It’s the biggest weekend of the year for Lough Ree Angling Hub as 85 boats and 240 anglers battle it out for €15,000 in prizes on Saturday and Sunday, 9th and 10th of September. Every county in Ireland will be represented, as will the countries of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and more.
The siren will sound at 8:45am on Saturday morning and the fishing fleet will disperse to all corners of the lough in search of Lough Ree’s biggest pike.
The organisers would like to remind everyone taking part in the event that the wearing of life jackets is COMPULSORY by every person in every boat in the event on both days.
If you are not wearing them you will be AUTOMATICALLY disqualified without debate.
Participants are also reminded that fishing is closed this week leading up to the launch on Saturday morning and that the car park in Lanesborough and Ballyleague marina will both be full to capacity on Saturday and Sunday …. so be careful if driving or walking in these areas.
Good luck to all competitors – full report on the competition on the Angling Ireland website next week…
Angling activity on the lakes is still limited, but anglers who do venture out are often being rewarded with good sessions and a few good fish above the size limit of 12 inches among many smaller fish.
Saturday saw the Interprovincial Championship Day take place on Lough Conn.
Local anglers Stephen Browne and Joe Ferguson qualified for the national team and will enjoy their international duties in 2024.
Andrew Boyde won the competition and was crowned the Interprovincial Champion of 2023.
Peter Roche and Gary Binley cast a line at the Cormorant Rocks, Caladashin and Killeen Bay last Thursday and managed to catch and release three trout over the size limit, with the best fish weighing just over 1lb.
On Friday, Peter Roche and Philip Rooney from Rossinver, Co. Leitrim ventured out, fishing Massbrook Bay, Victoria Bay and Gallagher’s Bay. Both anglers caught and released 4 good fish to measure on Olive emerger patterns. The best fish weighed 1.5lbs.
There were other reports of two anglers having had a good session on dry fly patterns, catching 3 trout to measure and several smaller fish.
Good weather and favourable water levels at Ballylahan Bridge between 0.6m and 0.9m the past week were responsible for a bit of an upswing in catch numbers on the Moy catchment. In total 100 salmon have been reported caught for the week ending 03/09/2023.
Ballina Salmon Anglers reported 26 salmon up to 7lbs.
Mount Falcon recorded 6 fish, 1 on the fly and 5 on the worm. The 5lbs fly-caught fish was released.
Knockmore Salmon Anglers reported 10 salmon caught on the prawn.
Attymass Angling Club recorded 9 fish for the week, 7 on the prawn and two on the spinner.
Coolcronan reported 1 salmon of 4.25lbs caught on the worm.
Byrne’s Fishery recorded 7 salmon for the week caught on the prawn.
Gannon’s Fishery reported 3 salmon, one on the worm and two on the prawn. The best fish was a fresh 7lbs salmon.
The Foxford Fishery recorded 9 salmon for the week, mainly caught on prawn.
Foxford Salmon Anglers reported 25 salmon for the week, of which 14 were caught at Rinnaney and 11 at Baker’s.
Local reports suggest two fish have been caught on the Foxford Rocks Fishery, one of them being a fresh 8lbs salmon.
East Mayo Anglers reported 2 salmon for the week, both released. One was caught on the worm 5lbs and one on the spinner 3lbs.
Galway Bay SAC held a parents & kids mini-species fishing outing on Sunday, which proved a great introduction for some young anglers. And some of the parents learned a bit too! Ros a Mhil harbour was the venue, with easy access to deep water and plenty of small fish to keep everyone happy. Light rock fishing, or LRF, with light gear and targeting smaller species, can be a great way to introduce children to fishing, with catches almost guaranteed to keep boredom at bay.
Donnacha Miskell with the best fish of the day, a nice ballan wrasseAilbhe Hartnett with a wrasseAidan Crowley was a happy little man with his first ever fish.A beautiful corkwing wrasseRonan Hartnett with a double shot!Odhran Miskell with a wrasse
Along with the fishing, which was great fun, the club organised a barbecue, with Chris Hartnett (aka Bear Grylls) cooking venison (!) and chicken for everyone who attended. The food was delicious, thanks Chris!
