The first salmon of the 2026 season has been reported by the Garrison & Lough Melvin Anglers Association, caught on the lake’s opening day, Sunday, February 1st. The 7lb fish was landed by Sean Maguire shortly after lunchtime while trolling a Yellow Belly minnow along Flanagan’s Shore. The salmon was sea-liced, showing it was fresh in from the sea. Congrats to Sean on being the first to land a salmon in 2026! 👏👏👏
Brenda Montgomery reports on some decent pike fishing on the River Inny:
Pike fishing has been good on the River Inny over the past number of weeks, but with recent rain causing discolouration and rising water levels, angling numbers have reduced in the last number of days. The River Inny, stretching from Camagh to the Inny or New Bridge, Multyfarnham, has fished well for pike during January, with the heaviest fish weighing in at 26.2lbs caught by a Kildare angler deadbaiting along ‘the Competition stretch’ near Coolnagun Bridge. It is all about dead baiting at this time of year, usually on smelt or mackerel, and fishing close to the edge of the river near the reeds.
It’s been another week of weather-related news, with Storm Chandra, named by the UK Met Office, visiting our southern and eastern counties this week. While wind damage was minimal, the rainfall it brought fell on already saturated ground, and caused flooding in many areas from Monaghan to Waterford. Many rivers burst their banks, including the River Slaney in Enniscorthy, the River Barrow in Graigenamanagh, and the River Dodder in Dublin. Some roads in Co. Wicklow are closed due to structural damage, and many homes and businesses have been damaged by floodwater.
There is no respite for some areas too, with 7 eastern and southeastern counties, as well as the 6 counties in Northern Ireland, under a weather warning today for further rainfall and high risk of flooding again.
See here from Met Eireann on Storm Chandra and this weekend’s flood risk, and for advice on how to stay safe.
Needless to say, with rivers bursting their banks and high water levels in the rest of the country, we don’t have a huge amount of angling news to bring you this week.
It is still early days in the salmon season, and the Currane anglers remained fishless this week, with cold and then stormy conditions keeping most off the water.
The trout season for most is still a while away, but Peter Driver and his crew are back in action with the Piscari Fly newsletter, getting ready for the season ahead.
The 37th Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival was heavily disrupted by the weather, with the first session moved to Morriscastle, a great backup venue which produced 632 fish for the session! Day 2 was much tougher, with the backup venue producing fish for just 10 anglers, and Day 3 was cancelled altogether due to the massive swell hitting all the venues. The weather-affected festival was won by well-known Irish angler JP Molloy, but see here for a full run down of the event. Sea anglers will know how rare a 40cm+ flounder is, and Gary Hughes’s 41cm flattie wins our Catch of the Week.
Up north, Carrick Beach Rockers fished a comp in horrendous weather conditions at Waterfoot, and were rewarded for their persistence with plenty of species and decent fishing. Species caught included flounder, dab, cod, whiting, coalie, rockling, dogfish, and plaice.
For sea anglers looking for a good comp this weekend, today is the last day to enter tomorrow’s Micheal Quinn Memorial comp hosted by Killala BC, held at Lacken which produced excellent fishing recently.
The Leinster Coarse Fishing Federation hosted its first junior day of the year last week, and 12 budding young anglers braved the wet and windy conditions to hone their skills under the expert guidance of Dean Murray. Some great fish were caught, and plenty of Hybrids, Roach and Perch were put on the scales.
CM Lakelands club also braved the weather, holding two matches on Garadice at the weekend, with 3-4kg being enough to make the winning weights, mostly roach, perch, hybrids and a few skimmer bream.
Pike anglers will appreciate Steve McDonagh’s latest Youtube video, where he encounters all sorts of adversity – flooded venues and fields, matches, submerged platforms, dropped runs. As he says,“If you’ve ever blanked after doing everything right, this one’s for you.”
The Leinster Pike Angling Club winter league concluded in dramatic fashion last Sunday. Despite recent poor weather making venue selection difficult, the organisers secured a few lakes that remained just about fishable, resulting in a productive day with plenty of fish caught. Standings at the top were tied, with Anthony Byrne winning on a countback of fish caught over the league outings.
Finally, the Camlin & District Anglers are holding the Ray Gill Memorial / Blessing of the boats pike fishing competition on Sunday, the 22nd of February in Lanesborough. Full details in the link above.
Today will see scattered showers, some heavy and prolonged in Ulster. Rain in the south-east will spread up across most of Leinster and eastern parts of Munster this afternoon and evening, with some thundery downpours possible. With saturated ground conditions and high river levels, further localised flooding is possible. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees. Moderate to fresh southeasterly winds, will gradually ease light to moderate through today, but will continue strong at times near eastern and northern coasts.
