Chris Scally from FishTales was in touch to tell us about a fine fish landed by a client of his recently. Damien is an experienced angler, and between himself and Chris, they decided that trolling would be the best method on the day and so set up their rigs to fish at different depths. They had plenty of takes and landed a few fish, one of which was a real croc of 24lb/103cm which hammered the lure, put up a great fight and put a real gloss on the day. Well done Damien & well guided Chris 👏👏👏👏.
South Shore SAC reports that the writing was on the wall, or should I say water, when anglers arrived at Kilcoole to fish the third round of the Leinster League to find the sea with a bit of a green tinge to it. This is usually a negative sign on the east coast, and unfortunately that’s exactly how it played out. Fish were very scarce on the ground, and the unremarkable catches were saved from being truly mundane by Gavin Fogarty’s fantastic 39cm plaice.
Super plaice for Gavin Fogarty
But it was Gavin’s brother Ciaran who fared better on the night, finishing top of Zone A on the night, a result which won him the Leinster Spring League. But the bigger bags on the night came from Zone B, where Eamon Bermingham topped the standings with 4 fish, winning him the overall prize on the night, and he was closely followed by Dave Coleman, also on 4 fish.
Six members of the VDE Baggers tried a new stretch of river at the weekend and were excited to see plenty of surface action as good numbers of roach were topping at the surface. They all set up on whips, and while there were plenty of bites, they only resulted in small fish of half an ounce or so.
Aaron with his 10kg+
Midway through the match, Aaron Nabc Hutchmann decided to ditch the whip in favour of a feeder set-up with a long tail. And the switch worked wonders, as he was soon into a much better stamp of fish, helping him to a 10+ kilo bag which won him the knock-up. Keeping it a family affair, his dad came in second with 5.6kg, while Sebastien was a kilo lighter on 4.6kg in third place.
It’s been like a tempestuous Shakespearean tragedy so far this Spring, with storms, high winds, rough seas, swollen rivers and everything else that mother nature could muster up throw at us. And, this has been all across the country. Anglers have had to be content with any small windows of opportunity that happened to come their way.
However, things have thankfully calmed in the Boyne region over the last few weeks as the heavy floods subsided. Water levels are now ideal for salmon fishing on the Boyne at Navan.
Although catches are low and the fishing is slow, it is nice to see some fish being caught. The earliest word on salmon being hooked on the system was on the Blackwater some weeks back with two fish being hooked and unfortunately lost. One of the fish was estimated to be in the 25lb bracket.
Andy Tobin pictured with a nice fresh run Boyne salmon before release.
Anglers have had better fortunes in the last fortnight around Navan with three salmon being hooked and landed. First off the mark was Andy Tobin who connected with a lovely fresh run fish of 12 pounds.
The next fish was a superb 18lb salmon taken by well known fly angler Pat O’Toole, on the fly!
Pat O’Toole with his fly caught 18lb salmon on the River Boyne.
Last but not least, the final fish caught to date was a fresh run 6lb salmon which was caught by John Bagnall yesterday Monday 29th April. Spinning and fly are producing the fish and anglers are hoping for more sport as the weather improves.
John Bagnalls 6lb salmon caught on Monday 29th April.
All fish were carefully handled and released afer a quick photo. Pat’s fish which was not removed from the water nearly took the landing net with him as he swam off. We’ll keep you posted on future catches as reports are received.
Dan O’Neill reports on the trout fishing on the Nore at the weekend…
What a glorious weekend we had. Some early starts showed good results. I also gave some casting tuition this weekend which is always fun and its great to see people progress. When learning a new cast the following paragraph may be of assistance to you, I wrote it some time ago and found it very useful.
Slow motion can be your best friend
Moving along I began to need new casts. I would watch these casts at fairs and think “I will never use that”. How wrong can one be. There have been many times I would need a roll cast for example. I would need to pick up a sink tip to recast, raising a sinking line and it is important to perfect the roll cast before moving onto the Spey cast family.
