The CM Lakelands continued their winter feeder league on Lough Muckno last weekend and had a good turnout with 33 anglers showing up on the day. Fishing was good, particularly on the South Shore swims and James O’Doherty came out on top with a bag of 7kg. Full results online here: CM Lakelands
Newbridge & District Pike Anglers held their annual open pike competition last weekend and had a huge turnout with over 100 anglers turning up to fish on Poulaphouca Reservoir. Fishing was extraordinarily difficult and only 21 fish were caught during the day with the prize being shared by two anglers (John O’Connor & Carl O’Reilly) who managed to catch pike of 10lb 03oz each. Full report online here Newbridge & District Pike Anglers
While the past weeks saw relatively mild temperatures for the time of year it has definitely turned more wintry in recent days. With temperatures having dropped significantly and winds on the increase as well, angling conditions deteriorated notably. This is well reflected in the relatively small number of angling reports we received this week.
However, there was still some decent pike fishing to be had, with dead baits working well for anglers on Lough Erne, where they produced some quality pike.
Dead baits also did the trick for guests of Melview Lodge in Longford. John and James who were out with their host and guide Kevin managed to catch a good number of pike to just over the meter, along with plenty of fish in the 90cm mark which makes our catch of the week.
Last weekend, IFPAC ran their Interclub Competition where teams of four anglers representing different angling clubs around the country competed against each other for the trophy. The event was run on four lakes in the Co. Monaghan area with Dun na Ri Angling Club scooping first prize!
As winter beckons, more and more charter skippers are taking their boats out of the water to overhaul and secure them for the winter. So it is no wonder that sea angling reports are getting more scarce as well. However, anglers onboard Fiona Tee fishing out of Killybegs in Co. Donegal still enjoyed some decent mixed fishing including a few good sized pollack.
While boat fishing will become less common from now on, shore anglers will still find plenty of opportunities to pursue their sport, as did members of Killybegs Mariners sea angling club during the week when they had plenty of flounder together with some other species from the local surf beaches.
David Norman of West Cork Bass reports that wrasse fishing can extend well into November and even December when the conditions allow. At times, wrasse attack lures intended for much bigger prey out of pure aggression and can give a really good account of themselves particularly on lighter gear or on the fly.
Elsewhere, the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers held the Shore Master Angler competition last weekend. The prestigious Master Angler title is keenly contested, with the top anglers from clubs up and down the country vying for the title, and the chance to captain Ireland at a World Championships. This year, the event was based in Northern Ireland, with sessions fished at Benone and Whiterocks beaches. Northern club Glengormley & District SAC were definitely winners on the weekend, taking both main titles home. Well done Glengormley!
Inland Fisheries Ireland has developed an important new tool that captures anglers’ knowledge and hands-on experience to help track changes in stocks of marine fish. The new method is called ‘FLEKSI’ (‘Fisher’s Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators’) and crucially, it taps into the local ecological knowledge of Irish sea anglers as a way of complementing scientific knowledge. Over 650 recreational anglers who fish along the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and West Coast of Ireland have contributed to the development of the tool, which was highlighted in the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Journal of Marine Science earlier this month. Further information on ‘FLEKSI’ is available here.
Finally, we would like to remind interested parties of two separate public consultations running at present. The first is regarding the Management of the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (launched 20th October): https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/news/public-consultations/management-of-the-wild-salmon-sea-trout-tagging-scheme
The second is the Consultation on the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2021 and Conservation Measures for the 2022 Season (launched 10th November): https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/3aee7-consultation-on-the-wild-salmon-and-sea-trout-tagging-scheme-regulations-2021-and-conservation-measures-for-the-2022-season/
Strong northwesterly winds will continue overland tonight with gales along northern coasts, and strong gales on the Irish Sea. Scattered wintry showers and long clear spells; mainly occurring across the north and northwest with snow over hills and mountains. Bitterly cold owing to an added wind chill factor with lowest temperatures of 0 to 2 degrees Celsius.
The east of the country will stay cold on Sunday, with higher temperatures returning to western parts.
The further outlook to the middle of next week is for fresh northwest winds moderating west to southwest with showers mainly on coasts and milder temperatures between 7 and 11 degrees generally.
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Markus Müller
Catch, Photo, Release
If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to reports@fisheriesireland.ie.
Killybegs Fishing Trips report…
Despite the advanced season, anglers onboard Fiona Tee fishing out of Killybegs are still enjoying some decent mixed fishing including some cod, ling and hard fighting pollack.
33′ Interceptor. 300HP Caterpillar
Skipper: Michael McGettigan
Licence: 961
Base: Mullaghmore Operational area: Donegal Bay. Within 30 miles of land.
Notes: With over 40 years experience in Sea Angling in Donegal Bay, we bring you to the best locations and guarantee the best that angling in Donegal Bay has to offer. The MV Fiona Tee is equipped with all the latest technology ensuring all our fishing charters are monitored and offer real time tracking. We are also fully equipped with the latest in onboard safety equipment.
Address: Moneygold, Grange, Co. Sligo.
Telephone: +353 (0)87 2540190
E-mail: info@killybegsfishingcharters.ie Web: https://www.killybegsfishingcharters.ie/
Simon Gibbons from Guided Predator Angling reports from Lough Erne…
Another super day out for the Hughes brothers Ronan and Raymond on Lough Erne, while the bites were slow the ones that did come were good quality.
Check out how they got on in this video, we even had a little Roach vs Pollen competition.
A good crew of mariners was out during the week enjoying the surf fishing with some fine catches of up to a dozen flounder to 31cm along with a few sea trout and trebles of coalies.
Killybegs Mariners SAC will be hosting a charity open beach competition in aid of local cancer charity Good and New supporting Donegal cancer patients and their families. The event will take place on December 28th at Rossnowlagh Beach. Further information available here.
