The 4th round of the CM Lakelands Lough Muckno winter league was held on Sunday, where twenty three anglers fished and the top three came from each of the three different sections.
1st overall today was Irish feeder international Johnny McKinley who had over 4kg of roach, hybrids and 1 big skimmer from Yellow Island.
2nd was Neil Kane with an impressive performance for just under 3kg of small skimmers and roach from top of Black Island.
3rd overall today was the inform Damian Foltyn with a weight of under 3kg, made up of mostly roach and the odd small hybrid from Black Island.
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The league results will be published during the week.
RESULTS
OVERALL
1st Johnny Mckinley 4.175kg
2nd Neil Kane 2.950kg
3rd Damian Foltyn 2.580kg
SECTIONS.
Mariusz Killan 2.410kg Black
Piotr Horbiński 2.340kg top Black
Rimantas Kondrakas 2.525kg Yellow
After four rounds of league action, and with two rounds of competition remaining, it is Piotr Horbinski who leads from Darren Fairhurst, with Philip Jackson in third place.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a ‘Guru’ as an influential teacher or a mentor, so I have no doubt that ex fishing guide and salt water fly fishing expert Jim Hendrick fits very well into this category in relation to bass fishing. His depth of knowledge and experience in this area, accumulated over many years by ‘doing’ are simply extensive.
The reward, a fly caught Wexford bass.
Fishing for bass from boyhood Jim has worked his way through the ups and downs of bass fishing both personally and professionally. I have been lucky to share many adventures with him during his guiding years roughly 10 to 12 years or so from 2003 to 2015. On one such outing with a party of French journalists back in 2003/4 Jim delivered an astounding catch of circa fifty bass to 7lbs and 70 pollack to 8lbs for the group. All returned safely to the water. That was then !
Always operating quietly under the radar during this period, Jim put over three hundred bass angler’s form France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, the UK, Denmark and the USA through his hands, delivering angling adventures and experiences that will live in the memories of his clients for the rest of their lives. A good number of Jims guests became repeat clients with some returning annually and even biannually to him.
Heading out to the vast Irish coastline
The benefits to the local businesses and restaurants throughout the region cannot be underestimated or understated and are badly missed since the closure of his guiding business.
When Jim stopped guiding in 2015, he thankfully continued to share his knowledge and experiences with anglers through his Salt Water Fly Fishing workshops. Demand has always outstripped supply for these events, and the good news is that in 2024 Jim is back delivering his much-loved Salt Water Fly Fishing workshops.
The class of 2014, a great event. The new workshops will have a new format.
Jim will be hosting a series of 10 workshops that are being offered between May and October 2024. In addition to having hands on experience as a professional guide, Jim is an avid angling writer, blogger and photographer. He also has a BSc degree in Tourism Enterprise Management from WIT.
Catch and release, a step towards sustainable angling
Please see below for Jims’s introduction to what you can expect ! And you have been warned, so book early to avoid disappointment, these will sell out fast so don’t miss out!
Through his workshops, Jim invites you to “Discover a new world of how bass fishing on the fly can become a uniquely challenging and satisfying coastal adventure for you.
Jim Hendrick in action on the Irish coastline where he is totally at home.
Learn and understand fish behaviour under many different locations in different circumstances and most importantly how best to rig, cast and retrieve your fly (or not) to make the most of your opportunities.
Unravel the mysteries of fly fishing in wind and waves, drift, strip, pop, when and where……after ten years of International guiding for bass on the fly from the shore and boat the opportunity to share that accumulated knowledge is now fully available to you”
Full details of the upcoming Salt Water Fly Fishing Workshops can be found at
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is reminding Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers who fished during the 2023 season to please return their logbooks and any unused gill tags.
Under the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers can return these in one of three ways:
Using the postage pre-paid business return envelope that was supplied at the time of licence purchase (preferred option).
Posting the logbook and unused gill tags to the IFI office address that is displayed on their licence or logbook.
Scanning and emailing logbook and licence documents to [email protected] (please scan all sides of documents, including continuation pages, to ensure that the licence names and number can be correctly linked to the logbook).
These returns provide vital information regarding the status and management of our wild Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks into the future.
Reminder
In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers in Ireland are required by law to return their completed logbook (setting out their fishing and catch record) and all unused tags to the issuing office of Inland Fisheries Ireland within 7 days of licence expiry and no later than the 19th of October.
As part of the Scheme, an angler must attach a valid gill tag to a salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) harvested, immediately on landing. They must enter details of their catch and/or gill-tag used into their logbook.
Any questions or queries?
Please email [email protected] and we will respond to your query as quickly as possible.
