Lately, the tuna fishing has been excellent for Killybegs Fishing Trips. Plenty tuna were hooked and played over the past week averaging between 200 and 300 lbs with the odd bigger fish also brought to the boat.
Anglers benefited from the calmer weather this week and Donegal Bay seems to be alive with tuna which raises hopes for a successful finish of this year’s bluefin tuna season.
The VDE Baggers kicked off their winter competition calendar at the Newry Canal over the weekend and were welcomed back to the venue by the sight of fish topping throughout the competition stretch.
They welcomed a few new members on the day (both senior and junior) who got straight into the action, fishing their first ever match. But it was old hands and familiar faces who came through at the end, as Jack Tisdall weighed in 5.21kg to take the win, just 20g ahead of Aaron Hutchmann in second.
Great to see the guys back in action and we hope to report on more of their matches over the winter months.
Antrim angler Nev Snoddy and his boat partner, Rick Kennedy, took their small boat on its annual pilgrimage to Killybegs a while back. Unfortunately for the lads, soon after launch, the outboard started to play up and the usual more distant marks were ruled out with activities confined to the local inshore grounds around Killybegs harbour. Not to be beaten, Nev reached for the fly rod and enjoyed some cracking light tackle sport with the local pollack population.
Small sandeel patterns were the order of the day. Boat partner Rick broke out the small hooks and tried some mini-species angling on the same inshore grounds which resulted in some cracking corkwing wrasse, one of which was a just shade under the Irish Specimen length threshold!
In addition, the lads got a new species for their boat, a red band fish, which took a liking to small sabiki feathers.
It just goes to show the variety of species available on the often-overlooked inshore grounds.
After last weekend’s red warning storm, the Mariners were happy to get back out fishing last Friday for league outing number 4 on a calm, mild autumn evening with a nice rolling surf caressing the beach. First cast found the fish feeding on the last run of tide before slack water with some fine flounders over 30cm along the beach and a nice bass for Sean Harte whilst reeling in.
19 anglers fished and we had flounders of 33cm, 34, 35, and the longest flattie on the night a big 39cm flounder was caught by Pat Cunningham. 2nd place overall on the night with 174pts was Gavin Dorrian with flounders, coley, whiting and dogs. And in 1st place overall with 223pts with a lovely fishing of flounders, whiting and bass well done was Sean Harte. Species caught were flounder, turbot, whiting, coley, dog and bass.
Great to get out well done to all taking part. Next outing is pencilled in for next Friday north side of Rossnowlagh.
Lately, one of our regular groups from Italy was visiting us again. Some members of the group have been coming to us for over 20 years! Time is flying! And it hasn’t been the first birthday Ron had at ours either, but this time he got himself a new PB as present, before the obligatory Irish Coffees of course.
However, Giovanni also rewarded himself with a meterpike on the fly. Well done guys and see you next time…
Go Fishing
Bodo Funke, Angling Services, Ireland
Pike, Game and Coarse fishing Guide
Notes: Angling Services Ireland are based in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, in the North-West of Ireland, an area with many superb angling opportunities.
The Proprietor Bodo Funke holds the Marine and Countryside Guiding Certificate (achieved with distinction) and his expertise and local knowledge will be to your avail when you go on a guided angling trip or angling holiday with Angling Services Ireland. Pike fishing, Fly-fishing for Pike, Game fishing for wild Brown Trout, Float- tubing, Coarse fishing. Salmon fishing and Sea-angling can be organised.
The NCFFI has posted the following report on the 2025 Celtic Cup:
Team Ireland Float Manager 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱 gives us an inside look at their 2025 Celtic Cup win on the River Weaver.
“After two good days practice, where we learned loads about a very tricky venue, that was very much out of sorts, we were confident going into the first day of competition. Team Ireland ‘Black’ were looking good on the ‘Dredger’ section of the river, with a 1st for 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗵 and 2nd in section for 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆. But the other side of the river was trickier for us, with 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 struggling in a really bad area and 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲 suffering due to a late re-pegging putting him on an un-fished peg. This put the tram on 20 points with a mountain to climb.
