On Sunday week November 17th Derravaragh Anglers will host their Christmas pike competition. Also that day the Moffat Cup is up for grabs. There is a lot of interest in these competitions, and you are advised to book a boat well in advance if you are not bring your own boat. The competition will be fished out from Donore Shore weather permitting, and boat hire avaible from Karl on 085-8003525. More on this in next weeks Angling Focus.
Joe and Jason McDermott with winning pike from Boderg
Another local club making waves in the Angling World is Midland Pike Anglers. These Jolly Anglers love their day out, and last Sunday hosted an open boat pike competition on Lough Boderg. Its a fantastic venue for competitions, and there is brilliant launching area with plenty of parking, and toiled facilities at Dromod Harbour where we launched.
Midland Pike Anglers were certainly blessed weather wise, as Saturday was a howler with gales force winds and savage heavy rain. On Sunday we were greeted with ideal fishing weather, and the Boderg pike took the bait on the day. Ballymahon piker Mick Dalton was just piped for 1st place as Joe McDermott and nephew Jason rattled the scales with a pike of 17lbs 3oz. Mick had a super pike of 15lbs early in the Morning to take 2nd place and Marty Cusworth finished 3rd with 13lbs 6oz.
Joe and Jason McDermott with winning pike from Boderg
I teamed up with brother J.J. and we had a super Morning session boating 4 pike best over 9lbs, but could not interest a Boderg pike after lunch. Mullingar Piker Barry Darby hit he scales with a 12lbs 10oz pike for 4th place, and Johnny Corcoran and daughter Alanis were also in the thick of the action. Midland Pike Anglers hope to run another competition before Christmas so watch this space for details.
Angling guide Michael Flanagan reports from the river Inny:
Glore Anglers are one of our most active clubs here in the Midlands, and regularly hold competition across the Midlands. On their most recent Angling Adventure the Glore Anglers drifted along the mighty River Inny, and banked some lovely pike. Top Rod was Peter Smith a with a cracking River pike of 14lbs 13oz, 2nd place was Michael Rispin with another good double of 10lbs, and Joe O, Donnell finished 3rd on the day with 2lbs 10oz. Its some time since I ventured to Lough Glore and now with water levels well up, I hope to venture down the Glore River and spend a day there.
Halloween or Samhain as it is more correctly known is about to be celebrated by adults and children alike, the width and breadth of this country and further afield.
The Last Cast with Jarlaith Gallagher
October 31 was reputedly the old Celtic New Years Eve, and our ancestors looked forward to the days lengthening again on the Winter solstice on December 21. So I would like to wish all readers a very happy Halloween.
October 31, is also the last day of the trout fishing season on Lough Rowan and a very successful season it was for many club members. It is now time to hang up the fly rods until March 1, but as one rod goes up another shall come down as the Pike season opens in earnest once again on the lake. Last season saw some amazing fish caught and I expect this year to be even better. I still maintain that the 30 lb record shall be broken and will help put Lough Rowan on the map as the premier mixed fishery in the northwest!….
Irish Times - Galway hooker Toby Bradshaw from Galway with a trout of 5.5kg (12lb) caught on Lough Sheelin on a Green Peter .
AS WITH a good wine, it was worth waiting for. The penultimate, ex- tended, week of the game-angling season witnessed two of our finest trout fisheries in counties Kerry and Cavan produce record-breaking trout.
On Lough Currane in Waterville, Paul Lawton from Cork caught and released a fantastic hen sea trout of 6.69kg (14.75lb) fly-fishing at the Black Rocks near Tub Island with local angler Liam Ellis and Peter Muldoon, from Cork. The fish was 89.5cm long with a girth of 45cm.
This is a new record for Currane, superseding the 6.04kg (13.31lb) specimen caught by UK angler Sean Smith in 2011…..
The 1st of the winter league qualifiers is on this Sunday the 3rd November at 11am. All places are booked up at this stage and the lake will be closed from the 31st in preparation. Details will follow of the dates of the next two qualifiers
Organiser Michael Drinan presenting Knockaderry Perpetual trophy to winner Brian Brennan
The Knockaderry Perpetual Trophy competition was held on Sat Oct. 26th and was attended by 39 anglers who caught and returned 39 rainbow trout. The largest was 49 cms. Brian Brennan from the hosting club WATERFORD City and County Trout Anglers Association, was the winner with four fish.
Organiser Michael Drinan presenting Knockaderry Perpetual trophy to winner Brian BrennanChristy Crotty receives prize from Michael
Michael Drinan organized and obtained sponsorship for the competition and would like to thank his main sponsor Airflow. All anglers who caught fish received a prize. Refreshments were served in Donohue’s pub at the prize giving. This was greatly appreciated as conditions were wet and rough due to the approaching gale.
Junior prize winner Luke DonahueTom Connolly Chairman WCACTA with Julie Jerry
Michael’s own club, Dunbullogue and District Anglers, ran a competition within a competition and this was won by Tom Foley, beating Carl Owens by 1cm! Such was the success of the Knockaderry Cup competition that next year it will be a two day event in order to accommodate all the anglers who wished to take part. I would like to thank all our members who worked with the two Michaels to make the day so memorable. and next year we will try and accommodate all the anglers who applied.
Mike Twohig with prizeMichael with an appreciation for the LadiesKnockaderry – Prizes
Report compliment of:
David Tantrum,
Secretary of Waterford City and County Trout Angling Association
FLY FISHING ON KNOCKADERRY CARRIGAVANTRY BALLYSCANLON
Carrigavantry – This 30 acre reservoir is hidden in the hills behind Tramore. The lake can be fished from the dam and road and the rest of the lake shore needs waders. The deepest part is the island at 10 feet.Prolific hatches of lake olives and damsels occur. Stocking is with both browns and rainbows. You could loose your catch here to a 20lb Pike!