Saturday morning , cloud and outbreaks of rain will affect areas away from the southwest, where there will be sunny spells and a few showers. The rain will become patchier as the day goes on and some bright or sunny intervals will develop. Highest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees with light to moderate, variable winds.
On Sunday, Cloud and outbreaks of rain will move northeastwards across the country, with dry and bright conditions following from the southwest. Highest temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees with light to moderate and variable winds. The outlook is for unsettled weather to continue, staying cool in mainly easterly winds.
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].
The 37th Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival took place from the 22nd to the 24th of January 2026. Check-in commenced on the evening of Wednesday 21st at the festival HQ – the Hotel Curracloe in County Wexford – where 122 anglers were registered at the close on Thursday morning.
Session one was planned to be fished on Ballinesker Beach; however, strong sea surges forced a move to Morriscastle Beach. Competition commenced at 12 noon, and fish were recorded almost immediately. Lines-up was at 5pm and 632 fish were recorded, all of which were returned alive to the water. Some anglers had their first shore-caught spurdog and a notable 41cm flounder was captured by visiting angler Gary Hughes. Best round fish were 47cm spur dogfish for Saul Page, Neil Cutler and Ben Arnold.
Zone winners were Richard Yates, Saul Page, Ben Arnold and Mark Pinder, all from the UK. The Pairs was led by Richard Yates and Saul Page. The 4-person team was led by Richard Yates, Saul Page, John White and David Morris. The leading lady was Anne Whitty.
The easterly storm Ingrid made all of the proposed venues for day 2 unfishable. The only accessible beach on the east coast was Old Bawn which is the northern extension to the beach fished on day 1. It was decided to proceed as it was deemed safe with a falling tide despite the strong easterly wind. At the end of a disappointing session, only 10 anglers had recorded fish, and only 14 in total. The best fish were a 32cm flounder for Jimmy Price and a 33cm bass for Brendan Wall.
Zone winners were Gavin Parker and Jimmy Price from the UK and Lar Mooney and Brendan Wall from Ireland. The pairs competition was now led by Irish anglers J. P. Molloy and Sean Ivory. The 4-person team was led by Stephen Glynn, Lar Mooney, Alby Allen and Brendan Wall from Ireland. Anne Whitty continued as the best lady angler.
With Storm Ingrid making the east coast beaches totally unfishable local knowledge was sought and it was decided to move the last session to Rostoonstown and Duncannon, 2 zones on each. Unfortunately, Rostoonstown was deemed unsafe due to massive tidal surges so disappointingly the third day’s fishing had to be abandoned. Duncannon was fishable but not big enough to facilitate the entire entry. Some anglers did try their luck and some nice flounder and bass were captured.
Species recorded were dab, flounder, whiting, bass, lesser spotted dogfish, spur dogfish, rockling and coalfish.
116 anglers and guests attended the presentation dinner in the Hotel Curracloe, where a first-class meal was professionally served and enjoyed by all.
The introductory speech was given by George McCullough. He commended the anglers for their perseverance in such severe weather conditions. He thanked everyone involved in the organising of the event and made special mention of Stephen Glynn who had pegged the beaches in harsh early morning conditions. He thanked all those who donated prizes for the raffle and especially Tronixpro for their continued support. He thanked Inland Fisheries Ireland for their support and their field staff for their vigilance on the venues.
The presentation of prizes was conducted by Warren Doyle, Pat Shortt and Tommy Squires. The positions and pools not won due to cancellation and lack of fish were awarded by means of an open draw.
The top 3 positions were taken by:
The pairs competition was won by Irish anglers J. P. Molloy and Sean Ivory.
The 4-person team was won by Stephen Glynn, Lar Mooney, Alby Allen and Brendan Wall from Ireland.
Best lady angler was Anne Whitty. The junior award was taken by Luke Kinsella.
The Leinster Coarse Fishing Federation hosted its first junior day of the year last week, and 12 budding young anglers braved the wet and windy conditions to hone their skills under the expert guidance of Dean Murray. Some great fish were caught, and plenty of Hybrids, Roach and Perch were put on the scales.
Top Weights on the day were:
The club would like to thank parents and guardians for getting the kids to the venue, and also the Kilcock Anglers Club for keeping the venue clear for our juniors. A big well done to Dean for giving up his time to organise and get things in place for today.
A BIG THANKS to the Juniors for getting to the venue in such bad conditions, facing the wind and rain. From what we can Leinster will field a very strong side when the Inter-Pros arrive.
Saturday night marked the first leg of the Carrick Beach Rockers Masters. The venue was Limerick Rover, with boundaries set from Salmon Rock to the rocks at the back of Waterfoot Pier. A total of 15 members attended, along with 2 guests and 2 juniors. Fishing took place for an hour and a half on the ebb tide, with the remainder on the flood. Weather conditions were poor, with constant rain, hailstones, and a strong south-westerly wind. Despite this, a good variety of species were caught, including flounder, dab, cod, whiting, coalie, rockling, dogfish, and plaice.
