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Irish Angling Update – 7 January 2022

By
Paul O'Reilly
-

This can be the toughest time of the year for many fishermen and women, with all the fuss of Christmas behind us and the slog of January and February, our two coldest months in Ireland, ahead.

While there are fish to be caught by hardcore coarse fishers, winter pike and perch hunters, shore anglers and those in the hunt for a spring salmon on an early-opening river, the going can be tough. The best of the brown trout and coarse fishing can still seem a long way off, with the run of summer grilse and sea trout even further away. Most charter boats won’t drop a line until March or April at the earliest, around the same time that bass anglers in most parts will finally think it worthwhile chucking a lure.

Winter’s River Boyne

There are, of course, plenty of stocked fisheries available for the avid fly anglers to maintain the muscle memory in their casting arms – you’ll find an extensive list of those here. Sometimes the best medicine for the head in the cold dark months is to just get out on the beach, river, canal or lake shore and have a cast or two with some fellow anglers. Talk with comrades about good times past and the hopes of the season ahead; this time of the year the catching of fish is not obligatory, but catching up and keeping in touch should be.

Those anglers who did wet a line in the last week may have noticed that, while the sunsets have been getting a little bit later since the middle of December, the mornings have finally started to brighten a little bit earlier too, so going by the clock, we can finally see our days lengthen at both ends. That being said, anglers were thin on the ground again this week, and fish were even thinner.

At the time of writing, there have been no reports of the first fresh salmon of 2022, though anglers on those early rivers, like the Drowes and Leannan, have been trying. A total of 81 Irish rivers are open for salmon fishing this season and, while 45 of those rivers are open for harvest, please consider releasing our precious salmon in 2022.

10-year-old Séan Condron with his best ever pike

A handful of pike anglers did see some action this week, most notably 10-year-old Séan Condron who caught his best ever pike and 13-year-old Shane Gorman, who caught his first ever pike. These two hardy young anglers share our Catch of the Week. Also after a pike on one of our canals was Artur Pikeseeker, who caught a cracking 105cm fish.

13-year-old Shane Gorman and his first-ever pike

As ever in winter, coarse fishing has been slow. The CM Lakelands Feeder Club have still been active though, with matches on Garadice and Muckno last weekend. The Church Shore on Garadice saw the best of the bags, which fell to Rimantas Kondrackas at 7.180kg.

This week Sensas announced the launch of Sensas Ireland Riverfest 2022. This is an any-method competition to be held on rivers all around Ireland. There will be six qualifiers held on six different rivers; the rivers Suck, Shannon, Barrow, Bann, Erne and Blackwater. The final will take place on November 12th/13th on the River Barrow. For more information see the Sensas Ireland Facebook page.

In Other News….

While most of the country were making the most of the Christmas downtime in the last couple of weeks, the IFI web elves have been busy adding some new features and directories to our angling website. You can now search for qualified instructors and ghillies (guides), charter boats and tackle shops through our interactive maps. Simply click on a marker to find out more about that tackle shop, charter boat or angling guide or instructor. You can enter your address (or any address) in the search bar to find guides and services near you…

Finally, a reminder that angling clubs, groups and associations all over Ireland are being invited to apply for sponsorship funding before the January 21st deadline. The €30,000 fund will have a particular focus on initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers, as well as events that promote sustainable angling tourism.

And now the weather…

Rain will spread eastwards across the country on Friday night, turning heavy at times. Temperatures will vary from 0°C to 8°C, lowest in the north.

Milder conditions will extend across the country overnight and rain will quickly clear on Saturday morning with sunny spells and often heavy showers following from the west, highs 4°C -7°C in the afternoon. Long dry periods and clear spells in most places on Saturday night, lows of 1°C – 4°C generally.

After a dry start, rain will develop in the southwest and spread to all areas through Sunday afternoon, highs of 7°C – 11°C. Cloudy overnight Sunday with some rain, lows of 5°C – 9°C with increasing southwest winds.

The outlook for next week is for sunny spells and showers; however, high pressure building to the southwest will bring more settled and drier conditions through the end of the work week with temperatures slightly above average.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland. If you’re heading to sea, don’t forget to check the tides.

Paul O’Reilly
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to reports@fisheriesireland.ie.

