SOME of Europe’s best known angling experts will be among the star guests at the first ever Ballybunion Angling and Marine Show which takes place in the seaside town from March 23 to 25.
The Kerryman, 01/02/12. Read the article ‘Angling show aims to hook more visitors‘.
Irish eyes are really smiling this week following the success of Irish Sea Anglers at the Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival which was held on 26th, 27th and 28th January 2012. The three day event; which is in its 24th year, was fished this year on the beaches at Ballinoulart, Kilgorman and Ballinesker in Co. Wexford.
This prestigious angling festival which saw nearly 10,000 euros paid out in prizes this year persuaded sea anglers to travel from all over Ireland and the UK to challenge for the titles on offer. The 23 anglers from the United Kingdom were indeed a formidable lineup and had a number of previous World Champions and International Anglers in their ranks. These included well known anglers Alan Yates, Chris Clarke, Bill Lingfield and Gordon Thornes to name but a few and all were hoping to take home one or more of the titles.
Individual, 2 man team and 4 man team titles were all up for grabs as well as a number of pools for longest round fish, longest flat fish and a special super pool category.
Days 1 and 2 at Balinoulart and Kilgorman produced some great fishing with flounder, bass, rockling, dabs and whiting being among the species taken. Fishing was tough though and the weather also contributed to the difficult and testing conditions. The water was coloured but yet fish were taken at regular intervals by many anglers. A number of Irish anglers were well in contention going into day three and left themselves with a chance of taking one or more the three titles on offer. Among the names being mentioned for the individual title were Dublin Anglers Dave Roe and Ian Knight. Joe Byrne from Courtown was also favoured but had some ground to make up and UK International, Richard Yates was also in with a chance. In the four man team event, Martin Howlin, Dave Roe, John O’Brien and Joe Byrne, reported as one of the strongest four man teams possible, were thought to be in an unassailable position barring a disaster on the final day. In the two man team event, Joe Duggan and James Ryan were in contention, Ian Knight and Peadar Taite featured and reluctant favourites Dave Roe and Joe Byrne were also well in the running.
It was no surprise to learn that things went right down to the wire on the final day, even down to the last half hour. The last change of tactics among those in contention was critical. The final half hour saw anglers running to cast, change traces and and get fish measured, witnessed and signed off. You could feel the tension in the air.
The final results show how close it was in the individual event title. Dave Roe and Joe Byrne each shared two zone wins and a third place but Dave Roe, took the title with the better number of fish. Ian Knight from Dublin took third place in the individual event.
In the two man team event Dave Roe and Joe Byrne who fished together took the title, with Ian Knight and Peadar Taite coming in second place. Third in the two man team event were Joe Duggan and James Ryan.
As expected, the four man team of Martin Howlin, Dave Roe, John O’Brien and Joe Byrne won the title, Jack Keegan, Ian Knight, Stephen Glynn and Peadar Taite finished in second place and third place went to Alan Yates, John Wells, Clive Richards and Chris Clarke all of whom had travelled from the UK.
At the presentation in Sean Ogs Hotel in Kilmuckridge on Saturday evening, George McCullough, Chairman, European Federation of Sea Anglers Ireland congratulated all of the winners on their great results and said he looked forward to seeing them again at future events. Mr McCullough also thanked all of the Irish and travelling UK anglers for their support which contributed to the success of yet another event. He also had a special word of thanks for Stephen Glynn and Ken Forsyth for setting out the angling pegs in each of the zones and the staff and management at Sean Ogs hotel and holiday accommodation in Kilmuckridge for looking after the group yet again. Mr McCullough also thanked sponsors Viking Tackle and Malcolm Scullion from Bass Boots for their support.
Winding up the proceedings Warren Doyle, Secretary, European Federation of Sea Anglers Ireland, added his congratulations to all of the winners and said he “looked forward to the 25th Annual Festival in 2013″. Mr Doyle said ” I hope that next years 25th Anniversary event will be even bigger and better and we will do everything possible to secure the necessary funding and sponsorship to ensure that it is”. He also thanked everyone for their continued support.
William Walsh, Eastern River Basin District Director of Inland Fisheries Ireland congratulated the European Federation of Sea Anglers Ireland on yet another successful event. He then congratulated all of the winners on their achievements and all of the other participants for their efforts. He extended a warm welcome to all of the visiting anglers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland and thanked the many Irish sea anglers for their continued support for the event. Mr Walsh said, ” competitions such as the Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival play an important part in encouraging and stimulating overseas tourism. They make an important and vital contribution to local, rural and coastal communities and economies. Revenues and economic activity arising from such events are vitally important in supporting and sustaining jobs and businesses in small local and coastal communities, especially in the current economic climate and particularly at this time of year”.
ANGLING NOTES: CIARAN Reilly (aged 12) from Loughrea, Co Galway, was adjudged best all-round fly-dresser for 2012 at the Connacht Youth Fly-tying Championships in Loughrea and will captain the team in the national championships later this year.
Irish Times, 30/01/12. Read the article ‘Connacht champion‘.
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The weather has been quite mixed over the last week and despite some mild and springlike intervals strong winds and heavy rains were very much in evidence. Anglers often had to fish through difficult conditions and catches across all branches of the sport were down.
Pike anglers enjoyed the best of what fishing was going. Although catches were dominated by jacks, an occasional double moved to the baits. On Lough Ramor a 14lb pike fell to a trolled plug and at Monasterevin a dead bait proved irresistible to one pike of 9kg.
