in the Irish match fishing calendar and remains the largest annual canal competition in the country. It continues to attract visiting anglers while showcasing the excellent fishing available on the Grand Canal and supporting local businesses in the area.

Entries are now open for this year’s competition, which promises another enjoyable and competitive day. Organisers aim to provide fair fishing conditions for all, with plans to use a productive stretch of canal not previously included in the event. The match also offers anglers a valuable opportunity to prepare for upcoming festivals in Edenderry and Enfield.

A range of prizes will be available, including awards for the top five anglers, optional super pools, heaviest tench, a mystery weight prize, and even a light-hearted “worst draw” trophy. All participants will receive Sensas groundbait, and the match will feature five-peg sections, with €50 payouts per section to give everyone a strong chance of success.

The event takes place on Saturday, 30th May 2026, with the draw and presentation hosted at Larkins Bar & Lounge. Breakfast will be available on the morning, and anglers are encouraged to support the venue, which will also provide food after the match.

Fishing runs from 1pm to 6pm, with an entry fee of €30 and an optional €30 super pool. Open to anglers of all abilities, early booking is required to ensure proper peg allocation.

Canal Match Delivers Strong Weights and Big Tench Haul

By
Shane O'Reilly
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This post was compiled from angling reports shared on the Monasterevin & Daingean Match Anglers Facebook page:

The second Monasterevin & Daingean Match Anglers match of the year on the canal proved to be a very successful and enjoyable event, marked by strong catches of tench and bream throughout the stretch. It was especially encouraging to see new faces and junior anglers participating and landing fish, highlighting the importance of fostering the next generation of anglers. Their development, supported by the knowledge and guidance of experienced members, bodes well for the future of the club.

Fishing conditions were clearly favourable, with quality fish—many reaching up to 4lb—being caught across multiple pegs. Drawn on the end peg, Richie Keegan of M&D Match Anglers capitalised on his position, landing an impressive 10 tench along with 4lb of silvers. His total weight of 22lb 6oz secured him a well-deserved first place.

Tommy Burke, secretary of the Edenderry club, quickly adapted his approach after noticing early action from other anglers. Switching his focus to tench paid off, as he landed eight and finished second with 18lb 1oz. On the opposite end peg, Belfast angler Jeffrey Walker delivered a standout performance in an area not typically known as a hotspot. Matching Burke with eight tench and adding a skimmer, he secured third place with 17lb 6oz.

The rest of the field also produced solid weights, reflecting the overall quality of the match. Section winners included Ken Dingley (A), Joe Nolan (B), Stefan Dorneanu (C), and Sam Albicker (D).

Special thanks were extended to all who helped prepare the venue, with particular appreciation for Kuba, whose repeated efforts ensured the swims were in top condition. Overall, it was a well-run and rewarding match for all involved.

A full report can be viewed on the Monasterevin & Daingean Match Anglers Facebook Page.
 

Irish angling Update 🎣 01 May 2026

By
Myles Kelly
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It was too good to be true. The sunny weather of the weekend faded away for some, but for others it was washed away fairly dramatically in Thursday’s rains. It felt warm at times last week and there has definitely been a step forward in the season, whitethorn is blooming, the trees are looking greener, fly hatches are getting bigger, fish are feeding well (at times)…

We have a few salmon reports to get the Update started this week. On the Moy, three spring salmon to 12lb were caught and released on the Foxford Salmon Anglers water and the East Mayo Anglers Association reported two fish to 10lb. Lough Curanne in Kerry saw another couple of springers caught and staying in Kerry, anglers had another couple of fish on the Laune as water levels dropped.

“The fly is up!“

News just in from Lough Corrib is that “the fly is up!”. April hasn’t been plain sailing for Corrib anglers, but last week saw good reports coming in from all over the lake, and with Mayfly on the menu in the last couple of days the fishing should really heat up over the weekend. Anglers fishing Lough Conn’s Devaney Cup didn’t have an easy time of it, catching mostly undersized trout in difficult conditions. However, they report seeing small hatches of mayfly, and water levels are starting to drop, so there is an expectation that fishing will improve there too. Eighty boats were out on Lough Arrow on Sunday for the Stream Development Competition. It started damp but turned into a lovely day, especially for Ciaran Reilly who took first place with a trout of 570mm.  We cross the country from west to east where the Dublin Trout Anglers Association had a hugely successful Anna Livia Trophy on Bohernabreena Reservoir. Record sizes and numbers of trout were caught, the biggest being Fran Nugent’s 3.315lb fish. Southward now to the River Nore where the bit of heat saw better hatches of Olives and March Browns last week. Most fish were still coming to nymphs, but they were starting to come to the dry fly too.

Innovative lure maker, Artem Novikov, crafted a unique caster lure which he used to great effect on tench. Fishing over groundbait he caught 4 tench between 45cm and 47cm.  The final match in the 25th Munster Team of Four was won by Munster Polish Team at Ballyshunnock at the weekend. The winners of the League overall were once again Oaklands Blue, who also took the honours last year. The CM Lakelands Feeder Club fished the Dromore system.  Brenton Sweeney fished 3 lines, 18 metres, 33 metres and 40 metres to catch 120 roach for 5.790 kg, best on the day. The club also announced the dates and venues for their new event, the CM Lakelands Open Cup.