Smiles all round!
At the end there was a small prize for the angler with the most species, won by Donnacha Miskell with a fantastic 7 species. Everyone also received a goody bag with treats!
Some of the young anglers with their prizes and goody bags
Go Fishing
Galway Bay Sea Angling Club is a progressive club based in Galway, but fishing competitions along the west coast. New members are always welcome, and every level of experience is catered for, with social outings right up to competitions held throughout the year. If you’re looking to get into sea angling in the west, check them out here
The 12th Battalion Army Fishing Club had their annual fishing trip to Westport last week where they had a good day’s fishing on Thursday the 31st. On board the Lady Helen, with skipper Reg Roynon Jr, club members caught a variety of fish – including a 9lb cod by Paul Hogan which was a personal best for him. There were plenty of big pollock landed as well, but very few mackerel to be found.
Paul Hogan and his best cod
The 12th Battalion Army Fishing Club have been going to Westport for the last 10 years and they always travel up for a few days fishing at the end of August or early September, staying at the well known anglers’ favourite – The Helm.
Members of the 12th Battalion Fishing Club
This year the conditions were fantastic and skipper Reg headed towards Clare Island where the fishing was very slow in the morning with only a few small pollock being caught. The afternoon proved to be much better with a few mackerel, pollock and some nice Cod, including Paul’s PB. Some of the guys were disappointed at the lack of mackerel, but happy with the variety of other species they got which included whiting, gurnard and rockfish – needless to say, they have booked for next year already.
Peter Driver of Piscari-Fly hopes to issue a regular newsletter to give subscribers an update on trout fishing on the River Nore and the King’s River, the latest in fly tying equipment and as an insight into what’s catching and what’s not. The September edition of the newsletter is below, if you like it and want to subscribe, just email Peter at piscarifly@gmail.com:
Like most rivers over the last few months, the Nore here in Thomastown has been quite high and unfishable.
Last Friday I fished it for the day with mixed results. The water was still at a push coming through and fish were patchy enough. With not seeing many rises I stuck to the nymphs and over the course of the day managed a good few sizable fish. It was hard work wading through the heavy rapids and searching out the trout. Mostly they were lying in the eddies just off the main runs and sitting quite tight. The best nymphs I found for the day were 3.5mm copper beaded hares ear caddis and a 3mm pheasant tail Frenchie with a glo-brite No.4 butt. With some nice sunshine now and heat we could see a good end to the season on the Nore and it will be well worth a run over the next few weeks.
On Sunday I spent the day on the amazing Kings river here in Kilkenny. This river has fished quite well over the season due to the increased water levels for the summer months. The level was perfect and walking down the bank I witnessed lots of active trout. Working 2 smaller beads (2.5mm) and a dry Dropper set up it was a conveyer belt of takes through out the morning and early afternoon. Around 2pm it all changed – the trout went completely dormant and the takes dried up fast. I still managed a few but they were very few and far between. I think getting on to the river much earlier in the day would be the key before the sun puts the fish asleep. The best nymphs through out this session were the black Frenchie in 2.5mm and my grey heron Frenchie in 2.5mm. These 2 nymphs are always a good pairing this time of year.
For more information and details about where to fish and get permits drop me a line piscarifly@gmail.com.
Stepping onto a riverbank with your fly rod in hand is an exciting moment for any angler. To increase your chances of a successful session, it’s essential to develop a keen eye for identifying prime lies where these elusive fish tend to reside. Let’s delve into the key factor’s anglers should look for when arriving at a river, including the best locations and lies favored by wild brown trout. Read More
About us
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.
Donavin Brinklow reports from the Erriff Fishery on angling during August, which saw plenty of water, and fish landed almost every day during the month.