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
New tool could have international appeal and help signal ‘early warning’ of directional change when it comes to marine fish stocks
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the state agency responsible for the conservation and protection of freshwater fish, habitats and sea angling resources, has developed an important new tool that captures anglers’ knowledge and hands-on experience to help track changes in stocks of marine fish.
The new method is called ‘FLEKSI’ and crucially, it taps into the local ecological knowledge of Irish sea anglers as a way of complementing scientific knowledge. Over 650 recreational anglers who fish along the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and West Coast of Ireland have contributed to the development of the tool, which was highlighted in the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Journal of Marine Science earlier this month.
FLEKSI, which stands for ‘Fisher’s Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators’, can track how fisheries change over time. According to Inland Fisheries Ireland, it could also have a much broader application in helping to conserve or manage fisheries internationally, as all EU Member States are obliged to develop data collection programmes for marine recreational fisheries.
William Roche, Senior Research Officer with Inland Fisheries Ireland explained: “Ireland is known throughout the world for its iconic sea angling resources, attracting up to 185,000 anglers annually. A long and proud tradition of sea angling in this country means that many individuals and groups have accumulated hands-on knowledge of sea angling over the years, from catching tope sharks in the Irish Sea to fishing for bass on the beaches of the Dingle peninsula. We wanted to create a standardised framework that could capture these anglers’ observations and perceptions, to help us better understand long-term changes in recreational fisheries and to act as an early warning signal for long-term changes in the future.”
Roche added: “Tools such as FLEKSI can help us meet the challenge of monitoring fisheries. It can also provide important new information that supports science, policy and management in Ireland and potentially throughout the European Union.”
657 sea anglers, some of whom had more than forty years’ experience, took part in Inland Fisheries Ireland’s study in April this year. They were asked how sea angling ‘now’ compared with how they remember sea angling ‘then’, when they first started. Based on their perceptions and observations, the results suggest that stocks of cod, whiting and bass, have declined around Ireland over the last forty years. Importantly, this perception matches with stock assessments from ICES, which is the organisation tasked with determining stock status for all sea fish species in European waters.
“The study results clearly demonstrate that anglers’ knowledge can provide an accurate picture of changing marine fish stocks,” said Samuel Shephard, a Senior Research Officer with Inland Fisheries Ireland.
He added: “Anglers have a leading role to play in conservation. They spend many hours outside, observing nature and the fish they catch. They may recall how different species have come and gone, and how average catches and sizes may have changed. Over an angling career, this experience can become a unique insight into the status of the fisheries. Inland Fisheries Ireland’s policy of collaborating, where possible, with angling citizen scientists and of harnessing their experiences can help us better understand long-term changes and how to protect these wonderful resources for the future.”
The FLEKSI tool paper is available to download from the ICES Journal of Marine Science website. The report is authored by Samuel Shephard (lead author), Diarmuid Ryan, Paul O’ Reilly and Willie Roche of Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Last weekend IFPAC ran their Interclub competition where teams of four anglers representing different angling clubs around the country competed against each other for the trophy. The event was run on four lakes in the Co. Monaghan area and one member of each team fished one of the four lakes. Dun na Ri anglers came out on top with a winning weight of 91lb 12oz. The rest of the results are as follows:
The Irish climate is well suited to sport angling. It is temperate and kind to the angler with moderate summers, mild winters and adequate rainfall throughout the year. The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift lap the south and west coasts, giving us a milder climate than our geographical location would indicate.
The result is a fabulous mixture of cold and warm water fish species, capable of exciting the specialist or casual angler on the annual family holiday. In fresh water, they range from carp, more attuned to warm waters, to the Atlantic Salmon, which is a north Atlantic species. The marine species range from the cold water Cod and Coalfish to the Mediterranean loving gilthead bream and Bass to the mid Atlantic Blue Shark. Many Irish people enjoy fishing but we are happy to share our “riches” with our fellow anglers from all over the world.
Few of us, however, fish for coarse fish (freshwater species other than the salmon and trout family) which means that our magnificent pike, bream, tench, roach, and rudd are largely left to the tourist, as is much of the sea angling, particularly along the south and west coasts.
Lakes, rivers and coastal stretches are surveyed and mapped, fisheries are managed and stocked, while banks and access routes to the waters edge are developed to ensure the visitor gets directly and easily to the hotspots.
Most of the angling is organised around recognised angling centres which specialise in catering for the angling tourist. Salmon and trout fisheries are usually the property of an individual, club, organisation or the state and permission to fish is generally required except in the case of the state owned lakes, such as the Great Western Loughs and the Lakes of Killarney.
Some waters have seldom, if ever seen a rod and line but exploration is always an enjoyable part of an fishing holiday, so do not be afraid to “have a go”, it might well result in the fish of a lifetime.
John and his friend James who are regulars to Melview Fishing Lodge in Longford were up once again for a few days Pike fishing with host Kevin. John and James visit Kevin several times a year for both coarse and Pike fishing making them no strangers to the waters around Longford. The most productive method for them was dead bait fishing, using various dead baits they managed to catch Pike to just over the meter along with plenty of fish in the 90 cm mark.
Kevin said, ‘I had the pleasure of their company and the chance to fish with them for a day during their visit and it was a great day had by all with plenty of fun and laughter going on which took our minds off the cold weather conditions. Thanks for a great time guys, see you again soon.’
All Fish Returned Unharmed
Kevin Lyons – Melview Lodge
Drumlish Road, Clonrollagh, Longford, Co. Longford
Tel:+353(0)43-33-45061 Mobile:+353(0)87-268-7441
E-mail: info@melviewlodge.com Web: www.melviewlodge.com
Kevin has over 30 years of experience 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.
