Results are in from our match on April 7th, a tough day for most! Weather had no idea what it wanted to do, we had sun, wind, rain, hail – the lot! All seasons bar Autumn in one day.
Chris – PB tench from Athy
Some cracking tench caught in this match though, great to see them active in the Marina! Well done to Chris with a new personal best – 5lb 9ozs!
RESULTS
Chris – 16lb 8ozs
Des – 3lb 8ozs
Jimmy – 3lb 8ozs
Chick – 2lb 6ozs
Ryan – 2lb 2ozs
1 of 3
Tench helped Chris on his way to a win at Athy
Mixed bag from Athy
Well done to the winner & framers! Great fishing lads
Big thank you to Clive Dunne of Elk Recruitment Carlow and Thomas Joseph Cahill for sponsoring this match!
NEXT MATCH
Our next match is going to be an away match! We will be fishing Oaklands fishery in New Ross! We have capacity for up to 27 anglers for this match, so get the names in fast to secure a spot. Find out more here.
Tight Lines all!
Join the Club…
If you’d like to fish the Marina Club Grounds or get involved with the club and fish matches like these, then click the links below!
Athy & District Anglers Club was formed in 1959 and to this day they continue to pursue their goals of protecting, maintaining and encouraging the sport of angling in the greater Athy area. The club works with local authorities to improve and maintain local fishing areas as well as organizing events and matches for local and national anglers. Athy & District Anglers Club welcomes all new members and all age groups to the sport! If you’d like to get involved, please check out the Getting Involved section of their website.
Vincent Appleby reports from the shore of Lough Currane…
4/4/2024.www.fishingwithdom.com Reports that there were 7 boats out today, their flies and their lures were being manipulated beautifully but sadly the wild Currane Atlantic Salmon were all quiet this day. Wind light and variable SE, SSE, S, SSW, S, SSE, and overcast, followed by rain. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 3.4mm, amount of sunshine 2.7, maximum air temperature 12.2c.
5/4/2024 All the Currane anglers flies and lures were a no go and for good reason, it was wild out there with gusts up to 76 km/h average speed 51 km/h, overcast all day and followed by rain in the afternoon. So, you can say storm Olivia had her say today, now it’s storm Kathleen that hits Kerry around 7am so batten down the hatches. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 15.7mm, amount of sunshine 1.9, maximum air temperature 13.2c.
6/4/2024. Storm Kathleen was the only angler out this day, sadly the Currane anglers didn’t fancy going out with sweet Kathleen and quite rightly so too. Now back to today’s weather wind strong SW followed by strong gusts up to 109 km/h and followed by broken cloud and showers. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 20.2mm, amount of sunshine 0.0, maximum air temperature 13.5c
Ballinskelligs Bay 2024-04-07
7/4/2024. Storm Sweet Kathleen was still in control of the Currane anglers today, in the words of one Currane angler, it’s mad out there. Back to today’s Weather, Wind WSW average speed 40 km/h, gusts up to 60 km/h, followed by April showers. Yesterday’s weather amount of rainfall 6.5mm, amount of sunshine 3.8, maximum air temperature 13.1c.
8/4/2024. There were four boats out and all quiet on all fronts this day as sweet Kathleen left the Currane waters. Wind NNE and veered NNW fresh to strong, average speed 40 km/h, average gusts speeds 50 km/h plus. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 4.1mm, amount of sunshine 9.0, maximum air temperature 12.2c.
9/4/2024. The Currane anglers were all quiet in all departments this day. Now to the weather, Wind light to fresh NW, WNW, W followed by reasonable cloud cover, Yesterdays weather, amount of rainfall 0.8mm., amount of sunshine 0.4, maximum air temperature 9.4c.
Inland Fisheries Ireland wishes to remind anglers that the Conservation of Sea Trout (No.7 or Kerry District) Waterville Area Bye-Law No. 971 of 2019 remains in effect. This Bye-law prohibits the retention and possession of any sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) taken by any fishing engine or by rod and line in the Waterville area i.e. that part of the sea eastward of a line drawn from the most westerly point of Bolus Head to the most westerly point of Lamb’s Head and to all the waters discharging in to it.
