We received a report from regular Lough Conn visitor Mark Wilson from Co. Antrim who has been out with Ian Wise of Cloonamoyne Fishery a couple weeks ago.
Mark enjoyed great dry fly fishing and boated 18 trout for his visit all on dry mayfly patterns. He encountered rising fish each day and sizes were from half a pound to several over a pound to a pound and three quarters with many others hooked and lost.
Good hatches of Olives were seen in Bog Bay and Mayflies were also showing on most days but in smaller numbers.
Tulla District and Angling Club fished a pike competition on Lough Bridget at the Weekend. The fishing was tough in very bright conditions. The anglers caught about 10 pike between them and the biggest was only 77cm.
1st Daniel Nesbith
2nd Sean McDonnell
3rd Sean Herlihy
Bill Keane, IFI, presented the prizes
Join the Club
Tulla District Angling Club is a Pike and Coarse fishing club founded over 50 years ago. They are based in East Clare, Munster, Ireland.
Specimen smooth-hound specialist Kit Dunne has reported the first specimen hound of the year for Wicklow Boat Charters. The larger hounds move into the Wicklow Bay area in early summer and provide great sport to anglers over the summer months. Earlier in the week, Frank Hall became the proud owner of a Wicklow Charters polo shirt for bagging the first specimen, and plenty of anglers will no doubt be beating a trail down to Wicklow in the coming months hoping to bag a big one for themselves.
Catch of the Week winner Frank Hall with the first specimen hound of the year for Wicklow Boart ChartersAnother decent sized hound
Tope are starting to feature more prominently in catches too, and Dean Markey managed the best of the week at 1.5 metres. We know there are bigger ones in there, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of specimens over the coming months.
35lb Tope for Dean
Go Fishing
Angling Charters are offered on a full-day, half-day and evening trip basis and can be tailored to suit your needs. Two boats are available – Lisin and Castle Maiden. All levels of anglers are catered for. Anglers will benefit from your skipper’s angling experience and local knowledge with advice and guidance on-hand at all times.
SPECIALIST ANGLING CHARTERS
Specialist Angling Charters are offered for those who wish to target specific species, specimen fish or try new angling methods.
ANGLING COACHING
Whether you’re a Club, Individual, School or Junior, you can have an angling coaching session or programme tailored to suit your needs.
The NCFFI reports that anglers were delighted to be back for Fermoy Spring Angling festival last week after the long break.
Winner of the 2022 Festival is Cedric Baldwin with 38lb 10ozs for the three days, Cedric also won the last festival in 2019. In second place was Neil Richards with 32lb 12ozs and in third Malcom Nicholson with 32lb 2ozs.
Cedric Baldwin with Brian Enwright of The Cross Bar.
The River Blackwater fished reasonably well for the anglers. Dale Malpas won the first day with a great weight of 18lb 8oz at Castlehyde, the water was low and gin clear. By Wednesday and after some rain the river had risen by 5″ and the top weight went to Dave Crawford with 13lb 10oz also at Castlehyde. The fishing improved a little for the final day, Friday as the extra water had dropped out and the Meadows produced a top weight of 16lb 8ozs for Ian Dawson.
The pairs during the festival was won by Steve Skelton and Dave Crawford with combined weight of 61lb 2ozs
Two separate competitions were run on the intermittent days. Russ Jones won the River Blackwater with 15lbs 4ozs and Dale Malpas 26.740kg on Inniscarra Lake.
Fermoy AC would like to thank the main sponsor Brian & Siobhan Enwright of The Cross Bar. Also, sponsors The Wagon Tavern, TJ Goodtymes and the Avondhu Bar. We thank our land and fishery owners at Castlehyde & Rathealy and Fermoy Game Fishing, Chris (Kipper) O’Donavan and the Wheelie Boat for getting tackle to the section on the Meadows. We would especially like to thank all accommodation providers in Fermoy at this time for the festival as this would not be possible without them.
We also thank the anglers who continue to support our angling festivals and our town.
National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland, NCFFI
The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland, NCFFI has been representing coarse angling in Ireland since 1962, the federation was formed by a group of angling clubs who foresaw the need for governance and a presence on the international match scene. The founding clubs were Fermoy AC, Prosperous AC, Cavan AC, Royal Enfield CAC and Ballinamore AC who were at this time facilitating the huge numbers of visiting anglers coming to match fish working hard to promote angling tourism which continues today.
