Stocking fillers Christmas 2020

By

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December 7, 2020

Something we do every year as Christmas draws closer, is to try to find all the angling service providers, the guides, instructors, fly tiers, charter boats and tackle shops, who have Christmas specials, gift cards, vouchers or other items that may make finding a present for the angler in your life (or your own self) that bit easier. So forget about ebay, aliexpress, amazon and the rest of them, this year shop local. Here’s a half dozen offers to get you started…

(Anyone who wants to share their offers with us is more than welcome. Just get in touch)

Waterford City & County Fly Fishing Club

“The perfect Christmas present for the fly angler in your life – a gift voucher from Waterford Trout Anglers. Contact Michael Sheehan for details – 086 107 3086”
Waterford City and County Fly Fishing Club

Ewings Sea Angling and Boat Charters

” We are now offering new freshly designed gift vouchers for Christmas and the New Year! Check out this link for a custom voucher and our website sligoboatcharters.com if you are interested, thank you!”
Ewings Sea Angling and Boat Charters

Angling Service Ireland

“Not sure what to get your loved ones for Christmas? Why not consider a gift voucher for one of our bespoke fishing trips. We cater for all levels and many of our guests have caught their PB with us. Give us a call or email: [email protected]”
Angling Services Ireland

Fishing Galway

“…if you are dreaming of catching a big pike your welcome on a trip. Vouchers are also available for a fantastic Christmas present. You can use the voucher for the new season in 2021.”
Fishing Galway

Piscari-Fly

“Looking for the perfect gifts for Xmas then give us a shout here at piscarifly and we will make sure your sorted”
Piscari-Fly

Blackwater Trout and Salmon Fishery

Guiding, tuition, fishing gear and more…

“Gift vouchers, guiding, angling and loads more in the shop. On top of that we are now also opening applications to join our syndicate for both Trout and Salmon. Only a limited number of positions are available for full or evening only membership.”
Blackwater Trout and Salmon Fishery

(Anyone who wants to share their offers with us is more than welcome. Just get in touch)

Irish Angling Update 4 December 2020

By

Kevin Crowley

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December 4, 2020

Blue shark — The first blue shark caught in December in Irish waters

Level 5 restrictions were lifted on Tuesday, and while many queued for pyjamas in Penneys or got stuck into Christmas shopping, some anglers were quick out of the blocks, eager to get some fishing in before the weather turned against us later in the week.

Sea angling

Sea fishing was all the news this week, with several reports of excellent fishing from Cork. Jim Clohessy enjoyed some fine mixed species fishing, with double figure cod, hard-fighting pollack and wrasse over the reefs, and even a few skate when they anchored up. Incredible fishing for December! Richie Ryan managed to prove that mullet fishing is also not just a summer pursuit, landing some nice fish on the fly.

And if you thought that was good, Dave Edwards from West Cork Charters had a new one for the record books – the first blue shark we know of taken in December! Dave had been out the previous week on a scientific survey and had a go for a couple of hours and managed a November blue, but December is a whole new level and wins our Catch of the Week.

Covid and angling

Now that Ireland is back at Level 3, what are your options for fishing?

Guides and ghillies can operate and take customers again
Charter boats can operate and take customers again.
Anglers must stay within their own county until December 18th. From the 18th until January 6th, you may fish outside your own county. From January 7th, remain within your own county again.
No competitions permitted. Training or coaching only outdoors in pods of 15 or less.

Salmon licences

Salmon licences are available to buy online at store.fishinginireland.info. Please order in good time to be sure of delivery ahead of January 1st.

Funding Call

A reminder of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s new funding round. Community Groups and Angling Clubs are invited to apply for over €1 million in Fisheries Funding. Since 2016, a value in excess of €4 million has been awarded by Inland Fisheries Ireland to over 200 projects across the country. Inland Fisheries Ireland will be opening a new funding round which is available to eligible community groups and angling clubs throughout the Republic of Ireland. The grant funding will be available to sustainable fisheries conservation and development projects with over €1 million announced today. For more information about Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Funding Call, an information booklet is available for download, please visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/funding.