The Bye-Law mainly affects seatrout fishing on :-
the river Inny (Knockmoyle) and its tributaries
the waters of the Waterville system, including the Waterville River, Lough Currane, the Cummeragh River and all their tributary rivers and lakes
The rivers and lakes of Waterville drain a large catchment and are regarded by many as the foremost Salmon and Sea-Trout fishery in the country. The lake system is well developed with access to boats and guides being readily available to the tourist angler. The Sea-Trout caught here are renowned for their size and quantity. For more details see:
Notes: Located at Lakelands House Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering Accommodation, on Ireland’s best sea trout lake, Lough Currane. Frank is a professional angling guide and boatman.
Sea angling can be arranged with local operators.
Boat Hire
Boats for hire. All boats and engines are moored on the farm, 300 metres from the house, with easy access from the road with car park and boat shed.
Notes: Having ghillied on Lough Currane for over 30 years Vincent is a great choice for those looking for a guided service or flyfishing instruction on the Lake. All ages are catered for and even experienced anglers will benefit from the watercraft and fly-lore unique to Lough Currane. All tackle is provided and accommodation can be organised if required.
Despite the bad weather including Storm Kathleen we have received a good report from Pascal Brissaud of Watermill Fishing Lodge on pike fishing during the last week.
Three groups of French and Belgian fishermen visited Pascal recently at Watermill Lodge to fish for pike on Lough Erne.
The first group of two fishermen caught 87 fish and the largest fish were 91 cm, 96 cm, 97 cm. The cherry on the cake was a super fish of 105 cm.
The second group of four fishermen caught 132 pike, the largest of which measured 90 cm, 97 cm, 99 cm and 102 cm respectively.
This week Belgian and French fishermen caught around 10 fish per boat per day up to 95 cm. Yesterday a single boat caught more than twenty fish. Pascal managed a few hours on the water yesterday and was fishing with a friend. They caught nine fish of modest size as the weather and lake conditions improved after Storm Kathleen.
We look forward to bringing you Pascals next reports!
Watermill Fishing Lodge
Go Fishing
Host Pascal wants all friends and fishing enthusiasts at the lodge to prepare their favorite fishing rods and baits, because it’s time to return to that favorite place and create new memories by the water!
“We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this exceptional fishing season with you! »
Book your stay now and get ready to experience days of fishing and relaxation at Watermill Lodge.
Peter is back with a weekly round up from Piscari-Fly…
Another week another rain warning
Rivers are well and truly washed out of it for another few weeks and judging from the long range weather forecast we are not at the end of it yet. Challenging times ahead for people living in the countyside with high rivers and farmers. And we really shouldn’t complain too much about our fishing when people are in an awful lot worse condition than we are with floods but yeah would be lovely to get back out on the water soon. Hopefully we will see light at the end of the tunnel at some stage soon.
Mark and Tommy Driver got out on one of our home lakes up in the Wicklow mountains. They got a bit of action but the water was cold. There was a a little bit of fly life around during various parts of the day. Here’s a couple of flies Mark used to get a couple of lovely trout.
Nice day out on our home waters in the wicklow hills to catch some of these amazing trout. Good to get Tommy out on the water.
Don’t forget to get in touch if you need anything for the season [email protected].
Tackle Bag
Umpqua Rivergrip tool kit
A combination of the most essential tools you need on the water: Nipper, Clip-on Retractor, 5” Hemo Clamp Straight. Super handy kit to have in your bag. Handles are double coated for maximum grip and comfort. Using Japanese steel that is considered the best available steel for hand-tools and using the best raw materials this will help make every cut, crimp and clamp you make on the river effective and efficient.
What’s New?
Piscari Fly Venator Rods
They have Landed, the new and very exciting Piscarifly Venator 10′ 6″ 2 weight rods have arrived.
Price: €379, unless a club member then you can avail of our club discounts
For the first time this year Peter is getting back on the road with the lads this Sunday, visiting Lough Owel. Leinster Lake qualifiers are going to be held on Lough Owel on Sunday and following that the lads are heading to Lough Corrib on Monday for the first time this year, where they get the pleasure of fishing with Tom Doc Sulllivan in Cornamona. Looking forward to the lakes seeing as the rivers are a total wash out at the moment. So stay tuned for loads of photos videos and feedback and for extended information on our club. https://club.piscari-fly.com/
What’s Coming?
Don’t forget the Irish Spring Angling Fair is less than a month away, a great family event, on at Ardaire Springs Angling Centre on the 4th and 5th May 2024.
