New fishing community enjoys day out in Fenit

By

-

March 5, 2026

645938049_2114594892672086_7797408688818336055_n — Ondulate

The Irish Angling Adventure Community is a new group set up by James Raymond of Irish Angling Adventures, with the aim of organising friendly meetups at various fishing venues around the south and west coasts. These are a great opportunity for new, or returning anglers, to meet fellow enthusiasts, pick up some tips and enjoy a few hours fishing in the company of new friends.

Last weekend was the second meetup, at Fenit Causeway in the Kingdom of Kerry. A well-known shore mark, it produced some nice fish.

James says ” Thanks again to everyone that turned up yesterday. There were some big showers but it all settled down and the sun came out afterwards.

Plenty of whiting and dogs caught yesterday by almost everyone with a lovely Undulate ray of 83cm caught by Mark Keenan. Some of the lads learned how to deal with a ray safely and for some it was their first time seeing an undulate ray in person so a good day all in all.

1 of 4

If you have any friends or know anyone that would be interested in joining don’t forget to share the page with them so that they can stay up to date.

Join In

If you fancy joining the community, and fishing a new venue, learning a few new tricks, or just meeting some likeminded anglers, check out the Facebook page here, or for those not on Facebook, check out Irish Angling Adventures, where you can sign up for email updates from James.

Final pike qualifier fished on River Barrow

By

IFI staff

-

March 5, 2026

The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs reports on the results from their recent qualifier…

The I.O.P.C. hosted the 8th and final qualifier on a stretch of the River Barrow and the adjacent Barrow Canal. A total of 19 anglers took part, with 25 pike landed on the day, including two double-figure fish.

Results:
1st – Jack Farrell – 2 pike – 18lb 06oz
2nd – Alan Heasly – 6 pike – 16lb 07oz
3rd – Shane Donohue – 1 pike – 15lb 09oz

Final standings – 2025/2026 League:
1st – Fran Crosbie
2nd – Stephen Whiteley
3rd – Ian Church

Well done to everyone who took part in this season’s league!

Long drive, first pike on fly and plenty of jacks for Robin!

By

IFI staff

-

March 5, 2026

Guided Predator Angling was on the water again. Read their short report below…

I was joined by Robin for two hard days’ fly fishing for pike, a fish that was going to be a first for him as the London native now based in county Kerry drove 6.5 hours to try his luck for!

Jacks galore over the two days but the bigger fish alluded us, then to see them starting to spawn in the shallows brought the session to a premature end!

Now to leave them alone for a few weeks to do the deed! I know one thing, two days casting a pike fly isn’t for me…

Go Fishing

Location: Enniskillen, NI

Phone: +44 7756 222271

Email: [email protected]

Web: Guidedpredatorangling.com

FB: Guided Predator Angling

Mixed fishing in Ventry for Tralee Bay SAC

By

IFI Staff

-

March 5, 2026

Last weekend saw us take to the beach for the first time this year. We fished Ventry from 11 to 4pm fishing down over low water to allow everyone get a crack at the reef. As usual with Ventry there was dogs spread along the length of the match zone which had been generously paced out by Figgs.

Unfortunately the early dogs didn’t keep up the pace and everyone was trying to figure out why. Saoirse McGowan was off and running while Liam Heffernan also in the junior section picked off his first ever doggie. Word on the beach was that Chris had asked Liam to cast for him but was politely declined. Richard Rutland changed distances and pulled a double dog. Brendan Moriarty added a 3rd dog to his tally just as Chris got his first. Finn shrugged off an early injury scare to add a bass to his doggie after seeing Gavin Stack go in after them. Surprisingly the low pegs were poor and only David, Shane and Trevor managed fish. Meanwhile David Griffin added a 3rd dog continuing a fine run of catches on Ventry.

With time running out Chris landed an early contender for fish of the year with a plump Dab of 33cm but almost certainly nearly 2lb.

Next comp is after St Patrick’s day fishing either Inch or Brandon bay depending on the weather and which beach is fishing best.

