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Tomasz Ekert reports that the bass were hitting his lures hard around the Dingle Peninsula on Saturday. It was a great result for Tom who to wait until Thursday, 11 April to get his first bass of the Spring having had a fairly productive month in March (given the conditions!).
Tom's first bass of April on lure
His catch on Saturday included a couple of mullet that ended up being foul hooked. One of this fish gave Tom’s heart a turn as he thought he was into a 15lb bass!
One of Saturday's bass from the Dingle Peninsula
Tom runs a great blog dedicated to Catch and Release of bass around the Dingle Peninsula at
Kevin Crowley reports on the salmon angling at the The Galway Salmon Weir Fishery…
Water levels have been at one gate for the last week, but have risen again following heavy rain, despite the lake remaining at summer level, and the OPW have opened another gate on the weir. With conditions so good for flyfishing, it was no surprise that most fish taken over the last 2 weeks were taken on fly.
Liam Dunne took a nice 9lbs fish on fly, as did Seamus Nee. Padraic Doherty fished over 2 days and landed 2 springers of 8 and 9lbs on shrimp, while Leo casey landed a fine 13.5lbs fish on fly. Sean O’Toole landed a 10.5lbs fish on shrimp, and Jim Barry took a 9lbs fish on fly. John Connolly rounded off the catch with a fine 13.5lbs salmon taken on fly.
Salmon are moving upriver on every tide at the moment, and while catches have been moderate, anglers have met plenty of fish. Unless levels rise substantially, conditions look very good for the coming weeks as the spring run begins in earnest.
Kevin Crowley IFI Galway
Make a booking
Applications for rod bookings should be made before the start of the season on February 1st by mail, fax or e-mail to:
The Manager, Galway Fishery, Nun’s Island, Galway.
Tel. +353-91-562388 Fax +353-91-562930
E-mail: shartgalfish@eircom.net
For information: The Galway Salmon Weir Fishery
14 lb brown trout caught by Sean Reynolds at Ashford Bay, Lough Corrib on Tuesday the 9th of April and safely returned.
Kevin Crowley reports on Lough Corrib…
Reports from Corrib have been slow to come in so far, but stormy conditions have restricted angling somewhat, and the Oughterard Development 50 competition was curtailed to one day, with conditions on Sunday proving unsafe. First prize on Saturday went to Mike Coyne and Tommy Carroll, with 5 trout for 4.335kgs. The second team was Kevin Molloy and Mike Faherty, with 3 trout for 3.775kgs, and third were Jim Glynn and Willie Molloy, with 3 trout for 3.635kgs.
Pat Feerick landed the heaviest trout, a nice fish of 1.755kgs. Overall 30 anglers fished, recording 36 trout over the limit for a total weight of 31.655kgs.
The previous week, the Garda West club held a competition, with Seamus Kelly taking top honours with 2 trout for 7lbs. Peter McGovern was second, with a fine trout of 4lbs, and Paddy Tierney was third, with a trout of 3.5lbs.
14 lb brown trout caught by Sean Reynolds at Ashford Bay, Lough Corrib on Tuesday the 9th of April and safely returned.
This week, very few rods have been out in the stormy conditions, but with the stormy conditions has come much milder temperatures, and once the wind drops I would expect to hear of many more anglers venturing out.
On Mask, Ronan Cusack reports that the welcome increase in air temperatures and change in wind direction this week has certainly been reflected in both the fishing and the number of anglers seen out on Lough Mask. Good hatches of the long awaited duckfly have been reported in the usual hot spots throughout the week.
Ballinrobe angler Noel Moran had a lively day’s fishing, landing and returning 5 good fish for a day on small wets (best fish 2.5lbs). Kevin Egan, also from Ballinrobe, fished for a few hours on the same day and he had 3 fish for 5.5lbs.
Greg O’Donoghue, Ballinrobe, had 4 cracking trout for 12lbs fishing nymphs from the shore on Wednesday last. Roy Simpson and his angling partner Barry from Northern Ireland fished on Wednesday last and they had 2 nice fish on buzzer (best fish 2lbs, both returned). Connor O’Mahony, Partry, had 4 fish for a day on wets this week.