Expect fantastic demos, talks, trade stands and flytying.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there. Don’t miss it its going to be a fantastic weekend.
Based on the River Nore just outside Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland. Piscari-Fly is a growing Fly Tying and Fly-Fishing business with a vast amount of experience and knowledge. If there is ever anything I can do to make my service better for you please feel free to suggest it to me and I’ll gladly try my best to accommodate your requests. Thanks again. Peter Driver.
As a small business we depend on the satisfaction of our customers and there word of mouth reference, google reviews are important to our online presence and we sure would appreciate your review. Just head over to this link and give us a quick review.
The 2nd qualifier of the Ireland’s Feeder King event was held on Saturday, April 6th, on a very blustery Lough Gowna/Rockfield.
Feeder international Charlie Richards put in a great display on a very difficult Rockfield to win ZONE A with just under 5kg of skimmers and hybrids and roach. Richard Pratt caught a couple of bream and some other smaller fish to win ZONE B on Tessies.
There was a fierce battle between the 2 Rorys, Dunne and O’Neil on ZONE C Corfree. Both anglers caught mostly small fish to finish level with an even 4kg weight and both go through to the grand final.
RESULTS:
GOLDEN TICKETS:
ZONE A Charlie Richards 4.710kg.
ZONE B Richard Pratt 6.650kg
ZONE C Rory Dunne/Rory O’Neil 4.650kg.
SECTIONS:
A Rockfield – Charlie Richards and Piotir Horbinski.
B Tessies – Julian Kendrick and Richard Pratt.
C Corfree – Rory Dunne/Rory O’Neil and Nigel Houldsworth
Here on Fishing in Ireland we are avid watchers of, and love sharing, Youtube videos about fishing, especially some of the talented Irish angling creators. Pike and carp angler Stephen McDonagh has a Youtube channel titled, naturally enough, Fishing With Steve, and his videos are some of the best we’ve seen. Incorporating footage from drones, underwater cameras, GoPro and static cameras, the production and editing is second to none, and he knows how to keep us interested.
Two of Steve’s latest videos feature deadbaiting for pike, in late winter/spring just before he packed away his pike rods for the season. Featuring lake venues in Co. Meath and Co. Cavan, they are a great watch and take us through a day’s fishing for some great Irish pike. Will he catch a monster? Watch to find out!
Eamonn Conway of Táin Flyfishing gives us some more insight into the finer points of competition fishing this week with a short clip looking at what to do with your landing net.
It might not sound obvious to some, but being highly organised – like having your net in place and ready to grab first-time in a split second when a fish is ready to land – can make all the difference when the scores are added up at the end of the day.
Eamonn fishes the beautiful River Fane in the north east and this is where he films most of his clips, so book a day on the river with Eamonn to catch some wild Irish trout in wonderful surroundings.…
Notes: Learn to fly cast with Eamonn Conway, APGAI-Ireland qualified.
Available to instruct all levels of fly casters from beginners to advanced,
including fault finding and entomology. Operating in Co. Louth on the rivers Fane and Castletown, guiding can also be arranged on these beautiful rivers.
Fly rods and gear
Here at Táin Flyfishing we do not stop behind the scenes so we can provide the best quality Flyfishing Rods for you. Our flyfishing rods are tried and tested constantly and have succeeded in every way possible, the quality and performance is second to none. They have been used to win multiple titles in Flyfishing competition and they are used by passionate flyfishers world wide. We are Ireland’s fastest growing Fly Fishing Rod Brand.
Dan O’Neill reports on a coarse fishing adventure to the River Barrow…
The Easter break now in the past and with the sight of chocolate giving me flashbacks it was time to get to the canals and lakes and give them a try. The River Barrow was our first port of call where I wanted to try for some Roach and Anthony possibly a perch or two. We both decided to set up to target bigger species so prepared for a long day and possibly a blank.
Firstly, to Gowran to hear some of his grandads’ words of wisdom and tales of perch that would take a small Jack Russell. This of course all takes place while I carry out the digging. Anthony sat firmly in the executive box, more commonly known as Grandad’s shed, spectating. Full of stories, chocolate and tea, it was time for Anthony to bid farewell and begin his next angling adventure.
Getting to the river, a familiar sight greeted us, a very angry river. Not in the slightest bit phased we unpacked the car and made our way to the spot we had decided on the night before. Arriving at the spot we first plumbed the depth looking for drop offs and deep holes. We had decided to fish a little closer, just under the rod tip really. Today’s rods were a pair of Cadence 12ft 1 pound test curve specimen rods. We needed to be able to play the fish out of snags, so these rods are perfect for that.