The good news however, was that Team Ireland ‘Grey’ consisting of 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 and 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻 put in a really solid performance to score 13 points, putting them in striking distance of Team Wales ‘Red’ (8 points) and Team Scotland ‘White’ (12 points).
A BIG shout out to our three young anglers who made up Team Ireland ‘White’; 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻 and 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲 – under the rules of competition, if any of them came higher in a section that their Team Ireland ‘Grey’ counterpart, then their score counts. This is applied to ensure all the anglers have something to fish for – a rule that was to prove critical for us on Day 2!
Day 2 – with significant work to do the focus was on the Grey team, but the whole squad were fully focused as they knew they could play a massive role if able to take points off the leading teams. The venue picked up somewhat and fish started to show in areas, making for a great technical match and an ideal training ground for the FIPsed events we fish at international level.
On ‘Dredger’ we had Leigh on A9 next to Dean on B1 – a fluke of the draw, but fortunately both were on fish and went on to win their sections. With the other team members doing their bit suddenly the 5 point gap was gone and Team Wales and Team Ireland were tied going into the two ‘Oak Tree’ sections!
Mary had struggled, but James Wellwood was fishing a superb match in C section, and his results could replace Mary’s. At the weigh0in Team Wales ‘Red’ were leading the section, but then Vincent pipped them by a few grammes, and critically, James then beat Vincent by the same margin to take the section. Team Ireland were now leading by 2 going down the final section. We knew Team Wales ad this section but not their ‘Red’ team angler, although we knew he had a tench which we thought would have put him second.
However, Jamie Murray had fished brilliantly to beat him, catching some quality roach, pushing him to third. Phil has struggled but had a decent perch and a few small fish for 600g. This put him in 5th with 4 still to weigh we knew if anyone beat him Team Wales would be champions. When the next best weight was 500g, we knew we had tied and it would all be down to weight! Fortunately we had managed to beat Team Wales on both days by just over 2kg in total, and had won it – a fantastic result for the entire squad!
Analysing the results you can see how every member played their part, in a match that ultimately came down to grammes in every section. Individually we also had great success; Vincent (3 point total) was pipped to 1st place on weight, with Leigh (4 points) taking 3rd on his Team Ireland debut, and Jamie (also 4 points) coming in 4th.
Huge thanks to all the anglers who took part – the match is fished in great spirits and really does prepare our anglers for World and European championship, blending youth with experience to develop all involved.
Massive thanks to Ben Roberts Wales Float Fishing Team for all his help in organising and hosting the event, and to my Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling counterpart, Gus Brindle for all his assistance.
So, onto 2026 and a chance to defend our title on home soil – when we shall look forward to welcoming everyone to the Wild West of County Mayo!”
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀: Clarke Civil Works , Inland Fisheries Ireland, Tubertini UK LTD , Marcel Van Den Eynde Ireland, Irish Bait and Tackle Limited
#celticcup #riverweaver #teamireland Sport NI Sport Ireland
Sunday, 12th Oct: Ballybrack SAC fished the 6th leg of the Master Angler on Kilgorman. Conditions forecasted were favourable with the exception of a slight easterly breeze. All anglers were keen to wet a line and hash it out, in our first competition since the summer break. Fishing commenced at 11:01 am, after a minute of silence was held on the beach for our late comrade Jack Keegan.
From the first few exchanges, it was evident that fishing was going to be difficult, with no scores hitting the cards. Anglers watched with careful eyes as to what was being tried and tested around them. The main tally of fish in the first couple of hours up to high water were undersized fish in gutter, and a surprisingly low number of flounder for the dedicated. On days like this, anglers dig deep into their collection of rigs, trying all sorts of variations to scratch out something for the scorecards.
In Zone A Sean Hickey persevered and fished a great match, landing a nice mix of flounder, bass and a dab at range which secured him the zone win and overall top spot for the seniors. On a desired end peg, John Keane battled with the gods and the weavers, desperate for something to go over 18cm, but to no avail. A few mackerel made an appearance too. A similar faith for Joe Cannon, who took zone 3rd. Lar Mooney, targeting dabs at distance for the day stuck it out, and took zone 2nd place for his efforts.
