This post was compiled from angling reports shared on the South Shore SAC Facebook page:
A breezy afternoon set the scene for a Southshore competition at Arklow South Beach, a key venue on the East Coast Match Circuit. Despite seemingly poor conditions for shore angling, including small tides and bright sunshine, the beach produced strong results, with fish appearing from the first cast and anglers regularly landing doubles and trebles, mainly whiting along with some dogfish and flatfish.
In Zone A, Thomas Keogh and Jim O’Brien led a closely fought contest, with Keogh targeting higher-scoring dogfish and O’Brien consistently catching whiting. Both anglers finished with 15 fish, with Keogh taking the zone win, while Dave Cottell secured third place with 11 fish. Rob Moore also remained competitive throughout.
Zone B saw an early lead from Eamonn Bermingham, who successfully targeted dogfish at distance. However, Ciaran Fogarty soon matched and surpassed this effort, consistently landing fish to secure both the zone and overall win with 21 fish. Alby Allan staged a late surge with several double dogfish catches, finishing second in the zone with 18 fish, narrowly ahead of Bermingham.
A notable subplot involved Gordy Hardman, fishing the “Golden Peg” and opting for an unconventional approach using worm bait to target bass and flatfish. His strategy nearly paid off when he landed a 21cm dab, putting him in contention for a pool prize. However, in the closing stages, Tony Kelly landed a decisive 30cm flounder, ultimately claiming the pool and denying Hardman a significant win.
The remaining pool prize went to Dave Cottell with a 26cm whiting. Overall, the competition proved highly successful, with strong catches across both zones and impressive performances despite challenging conditions.
A full report and more photos can be viewed on the South Shore SAC Facebook page:
The Upper Erne Predator Challenge concluded for another successful year, marking its 13th edition with record participation. Due to high demand, entries were capped at 60 boats, and the growing popularity of the event allowed organisers to extend the prize fund down to 20th place.
Darren Connolly claimed first place, winning £2000 after landing an impressive 114.5cm pike early on the second day—an effort that ultimately secured an unbeatable lead. Cormac Hanna finished second with a 105cm pike, earning £1000, while Dean Connolly took third place with a strong late catch in a closely contested competition.
Improved weather conditions raised the standard, with anglers needing fish over 87cm to compete effectively; more than 25 fish exceeding this length were recorded. Junior angler Brandon Gleeson also stood out, landing a notable 98cm pike and earning special recognition.
In addition to cash prizes, the top three competitors received tackle prizes sponsored by Apex Fishing Tackle. The event’s success was supported by the efforts of Share Discovery Village, Joe McDermott, and the Upper Lough Erne Anglers Club team, whose organisation ensured the smooth running of the competition.
Overall, the event demonstrated continued growth and success, reflecting the dedication of its organisers, participants, and
Paul Waghorne is back once again on his annual angling pilgrimage to Ireland…
I’ve
never started my Irish spring campaign with that elusive ‘ton’ but last Wednesday that is exactly what I achieved. Enroute to Lanesborough, I caught 30 Tench to 4lb 11oz plus 52 Rudd on a little fished (un-named) lake near Longford.
Total Tench weight – 100lb 11oz plus about 8lb of Rudd. I weigh and release all fish individually so that total is very accurate.
A small part of Paul’s 100lb haul of tench
It maybe all downhill from now on [Hopefully not – Ed.] but I managed to add a further seven the next morning in a short two hour session before the wind made conditions on the 9m pole very difficult.
On Thursday afternoon, I arrived very tired at Lanesborough to find the water temperature an attractive 9.4°C. I didn’t fish but some friends from the Tuam area were catching Roach up to well over a pound, the best, although un-weighed was probably 1lb 8oz. Pike were quite aggressive taking the Roach whenever possible.
My first Shannon test the next morning saw just 3 Roach and a Trout in horrendous conditions and since then I haven’t seen a fish! The water temperature dropped to 8.8°C and has since recovered to a shade over 9°C. For now at least, I’ll have to wait for the seasonal Roach run to commence.
