The weather is playing havoc with the fishing on Lough Sheelin which is disappointing considering that we are fast approaching what would be considered controversially as the ‘most exciting’ fishing time in the angling calendar on this lake – the Mayfly season.

The first mayfly has officially been sighted on the lake but the numbers are mere handfuls spotted around Crover, Chambers and the Stoney islands from last Friday onwards but its early days and the weather is not tempting to this special fly.

On a number of days last week the only action on the lake was the welcome return of the swallows skimming the water for flies down on the Crover shore.

Bitter easterly winds swept the lake during the week particularly on Sunday when it was felt with certainty that there was ‘ice in the wind’, frosts on most nights with temperatures dipping below zero and showers of hail all added up to seriously challenging fishing conditions.  But despite all this Sheelin’s anglers soldiered on and some nice catches were reported.

There were good hatches of olives and also of buzzer particularly in Corru.  In general it was noticed that trout rose maybe once or twice and then that was that. Again it was a battle against the wind with the boatman usually unable to fish as his time was spent directing the boat and continually trying to turn into a sheltered area.

Last week it was the cold that dictated the length of time anglers stayed out on the lake and even the ‘die hards’ were forced to return to the shore after relatively short periods of fishing.

The popular Sheelin Classic trout competition now in its 8^th year will be run on Lough Sheelin on Sunday June 10^th 2012 – 11am to 6pm.  There will be 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 June 1^st.  Entry fee is €65 for a boating angler and €85 for non boating, the number of boating anglers will determine the number of non boating anglers

There will be numerous prizes which include:

1^st 19ft Sheelin boat & trailer & crystal

2^nd 5 hp 4 stroke outboard engine & crystal

3^rd €54 & electric engine & crystal

Please contact Noel McLoughlin for further details @ 087 2179460

Thank you to The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association and Cavan County Council for the wonderful tarring and gravelling of the road down to Kilnahard pier.

A catch and release policy is actively encouraged on this lake.

26 fish were recorded for the week with the best trout of 5lbs caught by Gary McKiernan, Cavan using a dry buzzer on tuesday April 24th in the Bog Bay area of the lake, Gary also caught a nice 3½ lb trout on Monday also using a dry buzzer.  Both fish were in excellent condition and returned unharmed to the water.

Other catches recorded were:

Peter McArdle, Dundalk – Saturday April 28^th using a balling buzzer 2 trout at 1½ and 1¼ lbs.

Gary McKiernan, Cavan – on April 23^rd and 24^th 3 trout averaging 1¾ lbs using a dry buzzer, all caught around mid day in the Bog Bay area of the lake.

McArdle, Belfast – 1 trout at 4 lbs at the weekend, wet fly fishing.

Jack Imiling, Belgium – fishing on Kinale, Mr Imiling landed a beautiful 6lb 2oz trout on Sunday April 29^th, perhaps this one strayed out of Sheelin?

Michael Kelly, Dublin – using a dry buzzer 2 wild trout at 1½ and 3lbs in Corru on Friday April 27^th, Saturday April 28^th using wet flies 2 trout at 1 and 2lbs, both wild and in excellent condition, Sunday April 29^th 4 trout best weighed in at 2½ lbs, fishing the bottom section of the lake.