Vincent Appleby reports on a slow week in West Kerry:
22/1/2026, Currane anglers were all quiet except for the odd C&R Kelt. Now we head for the Currane weather chart. Wind NW moderate followed by reasonable cloud cover and the odd shower. Yesterday’s weather: amount of rainfall 4.4mm, maximum air temperature 10.8°C, amount of sunshine 2 minutes.
On a personal note, it’s hard to believe that my father and Currane angler, Mr E.G. Appleby RIP, passed away 13 years ago today. Always in my thoughts.
23/1/206. My Noble Currane anglers had a rest on this cold day, and just for the record, the air temperature was 6°C so you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it would feel like 0°C, mind you that’s no excuse for not going out, I can remember Vincent O’Sullivan RIP fly fishing at the ledge, I and my Father RIP were trolling and the Hardy Perfect reels froze, so headed in to Darby’s Island and the next thing Vincent’s client was in to a 11 lbs. Salmon, and that is a fact, not a fisherman’s story. Wind NE Gentle to Moderate and overcast. Yesterday’s weather: amount of rainfall 1mm, maximum air temperature 9.1°C, amount of sunshine, 3 hours, and 8. Minutes
24/1/2026. Currane angler reports just one boat out and just one kelt for his efforts. Today’s Currane weather chart is as follows: wind NW moderate to gentle, followed by good cloud cover. Yesterday’s weather, the amount of rainfall 0.1mm, maximum air temperature 7.4 °C, amount of sunshine none.
25/1/ 2026. Just two boats out by all accounts, the reels were all quiet. Now the Currane anglers’ weather chart. Wind NW Gentle to Moderate followed bright sunshine, yesterday’s weather amount of rainfall 1.7mm. Maximum air temperature 8.5 °C, amount of sunshine 3 hours and 3 minutes.
Yesterday’s weather: amount of rainfall 1.1mm, maximum air temperature 10°C, amount of sunshine 1 hour and 6 minutes.
27/1/2026, Lough Currane was on the wild side, as you imagine, as storm Chandra took control of the Currane waves and my Noble Currane anglers. Now we head for the Currane weather. Variable winds SE 9am 24km/h, 12pm.NW 41 km/h, 3 pm WNW 67km/h, followed by heavy showers throughout the day. Yesterday’s weather. Amount of rainfall 8.7mm, maximum air temperature 8.5 °C, amount of sunshine 3 hours and 3 minutes.
28/1/2026. The Currane anglers were all quiet, and for good reason again, the weather takes control with a strong SE strong wind blowing across the Currane Lake. Wind speeds 9am 37k./h , 12pm 39 km/H, followed by heavy showers. Yesterday’s weather amount of rainfall 21.8 mm, and the maximum air temperature 8.5°C,amount of sunshine is none.
The CM Lakelands Feeder Club were on Garadice at the weekend, competing in two separate matches, one on Grassy Bank and the Other on Houghton’s Shore. There was a great turnout with 21 anglers competing over the two events.
The Top 3 on Houghton’s Shore were:
Most of the lads had small skimmers with roach and odd hybrids.
The Top 3 on Grassy Bank were:
The lads fishing on this section caught some skimmers, but most of the lads caught roach, odd perch and Hybrids.
The Camlin & District Anglers are holding the Ray Gill Memorial / Blessing of the boats pike fishing competition on Sunday, the 22nd of February in Lanesborough. Entry is €50 per boat of 2 or more anglers or €30 per single angler boat. Fishing is from 10:30am to 5pm. This is a members-only competition, but membership can be taken out on the day, at a price of €10 per adult. The prize pot is a minimum of €1000 (DOE), and the competition is for the combined longest 3 pike over 50cm. The rules for the competition, as well as the competition area, can be seen on the Camlin & District Anglers Facebook Page.
Steve McDonagh, of the Fishing with Steve YouTube channel, was out and about trying to find some fishing spots despite all the high water. In his own words…
“Another brutal winter session chasing my first pike of 2026 — flooded lakes, closed pegs, lost fish, and absolute heartbreak on the bank. After heavy rain across Cavan, almost every lake was blown out… but quitting wasn’t an option. This session turned into a proper grind. Five different lakes, flooded fields, matches on venues, submerged platforms — and when I finally got fishing, two solid runs on mackerel… both dropped. Barbless hooks, bad timing, and zero luck. I also break down the full day-session predator setup, bait choices, and why switching to mackerel made all the difference — plus underwater camera footage showing just how close it was. If you’ve ever blanked after doing everything right, this one’s for you.”
If you enjoy Steve’s videos, don’t forget to give them a thumbs up and subscribe to the Fishing With Steve YouTube Channel.
Steve can be contacted at:
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