John Browne reports on Round 6 of Oakland’s winter league which was fished on Sunday…
Conditions were pleasant at Oaklands on Sunday for the 6th Round of the Ger Hennessy Winter League. The top weight came from end peg 15. The lucky angler was Marnel Popa with 20.910 kg.
Well done to Marnel and a big thanks to all the lads who travelled today.
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Marnel Popa at Oaklands
Sion Pritchard at Oaklands
Today’s Results
Section A Shop Bank
1st M Popa 20.910 kg
2nd L Lynch 15.430 kg
3rd D Biru 11.700 kg
Section B River Bank
1st S Pichard 15.990 kg
2nd R Minogue 9.210 kg
3rd G Varva 7.270 kg
Go fishing…
Next competition
Ger Hennessy Winter league Round 7 will be fished next Sunday 4th February.
Draw 8.30
Fishing 10.30 to 3.30pm
If you are interested get in touch with John on the Oaklands facebook page or using the contact details below.
Oaklands
Oaklands Lake in New Ross Co. Wexford is a fishing paradise for coarse angling. It offers a wide selection of fish. The lake can be fished by people of every level of experience from beginners to professionals.
A very popular carp fishery. Popular with competition anglers and novices alike. Alway a great chance of a bumper bag here. Friendly staff more than happy to advise beginner anglers. Caters to all sorts of clubs and groups.
Ger Power was in Belturbet once more. As ever pike were the target, but this time he had a secret weapon, his 9 year old nephew Adam.
It was a very blustery weekend at Belturbet with a definitely nip in the air, and there were very few other anglers about. But all thoughts of the weather were forgotten when young Adam’s smelt deadbait was picked up… When he struck the fish they all knew this was something special and with help from his uncle Ger, Adam landed his first “20”. A couple of photos to record the moment, and the pike was safely released to fight again another day. There were only a couple of other smallish pike caught, but that hardly mattered at all. Everyone was thrilled with Adam getting in to the 20s club.
Adam and his older brother Jamie, 11, are fishing 5 years now. The pair have have been very successful. With an uncle like Ger showing them the ropes, it’s hardly any surprise.
Adam’s 20lb pike from Belturbet
We heard Adam was up early this morning, in a rush to get to school and tell all his friends and teachers about his catch on Saturday, and sure that’s what its all about. Well done Adam, hat a super pike! And well done Ger, you’ve every reason to be a proud uncle today!
Munster Coarse Anglers were back at O’Briensbridge at the weekend. Kevin Leahy reports… We fished the 6th leg of the Winter League upstream of dam end at O’Briensbridge. It was not the best or worst of days weather wise. With the river at summer levels, not flowing and clear, it was always going to be a bit of a struggle.
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Ray finished 1st
Pawel came in 2nd
Steve was 3rd
In the end most anglers caught between 15 to 30 fish. It was size and the all important bonus fish that made the difference. The early pegs nearer the dam fished more consistently. So it was no surprise Ray on peg 3 and Pawel on peg 2 came 1st and 2nd with Steve getting that all important 3rd spot.
Ian’s late hybrid saw him avoid last position and take 6th place.
Ian is carrying on the tradition of catching a hybrid in the last few minutes of the match. Not a lump like the one he had last year but still enough to catapult him up from a possible last to 6th place!
Munster Coarse Angling Club are affiliated to the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland, NCFFI the National Governing body for coarse and predator fishing and casting. www.ncffi.ie
Dan O’Neill reports on an open day held by Cadence on the famous Careysville Fishery where he, Ray McKeeman and Glenda Powel gave casting demonstrations and Jimmy Tyrell and Owen Trill were tying flies…
For some time now I have been hearing about Careysville House and the fantastic fishing it has to offer. When Glenda rang me to mention that we were holding a Cadence open day at Careysville to say I was excited was an understatement. There were many reasons for my excitement one reason was meeting up with my fellow team members. It’s wonderful being a part of a team, the only thing that can be hard is we don’t get to see each other very much due to the nature of the job. So when we do get together it never seems to last long enough and I find myself driving home somewhat upset. When you are lucky enough to be part of a team in angling your team members become your angling family and you form a special bond with them that only angling can form. You begin to form this bond with the people who take the time to come and learn from these events also. One thing that struck me when I looked around at the event was that it is one big family. You have the Cadence family and the many enthusiasts that come along who we look on as relatives that come to learn and catch up with river acquaintances and make new acquaintances.
The day started with Patrick Devennie welcoming us all to this wonderful location. Patrick told us a little bit about Careysville House and also some of the catches of years past. It was great to listen to Patrick as his love of fishing shone through his words which was very nice to see and made for great listening.
James Robbins founder of Cadence spoke also and gave people an insight into how the company started. James also spoke about the Cadence slogan which is “Go fishing, give back”. James, like all of the Cadence team, believes that getting the younger generation involved and interested in angling is of utmost importance. Cadence donate tackle to an organisation that helps kids to get involved in fishing, which is great and I’m very proud to be a part of it.