Zone B was a similar story, everyone fished through the weavers searching for flounder and bass. Paul Tyndall with a slow start, honed in on a nice flurry of bass and flounder in the later stages of the comp to take the zone win.
Eric Gasparro, who is in great form all year secured some fine flounders and took zone 2nd. Darragh Mulligan, also finding flounder took zone 3rd.
The benchmark was really set by the juniors for the day. In zone B Sean Keane and Jesse Murphy landed some impressive fish on a slow day. Both anglers beat the seniors comfortably, and battled it out for 5hrs turning over bass and flounder, leaving the seniors scratching their heads. Sean Keane returned a fine Bass of 52cm, which won him the longest round fish pools for the day. Jesse Murphy took the flat fish pools with a plump 29cm Flounder. As the final hour unfolded, Jesse Murphy with a double shot of bass and a flounder pipped Sean for the win. Paul Crimmons in zone A, fished his socks off and tried everything to secure a counting fish but just wasn’t his day. Well done lads, savage fishing.
We hope the whiting and dabs arrive in numbers for the next one, to keep us busy in these colder months. Tight Lines
torm Amy swept across Ireland over the past weekend, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, with gusts of nearly 150km/h recorded. Sadly, one life was lost as the storm caused extensive damage, particularly along the west and northwest coasts. Rapidly rising water levels made freshwater fishing extremely difficult, while rough seas and high tides severely disrupted coastal angling. As a result, angling reports were scarce this week, though a few — some dating back to the previous week — were still received.
With the trout season now closed, dedicated game anglers can still enjoy good sport at many stocked fisheries that remain open. One such fishery is Ballinlough near Westport, offering excellent trout fishing right through to the end of October. Meanwhile, the Connacht Predator Anglers have announced the winner of their 2025 “Longest Trout” competition. This year’s honours go to Aidan Traynor, who landed a magnificent 81.5 cm trout on Lough Corrib back in May — a spectacular fish estimated at over 19 lbs.
Top Catch of 2025 in the Connacht Predator Anglers Longest Trout Competition
The seventh and final round of the Perch Master League also took place last week, with Mantas Jablonskis claiming victory in the final round. Overall honours for the 2025 league went to Ben Moore, with David Dennis securing a well-earned second place. In County Clare, The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs held their fourth qualifier last weekend on a number of lakes, where conditions proved challenging after a sudden surge in water levels. Despite the tough fishing, Pavel Skuza landed a magnificent 23 lb pike; a catch that earned him a share of first place alongside Kevin Foley.
Meanwhile, the coarse angling scene remains lively, with a number of competitions keeping anglers busy across the country. The Royal Enfield Winter League got underway last Sunday on the Royal Canal, while further south, the five-day Celtic Masters Festival at Inniscarra, County Cork, delivered a dramatic finale. Storm Amy ensured the closing day of this prestigious event would be one to remember, as anglers faced gale-force winds, gusting up to 80km/h, and relentless rain that pushed their skill, stamina, and spirit to the limit. Amid the challenging conditions, Robertas Zilaitis produced a stunning final-day catch of 20.5kg, not only securing the day’s top spot but also propelling himself to overall victory with a winning total of 72.970kg. In doing so, Robertas successfully defended his title and was once again crowned 2025 Celtic Masters Champion, lifting the shield for the second consecutive year. This outstanding achievement wins our Catch of the Week.
Robertas Zilaitis – this week’s winner of “Catch of the Week”
Finally, over to sea angling — and as one might imagine, Storm Amy made things extremely difficult. While the Atlantic-facing coasts bore the full force of the storm, conditions on the east coast remained reasonably fishable. As a result, the fourth round of the Leinster Shore League went ahead at Kilgorman Strand in County Wicklow, where anglers enjoyed good catches including fine smoothhounds, gurnards, flats and bass.
Boat angling was largely at a standstill last week, though Mark Gannon of Courtmacsherry Angling Centre in West Cork sent in a late report from a two-day charter in late September. His group enjoyed superb mixed fishing on their first day, catching pollack, cod, bullhuss, dogfish, conger, and coalfish. The second day was equally impressive, producing ling to 20lbs, more conger, and — unusually for wreck fishing — two whopping skate, one of which qualified as an Irish specimen. They also landed stone bass, specimen whiting, and near-specimen sharks while drifting.
Elsewhere, 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.
And finally, a big congratulations to Sarah Lynch, who recently won her boat on the final day of the Under-21 World Boat Championships in Montenegro. The Irish Under-21 team finished in sixth place, while the senior team finished eighth overall.
In other news
The deadline for submitting specimen claims is approaching fast. 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 as soon as possible so that the ISFC can assess it. All specimen claims to be submitted by 31st Oct. Further information on how to claim your specimen award are available here.
Anglers and angling associations are some of the organisation’s key stakeholders, and this document will guide IFI’s role in any future involvement with recreational angling and the angling sector.
The public consultation will be open for submissions until Friday, October 17th, 2025.
Extract from the IFI Statement of Strategy
And now the weather…
It will remain dry tonight with variable cloud and a few clearer breaks. A few mist and fog patches will form in light southerly or variable breezes. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 9 degrees. The weekend will be generally dry with hazy sunny spells, though isolated spots of drizzle are possible. Highest temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees in light to moderate southeasterly winds. High pressure will remain nearby for the next week with settled conditions persisting. However, it will be largely cloudy with occasional patches of light rain or drizzle possible.
Don’t forget to double-check the forecast before heading off, and if you’re going to sea, check the tides.
If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update, please send it to [email protected]and don’t forget that all of our fishing reports are available on our dedicated Angling Ireland Facebook page.
A big well done to Sarah Lynch on winning her boat yesterday on the final day of her final under 21 World Boat Championships, talk about going out with a bang. The under 21s gave it everything yesterday and got a 4th overall on the final day.
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Our exhausted senior team had their best daily result but not enough to gain an extra place so we finished 8th overall. It is a little disappointing, but we do have to remember the waters we are fishing here.
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The overall results don’t reflect the time effort and expense put in by the teams and the management, but one thing is we can all hold are head up high and say we gave it our all no matter what obstacles were put in our way we gave it everything.
Anglers Mariano, Antonello and Luca from Italy were over here for another pike fishing trip but this time decided to stay with host and guide Kevin at Melview Fishing Lodge. These guys could not have chosen a worse week weather wise for their fishing trip. These guys have been to Ireland before and know what the weather here can be like but made the comment that this had been the worst weather they have had to deal with, but this did not put them off of the task in hand and that was to catch pike.
Antonello is all smiles with one of his pike
The first day they were just able to use a boat safely but the days that followed it was deemed unsafe to fish using a boat, and the high winds and rain did not stop them from fishing various places from the banks in horrendous conditions at times but they were still able to produce a few good pike and fished like true professionals. These guys know the true meaning of the word fishing and I enjoyed their company during their week’s stay. Thanks guys for your company and a few laughs along the way…we hope to see you in Ireland again soon.
Kevin has over 30 years experience of 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.
Anglers benefited from the calmer weather this week and Donegal Bay seems to be alive with tuna which raises hopes for a successful finish of this year’s bluefin tuna season.
The good news however, was that Team Ireland ‘Grey’ consisting of 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 and 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻 put in a really solid performance to score 13 points, putting them in striking distance of Team Wales ‘Red’ (8 points) and Team Scotland ‘White’ (12 points).
On ‘Dredger’ we had Leigh on A9 next to Dean on B1 – a fluke of the draw, but fortunately both were on fish and went on to win their sections. With the other team members doing their bit suddenly the 5 point gap was gone and Team Wales and Team Ireland were tied going into the two ‘Oak Tree’ sections!
However, Jamie Murray had fished brilliantly to beat him, catching some quality roach, pushing him to third. Phil has struggled but had a decent perch and a few small fish for 600g. This put him in 5th with 4 still to weigh we knew if anyone beat him Team Wales would be champions. When the next best weight was 500g, we knew we had tied and it would all be down to weight! Fortunately we had managed to beat Team Wales on both days by just over 2kg in total, and had won it – a fantastic result for the entire squad!