The latest match in the coarse angling Float Only Winter League was fished in blustery, mild and dry conditions on the Finn River at Annies Bridge near Clones. Heavy rain overnight caused the river to rise a foot above normal levels and flat floats were required in some sections. Although the weights were low plenty of small fish were caught, mainly on the pole.
Since producing the first Kerry salmon of the season only a few kelts and spent trout have been taken on Lough Currane. At the River Drowes 2 salmon were taken over the weekend though none were caught since.
It looks like the blustery weather will continue and there are gale and small craft warnings in place today with West to Northwest winds reaching force 6 on coasts from Howth Head to Roches Point to Erris Head. Over the weekend the cold weather of the last couple of days look set to become colder still.
Tight lines especially in Ireland,
Paul Bourke
Angling Information Officer
Catch, Photo, Release
Peter B. of Monasterevin & District Anglers Association was fishing the Grand Canal at Monasterevin last Monday 23rd of January 2012. Peter, fishing a dead bait caught a pike 42 inches (1,07m) long which he weighed at 9 kg (19 .9lb). Brian reports that the pike was nice and healthy and after a quick photo she was released back in the water safe and sound!
We were back out on Lough Ramor last week and the fishing was tough and slow but eventually we hit into a jack or two, before Noel struck into a nice fish while trolling off the back of an island but to Noel’s disappointment the fish dropped the lure straight away. Noel put the rod back in the rest and went to say something to me but before he could, his rod started hammering away in the rest.
He struck into the fish again and this time it wasn’t going anywhere. It trashed about the surface as he reeled it in and I slipped the net under to Noel’s delight, it’s not often that a fish will be so generous give you a second chance like that.
So as usual it was Catch, Photo and Release before we sent the 14lb 2oz lady back to the depths.
Anthony Greene
Top Tackle
www.toptackle.ie
(0)85 7412767
Make sure keep an eye out on our website www.toptackle.ie for all of our latest updates and special offers.
Another recent pike outing with angling guide Peadar O’Brien produced some nice sport. Peadar O’Brien and David Byrne fished recently in the Cavan area. The weather was mild enough but there was a bitterly cold breeze which disrupted the fishing. There was very little move on the fish until the breeze dropped and the air warmed in the late afternoon.
Although the bigger fish were conspicuous by their absence the smaller fish became more active as the day wore on. Even with this they did a lot of chasing and not a lot of taking. David Byrne had six fish follow to the side of the boat but the fish seemed to give up the chase at this stage. Hits , swirls and misses were the order of the day but this can also be enjoyable.
After trying a myriad of different lures at different depths it was the copper and silver spoon type baits that moved the fish but unfortunately not enough to encourage them all to get caught. But there will always be the next day!
If you fancy a guided days pike fishing with Peadar O’Brien he can be contacted at [email protected]
BEING AN all-round angler can be confusing, but it has its benefits. Closed seasons and spawning runs just do not get in the way, because throughout the calendar year there is always a species or two in prime condition to target.
New Ross Standard, 24/01/12. Read the article ‘All-rounders enjoy number of benefits‘.
WE paused to peer over the parapet of the road bridge in Newport and watch the Black Oak River discharge its load of dark, peat-stained water into the retreating tide. We knew that somewhere out there spawned salmon were already making their tired way back to the deep ocean. Battle-scarred cock fish, red-flanked and stark-eyed, are accompanied by hollow-bellied hens that cling somehow to a thread of life. These are the survivors: most of their companions have already died, while others pass their final days in a quiet backwater somewhere upriver, held fast by sheer exhaustion, with deadly fungus eating head and tail.
Mayo News, 24/01/12. Read the article ‘Fight for survival in the Black Oak‘.
The decision to set out in poor weather, coupled with limited safety instruction, led to the tragic death of a Romanian angler on Lough Mask last summer, according to a report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB). Mircea Ungur drowned after the angling boat he was in capsized in choppy waters brought on by squalling Force 8 winds on the afternoon of 8 May 2011.
Afloat, 21/01/12. Read the article ‘Limited Safety Briefing, Poor Weather Led to Death of Romanian Angler – MCIB‘.
Northern Ireland’s Lower Bann continued its recent run of breath-taking form when it threw up this 115lb roach catch to Derek Buckley.
Angling Times, 20/01/12. Read the article ‘Lower Bann produces more 100lb+ roach bags‘.
The river has thankfully continued to fall and is now reading 0.66 on the gauge at the Four Masters Bridge. This is a more desirable level than in previous weeks. A limited number of rods fished over the week with most of these fishing at the weekend. There were however two more fresh salmon caught. On Friday, B. Canney recorded a 10lb salmon caught from the Trout Pool on a Devon Minnow. On Saturday, regular rod Brian McEvoy, recorded an 8½lb salmon caught on a spinner from Lennox’s.
The forecast for the coming week is for much colder, more wintery weather with the chance of frost at night and colder daytime temperatures. This will not worry the salmon but may put of the less hardy anglers!
For info/bookings etc. on the Drowes Fishery & Lough Melvin see http://www.drowessalmonfishery.com/ or Tel: 071 9841055 (8am to 12 noon).
Meet the Dublin Angling Initiative team the Ireland Angling Show
11th-12th February 2012
National Show Centre, Dublin
Time: 10am-6pm (Sat) 10am-5pm (Sun)
Learn how to : make traces, tie fishing knots, present bait effectively, tie an artificial fly, beach and fly cast. Live fish on display. Wildlife enthusiasts are in for a treat!
