Skipper of the Leah Donal Kennedy displays a cuckoo wrasse taken on board the Leah
The group of anglers on board the Leah who enjoyed great success on Killala Bay
Skipper of the ‘Leah’, Donal Kennedy reported an excellent start to the season, with his first Charter trip of the year producing some great sport. The party, made up of a group from Dunleer and some from Foxford, departed Killala Harbor at 09.30am on Sunday, 1st April in very favorable conditions, calm seas and overcast with light northerly winds. From the first drift the anglers had success, boating some good cod and ling. This was followed with a successful day, as 15 cod up to 10lbs were boated, several ling up to 8lbs, and pollack up to 9lbs, with many around the 6lbs mark being hooked. Several fine coalfish up to 5lbs were also taken, with many smaller specimens returned. Pouting were in plentiful supply, as were some rather large mackerel and several fine cuckoo wrasse were also caught. For further information on angling in Killala Bay on board the “Leah” contact Donal Kennedy on Tel: +353 (0)96 36644, Mobile: +353(0) 868174509 or Email: [email protected].
Skipper of the Leah, Donal Kennedy, pictured with the captor of this fine cod, taken in Killala Bay on Sunday, 1st April.
Skipper of the Leah Donal Kennedy displays a cuckoo wrasse taken on board the Leah
Emy and District Anglers in Co Monaghan have stocked Emy Lough last week with over 2000 (2lb plus) brown trout. Prior to the stocking, since March a number of good trout have been netted, the largest which weighed in at 4lb. In addition to this a number at 2-3 lb have also been landed. On separate evenings last week, Emy club PRO Enda Fields took two brownies to 2lb. Both were taken on the Duck Fly.
The club have also been very active in the last week carefully cleaning rubbish from the mountain river. The river is a spawning nursery for the lake.
The club are still recruiting new members but it is important to sign up as soon as possible before this great window of opportunity closes. Trout fishing only is available on Emy Lake for holders of day tickets or season permits.
Day tickets may be obtained from Paul Gormley “ GORMLEYS SHOP” North Main Street Emyvale Telephone 047-87573 Mobile 087- 6128259 or Dick Kiernan at Venture Sports in Glaslough Street, Monaghan Town, Tel: 047- 81495 or mobile 086-8351378. Anglers become members of the club for insurance purposes on the issue of a day ticket or a season permit.
Club Volunteers at the Clean up on Emy Lough and Mountain Water
Club Members Tackling Even the Most Inaccessible Spots in the Clean Up
Same story as for other systems but with its crystal clear water and cautious trout the Cusher has tested the skills of anglers over the past few days. Without doubt those anglers well versed in French nymphing techniques at range have fared better. Resident guide Brian Russell recommends knee pads at present to make for more comfortable fishing while maintaining a low profile if you wish to get anywhere close on the fish at present. By employing these tactics it is still possible to have a satisfactory day on the River at present with plenty of fish in the 20cm to 30cm range that will succumb to well presented light nymphs at range. Stealth will ensure success unless water arrives and livens things up over Easter.
River below summer level is the cry from the upper reaches of this river where only small fish are now co-operating. But for anglers who know the whole river intimately quality fishing second to none was still available last week despite the frost. Local guide Brian Russell had a super session on a little known stretch of the river and recorded twenty fish with an average size in excess of 32cms. Olives where predominating on Saturday with small hatches of midge in selected areas. With the varying conditions and the forecasted cold weather the fishing will not be as good as it was in March but with a little local knowledge the river shouldn’t disappoint over Easter.
Sunday 1st April
Another salmon caught today on the troll by John Griffin. A nice fresh fish of 6 lbs.
The lakes are now below summer level and we fear that fishing will be slow until we get
some MORE RAIN!
John Griffin and Paddy Walsh with a 6 lb. salmon on the troll.
Thursday 29th March
Bob Priestley had a fine salmon of 10 lbs today whilst trolling in bright sun and flat calm conditions!
Its hard to admit as we are enjoying this beautiful weather, but we desperately need rain!! The lakes are now very
low and all the sreams are at or below summer level. The forcast is for a much cooler week next week with some
rain predicted for Monday – Lets hope there is enough to bring some more fresh fish into the system.
the winner Svjatoslavs Gucevics (Pike 5.96kg) second place Nerijus Spanseris (Pike 2.02kg) and third place Arturas Girgzda (Pike 2kg).
On Sunday 25th March Lough Sillan, Shercock was the venue for a pike angling competition organized by the Dublin based Lithuanian Pike Angling Club Go and Catch and the event was sponsored by Salmo Fishing Ireland. Co-ordinator Andrius Bikelis assembled 24 anglers for the 6 hour match fished in calm but very bright conditions.
In total ten Pike were landed, weighed and returned unharmed to the water. Inland Fisheries Ireland staff were on hand to observe proceedings.
The winner Svjatoslavs Gucevics (Pike 5.96kg), second place Nerijus Spanseris (Pike 2.02kg) and third place Arturas Girgzda (Pike 2kg).
Presentations were made to the top six anglers and the photo attached shows the winner Svjatoslavs Gucevics (Pike 5.96kg) second place Nerijus Spanseris (Pike 2.02kg) and third place Arturas Girgzda (Pike 2kg). The club are recently formed and when more established hope to hold further matches in the future.