Blue skies and bright sunshine made for tough pike fishing in the 4th heat of the O’Casey’s Pike Angling Club river league. Some decent fish were caught with winner Paul Reynolds catching 5 fish for 18lb 15oz. Italian anglers fishing in the Midlands area put down a couple of hard days last week before the pike switched on and they started catching. With a few fish over 1m landed they returned to Italy happy anglers in the end. In the Longford area French pike anglers fished the fly for pike. They endured some windy conditions which were not the best suited to fly fishing but managed a good number of fish over their holiday.

Our saltwater reporting starts off the Clare coast where charter skipper Sean Maguire is back fishing on his Boat Isle of Aran. His crew, over the the USA, caught a good mix of pollack, some good coalfish and some mackerel were also putting in an early appearance. Galway Bay skipper, John Fleming was also back in action this week. Sunny weather made for a fun day out and the crew had some nice pollack, wrasse and a few early mackerel. Canadian angler, Mark Dunlevey reports on his trip out on with Donegal’s Northwest Charters. Catching pollack, coalfish and wrasse he enjoyed the kind of day that makes your shoulders ache and your heart race. We finish our coastal round up with the Killybegs Mariners who had some fine shore angling over the weekend with spotted rays,  thornback rays, a mix of flats and some sea trout caught and released.

And now the weather

Continuing mixed with spells of rain and showers over the Bank Holiday weekend. Temperatures will also trend cooler.

Saturday will bring a good deal of cloud and scattered showers. Showers will turn heavy, through the afternoon and evening, especially in Connacht, Ulster and the midlands with isolated thunderstorms possible. Slightly cooler with highest temperatures of 12°C to 16°C and light southerly breezes.  Much the same on Sunday but eh winds, light, will shift to the northeast. It will be drier and a little cooler on Monday in light to moderate northerly breezes.

I’ve seen worse forecasts, and there are no weather warnings in place at the time of writing, so get out and go fishing. Just don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines this May Bank Holiday weekend, especially here in Ireland.

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to [email protected]. 

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Mayfly up on Corrib

By
IFI Staff
-

April was a tough month on Corrib, with a fair bit of windy weather, rain and cold temperatures. Despite that, there were some good days when wetfly fishing proved very effective.

Conditions didn’t really suit buzzer fishing for much of the month, but when it did those tactics produced some nice fish. Dry olives also produced on those days when good hatches and suitable conditions combined. Fishing guide Kevin Molloy of Baurisheen Bay Boat Hire reports that wetfly fishing was good later in the month to olive and claret patterns, but mayfly patterns are doing well this week as hatches get going. Earlier in the month, trolling was quite productive. A French family he had out fished for 2 days and had 4 fish the first day, and 2 on the second including a nice ferox of 5lbs+.

Olivier, Joseph and Andrii Azpitarte with their catch

A US pair had 3 fish on another day. With the mayfly starting to appear, Scottish angler Dave Gordon fished mayfly patterns and had some nice trout.

Over the past week, we have had some lovely sunshine and calmer weather. The sunshine has improved water temperatures somewhat, and hatches of mayfly have started to appear. The last couple of days have seen some pretty big hatches, and I saw great numbers of mayfly in the Doorus area yesterday, with trout up and feeding on them when it wasn’t lashing rain! Tom Doc Sullivan (www.tomdoc.com) says wetfly fishing has been very good on some days. JJ Lawlor from Croom, Co. Limerick fished with sons Mark, Shane and Peter and they had a great day on dabbler patterns, landing 16 trout including a good few in the 2-3lbs range.

There have been good reports from other areas of the lake too. Paul Heaney from Corrib Anglers reports on fishing in mid-lake, which he says has been fishing very well over the past week. “Despite bright blue skies wet fly fishing has been good. Several visiting anglers have reported buzzer fishing has been trying at times with long periods of no activity before netting trout. As one angler described it ” one fish in the morning,one at lunchtime and one in the evening”. On the wets the olive mayfly appeared to be doing the business and one Cork angler reported a Bibio on the point caught him two fish.

On Thursday, the weather changed dramatically. Overcast sky, rain and temperatures around ten degrees. But the good news is there have been plenty of good hatches of mayfly and olives, and one visiting angler to whom I just spoke has already had seven good trout including what he described as ” two big lumps”. After a quick cuppa he has gone back out and why the hell not!

Larry McCarthy of Corrib View Lodge and Angling Services says that April was a tough month weather-wise, but fishing was good in shelter from the constant westerly winds. Duckfly continued hatching for the first two weeks, overlapping with good olive hatches, and this provided good fishing. Larry reports the mayfly is up now, but trout are still feeding on olives mostly. Buzzer fishing has also been good for his guests over the past week.

 

Go fishing…

Lough Corrib

 

Good early season fishing in West Clare

By
IFI Staff
-

Skipper Sean Maguire is back fishing, and he had a couple from Indiana, USA out with him last week. On a lovely spring day, they had a good mix of pollack, some good coalfish and some mackerel were also putting in an early appearance.

Coalfish

Go Fishing

Isle of Aran

Fishing Adventures on Séan Maguire’s Isle of Aran, a Lochin 33 charter boat which operates 15 miles from Kilbaha, Carrigaholt, and Kilrush.

Whether you want to go to the Atlantic Ocean for a large selection of species, including different types of shark, or fish the estuary for ray conger tope etc., Fishing Adventures will cater for whatever fishing you desire.
Telephone: +353 (0) 877508758 or +353 (0) 894431182
Email: [email protected] Web: www.fishingadventures.ie

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