1 of 8

Junior

1st Liam Heffernan 1 fish 50pts

2nd Saoirse McGowan 2 fish 44pts

Senior

1st Chris O’Sullivan 4 fish 188pts

2nd Brendan Moriarty 3 fish 150pts

3rd David Griffin 3 fish 150pts (smaller dog)

Biggest Flat Chris O’Sullivan 33cm Dab

Biggest round Finn Healy 30cm Bass

Tag A Ray Dates Announced

By

IFI Staff

-

March 5, 2026

The now annual Tag A Ray weekend festival in Tralee Bay is back, and Tralee Bay SAC have announced the dates for this year’s event.

Tag A Ray returns for another incredible weekend of fishing, conservation, and proper angling camaraderie on the beach.

This event has become a highlight in the calendar — bringing anglers together to tag, record and safely return rays while contributing to valuable data and promoting responsible fishing practices.

Whether you fished it before or you’re thinking of getting involved for the first time… mark the date now.

More details, entry information and updates will be announced soon.

Keep an eye on the Tralee Bay page and share this with your fishing mates — let’s make 2026 the biggest one yet.

Insane Pike Action! Last Hour Heroics with Steve…

By

IFI Staff

-

March 4, 2026

In his latest episode on the Fishing with Steve YouTube channel, Steve McDonagh features a Co. Meath venue he has fished many times before.

In Steve’s own words:

It’s another day, another jetty… but this one nearly didn’t happen. After weeks of flooding, I finally managed to squeeze onto the platform with just an inch or two of water under the pod. Add to that a freezer disaster that left all my bait defrosted for TWO days… and it wasn’t exactly shaping up to be a classic session. Deadbaiting over a known patrol route, long casts with the bait boat, and a whole lot of patience. Hours went by with barely a sign… and I started wondering if I’d made the trip for nothing.

Then… the final hour arrived. What happened next completely flipped the session on its head.

💥 Multiple runs

🐊 Proper doubles

😲 Absolute chaos at the net

This one proves why you always stay until dark on this venue… If you enjoy proper pike fishing action, bait boat tactics, and honest sessions where things don’t always go to plan — you’ll love this episode.

If you like Steve’s videos, don’t forget to hit the like button and subscribe to the channel.

Piscari Fly Newsletter fishing round up

By

IFI Staff

-

March 3, 2026

The Piscari-Fly team discuss all things fly-fishing in their latest newsletter:

How’s the Fishing?

We saw another blast of our country’s fishing open up over the weekend on the 1st March. Those of you who were lucky enough to get out, I hope you enjoyed it. A cool windy day but plenty of reports of fish being caught across the rivers and lakes of Ireland on social media. Here’s a picture of Peter’s Dad with his first fish of the season, he was out in Roundwood in Co Wicklow with Brendan Driver. They got out for a few hours, earlier in the morning, before the wind took up. He was delighted with himself and great to see him get another season under way. He is looking forward to a lot of fishing this year. And well done to Brendan too on a lovely start to his season.

The TAFI All Ireland Banks took place Saturday in Laois Angling Centre. The competition went really well. A huge thanks to Johnno and Enda for allowing TAFI to hold the event there again. Well done to all the organisers and to everyone who competed on the day. The fishing was a mixed bag as usual but Kevin Lafford did really well and took first place. Followed by Brian Kerr and Gary Crothers in 2nd and 3rd place.

1 of 7

Up Next

The lads head to the The North West Angling Fair on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th March 2026! Whether you’re a seasoned fly-fisher, a passionate beginner, or simply love the outdoors, the North West Angling Fair brings together top exhibitors, expert demonstrations, workshops, and family-friendly activities.

Peter and Mark will both be there with Peter doing demonstrations on Euro Nymphing and Euro Dinking and Dry Dropper on both the Saturday and Sunday. Mark will be showing off our gear and you can have a look at some of our rods there too. If you are interested in any of this make sure you check it out. https://www.derrystrabane.com/subsites/angling-fair

Really looking forward to the weekend and catching up with friends and customers up there.

Irish Spring Angling Fair

Peter has been hard at work over the weekend preparing the first prize for the Irish Spring Angling draw — a stunning custom fly-tying table. It’s a fantastic piece, and there are plenty of other brilliant prizes up for grabs throughout the weekend, including fishing trips with Senan Stanley.

You can purchase tickets online or simply purchase on the day. Peter and the Piscari-Fly team will be there with the full shop setup, joined by a wide range of exhibitors and demonstrators — it’s shaping up to be a great weekend.

