Marcin Kantor is back again this week, while resting the pike coming into spawn, he turns his attention to perch…
Marcin’s notes: Fishing for big perch with lures and revealing most of my secrets here. Finding a big perch in Ireland isn’t easy. We certainly have the numbers, but it takes a lot of angling effort to find big perch. As per the famous book by the Perchfishers, big nice Perch really are “The Biggest Fish of All”. In this video, I am lucky enough to catch my new personal best Irish Perch of 43cm. In the process, I describe my very best lures for perch, showing techniques of how to work them, both while fishing for perch with jigs and drop shot fishing. I show my cheburashka rig and explain the difference between lead and tungsten chebu sinkers. Also, getting into the time of the year when an angler has the best chance of catching big perch in Ireland. In general, it’s all about tips and information on how to catch perch.
25/3/21 Two boats out this day and all quiet on all fronts. Wind SSW light to fresh in the morning and strong in the afternoon and I believe the sensible Anglers headed in for the off-licence.
Painting of the Bungalow on the North Shore of Lough Currane by Joan Wuischpard
26/3/21 I start with an apology to US Artist Joan Wuischpard and for a good reason, I forgot to mention the Artist name on the Bungalow painting on the North Shore of Lough Currane. Now for today’s facts. Well, I can tell you today the Currane anglers headed straight to the Off-licence first thing this morning and for good reason, Lough Currane was wild with a strong WNW blowing followed by hail and sleet and sadly they did not do much better in the Off-licence because it was too early for McGill’s Beer.
27/3/21 Another Off-licence day for the Lough Currane anglers, as a strong wind from the South West took control of today’s proceedings. Staying with the weather, it was overcast with heavy rain at times.
World Famous Butler Pool, 28 March 2021
28/3/21 Yes you have it, it was another Off-licence day for the Brown Tag and Barbless Currane anglers as a strong SSW takes control of today’s proceedings, overcast all day with light rain.
29/3/21 I can hear you saying that Vincent Appleby is full of wind in his reporting in the past week, well I am sorry to say today’s manipulations were halted thanks to a strong SSW wind and overcast, light misty rain at times.
30/3/21 Well at least the Currane Anglers headed out on to the Currane waters this day, sadly all were quiet on all fronts. Wind light and variable SSE and SSW in the afternoon. Just for the record order of merit, one Barbless boat and 3 hand me down Brown Tag Boats.
A moggy morning on Lough Currane
31/3/21 Just two Brown hand me down tag boats out on this calm and foggy day. Wind was light to calm and variable. Now to all you pessimistic anglers who were complaining that in the 2020 Season there were no Salmon in the Lake? We will put the record straight, to the best of my knowledge there were 160 Salmon caught and a good few more not reported. Now let us head for the 2020 Hatchery Brood, just for the record the Salmon Brood was got with one swipe and I can tell you when the Currane system was fishing a lot better there was many occasions it was a dam site more difficult and took a lot more than one swipe. Now we head down stream into Lough Currane for 2021 Kelt Season just for the record there were 260 Kelts caught up to 22nd of March and counting and on average four boats fishing.
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
31/3/21 Just two Brown hand me down tag boats out on this calm and foggy day. Wind was light to calm and variable. Now to all you pessimistic anglers who were complaining that in the 2020 Season there were no Salmon in the Lake? We will put the record straight, to the best of my knowledge there were 160 Salmon caught and a good few more not reported. Now let us head for the 2020 Hatchery Brood, just for the record the Salmon Brood was got with one swipe and I can tell you when the Currane system was fishing a lot better there was many occasions it was a dam site more difficult and took a lot more than one swipe. Now we head down stream into Lough Currane for 2021 Kelt Season just for the record there were 260 Kelts caught up to 22nd of March and counting and on average four boats fishing.
Wintry conditions with heavy rain and sleet and lower than normal temperatures prevented even the bravest of anglers to venture out. The continuing 5km travel restrictions also impacted on angling effort.
One salmon was reported on the Moy Fishery this week which was caught in the Fresh Water Beat, while another fish was hooked and lost.
East Mayo Anglers reported their first salmon of the season; the first fishery outside of Ballina waters to report a fish. Mixi Clarke from Bohola caught a 9.5 lbs. salmon at the Gub.
This brings the total to 8 salmon so far this year.
Lough Conn
Due to weather conditions no fish were reported from the Lakes this week. However, Duck fly hatches were reported on Cullin and south Conn.
