Some announcements from coarse angling clubs in recent days relating to upcoming festivals to pencil into the 2022 calendar.
Clones Coarse Angling Club are pleased to announce that after a long two-year hiatus their annual festival will take place from Friday the 29th July to Monday 1st August 2022.
They delighted to hear from friends old and new and, with their advance booking system already in operation, places have already started to fill. Contact them via their Facebook page for more.
This year’s Cootehill Coarse Angling Festival will be held on September 26th to 30th 2022. Cootehill tourism association will be back running this event and to book a place call Eileen Smith (0863728763) or Mary McCabe (0862525955). This is the 40th Cootehill Angling Festival and is limited to 100 anglers.
The Irish Federation of Sea Anglers will be holding a coaching day for youths, juniors and ladies on March 26th in Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford. This is a great opportunity for beginners to get involved in fishing and for developing anglers to further their skills.
For more information contact 0879924002 or pm them on their Facebook page.
Gerard from Borderfishing was in touch to tell us about some of the fantastic fishing he and his clients have experienced over the past week. It’s the time of year when pike are feeding up prior to spawning so there’s always a chance of a ‘fish of a lifetime’ at this time of year.
Although conditions and weather have been quite challenging Border Fishing in Co. Fermanagh shows their consistent capability to put their clients on big Irish pike.
47 pike landed last week with different clients and a number of them nicely over to 20lb Largest pike was 115cm, and we had an accidental catch of a 60cm river trout.
Andrew Ryan of Clonanav Fly Fishing is delighted to announce that Clonanav will be once again holding a FREE weekend of Demos and Casting Instruction on 2/3 April. For the last 2 years they have been unable to hold any demo weekends, but with restrictions lifting, they are delighted to be able to hold an event once again.
With many more demonstrators and celebrities this year than previous events, it should be a great weekend. A big update this year is that some of the demos will take place on the river, such as nymphing demonstrations.
To view any of the demos you must first register at their shop where the full timetable will be available. Full details of demonstrators and timetable will be available in the coming weeks. They will also have a booking system in place to register for your free tickets.
This year they have a great line up of fly fishing demonstrators for both single and double handed casting. With lots of FREE demos at the casting ponds and fly tying demos in the tuition room, this is sure to be a great weekend! Demos are from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.
• Casting/Fishing Demos from world renowned casters
• Fly Tying demos
• Special offers for this weekend only!
• Tea/Coffee Available
• Great atmosphere!
The Clonanav Cup will be returning for 2022 – The Clonanav Cup casting competition! Think you are a good caster? Why not prove it! Come along and enter the fun casting competition at the weekend. It take place at 4 pm on Saturday 2nd. Entry is Free and the longest cast in a 2 minute slot will be the winner.
Go fishing…
Clonanav Fly Fishing is one of Irelands leading destinations for river fishing. We specialise in fly fishing for both brown trout and salmon in the River Suir and tributaries. Crystal clear rivers teeming with native brown trout await you on you visit to Clonanav. Experience some of the best river trout fishing Ireland has to offer coupled with excellent guiding and tuition. Clonanav Fly Fishing
Ballymacarbry, Clonmel, Co Waterford. Tel: + 353 (0)52 6136765 Web:www.flyfishingireland.com
Mike O’Shea of the Upper Caragh fishery in Kerry reported their first fish of 2022 last Thursday afternoon – a lovely fresh fish from pool 6 which he released to continue its journey upstream. There have been one or two fresh fish reported since, with fewer kelts turning up now after the floods pushed them back down towards the lough. The best of the spring fishing on the river will be from now until near the end of March, so keep an eye on the water levels and get in touch with Mike to get on the river.
Go Fishing…
The Upper Caragh Fishery is a very well-developed fishery. It has fantastic access with stiles and footbridges along the full length of the fishery. It has well maintained banks and anglers’ huts are provided on many of the beats. The Upper River Caragh can be fished from both boat and bank. Fishing is also available on Cloon Lough and the fishery provides access for anglers with reduced mobility. Boats for hire and guide services are available at the fishery.
Mick ‘the Fish’ Flanagan didn’t let an alphabet of storms prevent him from getting a fishy fix this week in the midlands. Mick grew up with the Royal Canal at the front of his house and the River Brosna out the back, so he never had too far to go in search of a pike or a perch. While the half of the country was on red alert with storm Eunice last weekend, Mick took a stroll along the Royal Canal where there was a yellow warning for jack pike – in the form of Mick’s yellow and green paddletail. Mick loves the colour yellow for pike and he had had two decent canal jack’s in the space of an hour before taking the short walk home again.
Mick has been writing articles about his fishing for twenty years now and while the poor recent weather kept him off the loughs, he has been going through some of his old photos and memories – you can see some of them on his Facebook page.
The old photos will be going back in the box next week though, as March 1st will see the start of the trout season in the midlands and Mick will be busy…..
Make a booking
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.
It’s been a wild week for weather but rather less so for angling. There were some notable highlights, including the first two salmon of the season for Lough Currane, but overall it was a matter getting in your angling action between the gales.
Sunday was the day for Currane’s anglers. The lake was holding tight to its salmon but eventually it gave in to the persuasion of Éanna De Buis who caught and released a 10lb springer. This was soon followed by a 9lb salmon for Vincent Donnelly. The lake has not been in a giving mood since, and in fairness the stormy conditions have not helped.
Tomi Kurman with an opening day fish
The 15th of February sees a number of trout fisheries open every year and every year anglers flock to their favourite waters to mark the day. Anglers on Corrib were confronted by poor enough weather but the mild water temperatures gave hope to many. Tactics included trolling, the brickeen and artificial lures, and fly. There was some good fishing to be had but it depended on what tactic you used and where you fished it. Was it ever any different?