If you’re free over the May Bank Holiday weekend, make sure to head along to Ardaire Springs. Bring the family, have a go at fly fishing or fly tying, browse the stands, and enjoy everything the fair has to offer. There really is something for everyone.

https://www.facebook.com/irishspringanglingfair/

https://irishspringanglingfair.com/

1 of 8

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.

As a small business we depend on the satisfaction of our customers and their word of mouth, 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.

Thanks for the support it’s greatly appreciated

Piscari Fly

Address Woolengrange Thomastown Kilkenny Ireland Mobile Phone: +353 87 9787040 Email: [email protected] Website: piscari-fly.com

More information

Find on Map |

Irish Angling Update 🎣 27 February 2026

By

Myles Kelly

-

February 27, 2026

Bent into a salmon on Lough Currane — First salmon of the season on

Temperatures rose a little in the last week and at times it was almost like Spring was building up to something but the rain still fell, and many parts of the country endured what seems like endless wet, dull weather. The milder conditions were welcomed by most anglers, though, and there are a few good days on the water to report…

First stop this week is Lough Currane in Co. Kerry, where Dominic McGillicuddy caught the lake’s first salmon of the season. By all accounts the fish gave a great account of itself, and after it was given a chance to recover, Dominic safely released the fish.

First currane salmon of 2026 — Currane’s first salmon of the season ready for release by Dominic

Peter Driver and the team at PiscariFly report that with all the rain we’ve had, the rivers have been high and trout fishing has not been great. It’s early days yet, though, and the majority of the rivers have yet to open this year. Peter also has details of the North West Angling Fair, which is on this week in Strabane, and the Irish Spring Angling Fair, which takes place from 2nd-3rd May.

To coarse angling now, and CM Lakelands Feeder Club fished the latest round of their winter league on Lough Muckno. First place went to Rimantas Kondrackas, who fished a brilliant match to weigh 8.730 kg, made up of 100-plus roach on Yellow Island.

Mick Flanagan reports from the midlands, where he was out fishing with young anglers Conor McIntyre and his pal Eoin Duncan. Highlight of the day was Eoin catching his first ever pike, which measured 101 cm.

A fine first pike for Eoin and Catch of the Week

We also have a pike report in from the Erne system, where jacks abounded and there were signs of early spawning activity. On the River Shannon, Camlin and District Anglers held their Ray Gill / Blessing of the Boats competition in Lanesborough at the weekend. Water levels were high, the weather was wet and blustery, and fishing was slow. Jacek Gorny did well though and took the win with 264cm. Meanwhile, YouTube angler Steve McDonagh returned to his favourite Monaghan lough for one last roll of the dice in his final attempt to catch a Monaghan monster – tune in to see did he catch his fish…

We finish this week’s Irish Angling Update on the beaches of Ireland. Ballybrack SAC kicked off their 2026 Master Angler Series on 15th February at Kiltennel Beach, where Paul Tyndall’s consistent approach and ability to pick off better-sized fish at range earned him first place. The Ulster Krakens Master Angler Qualifying League returned on 21st February. Ryan McAtee topped Zone A with 34 fish and claimed the overall win on his debut. In Donegal the Killybegs Mariners were making the most of what bright evenings were on offer, enjoying the fishing and the changing seasons. Also out on the 21st were Ardmore SAC and Clashmore SAC, who fished an inter-club competition on Ardmore Beach. Clashmore’s Aidan O’Halloran secured victory there with an impressive 25-fish haul. Rebel County SAC were out too, fishing their 1st match of 2026 at Monatrae Bay, Co. Waterford. The club had a good night, but no one enjoyed it more than Danny O’Shea, who caught 15 fish for 414 points and the win. Finally, West Cork and District SAC fished on Saturday, this time at Ballymoa near Ballycotton. There was steady action early on, with bites coming right from the first few casts, setting the tone for an enjoyable and competitive session. Troy Francis finished up a string of good fish with a cracking 77cm thornback ray to win the flatfish pool, rounding off a great night’s fishing and giving him 1st place.

And now the weather

You can expect a sunny and crisp start to Saturday with frost clearing. Cloud and showery outbreaks of rain will move into western parts through the morning and slowly extend eastwards through the afternoon and evening. It’ll hold dry for much of the day in the east, while a clearance will follow in to the west later. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10°C, with winds increasing moderate to fresh southerly, stronger for a time along the coasts. A wet and rather windy start to meteorological spring with outbreaks of rain, turning heavy at times, especially in the southwest and west, with some spot flooding possible. Highest temperatures of 10 to 12°C in fresh to strong southerly winds, reaching near gale to gale force in coastal parts of the west and south. Our weather will turn more mixed as we move into next week, with temperatures around average or slightly above for the first week in March.