All the angling news

Salmon Fishing Reports

      Coarse Angling Reports

      Pike Fishing Reports

        Other News

        Canal cracker for Pikeseeker

        By
        Paul O'Reilly
        -

        This short report came in last week from Artur Pikeseeker who caught a super canal pike:

        The end of the year is a great time to visit the canals. You can catch really beautiful pikes. Today I was out for a walk and I caught 105 cm of beautiful, healthy pike. A very strong fish, it gave me a lot of fun. I hope I will have the opportunity to meet her again.

         

         

        CM Lakelands Feeder Club match results

        By
        Paul O'Reilly
        -
        It can be difficult at the best of times to organise a fishing competition, but the CM Lakelands Feeder Club, not being happy to organise a single match, decided to hold three on two different venues last weekend. Two matches were held on Lough Garadice (Church and Haughton’s) in Letrim while, over in Monaghan, a splinter group fished South Lodge on Lough Muckno.
        Lough Garadice was tough, especially on Haughton’s Shore, where Neil Mazurick won with 3.180kg mainly consisting of roach. Rimantas Kondrackas blitzed the match on Church side with an impressive 7.180kg of skimmers, hybrids and roach. We are yet to hear how the fishing went on Muckno, but the results from Garadice were as follows:
        Garadice Results (Church side):
        • 1st Rimantas Kondrackas 7.180kg
        • Joint 2nd Seamus Winters and Jacek Januszewscy 3.280kg
        Garadice Results (Haughton’s Shore)
        • 1st Neil Mazurick 3.180kg
        • 2nd Francis McGoldrick 3.100kg
        • 3rd Damian Folytyn

        *THERE WILL BE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT IRELAND’S FEEDER KINGS TICKETS WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ON THE CLUB’S FACEBOOK PAGE, SO ANY INTERESTED ANGLERS SHOULD KEEP AN EYE OUT*

        Super canal pike for young angler Séan Condron

        By
        Shane O'Reilly
        -
        10-year-old Séan Condron hit a New Year jackpot when he caught a super 14lbs2oz pike on 02/01/2022 on the Royal Canal in Co. Meath on a wobbled deadbait (roach). This was Sean’s first double-figure pike having caught several pike up to 5 ½lbs. The fish fought hard and tail walked during the fight, Seáns experience with smaller pike paid off and he played the fish like a pro until it was ready for the net. To say Seán was excited would be an understatement according to his proud dad David.
        Séan with his super canal pike of 14lbs2oz
        Seán spotted this fish in October 2021 estimating it to be about 15lbs and had insisted on returning to this stretch of the canal, numerous times, in an effort to catch it and his dedication has finally paid off. Seán now wants to break the 15lbs mark and has his targets set on an elusive pike known locally as “Big Girl”, she has been caught, weighed, photographed and released by a handful of anglers known to us and weighs just over 20lbs.

        Sensas Ireland Riverfest 2022

        By
        Paul O'Reilly
        -

        Sensas Ireland proudly presents a new river competition to Ireland for 2022.

        This is an any method competition held on rivers all around Ireland. There will be six qualifiers held on six different rivers. Sections will be a minimum of ten anglers with each section winner advancing to fish in a two day grand final.

        Entry into the qualifiers is €50 with €40 going to the final prize fund. The final prize fund will be depending on entry. Each section winner will win a minimum €100 on the day of each qualifier. This is a chance for anglers to show off their skills on a variety of rivers using different methods and to be crowned Irelands Riverfest champion.

        The dates and venues are as follows:

        • Q1 April 3rd River Suck (Donamon/Emlagh)
        • Q2 June 5th River Shannon (TBC)
        • Q3 July 3rd River Barrow (TBC)
        • Q4 August 14th River Bann (Portglenone)
        • Q5 September 18th River Erne (TBC)
        • Q6 October 9th River Blackwater (Fermoy)

        The final will take place on November 12th/13th on the River Barrow.

        Note: For venues with tbc beside them sections will be decided closer to the time.

        To book on to any match send a text to myself or Gavin Walsh with your name and state what qualifier you wish to book on to so we have a record.

        Gary 087 7565631/ Gavin 087 6139551

        Payment for the qualifiers will be taken on the day of the qualifiers and last day to book on to each qualifier is two weeks before that qualifier to give adequate time to organise pegs.

        The final prize fund and final payouts will be posted once the last qualifier is complete. There is no limit to how many qualifiers you can enter.

        All matches will be 5 hour matches and bloodworm and joker is not allowed.

        Booking on to the qualifiers is open from now so don’t miss out and put yourself in with a chance to be crowned Irelands Riverfest Champion 2022.