Coarse angling in Ireland is closely linked to tourism due to the fine selection of natural venues from the North to the South of the island utilised by anglers from home and overseas. Domestic championships have as a result always been open to the visiting angler and the festivals run by our clubs continue to attract large numbers from overseas. For details of future events please visit www.ncffi.ie
25/5/2022 I said last night I would put up more on the Rainbow Trout farm tonight but I’m sorry I’m going to leave it until tomorrow because one enthusiastic Salmon and Sea Trout reader sent me a Video of the Rainbow Trout Farm in Kerry on YouTube and as I always say just click the link
Now back to the present, I was informed by the hierarchy that the Currane anglers were all quiet in all departments. WNW light to fresh, followed by showers.
21/5/2022 All the Salmon headlines comes from the Northshore and Vincent’s Harbour, so let’s head out with Currane fly angler Mr. Donal O’Neil who was hoping to catch his first Spring Salmon on the fly with his Gillie Mr. Dominic McGillicuddy of www.fishingwithdom.com.
Well I can tell you Donal didn’t have to wait long before his fly rod was bent double and his fly reel was singing the Wild Atlantic Salmon way, well Donal got his way when his Gillie Mr. Dominic McGillicuddy netted Donal’s fine 11 ½ lbs. Salmon. Wind W and veered NW followed by misty rain in the morning and cleared once the wind veered into the NW.
27/5/2022 The Currane Anglers were all quiet in the Salmon department. Now to the Sea trout department, there was one caught on the fly by the O’Neill party fishing out of www.fishingwithdom.com. Wind NW light and variable, followed by bright sunshine all day.
28/5/2022 We start at sunrise on the World-famous Butler Pool at www.watervillegolflinks.ie and all I can say is they definitely caught the sunrise, but I can’t say the same for the Wild Atlantic Salmon. Now we head up the Currane River into Lough Currane, there were four boats out manipulating their skills and by all accounts their lines were as slack as the sunrise Pool anglers and talking of the Pool. Sadly Liverpool’s net was empty as the Currane anglers’ net. Need I say more! Wind SW light and variable, followed by bright sunshine all day.
Sunrise on the Butlers Pool
29/5/2022 Just two boats out manipulating this day and sadly My Noble Currane anglers had no stimulation in their reels, the same couldn’t be said on their suntan lotion as the sun blazed down on Lough Currane. Wind NNE light to calm and variable.
View out to sea above Waterville on Sunday
30/5/2022 The Wild Atlantic Salmon was all quiet this day, local Gillie renowned flyman Mr. Dominic McGillicuddy of www.fishingwithdom.com reported that they caught a few nice Brown Trout for their efforts. For the rest of the Currane anglers they were all quiet on all fronts. Wind North and variable with reasonable cloud cover.
31/5/2022 The Currane anglers were all quiet on all fronts. Wind North veered NNW light and variable with reasonable cloud cover. Just for the record there were six boats out.
The rivers and lakes of Waterville drain a large catchment and are regarded by many as the foremost Salmon and Sea-Trout fishery in the country. The lake system is well developed with access to boats and guides being readily available to the tourist angler. The Sea-Trout caught here are renowned for their size and quantity. For more details see:
The Ottewill Trophy 2022, fished in memory of Peter Ottewill a great supporter of the fishing on Inniscarra some 20 years ago, is fished over 3 days. Fishing started on 25 May given results of recent events the following sections were fished: Garden Centre (A), Graveyard (B) and Fountain House (C). At the end of Day 1, Marco Hoffman at the Graveyard was leading on 14.720kg. Close behind were Neil Richards who fished the Garden Centre for 14.660kg, and Terry Morgan with 14.060kg from Fountain House.
John Kooij
Day 2 saw some bigger bags recorded and John Kooij topped the field mid-festival with 20.190kg from the Garden Centre for a total of 30.820kg. Marco Hoffman slipped back to 2nd place with 12.690kg from Fountain House and Peter Bos netted 18.100kg from the Garden Centre to move into 3rd.
Marco Hoffman with the Ottewill Trophy 2022
On the last day visiting anglers dominated the field. 23.450kg on the last day won the festival for Marco Hoffman who was followed by fellow Dutch anglers, runner-up John Kooij and Peter Koopman in 3rd. Finishing 4th was Neil Richards from Gloucester.
Hard luck to the Irish Ladies Fly Fishing Team who finished third in the International Ladies Fly Fishing Competition held in Lake of Menteith in Scotland last week. Conditions were incredibly tough for all teams and it was the English who pipped their Welsh cousins to the title at the close.