Don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.

IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to [email protected].

All the angling news

Pike Fishing Reports

Sea Angling Reports

Troy Francis wins West Cork and District competition on Ballymona

By

Myles Kelly

-

February 27, 2026

West Cork and District SAC fished a competition at Ballymona on Saturday…

On Saturday evening we held our latest competition. With strong winds and heavy weed making our original venue, Ardnahinch, unfishable, a late call was made to move across the stream to Ballymona in Ballycotton Bay. The move worked out well and gave us a fishable stretch of beach for the evening.

Match time was 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and fish showed from the get-go. There was steady action early on, with bites coming right from the first few casts, setting the tone for an enjoyable and competitive session.

Richie Gormley got the evening off to a flyer on peg six, starting in fine style with a cracking 72cm thornback ray. Bradley Kirwin and Troy Francis soon followed with rays of their own, with Bradley landing a fine painted ray.

Some nice fish showed in the daylight hours early on. Bass were also present, along with flounder and dogfish, keeping rods busy and adding a nice mix of species to the cards.
Just before darkness set in, Colin O’Sullivan landed a fine 68cm conger eel, which would eventually go on to win the round fish pool. Well done, Colin.

As darkness set in, lads began to change tactics and started fishing in tight. This brought a burst of rockling all along the match stretch, followed by a few flounder. Notably, Erin Furlong landed a cracking 42cm flounder.

As the tide began to drop it produced the best hour of fishing of the match, with dogfish showing in numbers. Brendan Wall took full advantage, adding several dogfish to his card by the end of the evening, as did Barry O’Rourke who also made the most of the improving conditions.

Into the last hour and Troy Francis on peg three kept the dogfish coming while others began to slow up, which would eventually seal the match win for him. Troy also landed a cracking 77cm thornback ray to win the flatfish pool, rounding off a great night’s fishing. Well done, Troy.

The battle for second place was between Brendan and Barry, with both anglers finishing on 12 fish. It was a tight one, but Brendan eventually pipped Barry, finishing on 573 points to Barry’s 539. Well done, lads.

1 of 3

We’d also like to welcome our three new members — Brendan Wall, Bradley Kirwin and Erin Furlong. Great to have ye onboard.

A good night’s fishing all round for us on a new venue.

Up next for us is Leg Two of the Ultima Munster Shore League in Cheekpoint — always a great venue and one we’re really looking forward to.

Go fishing…

All about West Cork and District SAC…

The club was formed on march 19th 2009, in the small picturesque harbour town of Kinsale County Cork. We’re an inclusive club, this can be seen in our membership profile; from anglers who are new to match fishing all the way up to members of the Irish World Shore Team 2010, two of which are in the club! The club holds circa 10 competitions per year, members are encouraged to practice a catch and release policy in the interests of conservation. Anybody wishing to join our club is always welcome, just use the contact us page and we will give prospective members full details.
Web: http://westcorkanddistrict.webs.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/West-Cork-and-District-SAC/

Downpours on Derravaragh with rewards upriver for piking apprentices

By

Paul O'Reilly

-

February 27, 2026

Mick Flanagan of Midland Angling and Shooting headed for Derravaragh early last weekend to meet young anglers Conor McIntyre & his pal Eoin Duncan. Conor is already big into his fishing, & Eoin is keen to get started.

Mick reports:

We fished one long drift on Derravaragh and I copped the black clouds heading our way; it was rods in and head for shelter! The heavens opened with heavy rain & hailstones, another lovely soaking for Mick The Fish.

We just went with the flow downriver & and never got a touch all morning. I had a few big paddle tail shads rigged up, which got a few small pike the day before, and I knew by the action of these shads trolling back upriver we would get a few hits. Sure enough, we had a small feeding window and landed 4 pike, with Eoin catching his first ever pike, which measured 101 cm.

I reckon he is hooked on angling for life! The lads are back to school after mid-term break, and on the way back upriver, they were planning ahead for next weekend’s angling adventure!