Lough Sheelin

Angling Report

By Brenda Montgomery, IFI

April 22nd – April 28^th

The trouble with fishing is that it is always better before you got there, and after you left.
~Unknown

^{Holywell, Lough Sheelin}

Danny Murray with his 7 lb trout caught on April 22^nd using a silver dabbler

Temperatures were good throughout the week hovering around the 12 – 15 degrees and although there is still no fly life worth talking about this lake is fishing well. Anglers report sporadic pitching of trout and hatching of buzzer but the weather is ‘knocking them on the head’. Monday and Tuesday were particularly good with our local ghilling services (loughsheelinguidingservices.com) making it all look so easy with their anglers pulling in 4 and 7 trout averaging 3 to 7lbs. Temperatures dropped to an overnight of 2 degrees on Friday and heavy showers of rain and hail with fresh gusty northwest winds dominated the weekend switching Sheelin’s fishing to challenging once more and freezing the daylights of anglers in the process.

The weekend was a struggle, a few may shucks were seen but they didn’t look fresh and no sight of an olive or a decent buzzer on either days. One trout that was spooned was stuffed to the gills with snails and zebra mussels so that gives us a strong indication as to what the trout are feeding on.

Sheelin is proving to be unpredictable as on days in areas when the wave suited perfectly nothing was happening in the drifts. Goreport, the Sailors Garden and around the Bog Bay appear to be the places were the fish are being caught with Michael Polin from Lurgan and Peter Boyle, Monaghan landing 5 trout between them the heaviest at almost 5lbs, all on the claret dabbler. The dabblers (peter ross, green and claret) are still in the lead with the sooty olives, silver invictas, march browns featuring as are the minkies, stimulators and humongous. A few new flies are appearing namely the Johnson, black pennell, blae & black and william’s favourite ……..dry fly fishing is not happening yet and it’s all down to the weather. It is hard not to become impatient as compared to last year some anglers were actually dapping the mayfly…this is undoubtedly going to be a late season for our mayfly and fishing rods crossed when the mayfly does appear it’s going to be the best ever.

Michael Pollin, Lurgan opened up his season on Sheelin with this beautiful 5 lb 1 oz trout which fell to a claret dabbler in Chambers Bay

Pat Gallagher with his 3 lb trout caught on a sooty olive and quickly returned

The Johnson’s Fancy

Garry McKiernan (loughsheelinguidingservices.com) with his 5lb trout

Gary McKiernan with his 3 ½ lb trout caught on April 23rd

The Gathering is coming to Crover House Hotel, Lough Sheelin on the weekend June 7^th, 8^th and 9^th and as part of this the LSTPA are organizing a trout fly fishing competition on Lough Sheelin on Friday June 7^th finishing up with a Bar B Q and awarding of prizes. Full details of this event will follow in the next weeks.

The popular Sheelin Classic trout competition now in its 9th year will be run on Lough Sheelin on Sunday June 9th 2013 – 11am to 6pm. This is a heaviest fish competition with a 15” size limit and only 2 fish per competitor.

This competition will involve an open draw for partners and entries must be in by May 31st. Entry fee is €70 for a boating angler and €90 a non-boating angler. Entry fee includes a meal in Crover House after the competition

There will be numerous prizes (up to 10) which include:

1^st 19ft Sheelin boat & trailer & crystal & the coveted Davey O’Connor perpetual cup

2^nd 5 hp 4 stroke outboard engine & crystal

This is a competition well worth marking in your diary and because of the popularity of the Sheelin Classic and to avoid disappointment, it is advisable to secure your entry sooner rather than later by contacting Noel McLoughlin at 087 2179460 for further information

A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times

Please remember anglers to abide by BYE-LAW 790 – we need to keep our small fish alive……………

Danny Murray, Dublin releasing his 7lb trout

Heaviest trout of the week was Danny Murray’s trout of 7 lbs caught using a silver dabbler

Total number of catches recorded for the week: 56

Selection of catches:

Noel McLoughlin, Kells – 3 trout, heaviest at 2lbs, all caught using a selection of dabblers.

Danny Murray, Dublin & Gary McKiernan (loughsheelinguidingservices.com) – Monday April 22^nd 4 trout heaviest for Gary was 5lbs and for Danny an impressive 7lb, all caught on dabblers, Danny’s big fish fell to a silver dabbler.

Andrew Brown, Dublin & Gary McKiernan, Cavan (loughsheelinguidingservices.com) – Tuesday April 23^rd 7 fish in total, heaviest for Andrew was a 5 pounder and for Gary 3 ½ lbs, all landed using a selection of dabblers.

Michael Polin, Lurgan & Peter Boyle, Monaghan – 5 trout using the claret dabbler, heaviest was Michael’s at 5lb 1 oz in Goreport.

Pat Gallagher, Navan – 1 trout at 3lbs on a sooty olive.

Martin Connor, Armagh – 1 trout at 2 ½ on a dabbler

Peter Boyle, Monaghan – on Wednesday April 24^th 1 trout on a Johnson, averaged 2lbs, caught around Stoney.

Frank Kelly, Cavan – Tuesday April 23^rd, Frank caught 2 lovely trout between 4 – 6pm weighing in at 3 ½ and 4 ½ lbs off Merry pt. both fell to a peter ross dabbler.

Jack Fowler, Slane, Co.Meath – fishing with Gary McKiernan (loughsheelinguidingservices.com) caught 4 trout heaviest was 5lbs on a dabbler.

Peter Boyle fishing with Cork men Brian McGarvey and his mate William – Friday April 26^th 2 trout at 4lbs taken on an octopus at Merry and 4 ½ lbs at Leggets which took a minkie. 1 trout on Saturday April 27^th weighing in around 1 ½ lbs on a claret dabbler.

3 ½ lb trout caught by Andrew Brown on a small duck pattern on Saturday April 27th

Brenda Montgomery IFI