The day flowed smoothly with demonstrations from Glenda, Ray and myself. Many people had questions about the Cadence fly rods, reels and lines so it was great to be able to speak to them and try the equipment out over grass or water. I always enjoy watching and giving demonstrations. Watching people like Glenda and Ray make it look very easy is always something I admire. Their way of teaching is also something I respect, it’s next level and I leave realising I have an awful lot to learn which I enjoy as they keep my journey alive. I am very lucky to have such people in my angling circle.
There was a beautiful smell of smouldering wood coming from the angling hut chimney during the morning, but something began overpowering it at around lunchtime. Looking in the window I could see a steaming pot just about full to the top of what I now know as the finest stew I have ever had, to top it off it was in the most beautiful setting I have ever had such a stew in. (Thank God my wife doesn’t read these reports or I would be making my own dinners for the foreseeable).
While having the stew I sat in a quiet corner to reflect on the day and take in the moment. I watched George McGrath speak our native language to the lady from Careysville who spoke fluently back to him. Jimmy Tyrell and Owen Trill were tying flies, giving tips in between spoonfuls of the wonderful stew. Their passion for fly tying is infectious as is their willingness to share with people their secrets that they built up from years of hard work. Taking hours and hours to perfect something then be able to teach it to a newcomer in minutes is very special and a trait both Jimmy and Owen mastered.
Glenda and Ray answered many questions giving tips as they also had their lunch. Listening to the way they answered the questions was interesting as they gave the knowledge and answer in simple terms, so it made sense and was easy to absorb. Again, their knowledge is vast and built up over years and years of hard work, yet they can teach it in minutes.
I answered some questions to but am very much asking my own questions still and haven’t earned the right just yet to be in the same sentence as my other team members but will get there. I am lucky enough to have them on hand to answer my many questions which I see as a gift that keeps on giving.
Although, would it really be an event without the odd bit of comedy from Mr. Noel Fitzmaurice who I see as the binding gel to any of the events I have been at with Glenda and Cadence. Noel’s quick, well timed one liners really keep the atmosphere light and fun which I feel also contributes to people being able to absorb information.
As the event came near the end it was evident that nobody wanted to say the dreaded “goodbye” that would draw a line under the day and we just were not ready. However, as the saying goes all good things must come to an end and it was that time. I sat with the team for a short while and wished them the best and that they stay safe on their travels. I then reluctantly turned the car key and began my journey home drawing a line under a superb day with exceptional anglers. Thank you to all who came along and I wish you a safe season. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.
Blackwater Salmon Fishery has 2 beats downstream of Careysville weir. Glenda is also a licence distributor.
Salmon guiding and casting instruction
Instructor & guide for salmon fishing. APGAI-Ireland (Salmon and trout)
Notes: Glenda is the highest qualified female salmon flyfishing instructor in the world outside the USA and is Emerald World Masters Ladies Salmon Distance Champion. She teaches salmon and trout fly-fishing in all its forms. She caters for complete beginners to the most advanced forms of speycasting.
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.
Professional Fly Dresser, Writer, Fishing Guide & Casting Instructor
I tie flies professionally and run a fly tying business. I am a fully qualified Member of APGAI Ireland and a member of the Partridge Hook company Pro team.
A vast selection of flies is available. Everything from the smallest dry flies and nymphs to a big selection of Salmon flies. I carry a good stock of flies but if I don’t have what you need in stock I will gladly tie them for you and get them to you as quickly as possible.
Guiding
I run a Ghillie service on the local rivers for Salmon and Trout. Also providing casting tuition for beginners, tackle supplied.
Fly tying instruction
During the winter I run fly tying courses, anyone that is interested should contact me. Everyone is welcome from complete beginners to people who have tied before.
Since our last update, the country has been thrashed by two consecutive storms, Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn. Hurricane force winds and heavy rain caused power cuts for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and disrupted travel. Thankfully no lives were lost here in Ireland. However, with peak wind speeds of over 140km/h and status red weather warnings in place for counties along the western seaboard, the two storms were some of the worst hitting the country in recent years.
So, it is no big surprise that the recent week has been one of the worst for angling for quite some time. As a consequence, we received just one angling report from County Kerry. Vincent Appleby is back for 2024 with his weekly reports from Lough Currane, which opened on Wednesday 17 January. The first three days of the new season, until the lake became unfishable, were quite promising with good numbers of anglers out on the water although no fresh fish were caught.