A summer flood at Aasleagh Falls, River Erriff, Co.Mayo
There were 60 salmon and 10 sea trout caught.
2 August S.McManus landed a 10lbs and a 6lbs salmon off the on Beat 9 using a Sunray and P.Errity landed 2.75 lbs sea trout on Beat 9. McDonagh landed a 10 lbs salmon in Joyces Sand Hill using a Foxford shrimp on Beat 5 and a 1.5 lbs sea trout on Beat 6 in Colonels Run.
3 August S.McManus landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9.
4 August P.Coyne landed a 3lbs and a 5lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on Beat 9 using a Cascade and B.Miller landed a 3.5lbs salmon in the Garden Pool on Beat 9.
5 August B.Miller landed a 5lbs salmon on a cone head Willie Gunn in the Bridge Pool on Beat 5. J.Delany landed a 4.5lbs and a3lbs salmon in the Lower Garden Pool on a Posh Tosh and a 6.5lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on a Willie Gunn tube, he also landed a 9lbs salmon in the Upper Garden Pool and a 2lbs sea trout on a Willie Gunn tube.
7 August N.Lynch landed 3lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on a Sunray, P.Gargan landed a 4lbs and a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9and K.Mitchell landed 3lbs and a 4lbs salmon on Beat 9. I.Ferris landed a 10lbs and a 12lbs salmon on Beat 6 and P.Murphy landed 4 salmon on Beat 9.
8 August P.Murphy landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Posh Tosh. J.Phelan landed 10lbs salmon off the Falls on a Sunray and a 2.5lbs salmon in the Upper Garden and a 6lbs salmon in the Lower Garden Pool on Beat 9.
9 August P.Coyne landed a 6lbs and a 5lbs salmon off the Falls on Beat 9 using a Green Highlander.
10 August C.Lynam landed a 1.5 lbs sea trout off the Falls on Beat 9 using a Cascade.
11 August P.O’Brain and J.O’Brien both landed a salmon around 6lbs on Beat 6 using a Curry’s red shrimp.
13 Augus D.Flynn landed 5lbs, 8lbs and a 4.5lbs salmon on Beat 4 using a ghillie pattern and two 1lbs sea trout. J.O’Neill landed a 5.5lbs salmon off the Falls using a Cascade. I.Ferris landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 3 in the School House on a Cascade and J.Joyce landed a 4lbs salmon in the School House Pool on Beat 3 using a Cascade.
15 August I.Ferris landed a 4.5lb salmon off the black banks on Beat 6 using a Willie Gunn.
19 August J.O’Neill landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 8 in the Coronation Pool using a Willie Gunn.
20 August C.Graham landed 2 sea trout around the 1lbs mark on a Willie Gunn off the Falls on Beat 9.
21 August J.Mannion landed 8lbs salmon off the Falls using a Cascade and a 3lbs salmon in the Middle Square using a Cascade on Beat 9 and C.O’Leary landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 8 in the Coronation Pool using a collie dog.
22 August H.Cosgrove landed a 4.5lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on a Cascade and E.Cosgrove landed a 6lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool and a 4lbs salmon in the Lower Garden Pool on Beat 9 using a Cascade. C.Thornton landed a 4lbs salmon on Beat 5 in Jenkins Pool using a Cascade.
23 August B.White landed a 3lbs salmon on Beat 5 using a Cascade. M.Helmore landed two 3lbs salmon and a 10lbs salmon on Beat 4 using a black shrimp pattern.
24 August N.Lynch landed a 6lbs, 7lbs and a 9lbs salmon on Beat 9 in the Middle Garden Pool. D.Convery landed a 5lbs salmon on Beat 9 Falls Pool using a Sunray.
