Galway has seen sweltering weather for the past two weeks, with daily temperatures exceeding 24C most days, and feeling much hotter in the bright sunshine. Indeed, we have rarely had such a long spell of unbroken blue skies in memory, with just some high cloud appearing in recent days. The lake is now very warm, with water temperatures approaching 20C, and daytime fishing is almost non-existent bar a few boats trolling.
Early morning, however, is another story, with Caenis hatches providing good sport for anglers with the commitment to be on the lake before 5am. Fishing guide Larry McCarthy, from Corrib View Lodge, reports on the last two weeks:
Early morning is a wonderful time to be on the lough
Chasing Caenis is in full swing for angler’s staying at Corrib View Lodge.
We have two weeks of early mornings already done with plenty of fish up and feeding at dawn.
Hatches have been mediocre but they have improved dramatically over the last 3 or 4 days.
The warm sunny weather has left mornings cool and hatches have been early most before sunrise.
Fishing has been productive even though the bright conditions have made things more challenging than usual. All guests staying with us are getting on average 5 to 6 hours each morning casting at feeding trout.Hopefully we will see a little cloud soon to make the job a little easier.
A nice trout for Ben
The flies may be small but the trout like them!
Early starts do take a toll!
Go Fishing
Corrib View Lodge & Angling Services
A great B&B and professional guiding service run by experienced guide Larry McCarthy and his wife Michelle.
‘Thermal stress’ threat in rivers can lead to fish kills
Inland Fisheries Ireland is suspending salmon angling at the Moy Fishery in Ballina, Co. Mayo and the Galway Fishery, in Galway city, due to prolonged warm and dry weather conditions.
Recent dry and hot weather has caused water temperatures to exceed the 20⁰C threshold in both locations over a number of days.
Freshwater fish species such as salmon and trout can suffer ‘thermal stress’ arising from the impact of adverse warm weather on them.
Both the Moy and Galway fisheries are owned by the State, and operated by IFI.
Other State-owned fisheries are being monitored currently. These will be closed if and when they meet an appropriate threshold where cessation of angling must be enforced.
IFI is mandated, as a national conservation agency, to protect the welfare of fish.
Anyone who encounters distressed fish, fish kills, illegal fishing or pollution, can contact our confidential 24/7 number on 0818 34 74 24 or email us at [email protected].
Moy Fishery
Anglers with bookings on the Moy Fishery in the coming days can contact 096 21332 or [email protected] for more information. Those with bookings on the Galway Fishery can contact 091 562388, or email [email protected].
Details of the reopening of both fisheries will be published via IFI’s website fisheriesireland.ie and on our Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram social media channels.
It’s been a fantastic week of sunshine in Galway, with temperatures of 23C+ every day. Although the wind has been easterly, this hasn’t put a damper on the fishing, with some fine fish being caught, according to skipper John Fleming on the Brazen Hussy. Plenty of big pollack, pouting, some wrasse and mackerel were the main species caught, with all anglers enjoying great sport in the summer sun.
Go Fishing
Brazen Hussy II
To book fishing with John aboard the Brazen Hussy II, give him a call on 087 7571320
A regular day is between 9am- 6pm from either Rossaveal, Spiddal or Galway depending on species being sought after. Fishing on the inshore reefs for pollock, cod, ling, wrasse, conger eel and mackerel can be reached in 10 minutes from departure, while our offshore reef marks are within 45 minutes of departure. Our ground fishing for tope, spurdog, ray, bullhuss, turbot, plaice and the giant common skate can all be reached within the hour which ensures the most amount of time is spent fishing.
The shark season usually starts at the end of June and runs into late October, this is the ultimate angling adrenaline rush with these hard fighting blue and porbeagle sharks all being tagged and released safely.
Package deals available
Skipper Sean Maguire says the last week has been “a beauriful week to have been on the ocean, and even with all the sunshine the fishing was still top class.
With such good fishing, we’re tempted to get out ourselves. If you’re looking for a day on the water with some great fishing, give Sean a call!
Go Fishing
Lady Gwen II
Fishing Adventures on Séan Maguire’s Lady Gwen II, a Lochin 33 M265Ti Perkins charterboat which operates 15 miles from Kilbaha, Carrigaholt, and Kilrush.
Whether you want to go to the Atlantic Ocean for a large selection of species, including different types of shark, or fish the estuary for ray conger tope etc, Fishing Adventures will cater for whatever fishing you desire. Telephone: +353 (0) 877508758 or +353 (0) 894431182 Email:[email protected]Web:www.fishingadventures.ie
Charter boats have been making the most of the fine weather, and skipper Luke Aston has been finding some great fish for his guests off the west Clare coast. Check out this conger eel!
Big conger
Big spurs are also showing well.
Tope
Earlier in the week, the first tope of the season was boated. Mackerel were less scarce this week, which provided bait for a couple of tope sessions. A second tope quickly followed, both between 30-35lbs.
