The next brown tag draw for anglers who wish to harvest a salmon on the River Lee will be held on 22nd March.
Anglers can apply to take part in the draw from 6th March.
Full details will be available closer to the date.
David Norman of Angling Adventures West Cork managed to get out during a break in the weather for a very productive Mullet Fly session, which produced five hard fighting West Cork Mullet the largest of which was estimated at 6lb+ and took his bread fly presented on a 5wt setup.
Click the listing below for more information…
Tulla and District Coarse Angling Club sent us their competition schedule for 2023. There’s plenty to look forward to!
Date |
Coarse Competitions |
Name |
Venue |
Sunday, March 19, 2023 |
TDAC |
Queally Trophy |
Clondorney |
Sunday, April 9, 2023 |
TDAC |
Mick Daly Perpetual Cup |
Swan Island or O’Briens Bridge |
Sunday, April 30, 2023 |
TDAC 2 Dayer |
TDAC Festival |
TBC-subject to numbers |
Monday 1 May 2023 |
TDAC 2 Dayer |
TDAC Festival |
TBC-subject to numbers |
Sunday, May 21, 2023 |
TDAC |
Ryan Wright Memorial |
Ballinakill (subject to acces) or Graney |
Saturday 10 June 2023 |
TDAC |
Pairs. Saturday evening match (tench) |
Silvergrove |
Sunday, July 2, 2023 |
TDAC |
McInerney Cup |
Clondorney |
Sunday, July 23, 2023 |
Oaklands TDAC |
Blackstick’s Cup |
Kilgory |
Sunday, August 6, 2023 |
TDAC |
Carp Challenge Cup |
Oaklands |
Saturday 19 August 2023 |
TDAC 2 Dayer |
TDAC Festival |
Swan Island or Silvergrove |
Sunday, August 20, 2023 |
TDAC 2 Dayer |
TDAC Festival |
Swan Island or Silvergrove |
Sunday, September 3, 2023 |
TDAC |
Malone Cup |
Doon |
Sunday, September 17, 2023 |
TDAC |
Clondorney Cup |
Clondorney |
Sunday, October 8, 2023 |
TDAC |
Fishing Tackle Ireland Cup |
Scariff Harbour, Swan Island or Obrien’s Bridg |
Tulla District Angling Club is a Pike and Coarse fishing club founded over 50 years ago. They are based in East Clare, Munster, Ireland.
For information on joining and club events see the Tulla District Angling Club Facebook page
So much of our fishing depends on the weather and, weather-wise, it has been a fairly quiet picture of late. January was mild, with temperatures and sunshine totals above their long term averages for the month. For the first week in February it was much drier than usual, with mean air and soil temperatures 2°C or 3°C higher than normal around the country. The coming seven days will continue in much the same vein, with rainfall amounts expected to be well below normal, air temperatures to be 2°C or 3°C higher than normal and soil temperatures on the rise.
With next week’s opening of the season for lough trout fishing, will the mild weather bring fish into the shallows on the feed, or early hatches of fly? Goodness knows, but what we do know is that if you are planning to head out next week after a trout but are unsure of the best tactics to tempt those early season fish, this week’s Ireland on the Fly podcast is a must listen. On the show this week is well known trout catcher Mike Keady and he will be discussing early season tactics for Corrib trout and the duckfly hatch that really kicks off the surface action.
While we await the opening of the trout fishing, the salmon fishing is well underway and while Lough Currane hasn’t given up any more of her precious spring salmon to the anglers in south Kerry, the anglers in south Donegal (or north Leitrim) did manage to break the duck on the Drowes. It was there that Ronnie McMorris scooped the Drowes Perpetual Cup for the first salmon of the 2023 season and also the Thomas Gallagher Conservation Cup for returning his fish to the water unharmed. Ronnie wins our fish of the week this week for his catch (and release). With the 2022 salmon season a distant memory, Andrew McGall brought some of his best 2022 memories back with some footage of his best takes from the season gone, well worth a watch.
The mild weather might also bring an early spawning period for the pike, but they are feeding well at the moment, with fish up to 109cm for Melview Lodge in Longford and over twenty fish landed by the members of the Limerick Pike Anglers who ventured up the country on a day trip. From toothy predators to spiky ones, and the first Barrow Perch Bonanza was held on the Barrow last weekend where, despite a drop in temperatures before the event, some super perch to 40cm were recorded.
Munster Coarse Anglers had it tough in Tulla, where the seventh round of their Winter League took place and just over 4lbs was enough to win on the day. In Leitrim, the Lakeland’s Angling Club of Ballinamore have announced the dates for this year’s Ballinamore Festival and the event has nearly booked out already.
To the tides now, where the Fiona Tee in Killybegs set forth on her first full day trip of the 2023 season. Lots of mackerel and herring kept the anglers busy in the harbour with some good pollock showing later in the day. Back on dry land, the Fishing Futures team assisted by members of South Shore SAC, have been spending some time introducing members of the Loughlinstown, Ballybrack and Shanganagh (LBS) Men’s Shed project to sea angling in recent weeks.
After the success of the first Irish Spring Angling Fair in 2022, Ned Maher of Ardaire Springs Angling Centre, Mooncoin, County Kilkenny has just announced that he will once again host the IRISH SPRING ANGLING FAIR. Taking place on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, the Fair will open to angling enthusiasts on Saturday 29th April and Sunday the 30th of April 2023.
Inland Fisheries Ireland are currently recruiting Seasonal Fisheries Officers who will join teams over the summer months to help protect, conserve and develop fisheries resources working in and around Ireland’s lakes, rivers and coastlines.
Those interested in applying for a six-month Seasonal Fisheries Officer role can apply on-line at www.fisheriesireland.ie/careers, before the deadline of Tuesday, 21st of February 2023.
Cloudy on Friday with occasional sunny spells, dry for most areas, highs of 10°C to 12°C in moderate southwesterly winds.
Similar conditions this weekend, both days will be mainly dry and rather cloudy, with patchy drizzle at times and sunshine breaking through. Highs of 9°C or 10°C in light to moderate southerly breezes, between 3°C and 6°C overnight.
Monday looks like a sunnier day in the east and current indications suggest no significant change for the midweek period, perhaps a little breezier on Tuesday.
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland. If fishing in the sea, don’t forget to check the tides.
IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release
You can keep up to date on all of the latest fishing reports on the Fishing in Ireland Facebook page. If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].
This report from the first outing of 2023 for Killybegs Fishing Trips:
Got our first full days fishing trip of the year today, started very well with loads of mackerel and herring in the harbour, but then the pollock let us down big time, with only 1 pollock to show for a few hours, but thankfully they came on strong for the last couple of hours, and some very good sized pollock at that.
Address: Moneygold, Grange, Co. Sligo.
Telephone: 00353 87 6224348
Email: [email protected]
Kevin Lyons of Melview Lodge gets back on the water after a winter break:
It was back to the fishing after taking a little time off for Kevin of Melview Fishing Lodge. Regular visitor John was up in Longford once again for a few days, and it turned out to be worth the effort. Dead baiting using various baits done the trick for us; the Pike did not seem to mind what bait was used. Roach, Pollen or Mackerel all produced some good pike to 109cm with the heaviest fish weighing in at 25.5 lbs.
Kevin is looking forward to the next few weeks with his clients to see if they can better this start to 2023.
ALL FISH RETURNED UNHARMED.
Drumlish Road, Clonrollagh, Longford, Co. Longford
Tel:+353(0)43-33-45061 Mobile:+353(0)87-268-7441
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.melviewlodge.com
Kevin has over 30 years experience of fishing in Ireland and is happy to offer a guided tour on your arrival, and to advise where the on-form waters in the area are. We can arrange your bait order so it’s here when you arrive. Melview offers free use of 17ft lake boats with engines to our guests (pay fuel only) and Kevin is happy to assist with any pre-baiting requests. Maps and other information regarding fishing are also available.
The Fishing Futures team assisted by members of South Shore SAC, have been spending some time introducing members of the Loughlinstown, Ballybrack and Shanganagh (LBS) Men’s Shed project to sea angling in recent weeks. They began by going through the essentials of trace-making in a hands-on session in their clubhouse. This was followed by a four-hour session on Murrough Beah in Wicklow, where the members were shown the ropes with gear, bait and casting. And it didn’t take long for their new-found skills to bear fruit as a number of doggies and dabs were landed. They plan to run a further session over the next few weeks to develop their skills further.
A few members of the Limerick County Pike Anglers travelled up the country for a few hours last week, to stretch the legs and get some fresh air under clear spring skies. Luckily the pike were obliging on the day and all anglers managed to land fish on the day, with almost 20 fish caught between them. The short session was good practice and they should have their eye in now for the next round of their club competitions.
With the start of the season on Corrib only around the corner – it opens next week on February 15th – Tom and Daire catch up with Mike Keady, the Corrib expert and Irish international angler, to get his insights into getting the most out of spring fishing on the lough, with a focus on the duck fly hatch which is when the first real numbers of fish are caught on the fly.
Mike explains how and where to find the duck fly holes, the ideal conditions needed and how it just sometimes all comes together when the fishing gods conspire.
The duck fly hatch is only for a few weeks though so you need to be able to time it right.