We fished waggler floats and went up a couple of hook sizes. Lots of little knocks and shudders of the float indicated there were some small fish present. A couple of large ground bait balls soon fed them off and the shudders stopped. Our first proper bite came to my float, which is very unusual. Striking the take resulted in our first roach which was exactly what I wanted. It wasn’t long before Anthony hit a couple of roach also and the trip was under way.
Roach
Anthony came to me holding his hook and said he wanted to try something different. We decided to put a bigger barbless hook on and let a large lobworm through the run and see if anything would respond. On the second run through the float stopped, turned and headed off. We struck early as didn’t want to risk a deep hook. The rod instantly flexed deeper and there was more weight there. Anthony looked at me and said, “This is bigger.” And it was. It came to the net and was a beautiful perch. Carefully netting the fish we took the hook out got a quick picture and away the fish went to hopefully be even bigger next year.
The swim went a little quiet for about 1.5-2hrs then picked back up again to produce some hybrids, roach and some lovely perch. We fed the swim constantly with free offerings as well as some small ground bait lumps. As we were targeting roach mostly I used the following mix.
2kg layers pellets (soak in water fully submerged for about 15mins)
250g of hemp seed “cooked”
300g crushed sweetcorn
Handful of crumbly soil
Anthony got some nice perch on the worm
The evening ended quite well with plenty of good-sized roach, hybrids and perch. Delighted with our catch today it was time to pack up and head for home.
Go fishing – Parent and child day
I will be holding a parent and child day in the coming weeks. On this day we will learn a bit about course fishing, check out some of my homemade ground bait recipes, float rigs and methods when targeting course species.
This course is aimed at beginners and improvers. It’s also a great way to introduce your child to fishing and see what’s involved in the first steps of buying their first rod or upgrading their existing one.
Of course Anthony will be there to and will pass on any little tips he has picked up so far on his journey.
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.
One of a number of Bread Fly caught Thick Lipped Mullet from just before Storm Kathleen.
David Norman of Angling Adventures West Cork reports on some super mullet fishing before the winds went wild at the weekend…
The surf was already up on the open coast but I managed to find relatively sheltered water in which to fish my flies. The takes were fast and easy to miss in the dynamic conditions but eventually I connected and held on while this fish powered around in the surf oxygenated water and followed up with another before the rising tide forced me to move from my position and the fish to move on
One of a number of Bread Fly caught Thick Lipped Mullet from just before Storm Kathleen.
David has been lure then fly fishing since the mid noughties with some of the best guides and anglers in Ireland and abroad.
Kayak fishing by lure & fly now takes him and his guiding guests beyond the shore to target Pollock, Bass or Wrasse with the chance of other species such as Codling, Coalfish, Mackerel or Garfish.
Shore fishing at night is also a very special experience.
The town stretch of the Daingean canal well known for large weights of skimmers and tench normally the early wides are the best often throwing up around 20 lb
The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland have announced that entry is now open for the first of their All Ireland series, the Canal Championships on 27th & 28th of April. This year’s venue of choice is the Grand Canal at Daingean and the planned sections are Millennium Bridge and the Town/Heffernan’s stretch.
Proceedings will begin at the Blackthorn Inn, Main Street, Daingean, R35 V8P6, ready for the draw at 09.30am. Fishing is from 11.30am to 4.30pm and then participants will retreat back to the Blackthorn for the presentation on Sunday evening.
Everyone is welcome, including young anglers from the age of 12 (under appropriate supervision).
Non-members are welcome at both events which require advance booking.
Entry is €65 per angler (€70 non NCFFI members). The €5 (€10 non members) administration fee will be collected upon entry on-line, with the €60 cash pools payable on the day. Entry closes 19th April
Athy & District Anglers Club was formed in 1959 and to this day they continue to pursue their goals of protecting, maintaining and encouraging the sport of angling in the greater Athy area. The club works with local authorities to improve and maintain local fishing areas as well as organizing events and matches for local and national anglers. Athy & District Anglers Club welcomes all new members and all age groups to the sport! If you’d like to get involved, please check out the Getting Involved section of their website.
Boat Hire
Salmon and Sea-Trout fishing Guide