TopeTope
Drift fishing has been very good, with lots of fish coming aboard.
SpurSpur
Go fishing…
Clare Dragoon
Clare Dragoon is a LOCHIN 366 powered by 650HP engine, skippered by Luke Aston and operating out of Carrigaholt Co. Clare…
I have some offers up on my web site www.fishandstay.com and if anybody is interested in putting a trip together please do get in touch. Also I Twitter from the boat on @fishandstay and try to update my face book page www.facebook.com/CarrigaholtSeaAngling fairly often!To experience some of the best deep sea fishing available in Ireland contact Luke. Telephone: +353 65 9058209 or +353 87 6367544 Email:[email protected]Web:www.fishandstay.com
In episode 7 of the lure fishing podcast, presenter Cormac Walsh talks to British wrasse lure fishing expert Damion Fryer. Damion targets wrasse on the lures and really has fine tuned his skills over the years fishing the rocky coastline around Cornwall.
Damion Fryer and wrasse
In the Podcast he talks about his success using lures like the Pirate Lures Wrasser , Senkos, Ceature baits and gives great information on how best to present them and what rigs he prefers.
Damion with a smashing wrasse
If you don’t know much about wrasse fishing with lures and how to go about targeting them, you are really going to enjoy this one. Damion is very knowledgeable and his passion for wrasse fishing really comes across in this podcast.
You can listen to the current podcast, or any others you may have missed, on Spotify here.
Best on River was Trev Platt winning the day and trophy with 100 dace for 5.650kg.
Weights were bigger on day two as John Browne bagged over 300 Ballyshunnock Reservoir rudd for 20.900kg.
John Browne
Finally at Oaklands lake Charlie Richards bagged a massive 104.440kg but John Browne also won his section with 79.760 kg to take him to a 4 point finish and his first festival win.
2nd overall ahead of the rest of a tight group was Charlie Richards. Third overall was Paul Mansbridge.
And Congratulations to Trevor Platt top River Angler on Saturday winning the lovely Waterways Ireland Trophy.
Go Fishing…
Waterford & District Coarse Angling Club
The club’s home water is at Ballyshunnock Reservoir, Co .Waterford. The reservoir is managed as a mixed fishery by Waterford & District Coarse Angling Club. It is regularly stocked with brown and rainbow trout of 1lb plus as well as a healthy native population of browns. It also contains rudd, bream, tench and rudd/bream hybrids. Permits are available from Centra in Kilmeaden, Waterford Angling and Outdoor Centre (John O’Brien), Waterford, Titelines in Cappoquin, The Tourist Offices in Dungarvan and Newtown Stores, Newtown. Membership of Waterford and District Coarse Angling Club also entitles to coarse fish the lake. Details available from 086 163 2462.
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.
Adrian Browne
Oaklands Lake,
Marshmeadows,
New Ross, Co. Wexford.
Oakland’s Coarse Angling Club is open to new members. The club based in Co. Wexford welcomes senior, ladies and junior members to league and open matches throughout the year fished on a variety of venues.
The club is centred around it’s own water, the magnificent Oaklands lake at New Ross; the 4.5 acre lake stocked with carp, tench, bream and rudd has great facilities including 60 stands which are all wheelchair friendly. This superb facility plays and important role in the introduction to angling for newcomers. Popular events include the NCFFI All-Ireland Commercial Pairs and the Dunbrody Festival.
Fifty-one anglers made their way to the Grand Canal at Daingan last week for the King of the Canal / Frank Holding Memorial Match 2023. The bright sunshine, intense heat and low water meant that angling was going to be tricky. But the water had a nice colour, giving the fish some protection from the sun and so anglers had a fair chance, and they made the most of it, with some nice bags of roach, bream, hybrids, tench, skimmers, rudd, roach and perch.
For this week’s episode Tom & Daire are joined by Paddy Gargan, the recently retired IFI fisheries scientist who has a wealth of knowledge about fish conservation, habitat restoration and stock numbers.
Paddy talks about the huge changes he has seen during his career as well as his own love of sea trout fishing and he lets them know about a book he is currently working on detailing the sea trout fisheries of Connemara.
Paddy is also asking for help from people who have any archive material relating to sea trout in Connemara – be it photos, catch records, stories, maps, anything that will help him in researching and writing the book.
P Gargan 8lb sea trout 1987
If you have something that you think might be of help you can send it on to him at [email protected].
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The VDE Baggers AC arrived at their most recent match to find the River Blackwater with low water and zero flow in a flat calm on a blisteringly hot day and with a film of algae on the water… They were understandably downbeat about their chances in what would normally be terrible conditions for fishing, but, unbelievably, the fish were there in numbers and biting like crazy. Top weight was a more than respectable 24kg for Gary Cummings and it wasn’t just a one-man show as there were a number of other 20kg bags on the day.