Great food prepared by Ghillie and pro Chef Tam on the shores of Lough Currane on opening day
With only a handful of salmon fisheries open so far, game anglers from far and near are looking forward to February 1st when more salmon waters will open their doors. In this context, Glenda Powell of Blackwater Salmon Fishing has some news from the River Blackwater where the official opening day including casting, fishing and blessing the river will take place next Thursday.
Staying with salmon fishing, Inland Fisheries Ireland would like to announce that a draw took place today Friday 26 January to allocate an initial 55 Brown Tags for the taking of salmon on the Lower Lee in County Cork. The Brown Tags for the successful applicants will be issued by post no later than Monday 29 January.
Concluding our salmon fishing news, we would like to draw your attention once again on a fantastic piece of video footage of salmon preparing to spawn. Check it out here or see it full size on Youtube here.
Just like salmon anglers, trout anglers won’t have to wait too long before they can cast a line again. In the meantime, they might like to tune into the latest episode of the Ireland on the Fly podcast. This time, Tom and Daire are joined by Eamonn Conway, a well-known angler from Dundalk, who in 2016 took the leap and decided to set up his own fly fishing company. Eamonn also talks about fishing the rivers around his native Dundalk and has some tips for how his setup can lead to better catches.
Avid flyangler Eamonn Conway
Angling podcasts have become increasingly popular in recent years…so has the Lure Fishing Podcast with Cormac Walsh! As it has been a slow week for fishing here in Ireland, the latest episode of Cormac’s podcast crosses the Atlantic to hear from Galway native John Glynn who targets striped bass in the NYC metro area.
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to a number of informative videos.
With the recent storms not making for great angling conditions, for many sea anglers, now is a good time to plan a few summer trips, or to check out new marks. Well, it might be an old video, but James Raymond from Irish Angling Adventures has given us a blueprint to use when researching new shore marks.
The Irish Spring Angling Fair will be opening its doors again this year in south Kilkenny. 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.
And now the weather..
It will remain dry for most of tonight with a mix of clouds and clear spells. A few showers will occur, still mainly in the west and northwest. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees in a moderate to fresh south to southwest wind, continuing strong in the west and northwest.
The weekend will see rather mixed conditions with further spells of rain at times, heaviest and most persistent in the north and west. The rain could turn heavy in places with a risk of spot flooding. It will be rather mild with maximum daytime temperatures ranging between 11 and 14 degrees, a good bit cooler at night with lowest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees generally.
There still seems to be a good deal of uncertainty in the outlook. However, currently it looks like it will be generally unsettled with spells of rain and breezy conditions continuing and pushing in from the west.
If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected] and don’t forget that all of our fishing reports are available on our dedicated Angling Ireland Facebook page.
On Friday 26 January 2024, a draw took place to allocate an initial 55 Brown Tags for the taking of salmon on the Lower Lee. The requirement to hold a brown tag is set out in Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations, recently signed into law by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, T.D.
A total of 208 valid entries were received from salmon rod licence holders. Each was assigned a number in advance of the draw.
65 numbers were randomly generated. The first 55 successful entrants will be issued a brown tag no later than Monday. The final 10 numbers are reserved in case an angler declines or returns the tag allocated to them.
The draw was observed by Sean Long (RBD Director), John Twomey (Fisheries Inspector), Chris Scanlan (Fisheries Officer) and Myles Kelly (Angling Advisor and Website Manager).
The numbers selected are:
1117
1091
1070
1253
1179
1061
1171
1214
1182
1208
1225
1189
1207
1254
1169
1073
1261
1175
1216
1130
1163
1215
1240
1120
1098
1183
1076
1078
1094
1195
1203
1191
1154
1210
1193
1074
1079
1245
1140
1156
1161
1083
1252
1150
1126
1153
1188
1205
1066
1105
1152
1145
1233
1139
1204
The 10 reserve numbers are:
1162
1170
1077
1155
1217
1132
1100
1236
1068
1255
The Brown Tags will be issued by post no later than Monday. All anglers are asked to acknowledge receipt of their Brown Tag by email including the tag number to [email protected]
It’s a quiet time of year for many, with the recent storms not making for great angling conditions. For many sea anglers, now is a good time to plan a few summer trips, check out new marks, and restock the tackle boxes with plenty of traces.
But how do we find new marks? What things should we look for to find a good spot, where we can reasonably expect to catch fish. We recently featured a trip by Cork angler, Kevin McGowan, who did a lot of research on deep water marks close to shore, and it paid off the rare catch of a blonde ray from the shore. A case of the hard work really being rewarded.
Well, it might be an old video, but James Raymond from Irish Angling Adventures has given us a blueprint to use when researching new shore marks.
In this video, James takes us through the mapping, aerial imagery and marine chart websites he uses to identify good fishing locations, that possibly no one has fished before.
Any sea anglers looking to expand their fishing, this is the video to watch. Check it out here, or on Youtube here