Fishery manager David McEvoy has updated us with news from Delphi on the season to date…
Apologies to all for not updating you sooner. We’ve been flat out here between one thing and another and when you’re in this business it’s not easy for me to get some quiet time to put my writing cap on; I almost need to lock myself away from all outside distractions.
Well, it’s good to be able to report that our off season this year passed off peacefully from a weather perspective, in that there were no massive floods or storms. October, November and December proved to be wet, but nothing out of the ordinary for Delphi. 2025 was a wet one here, with 3056.9mms(120.35”); so, there was plenty of water for fish and particularly Sea Trout to spawn. Despite the poor angling season, our brood stock collection was more productive than expected with just under 400 fish caught, including some lovely MSW females, so thankfully we were able to strip enough 1SW and MSW fish to keep us going. Stripping the fish normally starts the first week in December and continues right up to Christmas Eve and sometimes into the New Year. Once that’s over the process of counting them and minding them begins. We also clip our pre-smolts in January and there are 4 woodcock shoots thrown in just to keep us on our toes.
And then, before we know it the 1st of February is upon us and we’re fishing again. The wet weather from last year has continued into 2026 and we have had plenty of water so far. We had good fishing pressure in February, all on the River, with a few trying the Stream on Finlough. Our first fish was landed on the 12th of February by Westport’s Champion Angler and one of our Ghillies, Toby Gibbons. The fish was approx. 9lbs and was taken in the Waterfall on a Tosh tube. Needless to say Toby was delighted to have landed the first of the Delphi season; well done Toby. There were one or two other fish met but no more landed. Our February total was 1, which was disappointing, given the water conditions but bearing in mind last year’s poor Grilse returns, not totally unexpected.
March turned out to be more productive with 11 landed. Werner had two in the first week, the first of approx. 9lbs from the Meadow on a Night Star and the second From the Rock of approx. 7.5lbs, again on a Night Star. Alan Molloy had one of approx. 10.5lbs from the Waterfall on the 11th on a Tosh and Russell Whiteman followed this up on the 12th with a fish of approx. 8lbs from the Rock on an Elverine. There was a lull then for 11days till a very experienced group returned in week 13. There were 6 landed for the week, with Werner first on the score sheet on the 23rd with a fish of approx. 14lbs from the Whin Pool on a Nightstar. Heidi had one the following day from the New Island of approx. 9lbs on a Willie Gunn and followed up on the 25th with another of approx. 9.5 from Cooleens on the Willie Gunn. Heinz also had one from the Rock Pool of approx. 8.5lbs on a Collie Dog. Urs landed the first off Finlough on the 27th of apptox 7.5lbs on a Red Francis. Werner finished the week off the following day with another of approx. 8.5lbs on a Delphi Collie.
David Swaine had the 2nd fish off Finlough on the 31st of approx. 10.5lbs from the Stream on a Gary Dog. That brought our March total to 11. We have 2 landed so far in April, with Colin Lynam having the first, of approx. 10.5lbs from the Rock Pool on a Posh Tosh on the 2nd and Mauricio Gordillo had a fish off the Stream on Finlough on the 5th of approx. 5.5lbs on Delphi Collie. We have great water at the moment after Storm Dave, which wind wise didn’t really materialise to anything much here, although rainfall amounted to 50.5mms(1.98”), which has topped the system well up. There’s bits of availability here and there so if anyone is interested just give us a call. Take care all and I’m sure I’ll be updating you in the next few weeks when the Cuckoo arrives.
D.McEvoy
Go fishing…
At Delphi Lodge, with many years of experience with the timing of the best runs of fish, we have in place a price system that offers both great value fishing and lets our anglers know when they have the best chance to catch a fresh run spring salmon or a summer grilse or Delphi sea trout.