The Government has extended Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions until 12th April. Travel restrictions mean anglers must continue to stay within 5km of their home.
From 12th April, anglers can travel within their county or within 20km of residence if living close to county borders. Non-essential business is not permitted.
At Level 5, the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, except for travel for essential work, education or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home.
During level 5 restrictions, only essential workers can travel to work.
Inland Fisheries Ireland offers the following information to anglers as a guideline only. Government advice to stop the spread of coronavirus is BE RESPONSIBLE, BE SAFE.
Observe physical distancing by keeping at least 2 metres apart, if not possible wear a face covering.
Park legally and responsibly if driving to outdoor amenities.
Respect our emergency services and avoid activities that could potentially lead to emergency call outs.
Respect the environment, animals & wildlife and dispose of waste properly.
Travel separately, unless from the same household and visit outdoor areas at off peak times if possible.
Fish stocking
IFI has ceased stocking fish to all locations.
All Anglers
Follow up-to-date Government advice, however changes to Government advice may result in amendments to this information. To stay safe, anglers should follow public health guidelines:
People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.
No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Individual training only.
No competitions.
No indoor or outdoor gatherings.
Boat Anglers
Max 2 persons in small boats to comply with physical distancing (unless from same household). Remember to maintain physical distancing on board and at slipways and access points.
Guides & Ghillies
During level 5 restrictions, only essential workers can travel to work.
Charter Boat Owners
During level 5 restrictions, only essential workers can travel to work.
BE RESPONSIBLE – BE SAFE
The power to control this pandemic is still in our hands
Inland Fisheries Ireland offers the following information to anglers as a guideline only. Government advice to stop the spread of coronavirus is BE RESPONSIBLE, BE SAFE.
Kenneth Pyke from Tullamore took his son Joey aged 9 to their local river to teach him how to fish for trout. As it turned out Joey showed his Dad how it’s done when he landed his first ever trout and the bad weather did not deter the sheer excitement Joey felt from the initial bite to landing the trout.
Joey has a memory of a lifetime that will encourage him to continue with this great and enjoyable pastime.
Mark Watson from Trim & Athboy Angling Club sent us a report of his recent session on the Boyne. Despite facing some chilly conditions he managed to land a couple of nice trout on dry flies.
You can see from the photo that it’s a wintry looking day so it’s great to see the trout looking up this early in the season.
The weather forecast this weekend predicted we were going to be in for a tough time. Had I got enough nymphs tied to cover most situations? Probably. Was I going to tie more? Most definitely.
As I sat at the fly thing vice I could see the sleet and snow falling against the yard light. At this point most people would think a lie in was in order for Saturday morning, instead I found myself making the hotspots on the nymphs a little larger and giving an extra turn oof lead to the shank of the bare hook in the vice.
As with most season starts I do find myself going to the Kings River quite a lot and this morning was going to be no different. As the sun rose higher it was a little warmer than I had expected and less blustery which made my walk quite enjoyable. I had a good idea where I was going to start today so didn’t waste any time getting there. With a Pheasant Tail on point and an Olive nymph on dropper it was only minutes before I met my first small trout. the trout fell to the Olive nymph. IThrough the morning’s fishing I had quite a few small trout mostly on the olive nymph. I also had 2 larger fish. These both took a Pheasant Tail Nymph with a glass bead behind the tungsten bead. I found that the little flashy pieces under the tail of the olive made a huge difference as I tried with and without and those with the extra flsh were far superior.
Nice fish from the Kings River
The water was pushy in the main runs. Most fish were back from the head of the pools; tight to the banks and hard on bottom. Last week it was the Pheasant Tails with green hotspots was by far the best. The sme fly didn’t claim a fish today. Trout caught did show some signs of a hard winter. Looking forward to meeting them in the summer time.
Some of the trout showed signs of a tough winter
Olive nymph
Olive nymph, tied beadhead style
3mm slotted tungsten bead ( gold )
Dohiku jighead size 16
Uni thread olive thread 72d 8/0w
Yellow coq de Leon tail
Copper flash under tail
Olive seals fur thorax
Pheasant tail nymph
Gold head Pheasant Tail Nymph with a glass bead thorax
2.5mm countersunk bead ( gold )
Dohiku size 16 301
Piscari fly Kevlar thread
Pheasant tail fiber tail
Pheasant tail fiber body
Piscari fly glass bead
Sybai 0.1 gold wire rib
Piscari fly fox squirrel uv dub thorax
For information on day tickets or memberships please call me on 0857652751 or email Doneill@mountjuliet.ie
Mount Juliet House is set on a large estate, which offers private fishing on 2.5 miles of the middle to lower reaches of the River Nore. Mount Juliet Estate offers fishing of the highest quality, just a short stroll away from the Manor House. There is a fishing room on site in the Manor House for your convenience i.e. for storage and drying of fishing equipment. Mount Juliet Estate can also provide the necessary equipment on site if needed.