And now the weather…

Looking out the window at trees being battered by the wind, and sideways sleety rain, you would be forgiven for sticking to the fireside this weekend. A weather warning is in operation until Saturday morning, with northerly gales gusting to 100km/h and very cold conditions. Saturday will be showery in coastal counties but drier inland, in northerly winds. The outlook is for very cold weather up to midweek, with frost at night but good spells of sunshine by day. Winds will be mostly light to moderate. The further outlook for later in the week, while it looks to get milder, current indications are for a more active period of wet and windy weather at times later in the week and over the weekend.

Safe fishing to all this weekend and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.

Kevin Crowley
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].

All the angling news

Sea Angling Reports

Podcast

Look and Learn: How to Catch a Monster

Other News

Double figure cod for Clohessy & Co. in Cork

By

Paul O'Reilly

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December 4, 2020

Jim Clohessy reports on his first afloat after a period of poor weather had kept him on dry land:

Well that was some December 1! At last, a decent weather window and we took full advantage. Launched from Paddy’s Point and headed for some lure work. Some fab fish about, a good variety of species all falling to mainly 60g heads and various bodies.

Went to anchor for a couple of hours and had a few skate. Best went to about 170cm but they were scrapping well. We had a good stamp of pollack, nice ling and good wrasse to go with the skate and cod.

It really was a cracking day; extremely mild at 11°C, it was more like early October than December. We saw loads of birds and dolphins around chasing herrings, sprat and by all accounts anchovies. Water temp was 10° With calm conditions, couldn’t ask for more.

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Little Devils: Mullet on the fly

By

myleskelly

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December 3, 2020

Richie Ryan, Cork Harbour saltwater fly guide, was to let us know he had a bit of luck in West Cork this week. Fishing one of his favourite beaches he managed to land a few mullet on the fly.

The fish went for one of his most productive flies for the area; the classic Diawl Bach. This Welsh trout fly has proven to be one of the best flies for mullet in host of locations. If you had the inclination you could give it a cast at your local beach…

Make a booking

If you want to book Richie then go to www.corkbass.com

Eire Bass – Richie Ryan

Saltwater fly fishing Guide.

Web: www.corkbass.com E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +353 (0)86 1940744

Blue, blue Christmas for West Cork Charters?

By

myleskelly

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December 3, 2020

Hot on the heels from catching the latest reported blue shark we have heard of or the Marine Sport Fish Tagging Programme has recorded (Late season Blues for West Cork Charters), David Edwards is back with a December blue. We normally give Catch of the Week to the first blue shark of the summer, so there is no doubt that the first ever blue shark of December is a shoe in!

David was back at sea the moment the lockdown lifted with his pals Tom Collins and Henk Veldman. They were back out to the 20 mile mark where the water temperature rose by a degree or so to a balmy 11C. The baits went in and the effort was rewarded by a fine shark in great condition.

After a couple of photos the shark was tagged and released.

Go fishing…

West Cork Charters operates the Silver Dawn, a 41′ Rodman 1250 with twin 430 HP Engines out of Courtmacsherry. The range of fishing found within close range of Courtmacsherry is superb, with trips producing anything between 6 and 15 different species as a norm and in excess of 20 is possible if anglers are prepared to change methods and use different baits and lures throughout their trip. As a rule mackerel, pollock, cod and ling are usually encountered but several species of wrasse along with whiting, pouting, coalfish, bull huss, conger and many more are often added to the catch.
If you do choose to head offshore to sample the superb shark fishing available within 10 miles of Courtmacsherry, there is a very strong chance of encountering blue sharks and an increasing chance of bringing a porbeagle shark to the boat.

Address: The Pier, Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork.
Telephone: +353 (83) 449 1403
Email: [email protected]

Web: www.irelandseaangling.com

Look and Learn: How To Catch A Monster

By

Kevin Crowley

-

December 3, 2020

Casting With Ceri

Ceri Jones with his 19lbs monster from Corrib

Ceri Jones is a Welsh photographer and fanatic trout angler who has been visiting the west of Ireland for many years, and has caught some of the biggest trout from Lough Corrib. He has a new website – https://castingwithcerijones.com where he is busy recording and uploading podcast interviews with fishing people – anglers, guides and other angling personalities.

Irish Content

While based in Wales, and with a lot of UK content, Ceri’s love of Ireland and Irish fishing shows in the Irish content on his site, with some amazing photography too.

Ceri takes some great photos, like this sunset scene from Corrib. Many of these are for sale as prints from his website.