The past week gave some of us a taste of the more pleasant side of an Irish spring, as temperatures managed to climb to between 16°C and 18°C on Tuesday and Wednesday in parts of the midlands and east. Light southerly winds and overcast skies completed the mix, making for good fishing conditions for those anglers who could get to the water. Unfortunately, blustery conditions are to return this weekend, as the cold, wet April showers resume once again to hopefully bring us May flowers…
We start with pike fishing this week, where we have some nice reports from around the country. April is normally a fine month for pike fishing, as the water warms up and fish are feeding again after spawning. On Blessington Lakes, lure crafting enthusiast Artem Novikov landed a good pike on one of his many home-made lures. His YouTube channel is well worth a visit to see how to make a makeshift pike lure! Regular visitors to Melview Fishing Lodge enjoyed their pike fishing trips, with water levels finally returning to near normal in Longford and a lot of mid-doubles landed to both deadbaits and lures.
The weather will be unsettled over the weekend into early next week, with frequent rain, showers, and strong winds. Friday will be wet and windy with heavy rain at times and a risk of flooding, especially in the south, with cool temperatures of 6 to 10°C. Rain will clear overnight, followed by colder conditions with lows of 0 to 4°C.
Saturday will be windy again, starting bright in the east before turning showery nationwide, with some heavy showers bringing hail, thunder, and possible wintry falls on higher ground and temperatures of 7 to 10°C. Similar blustery conditions will continue through the weekend, with a mix of sunny spells and heavy showers. Sunday night will turn colder with frost and icy patches.
Monday will start mostly dry and bright, but showers will move in from the west before easing later in the day. Overall, it will remain cool, windy, and changeable.
Don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.
“In line with the scientific advice, 72 rivers will be available for salmon and sea trout fishing in 2026 – 32 of these rivers will be open, with a further 40 open to ‘catch and release’ angling. The Regulations have also been informed by two public consultations, ensuring that stakeholder views were carefully considered alongside the scientific advice.”
A total of 72 rivers will be open for salmon angling in 2026, in line with scientific advice provided by the Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS), on the status of individual stocks. The TEGOS Report for 2026 shows that wild Atlantic salmon stocks continue to experience a significant and sustained decline, with many rivers below their conservation limits. The development of the regulations was also informed by two public consultations.
Mick ‘the Fish’ Flanagan of Midland Angling has had some old friends return this week for more great fishing in the midlands. We’ll let him tell the tale:
Great to spend a day with my good friend Stefano Belisario and his pal Antonio Candidi of Abruzzo, Italy.
I have been fishing with Stefano for years, and yesterday with J.J. they struggled on the pike scene on a fantastic lake that Stefano caught many doubles on the fly during previous trips. Today was a different kettle of fish, and the pike were locked on to Stefanos’s colourful flies.
Antonio was spinning lures and actually got the first fish, but we put a pike fly on his spinning rod, and as they say, the rest is history! Antonio had the best pike at 102cm.
Lunch was priceless, and Stefano brought me over his famous Italian homemade sausages, pigs he breeds and olive oil he makes at home in Abruzzo. We had what he calls normal sausages, liver sausages & crazy sausages; Sylvia better mind herself when the crazy sausages kick in!
Lunchtime in paradise
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Marty will be back tomorrow for a few days after trout & he’ll sample a few of Stefano’s Abruzzo sausages in the coming days. Stefano and Antonio will be back at the pike with Damian Grifferty – let’s hope the weather is not too bad!
Some of the action
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Earlier in the week I wanted to fish Derravaragh, but it got choppy and I headed for the River Inny. I had planned to troll & spin small lures for trout, but that was knocked on the head. I just had one small paddle tail lure in the box & a few 2-3 inch hard baits and they did the business on the Inny. The perch-coloured paddle tail accounted for 4 pike, one nice double.
Notes: Here at Midlands Angling we provide a top class Guiding service covering many of the top coarse and game waters across the Midlands. Visiting fly anglers have landed some fine trout while out with Midland Angling Guides, pike anglers also recorded some net bursting catches including many pike over 20lbs. Some of our top waters include Lough Ree, Ennell, Owel, Lene, Mount Dalton, and Glore Lake just to mention a few. On these splendid lakes we provide full Gillie services. Also the River anglers are well catered for, as we spend many days out on the River Inny, River Suck, and Brosna system.