On a brighter note, Ireland’s Ann Kerrin won the Top Rod of the competition, therefore bringing home the Silver Salver Trophy and the Brown Bowl – congratulations to her.
Team Captain Almha McDonnell said, ‘Overall a brilliant week and immense teamwork and support by the whole team. I was so proud captaining such a skillful and supportive group of ladies – conditions were tough on the day but everyone powered through to the end’.
Toby Gibbons of Westport was out fishing on Lough Carra recently and managed to catch this cracking brown trout on a wet fly. Tony estimated the fish to weigh around 4lbs. Much has been written in recent times about the demise in the quality of fishing on Carra, so it is great to see that she still holds some really good trout.
The development by IFI of management plans for Carra and other loughs will hopefully identify habitat deficits and water quality pressure points so that, where feasible, habitat restoration and development projects can be carried out; these should benefit future trout stocks on the loughs.
Tony reports that this fine fish was released to fight another day and that certainly won’t do any harm to trout stocks in the future.
The Ballinamore Angling Festival 2022 came to a close on Friday with Roscommon angler, Dara Finnegan winning with a decent 53.100kg for his five days of fishing. Dara moved into the lead on day four with the weight of the week at the Rocks for 22.250kg, retaining this position with 12.750kg at the Pumphouse on the final day for the festival. Runner-up, for the second time – having reached the same position in 2018 – was James O’Doherty with 44.750kg. Seamie Winters, Tony Hopkins and Francis McGoldrick took third, fourth and fifth respectively.
It was the first time back for many of the match anglers since 2019 and it was good to see faces old and new. The competition was fished on Loughs Garadice, Scur and Kiltybardan and had the misfortune to coincide with spawning season for one of the key target species – the roach. This made fishing tough, particularly on Garadice. However, all of the anglers had to fish the same venues making for a level playing field overall.
Dara Finnegan took the honours
Thirty seven anglers fished this years event which saw a total payout on the entry money of €150 per angler, with the awards spread widely across everyone, including an additional prize from a local business owner awarded to the most encouraging overseas angler. Barry Matthews won this prize for his first festival fishing experience and visit to Ballinamore.
The competitors
The Lakelands Angling Club would like to thank its members who helped to facilitate the 2022 event, the local landowners and to Terry Shortt for providing the meeting place for the week along with refreshments. Thanks also to Padraig Mulligan who gets anglers to their pegs at Connolly’s Shore.
The 2023 festival will take place from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th May.
Dan O’Neill, fishery manager at Mount Juliet, reports from the River Nore…
With some great weather on Saturday it looked like an evening of dry fly was on the cards. A mix of being eager and impatient meant I arrived a little earlier than intended. Looking at the river it looked, or rather it was, perfect; a haze of flies dancing behind most of the overhanging sally trees. And looking down along the flat water there was plenty of action…
A trout is released
I find myself going to places I don’t believe to be fished that often. I don’t know whether access is an issue or maybe the slow calm water are intimidating to some. I read recently of a club in America called the “22 club”. To be in the club you must catch a 22 inch trout on a size 22 hook. With my box full of size 22 offerings I went in search of a good sized fish. I did however change the rules a little and made it a 22cm fish on a 22 hook.
Watching the water and searching for nice features that looked fishy I entered the water. I had chosen dry dropper to start with, until thing got a little more active. It wasn’t long before I met a trout on my olive nymph. It was great sport in the calm waters, watching the buttery gold flash under the water never gets tiring. The trout seemed very energetic and healthy which is always very pleasing to see. Returning all fish safely, watching them swim away is also very pleasing to see and an important practice,
Water Level and Temperature at time of fishing Water Level .34 cm
Water Temp 15.5°C
Guided fishing
Taking bookings now for guided trips on the River Nore. Anyone wishing to practice a particular technique for trout or learn more about leader setups etc. Full and Half days available, contact me for more information.
Dan O’Neill Mount Juliet
Go Fishing
Mount Juliet has trout and salmon fishing available on site over 2.5 miles of the river Nore. Classes also available for every skill level – learn or improve on your chosen technique. coarse fish ponds also available on the hotel grounds.
Dan O’Neill, Fishery Manager, Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland
The river Nore is a beautiful river that meanders it way through counties Laois and Kilkenny before joining with its sister river the Barrow just upstream of New Ross on its way to the sea. For further information on the Nore please visit:
