Mayfly time on Arrow – dapping, wets and mainly spent all working well!

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May 23, 2024

The mayflies are still hatching, although not in the same numbers as last week. However, there have been mighty falls of spent with suitable fishing conditions every evening. We also had bursts of spent going out earlier in the day. With the south-easterly winds most evenings, it was difficult fishing while facing into the glaring sun in the western sky. A good number of trout have been caught on the dap and with wets, but mostly on the spent. We also had some anglers staying out late at night, fishing the buzzer.

Sarah Maxwell with a three-pounder caught on the dap

While we had a slow start to the mayfly, fishing has certainly improved and we look forward to good fishing over the weekend and into next week.

Tight lines and bent rods!

Dry mayflies working well on Loughs Conn & Cullin

By

IFI staff

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May 23, 2024

A trout caught by Barry Kelly on Lough Cullin on 19th May, before being released

Michael Murphy reports from Loughs Conn & Cullin…

Angling Report week ending 19-05-24

Ian from Cloonamoyne Fishery reported being out with two Northern Irish anglers’ midweek with a good catch of nine trout. All were caught on dry Mayflies with six of them being over the twelve-inch limit and only one taken.

A long running competition was held on Lough Conn on Thursday evening 16^th May. This was a catch and release only competition and kindly sponsored by Foxford Lodge. Approximately twenty anglers fished this year with Billy Magee coming out the winner. Billy had two trout measuring 38cm and 31cm respectively taking home The Lodge Cup for himself and will return to defend it next year. Dry Mayfly, Spent Gnat and wet fly working best on this occasion.

John Phelan from Laois Angling Centre had good sport on Lough Cullin on Sunday 19^th May. A northerly wind and strong sunshine made angling challenging at times but for a full day’s angling he and his boat partner had nine trout to the boat, five of which were keepers. Dry Mayflies were the most successful patterns.

Barry Kelly and Padraic Kelly from Castlebar also had good sport on Lough Cullin on Sunday with four trout to the boat for a half day’s fishing. One of the fish measured fourteen inches and all were caught on a Grey Wulff. All four fish were returned alive to the water.

Catches on the Moy continue to improve slightly

By

IFI staff

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May 23, 2024

Peter Berick from Norway with an 8 lbs salmon caught on the fly and kindly returned to the waters of the Moy in East Mayo Anglers waters

Michael Murphy reports from the River Moy…

Angling Report week ending 19-05-24

Fifty-two salmon were reported caught for the week despite angling activity being lower than usual on the Moy for this time of year. Water levels at Ballylahan Bridge read 0.53m on Sunday 12^th May and on Tuesday 14^th a rise in water levels to 1.05m was registered returning down to 0.54m on Sunday 19^th of May.

Ballina Salmon Anglers

Peter Mc Hugh reported just the one salmon caught weighing 4 lbs taken on the worm this week at “The Canal”.

Byrne’s Fishery

Roy reported three salmon taken on the worm this week showing nice weights from 6 lbs to 11 lbs.

Gannon’s Fishery

Pat reported two salmon taken on the prawn this week weighing from 7 lbs up to 9 lbs.

Foxford Salmon Anglers

Harry reported heavier footfall this week showing a good, improved return in numbers with a total of seventeen salmon caught and taken using a variety of methods including worm, shrimp and spinning. Ten of these were taken at Rinnaney and the remaining seven at Bakers.

A report was received of one salmon taken this week in the Foxford town area weighing 6 lbs on a spinner.

Cloongee Fishery

A reported return of five salmon this week with three taken and two released with weights ranging from 5 lbs to the heaviest weighing 10.5 lbs.

East Mayo Anglers Association

Kathleen reported of increased angling activity showing improved catch returns this week with a total of twenty-three salmon caught. Fourteen were taken and nine released over the week with weights ranging from 5 lbs to 11 lbs. A mixture of methods of fly fishing, spinning and the worm all paying dividends.

Piscarifly Madness on the Corrib with Tom Doc Sullivan

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Peter Driver of Piscari-Fly and Declan Doyle headed up on Sunday night 12th May to the Lydon Hotel in Cong. They tell us it is a fantastic family run hotel in Cong with a great atmosphere, great food, and a great place to meet a few fellow anglers and have a chat and craic before heading out on the Corrib. They highly recommend it.

Peter and Declan headed out on a wet and windy Monday morning with Tom Doc. It started off a bit frantic. There was a great hatch of mayfly early and the trout were rising to them. A bit of over-excitement saw Peter pull out of the first one or 2 and then drop another. Declan on the other hand settled in well and picked up some cracking fish in the first couple of drifts. He picked them up in a golden Olive Mayfly, while fishing a midge tip fly line. In the afternoon the weather calmed down and the lads switch to dries and had good action on the dries all around Dooras and Cornamona where Tom is based. They ended up with 6 good fish in the boat for the day with 3 a piece, but Declan having the better of them. Lovely day on the lake with lots of mayfly hatching. Great fun as always with Tom Doc such a pleasure to be out with him.