        New year brings first ever pike for young angler

        By
        Shane O'Reilly
        -

        13-year-old Shane Gorman from Ferefad in Co. Longford took up fishing a couple of years ago and has been longing to catch a pike ever since. Well, the new year seems to have brought him a bit of luck on that front, as a session on the Fallon River near Clondra early in the new year came up trumps for him. Fishing with a small paddle-tail lure he managed to hook and land a pike of about 3lb, which made his uncle Richard pretty proud of him and it will surely set him up for more success in the future. Congrats to Shane on his first pike and let’s hope we see a few more of his pike in the future.

        ‘Brown Tags’ conservation regulations to come into force for Salmon Anglers in Kerry

        By
        Myles Kelly
        -

        To boost conservation efforts, anglers who wish to catch and keep wild salmon from the Waterville catchment in 2022, are being advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland that ‘brown tag’ regulations are coming into force from Monday, January 17th 2022.

        The measures are included in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations, recently signed into law by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, T.D.

        Under brown tag regulations, an angler who wishes to ‘harvest’ a wild salmon and keep it, must attach a brown tag as well as a standard blue tag to the fish. To help conserve stocks of wild salmon within the Waterville catchment, a total of 64 brown tags will be available for the season and will be distributed to anglers with a 2022 rod licence through a lottery system.

        Three draws are set to take place in 2022 and these will be held on January 10th (to allocate 24 brown tags), February 28th (to allocate 20 brown tags) and finally on March 28th (to allocate the remaining 20 brown tags). Anglers with a 2022 rod licence who are not allocated a brown tag are only permitted to fish for salmon on a ‘catch and release’ basis in the Waterville catchment, where the salmon is returned safely to the same waterbody.

        Any anglers that are interested in entering the January draw are being asked to email their request to Inland Fisheries Ireland at watervillebrowntag2022@fisheriesireland.ie between January 1st and January 7th 2022, providing their contact details and quoting their 2022 Salmon Licence number.

        The brown tag regulations come into force on the Waterville catchment from January 17th and will remain in place until midnight on May 12th 2022.

        Brown Tags Required

        Salmon anglers are advised that from 17th January 2022 to midnight of 12th May 2022, Brown Tag regulations will be in force on the Waterville Catchment.

        64 Brown Tags are available for the season. Inland Fisheries Ireland hereby gives notice that distribution of brown tags will be by lottery.

        IFI will therefore select 24 anglers to receive a brown tag on 10 January 2021.

        Any angler requesting a brown tag must be in possession of a valid 2022 Salmon Licence and must apply by email only to:  Watervillebrowntag2022@fisheriesireland.ie from 01 January 2022 until  midnight on Friday, 07th January 2022.

        Anglers must provide in their email entry:

        1. Name
        2. Contact Address
        3. Telephone Number
        4. 2022 Salmon Licence number – including licence letter prefix

        This is the only method to apply for a brown tag.  Anglers may only fish one brown tag over the full season. Multiple applications will disqualify. Salmon Licences are available to buy online at: https://store.fishinginireland.info

        Further lotteries will take place on 28/02/22 for 20 Brown tags. Applications for this draw may be made from 14/02/22 to 25/02/22.

        And 28/03/22 for 20 Brown tags. Applications for this draw may be made from 14/03/22 to 25/03/22.

        Salmon anglers not in possession of a Brown Tag must fish using Catch and Release methods i.e., single or double barbless hooks. Use of worms is not permitted. A Salmon cannot be taken unless the angler is in possession of a Brown Tag. If a Salmon is taken (‘harvested’), both a Blue and Brown Tag must be affixed to the fish. Failure to do so may result in penalties.

        IFI will send all applicants an entry number for the lottery by email before the draw which will take place on Monday 10th January 2022. No personal information will be shared and five reserve licence numbers will be drawn in case the initial offer of a brown tag is not taken up. Tags will be issued to successful applicants by an IFI representative or by post.

        Application may be made for the first draw between Saturday 01st January 2022 and Friday 07th January to: Watervillebrowntag2022@fisheriesireland.ie.  And other draws during allocated dates.

        Late or early applications will be excluded.

        For further information, please telephone the Inland Fisheries Ireland office in Macroom on (026) 41221

        81 rivers open for salmon angling in 2022

        By
        Myles Kelly
        -
        Wild Atlantic Salmon being released
        A Wild Atlantic Salmon being released

        Conservation Imperative key to addressing Environmental, Climate and Human Challenges Facing Stocks

         The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, has approved legislation that will govern the wild salmon and sea trout fisheries in 2022. These will come into effect from Saturday, 1st January 2022.