31/03/12. I got up at 5.30 am to try lure fishing for bass given the calm conditions, my third attempt to get my first bass on a lure this year. It was just getting light as I made my way down to the rocks. I have never seen the sea so calm at this mark nor seen the water so clear. The sea was flat, just gently lapping on to the shore. I would have preferred to have had at least a little turbulence in the water.
I began to work my way along the shore, scanning for some sign of fish activity. Then I spotted a disturbance on the water to my right, cast a Feed Shallow across the area but after a few minutes realized it was a shoal of small mullet. However, I reckoned there might be a bass lurking about waiting to pick off the smaller fish. But after about 10 minutes the lure spooked the fish and they moved off.
I continued working my way to the east towards a small bay that has been very productive in the Summer and Autumn. I was not long there when another fish shoal appeared. I cast the Feed Shallow across them and on about the third retrieve through the crystal clear water I could see a small fish dart at the lure as it passed, it was hooked! At first I thought it must be a bass but as it lept out of the water I could see that it was a mullet. It gave a good fight for such a small fish. That spooked the shoal and they disappeared. I doubt it was trying to eat the lure as it wasn’t much bigger than the Feed Shallow, maybe it was trying to play with it or just wanted to chase it off but it must have snapped at the lure as it was hooked in the mouth.
Mullet on lure
I continued fishing in the same area, tried a few other lures and some soft plastics. Then another mullet shoal appeared. I lobbed a weedless Slug Go over the shoal and as I retrieved it through them I could see five or six fish turn and chase the lure and one was hooked under the chin. It again fought well and when I eventually got it onto the rock I realized that it was a golden grey mullet.
Golden Grey Mullet
I fished on for about another hour but there was no more activity. I guess the water was just too clear and still for bass to come close and maybe its not warm enough yet for them to readily take lures.
Fishing this week has been difficult to say the least. One would be forgiven for thinking you were on the Cote d’Azuras temperatures reached 21degrees.
The gauge on the Rock Pool is now reading 3cms; so you could say water levels are low.
It’s on weeks like this one has to sit back and enjoy Delphi for what it is, one of the most beautiful places on earth, even though blue skies and no wind are the salmon fisherman’s nightmare.
Believe it or not we did actually catch 3 fish this week, all off Doolough trolling. Hasse Dehlin had one at Cross Point on Sunday of 10lbs approx.
Stephan Boninger had a fish of approx. 8lbs on Monday from Badger Bayand Hasse Dehlin had his second on Tuesday from Weedy Bay of 7.5lbs approx.
All fish were fresh but not sea liced.
At the moment it looks like the dry weather is set to continue and the wind is to go northerly which will make fishing challenging to say the least. It may be a question of taking in the beauty once more and considering oneself lucky to be alive.
Beautiful Delphi
31/03/12 Amazing:
Just after I post a blog about the beautiful weather we are having and the dreadful fishing conditions we are having, we catch 2 fresh fish. These wonderful creatures never cease to amaze me.
Yesterday morning Yvonne Zirngibl had a sea liced fish of 5lbs7ozs on a Willie Gunn off Finlough. For those of you who can’t remember I did say the river was at 3 cms, which is an amazing level for fish to run the river at.
Marcel Dittrich then had 1 in the afternoon of approx. 7lbs off the Whin pool again on a Willie Gunn. This fish was fresh but without sea lice.
This brings our total for the year to 24.
Besides this we have a great story this weekend. It concerns a man who is visiting us at the moment. Bob Windsor was fishing the Whin pool in 1994 when he heard a funny noise in the hut. On further examination he discovered a kitten. He approached the nearest house which happened to be where I was living at the time and asked my wife Sarah who was expecting Orla was the kitten ours, which it wasn’t. He proceeded to take the kitten home with him and he named it Delphi. The cat only died last year aged 17 years and one of Bob’s tasks this weekend is to scatter Delphi’s ashes at the hut in the Whin pool.
It was only in discussion with Bob yesterday that we realised the young woman he talked to was my wife Sarah. This is definitely a story for the books.
ANGLING NOTES: NESTLING at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains lies the sleepy village of Annamoe, a hidden jewel in one of Ireland’s most scenic counties. Interesting attractions abound, including the sixth-century monastic centre at Glendalough, historic ruins and stunning landscape which attract more than one million visitors every year.. The Irish Times, 02/04/12…….Read the full article ‘Big scoop for journos’
29/03/12. First guiding day today, and what weather we’re having right now, more like mid-May with warm sunshine and temperatures touching 20c. Bill Balkovetz from the USA is a man who loves to flyfish and he and his wife Allison were on a well-deserved break here in Ireland. Bill doesn’t get to fish as often as he’d like but was as keen as mustard. We started on the Deel which was low for the time of year, and quite clear. Because of this we opted to fish upstream wet-fly and it wasn’t long before Bill was connecting with small but lively browns. We finished about 12.30am and headed back to Adare to fish the Maigue, which was also quite low but without the weed which can spoil sport and which will no doubt be well up come May. Bill continued to meet fish, this time we fished wet downstream, and it was noticeable that he also had a couple of salmon smolts, a bit early for them to be backing down towards the tide, but then again everything seems earlier this year following a very mild Winter.