Minister Ryan established the Angling Consultative Council of Ireland (ACCI) in November 2020. The overall objective of this Council is to put a formal process and structure in place to harness those representative bodies that are willing to productively contribute to the sport of angling and to support cooperation across its component disciplines. The current members of ACCI, as agreed by the Minister, are as follows:
The Council has been working since its foundation. Following an election among its members, ACCI is chaired by Mr Martin McEnroe and the Vice Chair is Mr Joe Birney. The Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications (DECC) (at Senior Official level) will co-chair meetings with DECC and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Participation is open to all national angling representative bodies. Expressions of interest have been received from a further two bodies and their participation will be finalised shortly to facilitate their inclusion at the next Council meeting. Other national bodies are welcome to join and should contact the Department by e-mailing inlandfisheries@decc.gov.ie
Participants are required to adhere to the Sport Ireland governance standards and criteria, the agreed Terms of Reference, and Code of Conduct which are supported by the Minister.
The Minister’s intention is that the Council will:
be the channel for orderly, progressive and constructive engagement on significant policy issues with IFI in the first instance and also, Senior Officials in the Department and the Minister;
be a significant conduit for access to organisation-related funding, particularly sponsorship and supports for youth development, social inclusion, training and development and governance;
embrace and operate to the highest standards of sports governance (those of Sport Ireland); and
be a key mechanism for angling stakeholder input into the development of a new policy statement for the Inland Fisheries Sector.
Terms of Office:
Chair: 2 years
Vice-Chair: 2 years
Vice-Chair elected from among ACCI Members every 2 years.
Chair and Vice-Chair positions cannot be held simultaneously within one angling discipline (Coarse, Game, Pike, Sea).
Meetings:
Each participating body shall nominate one representative (and one alternate).
Only one nominated representative per organisation to attend each meeting.
The Chairperson shall approve the agenda for each meeting.
Decisions will be by majority vote.
In the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson will have the casting vote.
Terms of Reference For a National Consultative Angling Group
The recent settled weather gave very little rain and saw temperatures rise about 2ºC more than normal. There’s no doubt that this boosted Spring but unfortunately it’s cooler the last couple of days and there is a lot of rain on the way. Most fisheries are still quiet as anglers wait for restrictions to ease but one area where local anglers seem to be enjoying the weather and the fishing is on the trout rivers and lakes…
Sea liced salmon from Kilmurray
In the south-west, there were a few more salmon reported in the last week. Fresh fish are running the Munster Blackwater and Glenda Powell caught and released a lovely sea liced fish at Kilmurray. On the Lee, there were a few fish caught on fly and lure at Inniscarra. Meanwhile in the west there were 3 more fish reported by the Ballina Anglers on the Moy. This brings a total number of fish caught to date on the club waters to six, a fantastic return so early in the season. No other fisheries on the Moy have reported any catches yet. In other news from the Moy, Mount Falcon is offering fishing without the need to book accommodation this year. Last season was their best for over 10 years so it looks like a great opportunity.
The beadheads that were working on the Kings River
Trout anglers on the loughs and rivers are enjoying some great sport at the moment. A mix of trolling and fly is producing fish on loughs from Derg to Ree, Conn and Cullin and elsewhere. We are also hearing some encouraging reports from rivers like the Nore, Bride and even Dublin’s Dodder.
Staying on the freshwater venues we have a video report from Marcin Kantor who was fishing a local venue from the float tube. He has some great advice for anyone targeting pike at this time of year. Particularly relevant is his reminder to let them be for a couple of weeks and not to fish for them once they start spawning.
Mullet
Heading to sea now, or at least the coast, we have reports of mullet from the south-west and news of a new award promoted by the National Mullet Club – an annual Irish Shield for fish caught in Irish waters. We also have an entertaining video from Eamon McGrattan showing the level of service that is offered to clients of Malahide Charter Boats aboard the Naomi Leigh. You’d be bursting to get out fishing with him!