Liam Conroy from Tourmakeady had 2 fish on Saturday (best fish 1.75lbs, both returned). Declan Murphy from Ballinrobe fished buzzer for a few hours on Friday and he had 2 nice fish including a fine trout of 3.5lbs (both returned).
For a great day out come to this year’s Twaite Shad fishing competition which takes place on Sun 5th May 2013
Registration is from 1-2pm On The Quay St Mullins. Competition Starts at 2pm Finished at 6pm
Contact:
Martin O’Brien
Secretary
St Mullins Angling Club
The Old Grain Store Self-catering Cottages
The Mullicháin Café
On the Quay
St Mullins
Via Graiguenamanagh
Co Carlow Telephone: O51 424440 or Moblie: 087 2584663 Web: www.oldgrainstorecottages.ie E-mail: martinobrien1@gmail.com
Declan McNulty, Swinford, with his fine catch weighing 15.5lbs
The new moon of last week heralded a welcome change in wind direction and temperature in the region, which brought rain and increased enthusiasm to salmon anglers. This resulted in a surge in catch reports from the Moy, with twelve salmon reported for the week.
The previous week (ending 7th April) also yielded some good catches, with three reported from the Ballina Salmon Anglers’ water in Ballina Town. Here, Peter McHugh landed one of 9lbs; Anthony McHale recorded a good fish of 12lbs while Kevin Langdon took a great 15lbs springer upstream of the Salmon Weirs (all on worm).
Three fish were reported from Gannons’ Fishery including one of 9lbs taken on a spinner by Geoff Wiles. At the Cloongee Fishery, Brendan McCusker landed one of 10lbs on worm. The East Mayo Anglers’ water yielded one for Paul McGrath on the fly, weighing 8.5lbs.
In the past week, Ballina Salmon Anglers’ water again yielded three, where Declan Gannon had success, as did John Fitzpatrick, who landed one of 8lbs to the worm. Gannons’ Fishery reported one for the week as did Armstrongs’, where Tom Kane, N. Ireland, had a salmon of 6.5lbs on worm.
The East Mayo Anglers’ water recorded 5 fish for the week, one of which was released. Visiting angler Vincent Prior, France, had success while spinning, landing two fish of 9lbs and 11.5lbs. Aiden Sheridan, Kiltimagh, took one of 7lbs on fly. However, Declan Mc Nulty, Swinford, recorded the best catch of the week, a great fish of 15.5lbs, caught on worm.
Declan McNulty, Swinford, with his fine catch weighing 15.5lbs
The major change in weather has also greatly improved angling on Lough Beltra, where eight salmon were caught recently. On Thursday past, Beltra West produced two salmon of 6lbs and 7lbs while the following day, three weighing 6lbs, 11lbs and 12lbs were recorded. At Beltra East on Friday 12th, David Edis boated one of 11lbs at the ‘Strand’ and moved three others. Vincent Rigney had success with the Green Peter, landing one of 9lbs at the ‘Forestry’ while Jackie Deffley took one of 10lbs at the corner of Walsh’s.
Lough Conn and Cullin Anglers hosted the Joe Moffatt Memorial Cup on Lough Conn recently. Twenty-seven participated in the competition which saw 12 trout measured in total. In first place on the day with three trout for 1.98kg was Michael Monaghan, in second was Mick Dunne with two for 1.69kg and third was Joe Ferguson with one of 1.45kg.
Despite varied conditions over the past 10 days with a dirty flood at the weekend the river continues to produce good sport for those who persevere including some beautifully sealiced springers. Fish have now been caught on most lower river beats where angling activity has been concentrated. The fish are still not showing in the cold water. I am sure if the up stream beats were out in force there would be fish to be caught.
Mossy Brown playing a good fish
Mossy Brown accounted for his first Slaney springer on Monday despite a fairly dirty flood. The circa 15lber took a very large Willie Gunn fished deep.
Mossy Brown with a fine 15lb salmonMossy gives the salmon a chance to recover and off it goes
2 fish were caught on Clohamon on the same day and here is one of three caught by Anthony Doran of Enniscorthy on Tuesday. 2 more were caught today.
Anthony Doran from Enniscorthy
Not everyone has been as lucky -Marcus Saunders all the way from Tasmania was on the river early last week when it was “gin clear” and drew a blank.
Marcus Saunders from Tasmania catches the sunlight but not the fish