Milltown magic
Some super pike have been landed at Milltown Lake on County Monaghan recently and Catch of the Week goes to this super thirty pounder. The lake has been fishing well all winter, with numerous fish above the twenty pound mark and a few, like this one, above the magical 30lb mark. In other pike angling news Charlene Dillon won a recent Limerick County Pike Anglers competition. Flooding meant they had to pick an alternative local venue, but there was plenty of excitement to be had. Anglers fishing with Melview Lodge in Longford had some great sport catching a string of double figure fish. High water was an issue here too, but quality deadbaits made all the difference.
Section A saw some lovely fish caught
In coarse angling news, the Leinster Coarse Anglers were back in action last week as they fished the 7th leg of their winter league on the Royal Canal. It was very much a match of halves. The morning session was fished in glorious weather, but afternoon saw a deluge of rain, while anglers in Section A had up to 31lb of fish but those in Section B never got a thing! CM Lakelands fished the 6th round of their Muckno feeder league. Rimantas Kondrakas put it a brilliant performance catching lots of roach and hybrids for a super weight of 7.220kg.
We’re looking for 49 Seasonal Fisheries Officers to join our teams around the country from April 2022. Find out more about the roles on offer, and the locations, at fisheriesireland.ie/careers
But hurry – the deadline to apply is 5pm next Monday, February 21st!
Lough Lene
The deadline to make a submission on the Lough Lene public consultation is next Tuesday, February 22. To find out more and make a submission see Trout bag limit and size limit for Lough Lene
Tuna CHART
Charter skippers are reminded that the deadline to apply for the Tuna CHART programme is February 28th – details are here Tuna CHART
And now the weather…
Following on from this week’s storms there will be a wet start on Saturday with falls of rain, sleet and snow in the morning, clearing to showers as milder air extends from the west by afternoon. Further outbreaks of rain will move in from the Atlantic through the evening. Afternoon temperatures will recover to highs of 5 to 10°C north to south. Staying quite breezy in fresh and gusty westerly winds.
A wet and blustery morning with widespread rain and localised flooding possible. The rain will clear to sunny spells and showers by the afternoon, some of hail or sleet. Early afternoon temperatures of 7 to 12°C, but much cooler air will extend from the northwest later and some showers will turn to sleet over higher ground once again in fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.
Gusty conditions continue on Monday with more rain to come. The outlook is for unsettled conditions continuing with further spells of rain and blustery conditions expected through the end of the week
Good pollack for Gavin Dorrian...one of many species caught by Killybegs Mariners members over the past week
Members of Killybegs Mariners SAC enjoyed yet another eventful week’s shore and rock fishing recording a phenomenal variety of species including sea trout, turbot, flounder, coalfish, pollack, corkwing wrasse, codling, dab and rockling to name but a few.
Decent sea troutCormac with a night turbotFine dab
A number of different mini-species were also caught. However, one of the many highlights of the week was a rare Connemara clingfish for Mariners member Cormac Burke. This is the 56th species of fish caught by members of the Killybegs Mariners SAC since they started keeping formal records in January 2021 and the 69th for Cormac!
First ever for Cormac Walsh a rare Connemara clingfishBlenny…fishing for mini-species is getting more and more popular
Junior member, Christopher Gillespie, set a new club record for shore-caught whiting with a fish measuring 35cm. Well done Christopher! Other new club records were recorded for rock goby, shore rockling and clingfish of course.
New club record shore whiting for junior member Christopher GillespieSuper shore rockling
All images courtesy of Killybegs Mariners SAC.
Mariners sea angling club Killybegs Co Donegal. The club runs a shore league and boat competitions and angling trips around Ireland doing the sport we love. Get in touch at www.facebook.com/mariner.sac
Last weekend saw round 6 – the final match – of the C/M Lakelands Muckno feeder league.
Rimantas Kondrakas put it a brilliant performance catching lots of roach and hybrids for a super weight of 7.220kg. James O’Doherty wasn’t to far behind with an impressive weight of 6.740kg.
20 anglers fished and the RESULTS were.
1st Rimantas Kondrakas 7.220kg
2nd James O’Doherty 6.740kg.
3rd Alan Larkin 5.460kg
4th Dave Worsnop 4.900kg.
SECTIONS
Robertas Zilaitis – Black
Brenton Sweeney – South Lodge.
Neil Kane – Yellow.
The league finished today with 37 anglers having taken part. Robertas Zilaitis put in a brilliant performance during the league and won, with a perfect score of 5 pts. Darren Fairhurst and Rimantas Kondrakas finished on 7 pts, bit Darren took 2nd overall on weight.
TOP 8 SHARED A POT OF €2,650.
OVERALL LEAGUE RESULTS.
1ST Robertas Zilaitis 5pts €700.
2nd Darren Fairhurst 7pts €550. (weight)
3rd Rimantas Kondrakas 7pts €400.
4th James O’Doherty 8pts €300.
5th Seamus Winters 9pts €250.
6th Brenton Sweeney 10pts €200.
7th Neil Mazurick 12pts €150.
8th Andy Chapman 13pts €100.
The club would like to thank Richard Caplice, Peter Walsh and Les from the angling shop, without their help the league wouldn’t be possible.
Some super pike have been landed at Milltown Lake on County Monaghan recently – most notably this super thirty pounder. The lake has been fishing well all winter, with numerous fish above the twenty pound mark and a few, like this one, above the magical 30lb mark.
Milltown magic
Go fishing…
Milltown Lough is located just north of Castleblayney, County Monaghan. It is heavily stocked with brown trout averaging 1lb. Trout season runs from 1 March to 30 September. Pike season opens on 01 October.