This week we feature Ceri himself, talking about the magnificent 19lbs ferox trout he landed on one of his many trips to Lough Corrib. Click on the link, close your eyes and let Ceri bring you to a lovely warm day in May, and hear all about his love for these great fish.

Listen here.

Late season Blues for West Cork Charters

By

Shane O'Reilly

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December 1, 2020

Dave Edwards of West Cork Charters has been tagging Bluefin this year as part of the Tuna CHART programme. He had some scientists aboard last week and was scouting around to see if there were any Bluefin still about. Having tried inshore to no avail, he decided to take a 20km run offshore to some clearer waters. But, when, that didn’t throw up any sign of BFT either he wasn’t about to waste a good day on the water and decided to take a punt on there being some late-season Blue Shark around. And, his punt paid off with a cracking specimen sized blue that is the latest in the season ever recorded as part of the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme.

Dave also got the first blue shark of the year this year so he has nicely bookended the shark season. There are some great underwater shots of the blue on his Facebook page.

Go fishing…

West Cork Charters operates the Silver Dawn, a 41′ Rodman 1250 with twin 430 HP Engines out of Courtmacsherry. The range of fishing found within close range of Courtmacsherry is superb, with trips producing anything between 6 and 15 different species as a norm and in excess of 20 is possible if anglers are prepared to change methods and use different baits and lures throughout their trip. As a rule mackerel, pollock, cod and ling are usually encountered but several species of wrasse along with whiting, pouting, coalfish, bull huss, conger and many more are often added to the catch.
If you do choose to head offshore to sample the superb shark fishing available within 10 miles of Courtmacsherry, there is a very strong chance of encountering blue sharks and an increasing chance of bringing a porbeagle shark to the boat.

Address: The Pier, Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork.
Telephone: +353 (83) 449 1403
Email: [email protected]

Web: www.irelandseaangling.com

Irish Angling Update 27 November 2020

By

Markus Muller

-

November 27, 2020

It’s been another very quiet week with anglers still confined to 5km from home. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel with Level 5 restrictions expected to be lifted next week and anglers hopefully getting a chance to get out and about a bit more…

In the absence of any angling reports we continue to feature some interesting content we found online. So come and join us checking out some more “Look & Learn” stuff…

We start off with the latest episode of Ireland on the Fly which was recorded as a video webinar in conjunction with the 2020 Virtual Irish Fly Fair. Daire Whelan was joined by renowned fisheries scientist, Ken Whelan and well known guide and instructor Jason O’Riordan, as they discussed ‘What Lies Beneath – the lough trout’s underwater larder and how to imitate it’.

Ireland ont he Fly podcast — The lough trout’s larder and how to imitate it

Next we have another look at George McGrath’s excellent Youtube channel Gundog and Fly where he has a fascinating chat with Sean Maher one of of Ireland’s top fly anglers.

Peter Driver of Piscari Fly continues his series of live fly tying demos at his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Piscarifly/ tomorrow night@ 8.30pm. So don’t forget to tune into November Nymphing part 3!

For sea anglers, check out the videos of Chris O’Sullivan. The Inshore Angler is back with top tips and handy hints. This time with a couple of very clearly presented videos on how to target bass in the surf and bait up with maddies.

Sea angels will also be interested in one of the latest videos of the Irish Angling Adventures crew. James Raymond is fishing for smooth hound from a rock mark, and the video is full of information and helpful tips.

Angler holding a smooth hound fish — smooth hound from a rock mark

And finally we bring to you news of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s new funding round. Community Groups and Angling Clubs are invited to apply for over €1 million in Fisheries Funding. Since 2016, a value in excess of €4 million has been awarded by Inland Fisheries Ireland to over 200 projects across the country. Inland Fisheries Ireland will be opening a new funding round which is available to eligible community groups and angling clubs throughout the Republic of Ireland. The grant funding will be available to sustainable fisheries conservation and development projects with over €1 million announced today. For more information about Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Funding Call, an information booklet is available for download, please visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/funding.

Level 5 and angling

Everyone is aware that the lockdown is in place and what it means. But here is a reminder of the measures in place for angling:

Guides and ghillies are not on the list of essential services
Charter boats are not on the list of essential services
Anglers must stay within 5km of their home
No angling events permitted
For more see: IFI Guidance to Anglers – Level 5 restrictions