Artur Pike Seeker is back with some great winter advice for predator anglers…
Winter time is a good time for a big pike. If the water on the river is too high to go fishing, it’s good to go to the canal. You can find some really beautiful pike. Here is a smashing one meter fish from the last canal session.
Jackie Mahon writes from his blog at jackiemahonfliesandguiding.com…
Over the closed season Jackie Mahon will be posting a pattern per week for fishing on Irish Lough’s. This will include flies for Brown Trout, Seatrout and Salmon. This week’s tyings are the Palomino Midge and the Grey Duster…
These are two of my favourite flies for fishing when Duckfly are hatching. These patterns account for a lot of fish from Browns to Rainbows for my clients and myself, they constantly take fish.
The Palomino is one of those flies that when the trout are free rising they devour them. I have tyed this fly in different styles from shuttle cock style to parachute style.
The Grey Duster is another one that works during the Midge hatch and a Duckfly hatch. It is my first go to fly when adult Duckfly are around. I have had some great days on Lough Corrib fishing around the back of the Islands on this pattern.
Dressing for the Palomino Midge:
– Hook: Ahrex 524 size 16-18.
– Thread: Uni 8/0 black.
– Body: Black Chenille.
– Parachute post: CDC.
– Hackle: Badger Cock.
– Thorax: Black Seal Fur.
Dressing for the Grey Duster:
– Hook: Kamasan B130 size 10.
– Hook: Fulling Mills All Purpose size 14.
– Thread: Uni 8/0 Black.
– Body: Under body of Rabbit Grey.
– Hackle: Natural Badger cock.
You can purchase some of my patterns in the new Fulling Mills brochure for 2023 which will be out soon.
For guided fishing please do not hesitate to contact me as there are still some dates available for 2023.
Pete Davis of West Cork and District SAC writes on their recent club match at Redbarn:
Sunday 27th November saw the West Cork crew meet up for their penultimate fixture on this years calendar. There was still an awful lot to play for in both the senior and junior league with Master Angler slots and titles on the line. We had a decent turnout given the horrible weather we have been experiencing over the past few days with 17 in total including 4 junior anglers.
Originally set for the main beach in Youghal. Conditions were such leading up to the fixture that the decision was correctly made to move further down to Redbarn with sloppy seas and weed being an issue. A stiff southerly with odd squally showers made life a little uncomfortable on the night but thankfully, after the first hour or so, the weed didn’t make too much of an impact on proceedings.
As it turned out the fishing was reasonable in patches with the majority of the fish frequenting the lower numbers. Given the weather leading up this, it could certainly have been a lot worse! Codling, Bass, Dogfish and Strap Conger were the mainstays with an odd Whiting, Pouting and Rockling also making an appearance.
JP Molloy took top honours on the night with 7 fish, followed in 2nd by Jamie Santry with 6. Barry O’Rourke continued his fine year with 3 fish for 3rd on the night.
Noah Tahran won his 2nd junior leg on the bounce with 3 fish and Kevin Roche in second to leave our Junior Master Angler on a knife edge with Noah and Liam all set for a final day shootout at our last leg on Saturday in West Cork.
1st JP Molloy, 7 fish, 319 Points
2nd Jamie Santry, 6 fish, 230 Points
3rd Barry O’Rourke, 3 fish, 100 Points
1st Noah Tahran, 3 fish, 144 Points
2nd Kevin Roche, 3 fish, 134 Points
Longest Round, JP Molloy, Conger, 78cm
Longest Flat, none caught so went to Jamie Santry, 2nd longest round, Conger, 75cm.
Our last leg will take place on Saturday night on “hopefully” Garretstown Beach weather permitting.
Pete Davis
West Cork and District Sea Angling Club
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 send a PM to their FAcebook page and we will give prospective members full details.
Web: http://westcorkanddistrict.webs.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Cork-and-District-SAC/201776589958897
Looking to buy a Salmon and Sea Trout Licence for 2023?
You can now buy them immediately through our online Salmon Licence shop. Hard copy licences will be available from distributors around the country over the coming weeks.
There are no price increases for Salmon and Sea Trout Angling/Rod Licences for 2023 and there are 7 different types of licence to choose from. These are:
Prices for angling/rod licences in Ireland are approved by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on foot of a recommendation by the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland. These are the prices that will be applied by Inland Fisheries Ireland for all angling/rod licences purchased for the 2023 season.
Did you know? 50% of licence fees go directly into the Habitat and Conservation Fund to help fund salmon and sea trout habitat improvement, fisheries conservation, and protection activities here in Ireland. Since 2016, more than €6 million in grants have been awarded to over 280 projects throughout the country under various funding schemes, operated by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
To buy your 2023 Salmon and Sea Trout Licence now, visit our online Salmon licence shop.
C/M Lakelands Feeder Club were back on Garadice at the weekend, but for some reason, the skimmers had moved away from the swims leaving anglers to pick up whatever bits and pieces they could. Weights were particularly poor as a result, with local angler Francis McGoldrick winning the day on a pretty low weight of 2.3kg. At least scores were consistent as only 400g separated the top 5.
Results:
35 anglers fished match 5 of the Erne Anglers winter league at the weekend. The river was in a brown flood and was unfishable in some places so fishing was tricky to say the least, but Simon Huthwaite managed a creditable 7.53kg to top the tables.
Mick Flanagan of Midland Angling is a busy man these days as the shooting season has him out with the dogs on a regular basis. But he took a break from the hunt to spend a bit of time on the water last week and proved he hasn’t lost his touch with a fishing rod. Fortified for the day with a breakfast of mushrooms, fried spuds and an egg, himself and fishing companion Damien Grifferty had some fine-looking pike with the best tipping the scales at 22lb/105cm.
Midland Angling
Midlands Angling provide a top class Guiding service covering many of the top coarse and game waters across the Midlands. Visiting fly anglers have landed some fine trout while out with Midland Angling Guides, pike anglers also recorded some net bursting catches including many pike over 20lbs. Top waters include Lough Ree, Ennell, Owel, Lene, Mount Dalton, and Glore Lake just to mention a few.
Michael Flanagan
Midland Angling
Pike and Trout angling guide.
Telephone: +353 (0)44 9348969 or +353 (0)87 2797270
Fax: +353 (0)44 9342781
Email: [email protected] Web: www.midlandangling.com
A total of 140 anglers (119 seniors, 21 juniors) turned out for the Newbridge & District Pike Angler’s yearly Pat Driscoll Cup event last weekend, showing that they are one of the best-supported and most active angling clubs in the country. The venue was Poulaphouca Reservoir in Wicklow, a notoriously difficult venue but one of the few that can take that amount of anglers comfortably. Unfortunately, it lived up to its reputation, and fishing was slow enough on the day. But with the weather being kind and plenty of bankside refreshments on offer, all 140 anglers made the most of the get-together and enjoyed a good day on the water. It was one of the new members that took the cup on the day, as Darren Doyle landed a fine 17lb+ double, which was also a new PB, to take the Pat Driscoll trophy.
Full Results:
There has been a certain amount of repetition in the opening paragraphs of recent angling updates, as each week, we face the challenge of talking about rain in new and novel ways… Alas, this week is no exception, as much of the country experienced double the amount of rainfall expected for this time of the year. And, after a relatively balmy autumn, temperatures have taken a turn for the worse, with most of the country experiencing relatively cool temperatures over the past week.
It’s rare to begin a mid-winter Angling Update talking about coarse angling. For many of us (me included), coarse angling is something we do during the warmer months of the year when long days and pleasant weather make sitting and watching a float or quiver tip a very relaxing way to spend a few hours. But, for the more committed coarse anglers, the fishing doesn’t stop at the first sign of cold weather; they just pile on the layers and, seemingly impervious to the cold, fish all the way through the coldest months of the year. Many coarse angling clubs run winter leagues at this time of year, and some of them got started on those leagues this week with some impressive results…
Starting in Munster, and the Munster Coarse Anglers headed to O’Briensbridge for the first time in a long time last week. Unfortunately, they discovered a venue that was the worse for wear due to the pegs being overgrown, and coupling that with high water and a strong current, they didn’t expect much on the fishing front. But the fishing gods were looking kindly on them, and some swims fished remarkably well with a few unexpected double-figure weights featuring.
Anglers didn’t fare quite as well on Lough Muckno, where the C/M Lakeland Feeder Club kicked off their winter league in similar high water conditions. Thirty-four anglers turned out in total, and only the Yellow Island section fished with any consistency, as the top five weights came from that section. Meanwhile, the Romanian Catch & Release Angling Association also kicked off their winter league, albeit with far fewer numbers attending. Only six anglers turned up on the day, as the high water and generally inclement weather affected the turnout. But those six anglers were rewarded for their efforts, as catches far exceeded expectations, with some fine bags including 17kg+ for the winner, and all agreed it was one of the best ever days of winter fishing.
To sea angling now, and similar to coarse angling, many clubs are holding winter league competitions at this time of year. In Cork, the Cork Sea Angling club were faced with strong surf at their latest event held at Long Strand, and it wreaked havoc on their session. A handful of flounder made up the bulk of their catches, with a decent sea trout being the only standout fish. Staying in Cork, 42 anglers turned out to fish the Cobh SAC Light Lines competition last weekend. The anglers spread out among five charter boats, and the fishing was pretty good on the day, with the top angler, Padraic Clear, managing a great score of 113 fish. That haul put him well Clear of the rest of the field and wins Padraic this week’s Catch of the Week.
The Killybegs Mariners never let bad weather get in the way of fishing, and their recent trip to Mullaghmore saw 23 anglers line out on the beach. Despite several long-term members fishing on the evening, it was new member Janis Liseckis who topped the pile with some nice coalies and flounder. While the rest of us are enduring the damp chill of an Irish winter, the Irish Shore Angling team are enjoying some better weather as they compete in the Shore Angling World Championships in Tunisia. They are currently a bit off the pace as the host nation tops the standings, but they can improve their position in the next session.
It’s great to see more and more anglers contributing stories and ideas on social media these days, and for game anglers, it certainly shortens the closed season period when they can keep tuned into their sport over the winter months. Peter Driver of Piscari Fly continued his ever-popular series of fly-tying evenings last weekend with a discussion on pheasant tail nymphs, nymph rigs and feather care. Meanwhile, in his latest blog, Jackie Mahon discusses the attributes of one of the most popular lough-style flies in recent years: The Gorgeous George. In the latest issue of Ireland on the Fly podcast, well-known angler Denis Goulding gives a masterclass on tactics for targeting winter rainbow trout, which is well timed for encouraging us to head to our local ‘put and take’. Finally, Glenda Powell has just announced a number of angling courses to run in early 2023 designed to get you up and running for your salmon season in 2023. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Careysville House and Fishery, the courses will cover a wide range of topics, with something of interest for anglers of all levels of expertise.
Public consultation is now open on the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These measures provide for the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery by Inland Fisheries Ireland from 1st January 2023. If you would like to make a submission, you can email [email protected].
Inland Fisheries Ireland is working on a new Customer Charter and Action Plan for 2023 to 2025. Customer Charters are short statements, describing the level of service that you can expect from a State agency. We are now conducting a quality assurance review of our existing customer charter and we would welcome your feedback and suggestions – for more info, check out our corporate website.
Showers should die out in most areas by the afternoon, and sunny spells should break through, but winds will remain strong, particularly in the west of the country. More rain will push over the country on Friday night leading to a dull and damp start to Saturday. The rain may turn heavy at times towards Saturday evening before clearing overnight, with Sunday looking like a mostly dry day with some isolated showers in the west. The weather looks like continuing along this pattern of rain mixed with dry spells until the middle of next week.
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 Irish team are currently in action on the sunny shores of Tunisia, in the Mediterranean, battling it out with 16 other teams in the Shore Angling World Championships. Fishing in the Med is very different to Irish shore angling, and the team have put in a good week of practice. Practising and refining their techniques, rigs and bait presentation will have been a steep learning curve, but these are some of the island’s top anglers, well able to adjust to new tactics. The all-island team comprises John O’Brien, Mike Curtin, Des Farrelly, Karl Fogarty, Ryan Blair, Ruairi Coleman and managers Joe Carley and Darren Ryan.
Currently the team lie in 10th position after 2 sessions, with one more to go. Tunisia, the home nation, are well ahead and in pole position to take a gold medal. Hopefully the Irish team can go well in the final session and move up the board. Whatever the outcome, we are just a bit jealous of the weather they are enjoying! We hope to bring you the full results in next week’s update.