        Minister Ryan said: “81 rivers will be available for salmon and sea trout fishing in 2022. This will allow careful management of this important natural resource, for which conservation is paramount. 45 of the rivers will be fully open, with a further 36 available on a ‘catch and release’ basis. Improvements in stocks can only be achieved collaboratively over time and are entirely dependent on everybody redoubling our conservation efforts in the face of environmental, climate and human impacts.”

        To inform the legislation for 2022, Minister Ryan received management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to over 140 genetically individual wild salmon stocks in Ireland, which was supported by individual scientific assessments. The assessments were carried out by the Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) – an all-island independent scientific group comprising experts from a range of bodies.

        This advice was also made available as part of a statutory public consultation process. 100 written submissions were received from stakeholders during this process.

        Management advice, based on the TEGOS assessment of rivers/estuaries/harbours, is that:

        • 45 rivers to be open, as a surplus of fish has been identified in these rivers;
        • 36 rivers to be classified as open for “catch and release” angling; and
        • 66 rivers to be closed, as they have no surplus of fish available.

        Minister Ryan added: “Ireland is internationally recognised for prioritising the conservation imperative as fundamental to our salmon management efforts. However, it is well over a decade since we adopted our current conservation policy. I believe the time to review and improve this policy has come. Therefore, I intend shortly to publish two policy papers on salmon for consultation. The first of these will explore new options for salmon management with conservation, and how to do it better as the key focus.

        “Environmental, climate and human impacts continue to place salmon and other species at risk. I am determined that we raise awareness of all of these challenges. We will develop policy to ensure that we are doing all we can in Ireland, and as far as we can via international co-operation, to improve the resilience of our salmon.”

        More information

        Please see the attached document [Schedule 2 & 4 Catch Options], with schedules indicating the Open / Closed / C&R (Catch & Release) status of each river. These schedules are from the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations.

        You can find the Inland Fisheries Bye-Laws 2021 here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/959b9-inland-fisheries-bye-laws-2021/.

        • Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations S.I. No. 729 of 2021
          These Regulations provide for the quotas of fish that can be harvested by commercial fishing engines and rod and line from those rivers identified in Schedule 2. The Regulations also provide for the use of brown tags in specified (low surplus) rivers which are identified in Schedule 4.
        • Angling Bye-law No. 989 of 2021
          This Bye-law prohibits the use of any fish hooks, other than single or double barbless hooks, and also prohibits the use of worms as bait in angling for all species of fish in the waters specified in the Bye-law. This is to avoid the use of hooks and baits which are not conducive to fish survival and to ensure that the objective of C&R fishing is not frustrated.
        • Conservation of Salmon and Sea trout (Catch and Release) Bye-law No. 990 of 2021
          This Bye-law provides for catch and release in respect of salmon and sea trout (over 40cm) in rivers that are meeting at least 50% of their Conservation Limit as mentioned in the Bye-law. The Bye-law also provides for the use of single or double barbless hooks and prohibits the use of worms as bait in angling for salmon and sea trout over 40cm.
        • Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (River Suir) Bye-law No. 991 of 2021
          This Bye-Law provides for catch and release in angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) in the River Suir (including the waters of the Rivers Clodiagh, Lingaun and Blackwater) and also prohibits the use of worms, prawn, shrimp or any other crustacean, or artificial forms thereof, as bait and any fish hooks other than single or double barbless hooks during the period 17th March to 30th September.
        • Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (River Slaney) Bye-law No. 992 of 2021
          This Bye-Law provides for catch and release in angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) in the River Slaney and also prohibits the use of worms, prawn, shrimp or any other crustacean, or artificial forms thereof, as bait and any fish hooks other than single or double barbless hooks.
        • Conservation of Sea Trout Bye-law No. 993 of 2021
          This Bye-law provides for a daily bag limit of 3 sea trout (less than 40cm in length) and provides for the use of single or double barbless hooks and prohibits the use of worms as bait once the specified number of sea trout have been caught.
        • Conservation of Salmon and Sea trout (Bag Limits) Bye-law No. 994 of 2021
          This Bye-law provides for an annual bag limit of 10 fish being either salmon or sea trout (over 40cm) per angler and provides for a season bag limit of 3 fish in the period 1st January to 11th May, a daily bag limit of 3 fish from 12th May to 31st August and a daily bag limit of 1 fish from 1st September to the end of the season. The Bye-law also provides for the use of single or double barbless hooks and prohibits the use of worms as bait once the specified numbers of fish have been caught in the specified periods.
        • Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (Closed Rivers) Bye-law No. C.S. 332 of 2021
          This Bye-law prohibits the taking or attempting to take by rod and line salmon and sea trout (over 40cm) in the rivers specified in the Bye-law.