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After a steak dinner and a couple of pints on the Monday night, the boys went back out with Tom on the Tuesday, fishing the same area that they saw the mayfly hatches and the fish in the previous day but the weather had completely reverse and it was completely calm and no fish or no flies to be seen. So they spent the morning on the dries in all those drifts that they had seen in the fish on on the Monday but to no avail. Neither had fish in the boat at lunchtime.

After lunch and witnessing the mayfly dance the boys headed down the lake. Tom looked for new ground. They head down to Inchagoill Island and all around the island they spent Tuesday afternoon and they had fantastic action the wind came back up a little bit of rain the cloud cover came in and the mayfly came up and the trout came up with them. Peter had some good trout on the wets fishing a golden olive red ribbed mayfly on the top dropper and a natural raffia mayfly size 8 on the point with an olive french partridge hackle. They were Peter’s best 2 flies in the afternoon, had a nice few trout on them and missed a few absolute clonkers, broken off a beauty. But that’s fishing for you folks.

Peter summed it all up as follows,

“Had a fantastic 2 days with Declan and Tom Doc O’Sullivan. If you are every heading over for some mayfly action on the Corrib do give Tom a shout, always great to support guys like Tom who share and give a lot back through Ireland on the Fly podcast and don’t forget to check out Lydon’s only 10 minutes away from where Tom is and only a few minutes away from Ashford Castle. Well worth a few days.”

Peter has developed a super new flotant called Dry-X which he reckons is perfect for Mayflies, An amazing product that will make them float for longer. Check it out here https://piscari-fly.com/collections/piscari-dry-x/

Go fishing…

Tom Doc Fishing and Guiding

Address Dooras Cornamona Galway F12 K443 Ireland Phone: +353 87 611 3933 Email: [email protected] Website: tomdoc.com

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Lough Corrib

Angling clubs getting great fishing with Wicklow Charters

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Charter boat anglers fishing from Wicklow have been getting some decent fishing with Kit Dune’s fleet of purpose built charter boats.

On Friday the Irish Outgoing Pikers had great craic on board with Kit. The fishing didn’t disappoint and there were 2 Specimen Tope for the group. Joe Beacon and Ian Murphy were the lucky anglers with specimens both over 1.6metres, and 40lb+. The group also had Hounds, Tope, Gurnard, dogs, scad and Mackerel and a lot of laughs filled the day.

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Also out at the weekend with Kit was the Wicklow Bay Sea Angling Club. They had their local animal competition with Wicklow Boat Charters. There was a whopping 845 fish caught including dogs, ray, gurnard, Huss, hounds and tope. Congratulations go to the winner Martin Quinlivan with Kit Dunne taking 2nd and Paddy Swan coming in 3rd place.

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Go fishing…

Wicklow Boat Charters

Address No.1 South Quay Wicklow Wicklow Ireland Mobile Phone: +353 87 6832179 Mobile Phone: +353 404 67031 Email: [email protected] Website: wicklowboatcharters.ie

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Wicklow to Wexford sea fishing

Busy anglers on the Karen Ann getting a few different species

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Skipper Walter Rankin reports on the latest trips onboard charter fishing boat Karen Ann…

16 May: Busy on the Karen Ann today few different species of fish enjoyed by all on board thanks for choosing the Karen Ann for your fishing charter today.

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20 May: Today on the Karen Ann great day lovely group enjoying by all thanks for choosing the Karen Ann for your fishing trip today.

21 May: Spaces available on the Karen Ann on Friday 24th May fishing trip. If interested call Walter 085 1730323.

Go fishing…

Kilmore Quay Angling

Address Kilmore Quay Wexford Ireland Mobile Phone: +353 85 1730323 Email: [email protected] Website: kilmorequayangling.com

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Sea angling in South East Wexford

Karl Unwin wins Edenderry competition with 31lb 4oz

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Joe McEvoy from Edenderry Coarse Angling Club reports

Twenty-two anglers were all fed and watered in Larkins Main Street Edenderry this morning, thanks again for the lovely breakfast. The canal had dropped a bit since during the week and the colour just dropping out of it too but conditions were the same for everyone.

Karl Unwin made no mistakes on his end peg and duly put an impressive weight in his net with tench and bream. Great weigh and well done Karl

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Results

Overall

1. Karl Unwin 31lb 04oz
2. Tommy Burke 12lb 08oz
3. Joe McEvoy 11lb 05oz

Section A

1. Arthur Judge 8lb 07oz
2. Alan Larkin 6lb 10oz

Section B

1. Richie Keegan 11lb 04oz
2. Aidan Devoy 4lb 12oz

Thanks to all the anglers who fished , see you at the next one

Join the club…

New members are always welcome to Edenderry Coarse Angling Club.

Apart from the 262 permanent swims that have been created for the match angler on this unique fishery, a number of stretches have been prepared to cater for the pleasure fisherman and the junior angler. Included among these is the famous Edenderry Branch Line. Fished 12 months a year, this highly productive venue regularly produces catches in excess of 50lb per session. Bream, tench, roach, rudd, hybrids, carp, perch and gudgeon are the principal fish species present.

Go fishing…

Enfield and Edenderry Coarse Angling Centres

Anction packed angling for Tope, Smoothound and Rays

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Chris O’Sullivan, the Inshore Angler, reports from Co. Kerry…

It‘s been an age since I managed to get out and get some footage together despite a few failed attempts. This was pure and utter chaos but all I can assure you all fish were returned alive. We used circle hooks with crushed barbs and all fish were lip hooked. Baits on the day were Sandeel, Mackerel and Peeler Crab.

A huge thanks goes to Figgs, Jason and Eamonn for their help in recording, catching and landing fish. In total we had 2 Undulate Ray 1 painted Ray 5 Dogfish 6 Smoothound and 1 Tope. Not bad for a few hours after work.

Watch…

Check it out on Chris’s Youtube channel at Chris O’Sullivan, The Inshore Angler and don’t forget to like and subscribe…

Deel fishing well with good hatch of Mayfly over weekend

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

Bob O'Meare fishing wet-fly on a strong flowing Deel above Alta Villa bridge

Paddy Dunworth of Celtic Angling reports from the Maigue:

Rob O’Meara and wife Sue are staying at my local Mustard Seed for the 3rd May running and joined me over the week-end. We were going to mix fishing between the Deel and Maigue but such was the prolific nature of the Mayfly hatch on the Deel we stayed put. Rob has lived in Bath and now in Kent and his fly-fishing was mainly limited to English reservoirs, he has now become a member of Tonford fishery on the Great Stour river in Kent and so his visits ‘home’ to Ireland (Rob’s dad came from Ballyorgan in Ballyhoura country) will stand him in good stead in that regard.

The Deel was running strong and a little coloured on Saturday and Sunday but conditions don’t matter when the ‘fly’ is up. Rob had up to 10 fish Saturday and another 6 Sunday, chuffed that he got 4 or 5 on the dry Mayfly, with the rest falling to a mayfly nymph fished on the point.

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He’s taking a break from fishing tomorrow as he and Sue are heading for beautiful Killarney, but I suspect he can’t wait to get back to Kent to practice his new-found skills, slán abhaile to them both. ( All fish carefully returned)

Go fishing…

Celtic Angling

Address The Commons Ballingarry Adare Limerick Ireland Phone: +353 69 68202 Mobile Phone: +353 87 652 5687 Email: [email protected] Website: celticangling.com

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John and Adrian Browne win the Commercial Pairs at Oaklands

By

Myles Kelly

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May 21, 2024

John Browne reports on the Commercial Pairs which was which was fished at Oaklands over the weekend…

Day 1 was lovely but the fishing was a fishing was hard in some sections. Top weight of the day was on end peg 25 where Leo Lynch bagged 84.960 kg. With the way things are now it’s still all to play for tomorrow after the first day of the commercial pairs at Oakland’s.

Day 1 Results

Sections

A A Browne 76.360 kg
B J Bailey 32.000 kg
C I Benov 35.320 kg
D L Lynch 84.960 kg
E P O’Neill 20.980 kg
F R Minogue 38.930 kg
G A Paldick 39.690 kg
E K Kirstov 35.820 kg

Overall Top 5

1st L Lynch & S Pichard 103.250kg
2nd J Browne & A Browne 100.330 kg
3rd I Benov & K Kirstov 71.140 kg
4th R Minogue & D Minogue 65.950 k
5th k Parge & J Bailey 62.300 kg

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If Day 1 was lovely, then Day 2 could only be described as glorious. Once again the fishing was hard in some sections and weights were down a little on yesterday. Top weight on the day was Ronan Minogue bagging 57.280 kg from peg 10.

The overall pairs match went down to the wire with father and son team Adrian Browne and John Browne coming out on top by just 8kg from yesterday’s leaders Leo Lynch and Sion Pritchard.

Finishing the top 3 was another father and son pairing, David Minogue & Ronan.

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