26 August J.Coyne landed a 6lbs salmon and S.O’Neill landed a 6lbs salmon on Beat 9 using a Collie Dog.
28 August A.Dunlop landed a 1lbs sea trout on Beat 9.
29 August A.Dunlop landed another 1lbs sea trout on Beat 9 using a Connemara Black.
30 August L.McDermit landed a 5lbs salmon in the Middle Garden Pool on Beat 9 using a Sunray.
31 August T.Coulter landed a 5lbs salmon in the Falls Pool on Beat 9 using a Sunray.
Go Fishing
The Erriff System is comprised of the Erriff River and the two small loughs of Tawnyard and Derrintin. The River Erriff is one of the premier salmon fishing rivers in Ireland. A spate river, it is characterised by lively streams and deep fish-holding pools. It has 8 miles of prime angling water, divided into 9 beats. Beats are un-crowded with only two rods on most and a maximum of 3 sometimes. Angling is rotated on a daily basis.
Damien Culliney from Anglers Paradise reports on some recent good fishing on Lough Derg:
I had Paul and his son Dawson from Canada out for a day’s fishing on Lough Derg recently. Dawson is a very keen fisherman, and he had two goals coming to Ireland: catching a wild brown trout and a wild Irish pike. The winds were up and it rained for a lot of the day but that did not deter young Dawson. We started casting for trout and within the first hour, he had caught two wild brown trout. So far, so good, and needless to say, he was over the moon. With goal one achieved, we set our sights on the second target, an Irish pike. We had some fantastic fishing through the day with nine pike to the boat and some lost to tail walking acrobatics. Goal number two achieved, with his biggest just shy of the meter. Paul and Dawson have fallen in love with Irish fishing and can’t wait to come back.
1 of 3
Go fishing…
Anglers Paradise Ireland
Trout and Pike Guide
Anglers Paradise Ireland is owned and managed by Damien Culliney, a well known angler and chef in the Clare region and a man passionate about the inland waterways and natural history of County Clare. At Angler’s Paradise, we love the thrill of Game fishing and Pike fishing in equal measure and can take our clients to some of Europe’s most unspoilt rivers and lakes in search of trophy predators and the realisation of their angling dreams.
On Sunday, the 10th of September, Lough Muckno will host the Feedermasters final, which will take place on the Yellow Island section. This is the finale of the Feedermasters events, and only those anglers who placed in the qualifying rounds can compete.
Also on that date, an open match will be held to facilitate those travelling to the Co Monaghan Pairs commencing 11th September, sections to be advised nearer the date, when expected numbers are known – currently circa 20 pairs booked on; this event ends on the 15th of September.
Lough Muckno group will be the organiser of this event but again this year they are pleased to announce that Craig Ellis and his partner from the travelling group will manage the day to day running.
Muckno
All rules and issues pertaining to this event, such as section selection, are being organised by the Lough Muckno group who will have full oversight and input on the draws, weigh in recording, prize fund allocations, along with all other rules and protocols involved.
The travelling anglers who will assist with the day to day running of the event have an impeccable track record in fairness, transparency and competence. There is still time to book on for what promises to be a top-ranking event, with unparalleled fishing throughout the week and through all sections.
Following this festival, Muckno will host the IADA open feeder championships to be held over two days 16th and 17th September. With fishing at its brilliant best right now, this is your chance to be on one of these splendid competitions and experience the special feel of an exciting Lough Muckno event.
A pre festival practice gave a flavour of what’s to come over the coming weeks, with peg 33 on Concra Lower producing a weight of 21.800kgs (pictured below) comprising all big Roach with 10 hybrids thrown in.
To change things up a bit and keep club members on their toes, the IASCaire Feeder Fishing Club decided to mix it up with a random draw to select teams for their five round pairs match. With Brackley Lough the chosen venue for round one, it was Brackley local Roman Kwasniewski who defended his home turf with a near 12kg net.
Top 3 of the day:
Roman Kwasiniewski-11.990
Tomas Lisauskas -10.730
Tomas Juknevicius -7.400
Next stop for club members is Lough Sillan, with fishing from the Caravan Park section.