Knockaderry – The deepest part of the lake is 24 feet at the dam tower, the average depth is 6ft and this results in good weed growth. Trout fatten fast in this fertile water on caddis, snails and stickle backs, while lake olives,buzzers sedges and damsels bring on prolific rises. This 80 acre reservoir is a traditional top of the water drift fishery.
New members are welcome and an active programme of fly tuition is pursued to encourage beginners and get our youth out into the countryside.
THE IRISH FLY FAIR & ANGLING SHOW 2013
This Show will feature the largest host of fly dressers and game angling stands under one roof in Ireland ever at an angling show. A host of the greatest fly tyers fly casters and angling celebrities from all over the globe will once again gather at the Galway Bay Hotel, in Salthill to participate in the 4th Irish Fly Fair and International Angling show. On the 9thand 10th of November. Visitors come from all over the world to this celebrated event and will have the opportunity to see some of the finest fly dressers from around the world practice their art , while champion fly casters will be available to demonstrate and advise on fly casting techniques and fishing tactics.
Last year’s Irish Fly Fair saw some of the greatest fly casters and fly tyers in the world descend on The Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill, the show was a fantastic success with many of the fly dressers, demonstrators, exhibitors and tackle trade rebooked for this year’s event. With thousands of visitors to the show the feedback was exceptionally positive, with many saying it was the best angling show they have ever been to! The tackle trade will be very well represented at this year’s event with quality trade stands in form of tackle, outdoor clothing, and fly tying gear and many others, something for everyone! The event organizer well known angler Stevie Munn would like to welcome back angling celebrities, Hywel Morgan, Glenda Powel, and Peter O’Reilly who will be demonstrating and advising on all aspects of fly fishing! We also would like to welcome our new guests including, fishing legend Charles Jardine. We also have tuition from qualified angling instructors APGAI who will give free casting and fly tying lessons during the two day exhibition. Experts from the Inland Fisheries Ireland, Dr Ken Whelan, FISSTA and many more will be hosting talks and seminar on various angling related topics. Also the “Youth Fly Tying Competition” giving the kids a chance to show the “Pro Fly Dressers” what they can do and also a Fly Tying in Focus Theatre. The Irish Fly Fair has already been hailed as one of the finest shows of its kind in Europe, a great weekend to meet up with old friends and make new ones! This show is a must for all Angling enthusiasts. Special rates for angling clubs and accommodation can be found on the Irish Fly Fair web site.
This is the undisputed best Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Show in all of Ireland, and one not to be missed. In one of Galway’s best Hotels, many visitors come for the weekend and experience the whole atmosphere of the show. Please come along and give it your support angling needs feel good events like this. For more details see web. www.irishflyfair.com or contact Stevie Munn. Email, [email protected]
This week saw a change in our weather with some very cold nights bringing water temperatures down, but day time temperatures are still unseasonably mild for this time of year. This change however meant there were fewer anglers out fishing in the past week and most of those were pike fishing.
There was little coarse fishing to report last week but there was some excellent sport for good sized perch at several venues mainly on lures. Anglers pike fishing on Lough Ennell caught very good perch on a variety of lures fishing with angling guide Michael Flanagan.
Rudy Heymans from Belgium wins Catch of the Week with a nice pike over a metre
There were reports of some good pike along with Perch reported from the section sections of the canal in the midlands taken on lures. On Lough Derravarragh the local club had a competition for the Murtagh Cup and Liam Gilsenan caught a lovely fish of 15 lb. 6 oz. on a lure to win the trophy. The Newgrange anglers were out on venues in Monaghan at the weekend and they enjoyed plenty of sport with Darragh O’ Nell winning the day with four pike. Stephen from France had a cracking good day’s fishing with angling guide Richie Johnson on a midland lough taking some lovely pike on lures. Parties of Dutch and Belgium anglers fished with Kevin Lyons at Melview Lodge during the week on the River Shannon and several loughs. The fishing was superb with anglers landing fish on lures, Jerk baits and deadbaits and Rudi Heymans from Belgium caught a great pike of 106 cms. (well over 20 lb.) which was released after a quick photo. Ronny wins our Catch of the Week for the best pike reported this week. In this week’s update there are details of upcoming pike competitions held this weekend and indeed most weekends during the winter season.
Bass fishing is still going well mainly in the south east of the country and Tomasz Ekert certainly caught some lovely fish along with Pollack while fishing off the shore. Along the east coast in the Drogheda area, there was some more bass recorded along with some nice turbot and rockling. There was good news for boat anglers fishing the east where charter skipper Kit Dunne took possession an Offshore 105 to go along with his other boat Lisin. Kit is available all year round for a trip out from Wicklow as the weather allows.
There was some fine rainbow trout reported in the last week at Carrigavantry in Co. Waterford all on fly. At the Carton House Fisheries, there was good sport for young anglers fishing for rainbow trout on the Sheet of Water. There were similar reports of good rainbow fishing at the Curragh Springs Fishery near Newbridge.
In coming weeks when water temperatures will decline further, I expect the pike fishing in particular to get even better on many of our fisheries.
Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Paul Bourke Angling Information Officer
Catch, Photo, Release
If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].
Was the blue shark fishing out of Cork Harbour all it was cracked up to be this year? Have a look at this video by Jim Clohessy and make your own mind up…
“Shark fishing from small angling boats is superb! Climb aboard SKUA and get a flavour of the blue shark fishing to be had off Cork Ireland…..it’s great craic, great sport fishing.
Make sure to switch to HD and enjoy.
Thanks for watching!”