Bluefin tuna 2021
Building on the successes of the Tuna CHART programmes over the last couple of years, the programme will run again in 2021, allowing anglers to once again participate in this scientific data collection catch and release fishery, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. The call for applications from charter boats is live now and the last date for the receipt of a completed application will be 13:00 on the 9th of April. Find out more at Tuna CHART 2021 – Bluefin tuna scientific catch-tag-and-release angling fishery 2021
In other news…
Inland Fisheries Ireland have launched the ‘Why I love to fish’ video competition as part of Go Fishing Week 2021. We want you to submit a short video of your fishing adventures and to tell us what fishing means to you. Entries are welcome from individuals or groups, fishing clubs, youth clubs, centres and projects are all invited to take part.
The competition is open to everyone over 18 years of age. If your video includes anyone aged under 16 years of age, only a parent/guardian may submit the content. The overall winner will receive fishing tackle to the value of €100 and there will also be prizes for runners up and special categories.
The closing date for entries to ‘Why I love to fish’ is Friday, 9th of April 2021. For more information on the competition and how to apply please visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/lovefishing.
There’s rain on the way and it will turn wintry later today with snow possible over higher ground in the west and northwest. Fresh to strong and gusty southwest to west winds will occasionally reach near gale force in some western coastal parts. Rather wet and breezy conditions for the rest of the weekend and to start next week, with continued outbreaks of rain particularly affecting the west and northwest. Temperatures will be milder on Sunday and Monday rising to around 16ºC by Tuesday. Current indications suggest that it will turn drier, but much cooler from mid-week next week.
Tagged Bluefin Tuna Donegal Bay 2019. Copyright Adrian Molloy
Announcement of 2021 Bluefin tuna scientific survey programme and record numbers of tuna tagged in 2020
Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), the largest tuna in the world, frequent Irish coastal waters to feed during its annual migration through North Atlantic waters. This giant of the sea can reach lengths of 4m and 1500lbs. The bluefin is prized by sea anglers for its power and fighting ability and is a very valuable commercial species.
Building on the successes of the Tuna CHART (CatcH And Release Tagging) pilot programmes of 2019 and 2020, a bluefin tuna scientific data collection catch and release fishery for Ireland will operate in 2021, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Depending on the successful operation and review of this year’s fishery, it is intended that a scientific catch and release fishery may also operate in 2022.
Tagged Bluefin Tuna Donegal Bay 2019. Copyright Adrian Molloy
In 2021 a maximum of 25 authorisations may be granted to qualifying angling charter vessel skippers around the Irish coast. This scientific catch and release fishery will open on the 1st July and close on the 12th November. These dates are subject to compliance with government Covid-19 restrictions.
The Tuna CHART programme is a collaborative scientific programme between Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute in partnership with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC).
In 2020, the Tuna CHART programme authorised 22 charter skippers to operate a scientific fishery, in which anglers participated fully, to catch, tag and release bluefin tuna. These professional skippers were trained to tag, measure and record bluefin data.
Despite the limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and in compliance with government issued regulations, 685 bluefin tuna were caught, tagged and released around the Irish coast, a 230% increase in bluefin tagged on the previous year. The most productive sites were the North-West and the South coast, mainly the waters of the Cork coastline. As many as eleven bluefin were tagged on one angling trip, a new Irish record. The largest tuna tagged was 275cm, weighing an estimated 822lbs. All tuna were carefully handled subject to strict guidelines set by the Tuna CHART programme and all were released alive. Data from the tagging programme has been collated by the partnership for reporting to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT).
A call for applications for the 2021 fishing season will be announced on 26th March 2021 and the last date for the receipt of a completed application will be 13:00 on the 9th of April.
The core aspect of the Tuna CHART programme is the welfare and successful release of the bluefin tuna. Authorised skippers will be required to have high specification rods, reels and line in advance of the open season in order to ensure that the fish is brought alongside the vessel to be measured and tagged in the water in a timely manner. Data collection for scientific assessment is the primary purpose of this fishery and will continue to be a key requirement for skipper participation in this scientific catch-and-release fishery. Skippers will be required to collect data on every bluefin trip undertaken and each bluefin tuna they catch, tag and release and their angling and data recording expertise is an important part of the overall survey programme.
Anglers will have an opportunity to participate in this fishery and contribute to this important scientific study by chartering and fishing from authorised vessels only. Unauthorised vessels are not permitted to target or catch bluefin tuna and any unauthorised person found to be targeting bluefin tuna will be prosecuted. Applications for authorisations are only open to charter skippers.