The Munster Fly Fishing Fair will be held this weekend, April 10 & 11, at Clonanav Fly Fishing in Co. Waterford. Fly anglers are invited to come and see fly fishing and fly tying demonstrations from world-renowned anglers and fly tyers including Darryl Mooney, Jim Curry, Jim Fearn, Martyn Robinson, Steve Peterson, Marc Petitjean, Shane Hickey, Kevin Sheridan, John Maduro and more!
This is an event not to be missed!
Fly Tying Demonstrations
Casting Demonstrations
Top Brands on Display
Great Atmosphere all weekend!
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Some of the amazing ranges of fly tying also available on the weekend will include: Whiting, Veniard, Metz, Partridge, Semperfli, Gulff, Ahrex, Fulling Mill, C&F Design, Regal, Anvil, Stonfo, Loon, Hends, Fulling Mill, Kamasan, Hanak, Dr Slick, Swiss CDC, Polish Quills, Future Fly and lots more!
Fly Fishing gear will be on display from the following brands: Simms, Guideline, Hardy, Greys, Sage, Patagonia, RIO, Airflo, Scientific Anglers, Yeti, Umpqua, Fishpond, Vision, Cortland, Lamson, Vosseler and lots more!
This report courtesy of the IFSA Connaught Council:
On the 29th of March, Killala B&S held the Connaught Open Gold Medal Shore at Lacken Strand, Co Sligo – a change of location from the original venue due to weather and beach conditions. Eighteen anglers travelled from around the country for the day. They had a 5-hour match, with just over an hour on the drop and the rest on the incoming tide.
As expected, anglers caught only a few fish before the low water mark, one in each of the two zones. As the tides changed, fishing got quiet until the third hour. Turbot and flounder began to show up evenly across the beach, with Billy Gilvarry on a center peg and Fionn O’Higgins and Sammy Sterling both on the end pegs. Tensions were high with all knowing that there was only a fish was needed to be in the lead and with the added bonus of the optional longest pool at stake.
The latecomer to the match, Eoin Gilvarry, got in the mix with a decent flounder. The sight of a fish being landed provided the anglers with the much-needed motivation to resume their fishing, with only two hours remaining. Colin Reilly from Lough Foyle Sea Angling Club landed a fine turbot, which would put him in front, although he had a lead of only a few centimetres. Fionn O’Higgins from Galway Bay complimented his earlier turbot with another fish, and on the very next cast, he landed a decent flounder.
Sammy Sterling from White Wave Sea Angling Club fought back with a second fish to put him in the lead of Zone A, and local Shane Gilvarry also made his day worthwhile with a turbot.
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2nd Zone A - Billy Gilvarry
1st Zone B & Longest fish - Colin Reilly
2nd Zone B - Shane Gilvarry
Fionn O’Higgins - 1st Overall
Colin Reilly - longest fish
Shane Gilvarry - 2nd Zone B
1st Zone A - Sammy Sterling
Connaught Open Shore Gold Medal final results!
1st overall – Fionn O’Higgins (Galway Bay S.A.C.) – 3 fish (70 points)
1st Zone A – Sammy Sterling (White Wave S.A.C.) – 2 fish (50 points)
2nd Zone A – Billy Gilvarry (Killala Boat & Shore) – 1 fish (27 points)
1st Zone B – Colin Reilly (Lough Foyle S.A.C.) – 1 fish (31 points)
2nd Zone B – Shane Gilvarry (Corrane S.A.C) – 1 fish (25 points)
Longest fish – Colin Reilly (Lough Foyle S.A.C.) – 26 cm Turbot
Fionn O’Higgins – 1st Overall
Connaught Council would like to thank all at Killala boat & shore angling club for organising this years Open Shore Gold Medal, a great job was done. We also thank all anglers who travelled from near and far who took part in this years competition.
