Irish Angling Update 🎃 31 Oct 2025
It was a cooler week for most and generally fairly wet with heavy rain in places. Land is getting water logged and inland waters are rising. The rosy glow of our autumnal evenings is quickly pushing towards miserable wet winter nights (and days!) since the clocks changed last weekend…
But enough of that! It’s Halloween, and tonight children around the world will be out and about in masks and costumes avoiding the puca and the banshee and hoping for a good haul of sweets. At this stage we all know that Halloween is derived from the ancient Irish festival Samhain with its roots in Celtic Ireland. But it’s actually older and far more ancient than that, originating from an even earlier invasion of this island.
Before the Celts and before the Tutha de Danann came the Fomorians, raiders or sea demons who conquered Ireland and ruled it from their stronghold on Tory Island. After decimating the Nemedians, the Irish people of that time, the Fomorians imposed a grim tax. And the tax had to be paid every Samhain. A tax of thirds was due each Halloween; one third of all their grain, one third of all their milk. Normal enough, but the last part was more horrific – one third of all the children born that year. The practise of paying the tax is thought to have changed over time to offerings being thrown into the sea, and it has come full circle with sea anglers up and down the Irish coast firing out the best of squid, mackerel and lugworms in hopes of appeasing some ancient sea gods…
So on that note let’s get into this week’s sea angling reports. Cormac Walsh reports better bass in close to the shore in the south east, but is finding the fishing to be dictated by the tide cycle and the weather. Staying in the south east Killian Farrelly was the winner of the Mick Kearney Open fished at Old Bawn. Further north, small boat angler Shane Redmond has been getting some great tope fishing off the Dublin coast this month. All the way around to Sligo now, where Streedagh Beach was the venue for the Killybegs Mariners most recent competition. Good catches of flounder and turbot were the order of the day and first place went to Daragh McGuinness. We head back south now to Youghal where the charter boat Sea Hunter has had a couple of good days at the bluefin tuna despite the almost endless easterlies of the last couple of weeks.
On to freshwater reports now and starting with pike and perch we head to east Clare where a perch of 44cm was the highlight of American angler Christopher May’s latest holiday in Ireland. He was fishing with Damian Culliney who also had young Nathan Dempsey out on another trip. Nathan’s highlight was landing a 91cm pike on a 5-10g drop shot rod. Up in Boyle, anglers fishing with Bodo Funke having been catching some serious pike on fly and lure. Lots of 100cm pike feature with one angler getting a 114cm fish and another getting landing 12 pike between 100cm and 112cm. We have competition results from clubs in Limerick, Ardee and Leinster but they found fishing tougher at their venues over the weekend. Finally, Newbridge District Pike Anglers announced details of their Annual Open Pike Fishing Competition and Dromod/Roosky Pike Anglers hold the Brian King Perpetual Cup this weekend.
Coarse anglers also found competition fishing tough going last weekend. The VDE Baggers saw 15 out of 18 anglers blank on the Newry Canal and 2 roach and a perch were enough for the win. This makes the Tulla anglers results on Clondorney look out of this world, the top 3 weights were between 6 and 15lb. Staying with competition fishing Inniscarra TDL has published its list of Festivals and Events for 2026 and the NCFFI is looking to build its team for the World Championship of Nations 2026.
Trout fishing is over until next year but there’s still room for stories of the season just past. In Keith McDonnell’s latest blog, The Dark Side of the Lough: Streamers for Connemara’s Ferox Trout, Keith brings his experimental approach to the loughs of Connemara with some spectacular success. Well worth a read…
In other news
Irish Specimen Fish Committee
The deadline for submitting specimen claims is on us. If you were lucky enough to catch a specimen fish this year and want to claim it, get your paperwork into the Irish Specimen Fish Committee now so that the ISFC can assess it. All specimen claims to be submitted by tonight, 31st October. Further information on how to claim your specimen award are available here.
Salmon angling logbooks
A quick reminder for all salmon and sea trout anglers — don’t forget to return your 2025 salmon angling logbook and any unused gill tags. These returns are vital for managing and monitoring our wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout stocks. Anglers can submit returns via the business reply envelope provided with their licence, or by posting directly to the IFI office listed on their logbook or licence.
Sharks le Chéile
Sharks le Chéile (“sharks together”) — an independent group linking scientists studying sharks, skates, and rays in Ireland with the public — is inviting interested anglers to get involved. Working in partnership with government agencies, the group’s mission is to bring marine science closer to the public and foster collaboration. Anglers who’d like to learn more or participate can visit their website at https://sharkslecheile.org/ for details.
Public consultation
A public consultation on three coarse fish and pike byelaws is open until 2 November 2015
- Conservation and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish Bye-Law No. 806, 2006
- Transfer of Live Roach Bye-Law No. 561, 1973
- Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809, 2006
For more information and to make a submission visit the Inland Fisheries Ireland website.
And now the weather…
There’s more rain forecast for tonight with winds staying in the southwest. Tomorrow will start bright and mostly dry with some showers on Atlantic coasts. These showers will spread east during the day. They will be heavy at times with a chance of hail. Breezy with moderate to fresh south-westerly winds. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12°C. With persistent low pressure dominating the weather the unsettled and mixed conditions will continue into next week. Though temperatures might climb a degree or two, winds will be switching southwest to westerly blowing, moderate to fresh and fresh to strong.
Safe fishing to all and tight lines, here’s to finding a ring in the barm brac!
IFI Staff
Catch, Photo, Release
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All the angling news
Coarse Angling Reports
- Inniscarra competition dates for 2026 announced
- Tale of two Cities for Tulla anglers on Clondorney
- NCFFI Seeks Expressions of Interest – World Championship of Nations 2026
- Disaster strikes for round 2 of the Baggers Winter League!
Pike Fishing Reports
- Visitors getting great pike fishing with Angling Services Ireland
- Dromod/Roosky Pike Anglers host Brian King Perpetual Cup this weekend
- Pike Angling Club Competition Roundup
- Newbridge District Pike Anglers – Annual Open Pike Fishing Competition
- Perch to 44cm and dropshot pike to 91cm with Anglers Paradise Guiding
Sea Angling Reports
- SeaHunter getting bluefin tuna off Youghal when conditions allow
- Final Call on Sharks le Chéile Anglers Survey
- Killian Farrelly wins The Mick Kearney Open 2025
- Dates and Venue announced for Munster U16 & U23 Qualifiers
- Small boat anglers report great tope fishing off Dublin coast
- Daragh McGuinness wins 6th leg of Killybegs Mariners league at Streedagh
- Weather windows vital for Autumn bass