Making muscles remember
When beginning a cast I would look at the tracking of the rod and perform the move with just the rod, no line. This helps to build muscle memory, when you start out slow and gradually build up the speed the cast will require. I found this to be very useful especially with Spey casts. The slow movement allows you to scribe the D-loop perfectly, get the lift, sweep, hand position and rod track correct. Do this in 20 minute slots, 10 minutes with no line in slow motion then with line in slow motion. I tend to think of it like making a track in the snow. If I jump on a sled and start sliding I could go anywhere or any direction. However, if I slowly push the sled to make a track in the snow, the sled will follow that track. If I keep going over this track and adding a little pressure to it I will create a slightly deeper track. Now if I jump on my sled it will stay on the track and follow its direction. So let’s start the cast by slowly doing the motion forming our rod track, gradually speeding up to indent the rod track into our muscle memory. I found this the easiest way for me to learn and build strong precise muscle memory.
Now for the fishing
Ricky from Colorado on the Nore
After giving tuition I was on the River with Ricky all the way from Colorado. Ricky had done quite a bit of fly-fishing back home, so it was great to hear his stories and watch his approach to the glides. We done a lot of moving about looking for fish and would pick some up in each run we visited. The water is still energetic, so we didn’t wade too far and even tried not to at all if possible. We used a wool indicator and a 3mm tungsten bead nymph. I have a list of patterns in my diary that work early season so had plenty tied up. Today’s was an olive thread body, flash collar, Coq de Leon tail and a gold rib. Simplicity at its best. The nymph worked very well but had to be tight to the riverbed. As the morning moved on there was a hatch of olives and the fish responded along the seams and tail end of the flat water. We had about 15 trout, nothing big, mostly around 20-25cm, great fun and a great day. Looking forward to getting on the river again soon now that levels are dropping a bit.
Salmon parr/smolts
These little fish are on their travels and you will no doubt come across them when trout fishing. Ricky and I met a few and I explained the importance of wetting our hands and keeping contact to an absolute minimum. Which is what we do with any of the fish we come in contact with. It only takes a second to wet your hands.
It’s finally here, this weekend all roads lead to Ardaire springs. The line-up is superb. Looking forward to meeting everyone and having a chat about our wonderful sport. Make sure an bring the kids along for some fly tying and fishing at the kids’ corner.
Growing up in the countryside of Gowran, Co.Kilkenny, I started my fishing journey on the River Barrow with my dad, which is where I caught my first fish, a lovely brown trout. The Gowran River was also a short walk from my homeplace, and on the days my dad couldn’t fish, I would walk through the fields and fish the Gowran River. My love for fishing grew and took me to Mount Juliet Estate, where I began guiding at 13. I went on to become fisheries manager at Mount Juliet Estate and, to this day, enjoy taking out hundreds of clients every year fishing on the River Nore. I enjoy all types of fishing and guide all over Ireland. I am an Apgai Ireland-qualified casting instructor and have Ambassador roles with Cadence and Yeti. I joined Fulling Mill as an endorsed pro guide and am part of the Patagonia pro team. My angling journey has been an exciting one and hopefully will continue to be.
I take out all levels of anglers, from beginner to experienced. I enjoy what I do and count myself very lucky to be able to meet and guide new people to what might be their first Irish fish.
Once again, anglers are reporting that they are meeting smolts in the river, already silvering up ahead of their run to sea, good news for the future. But do take care if you catch these delicate fish. Every salmon is valuable, especially these juvenile ones heading out to sea. Smolts are undergoing rapid and significant change as they prepare to leave freshwater for a the salty sea.
If you hook a smolt, try to release it without removing it from the water. They will swim off none the worse for wear and hopefully we’ll see them back in the river in a year or two as an adult fish.
Try not to remove smolts from the water as you unhook them
After you’ve released the smolt, crush the barbs on your fly or lure if the hooks are not already barbless. If you catch a another of smolt, again release them in the water by turning the hook out of them without touching the fish at all. At this stage, consider the likelihood that the smolts are running and rest on the bank for a while to let shoal pass through unharmed or fish a different bit of water.