        🎣 Irish Angling Update 🎄 23 December 2021🎁

        By
        Kevin Crowley
        -

        After the longest night, tomorrow we sing up the dawn. There is a rejoicing that, even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished. As of tomorrow, the days begin to get longer as the light of day grows. While the gentle winter sun slowly opens its eyes, let us all bring more light and compassion into the world. ”
        ― Dacha Avelin

        Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year was yesterday. Here in Ireland, the clouds prevailed, leaving the sunrise event at Newgrange missing it’s star performer, literally. But with every day now bringing more daylight, we look ahead to sunny days, long evenings and good times with friends.

        Santa Claus Is Coming To Town…

        In the meantime, we have Christmas to look forward to this weekend. We hope everyone has been good boys and girls this year, and Santa Claus pays a visit on Christmas Eve night. If you’ve been really good, there might be a new fishing rod or reel under the tree. Fingers crossed!

        Santa likes a bit of fishing too apparently!

        Sponsorship Programme

        With it being Christmas week, there is little angling to report. We do have some news to share, however. Inland Fisheries Ireland has opened its 2022 Sponsorship Programme.

        Youth Angling Event
        Youth Angling Event

        Angling clubs, groups and associations all over Ireland are being invited to apply for sponsorship funding before the January 21st deadline and in 2022, the €30,000 fund will have a particular focus on initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers, as well as events that promote sustainable angling tourism. Check it out here.

        A genuine hero

        We shared a story earlier this year about a brave young man,  11 year old Callum Clarke from Roscommon. Callum saved the life of his grandfather, Sean after a freak gust of wind capsized their boat while out fishing. Callum kept his head and managed to rescue Sean and bring him to shore safely.

        Our colleagues here in Inland Fisheries Ireland heard that Callum lost some of his fishing gear during the accident, so gifted some new equipment to Callum on his 12th birthday last week.
        As Callum is a keen pike angler, Andrew Burnett is pictured here presenting him with a new pike rod, a reel and terminal tackle plus a goody bag.
        Callum accepting his new fishing gear from Andy

        Salmon Licences

        Salmon and Sea Trout Licences for the 2022 season are now on sale through the Inland Fisheries Ireland online shop and through distributors that have an online facility. Hard copy licences will be available from distributors in the coming weeks. Get all details, including prices and FAQs here.

        National Bass Programme Update

        Hot off the the press is the National Bas Programme Update for Anglers 2018-2022. Over the 3 year period covered by the report 47 bass anglers around Ireland submitted the scales and details of 1,304 bass. Almost 80% of the bass were caught between May and September and and an impressive 90% of the fish were returned alive – #CPRSavesFish!

        The report goes into great detail, analysing growth rates, year classes, tagging and recaptures and is well worth a read.

        IFI National Bass Programme Angler Data Report 2018-2020

        report
        Click to download!

        Looking Back

        With the end of the year fast approaching, we took a look back at some of the photos sent in for the Irish Angling Update this year. Check out our little festive video below showcasing some of the fantastic photos from the Irish angling community in 2021.
        From all of us here, a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to send in reports, photos, videos, and who read and shared our angling reports and updates. The update would not be half as comprehensive without your input, and we hope you will continue to support us in 2022.

        Míle buíochas daoibh go léir

         

        Stay Safe

        We’re all aware of the ongoing threat from Covid-19 and the Omicron variant. We’re not going to rehash public health advice here, but we hope you all stay safe and well this Christmas, and wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. If you get out fishing over the holidays, why not take a photo and drop us a line at anglingqueries@fisheriesireland.ie .

         

        Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

         

         

         

        National Bass Programme Update

        By
        Myles Kelly
        -
        bass report cover

        Hot off the the press is the National Bass Programme Update for Anglers 2018-2022. Over the 3 year period covered by the report 47 bass anglers around Ireland submitted the scales and details of 1,304 bass. Almost 80% of the bass were caught between May and September and and an impressive 90% of the fish were returned alive – #CPRSavesFish!

        The report goes into great detail, analysing growth rates, year classes, tagging and recaptures and is well worth a read.

        IFI National Bass Programme Angler Data Report 2018-2020

        report
        Click to download!
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