Luke Dervan booked a day on the River Moy’s Cloongee fishery to kick off his 2024 salmon season. Luke, from Tipperary, travelled to Mayo with his dad, Brian, and found the river to be in good condition for the day’s fishing. It was just as well that Luke had the experienced elder close at hand, as Brian was soon called into action to net a pristine 13lbs sea-liced bar of silver that took Luke’s worm bait. Not a bad way to begin the salmon season at all.
If you would like to book a day on the Cloongee fishery, buy your salmon licence or buy a permit for any of the other fisheries managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland, you can secure your permit via our online shop at https://fishinginireland.info/shop/.
Portumna Coarse Angling Club reports on their Boathouse Pub Fishing Festival fished over 5 days…
A week ago 34 optimistic and excited anglers descended on Portumna for the April festival. The River Shannon had been in flood for the whole of winter and was high and pulling hard. How it would fish was open to debate and both the fishing and weather God’s. Thankfully the weather held and the sun shone on us!
For the most part the river has fished well, a little peggy but the sections got better as the week progressed. The competition was a tight affair with little separating the frame, with most placings in the frame settled on weight.
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Overall winner was Steve Williamson on 6pts, who also put the best daily weight of the week on the scales with 30lb 7oz. A great performance on a tricky river and bunking with ever young Rich Pulford.
The fun and mathematics then followed with 5 anglers on 7pts !!! Weight decided the placings with little separating many.
Limerick angler Paul McCaul claimed 2nd spot with the best total 5 day weight, after his dropper, of 84lb 9oz. Putting double figures on the scales every day. Impressive consistent angling.
3rd place going to the ever consistent Shannon regular Rich Pulford, fresh from his River Don Northern Championship win. Brilliant performance Rich.
Portumna Festival Results
Congratulations to all the framers and every placing, natural fishing at its brutal and fantastic best. Some River the Shannon.
Massive thanks to the organisers, admin and the sponsors who kindly donated to the festival. Also sending our love and strength to Mary Lynch a friend and supporter of the festival for many years Get well soon Mary.
A special mention to Adrian and all the staff at The Boathouse in Portumna, our new home, for their support and hospitality and keeping everyone well oiled with the Guinness. Last but not least Captain Mike Murray for our boat trips. What a great way to see the river.
See you all next year, for more angling memories and new friends Ronnie G
Thanks to our sponsors for the festival
Boathouse Bar
Finns Daybreak
Tachmor B&B
Oaklodge B&B
Kerraun Hill B&B
Ferry Inn
Guinness
Heineken
Big thanks to Patrick O’Neil for doing the results.
Go fishing…
For information about the Portumna Festival and other matches in the area check in with the club on their Facebook page.
Portumna Coarse Angling Clubare affiliated to the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland and are members of the Angling Council the National Governing Body for coarse and predator angling. www.ncffi.ie
Family Friendly Angling Fair Reels In Angling Novices & Enthusiasts
Don’t miss what has evolved into Ireland’s largest and only angling show of its kind this May. Building on the success of previous years, this year, the Irish Spring Angling Fair promises to be bigger and better than ever! The two day event takes place on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May 2024 at Ardaire Springs Angling Centre, located just outside Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny (Eircode: X91XTY7). Once accompanied by an adult, children under 14 years of age can attend for free making this an ideal family day out. Parents can browse the stands, attend talks and demonstrations, while children can enjoy a dedicated Kid’s Zone and avail of free fly tying and casting lessons, and the opportunity to catch their very first fish!
The Irish Spring Angling Fair has become a big hit with angling novices and enthusiasts who value the opportunity of meeting with and learning from a host of world renowned celebrities such as Scott Mackenzie, Glenda Powell, Peter Driver, Jim Clohessy, Craig Barr, Jason 0’Riordan, Maurice Cahill, Stuart Wylie, Martin Barrera Oro, Marcin Kantor, Cormac Walsh and more.
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SATURDAY timetable
sunday timetable
The two day weekend schedule is packed with interesting talks on various angling related topics and free demonstrations, such as salmon, trout, saltwater and pike flies being tied by some of the best in the business. Game, sea and pike angling are also hot topics and there is guaranteed to be something for everyone, as well as onsite catering for refreshments throughout the day.
Ardaire Springs Angling Centre has been run by Ned Maher for many years and the site has over 4 acres of lakes, stocked with rainbow and brown trout ranging from 2lb to 20lb. As angling fairs go, this is a venue like no other, as it allows world renowned celebrity anglers to showcase their skills and leading tackle manufactures to provide fishing tackle and boat demo’s on the lakes.
With a broad range of exhibitors lined up for this year, anglers will be presented with a fantastic opportunity to immerse themselves in all things angling, pick up some of the latest tips and techniques and add to their tackle collection. Some of the exhibitors in attendance will include tackle suppliers and stands from fisheries as well as international angling holiday promoters and much more.
Don’t miss this landmark family-friendly Angling Fair at Ardaire Springs Angling Centre and the opportunity to meet celebrity anglers and fellow angling enthusiasts for what promises to be a great weekend!
Dan O’Neill is back with a report of his coarse fishing adventures in the south east…
With things heating up a little in the past few days the carp are starting to get a bit more active. The roach and Rudd are waking up also. I love to sit under a tree with a slice of lemon drizzle cake and cup of coffee while watching the waggler float. For the first time this season Rudd have been nudging the float. Great times. Anthony was firmly set on the darker shadows that passed from time to time. As they passed he would throw in one or two free offerings nearby awaiting them to turn and follow it to the bottom.
Some time passed and Anthony came running for the fishing rod “one turned on the bait”. Heading back slowly to the area he began watching closely for shadows. Some were staying quiet still just out of reach. One fish, however, began moving nicely and slowly towards us. Anthony got ready and made a quite impressive cast towards the fish. Just like it was written, the fish turned, looked down and followed the bait. The line began to tighten, and Anthony was in.
The carp was of a good size and immediately ran to the opposite bank. It twisted and turned before coming towards us then making another burst for freedom. Eventually the fish came to the net and it certainly was a good one. Anthony, delighted with himself, kept asking, “is that my PB?”.
PB carp for Anthony
We got the landing mat and unhooking kit ready before taking the fish out of the net to have a closer look. It was in fact his PB, a very proud moment for him. It was great that we witnessed it together. After that fish it went fairly quiet and only the Rudd and roach would oblige which I was very happy about. I had lots of lovely rudd, they were great fun on the pellet waggler.
At about 6pm we decided to call it a day and get a bag of chips each to celebrate Anthonys new PB. The hunt is already on to break his new PB, discussions went deep into the evening. Great to see such determination and that Anthony has found the interest in angling.Its been a big year for him so far so lets hope there are plenty more PB species for him.
I got a few casts on the Barrow over the weekend also, I fished the canal mouth for anything that was willing to take. I had some roach, dace and a couple of skimmers. Great fishing, I also had a pike follow in a roach and swipe at it. Unfortunately my pike expert wasn’t present so I had to move spots. A nice couple of hours just fishing the float. I used small worm sections on a size 16. Lightly ground baited with my usual mix and a few worm sections thrown in every now and again.
Irish spring Angling Fair
Its finally here, the fair at Ardaire Springs will be underway this weekend. Some superb exhibitors will be there sharing there knowledge. I am looking forward to seeing you all there. The kids corner is back after its huge success last year. I will be there with Apgai and Cadence so be sure to stop by to say hello.
Growing up in the countryside of Gowran, Co.Kilkenny, I started my fishing journey on the River Barrow with my dad, which is where I caught my first fish, a lovely brown trout. The Gowran River was also a short walk from my homeplace, and on the days my dad couldn’t fish, I would walk through the fields and fish the Gowran River. My love for fishing grew and took me to Mount Juliet Estate, where I began guiding at 13. I went on to become fisheries manager at Mount Juliet Estate and, to this day, enjoy taking out hundreds of clients every year fishing on the River Nore. I enjoy all types of fishing and guide all over Ireland. I am an Apgai Ireland-qualified casting instructor and have Ambassador roles with Cadence and Yeti. I joined Fulling Mill as an endorsed pro guide and am part of the Patagonia pro team. My angling journey has been an exciting one and hopefully will continue to be.
I take out all levels of anglers, from beginner to experienced. I enjoy what I do and count myself very lucky to be able to meet and guide new people to what might be their first Irish fish.
