The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland (NCFFI) have published Phase 3 of their Angling Road Map for a return to coaching and competitive events around the country.
With many clubs and organisations hoping to run events in the coming months, it will be important to maintain high standards of hygiene and physical distancing in order to ensure low levels of Covid 19 on the island of Ireland. These guidelines are specific to NCFFI coarse angling clubs and might not apply to other forms of angling.
At the very least, many of us suffered from not being able to get out to our favourite fisheries during the lockdown; at worst we lost loved ones under very difficult circumstances. It is up to us all to minimise the spread of Covid 19 while participating in angling or other activities and avoiding complacency will be key to this.
This summer will be the summer of the ‘staycation’ with many of us having to cancel our foreign holidays and instead looking for alternative trips at home. One alternative that many anglers are likely to consider, especially when the barometer is high, is a night or two spent camping on the lake, river or sea shore with a fishing rod or two close at hand.
Enjoying the countryside
What better way to spend a few days than relaxing by the waterside while the wild world happens all around you; the swifts screeching high in the summer sky, the buzzing of bees beside you as they test each flower for pollen and nectar, a rustling in the undergrowth as something stirs and then, hopefully, a fish sliding into a landing net after a patient wait and a bite.
A young angler admires his catch before the release
This picture is a pleasant one, but all too often in the Irish countryside these days the rustling noise is the plastic bag caught in a bush that the last lot of ‘anglers’ left behind, the screeching is the crowd of ‘anglers’ up the riverbank with the stereo on full blast and the buzzing is the wasp checking out the empty beer cans and tins of sweetcorn that last week’s ‘anglers’ littered along the lake shore.
Please remember that whether you are spending two days or two hours in the countryside, whether you are fishing or just enjoying the outdoors, you must respect the land, landowners, wildlife and other anglers and members of the public; please follow the seven principles of Leave No Trace.
The 7 Principles are:
Plan ahead and Prepare
Be Considerate of Others
Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife
Travel and Camp on Durable Ground
Leave What You Find
Dispose of Waste Properly
Minimise the Effects of Fire
Practising a Leave No trace ethic is very simple, make it hard for others to see or hear you and LEAVE NO TRACE of your visit. For more information please see https://www.leavenotraceireland.org/
From an angling perspective, please remember to take home all of your old hooks and your fishing line which can be recycled in the many fishing tackle shops who are participating in the National Line Recycling Scheme, thanks to https://www.offthescaleangling.ie/ for the info. The other most common sources of angling litter are bait packs (from fish baits, frozen baits, ground baits), tins (sweetcorn, soup etc), bottles or cans from refreshments and food litter (crisp packets, sandwich wraps etc). Bring them home and bin them.
Anglers should also consider sustainable fishing, like practising catch and release, to ensure that our fish stocks are healthy for the next generation.
Bring a bin bag and #LeaveNoTrace
We all like to spend time in the countryside; it is something we should treasure. Final words to all those anglers who bring a bag when they go fishing to pick up other people’s rubbish – a sincere thank you, you people are a class act.
To those ‘anglers’ who leave a mess or behave in an anti-social manner – you should be ashamed of yourselves, next time #stayathome.
Trout anglers on Lough Arrow are still enjoying good sport on wets and dry flies alike. Padraig Doyle and Eddie Harte spent Saturday and Sunday on the lake in changeable weather conditions. They had plenty of fish pulling wet flies with Padraig landing a nice 2.8lbs. fish on Sunday on a Silver Dabbler.
John Gorman and Paul Colreavy also enjoyed a good day on Arrow fishing small dry sedge patterns. They caught and released several fish with Paul landing one over 2lb and John one over 3lb.
Lough Sheelin Angling Report June 22nd – June 28th 2020
“Night fishing accentuates the atmosphere of a lake. It is as if, once darkness falls, the character of the pool announces, ‘I am here’ ”
Fennel Hudson
I’m beginning to nurture a quiet dislike for the words ‘tough going’ because although they more than adequately describe how the fishing is on Lough Sheelin at the moment, there is something spirit sapping, discouraging and dismissive about those two little words. Lough Sheelin is so much more than ‘tough going’ and deserves our undivided admiration.
This week consisted of downpours, variable winds and a close clammy heat which was disrupted by a weekend of strong westerlies, cooling temperatures and fairly persistent heavy rain. Water temperatures are still high at 17°C; we would need a drop of at least 3°C for some conducive surface feeding from the fish. Trout are cold-blooded so water temperature plays a critical role in the amount they move, warmth makes fish lethargic and they drop down to the cooler regions and hook on to whatever food that is abundant there that requires as little effort as possible. Fish hold in three areas: top column, middle of the road or near the bottom. While trout feed anywhere, fish holding in the mid-column or just below the surface in the top column are more willing to take the fly. When a trout is hugging the bottom, it can and will feed, but this is also where trout rest and are therefore less active.
After the rain
Brown trout as a rule will eat 80% – 90% of its food sub-surface (nymphs and emergers) but the weather this week has changed this percentage to 99% and it feels as if our trout have headed south to the middle and lower columns and out of sight for the anglers.
It’s not always easy to match the hatch but when there is little or no hatch to match it becomes even harder.
There was a noticeable swing from dry to wet fly fishing and although conditions every day brought with them their own set of challenges nonetheless some lovely catches were recorded.
Grousewing sedge (pale version) drying off
This week kicked off with the weight of the week by Cian Murtagh, a beautiful fish around 5lb caught on a small sedge pattern around Inchicup. Moderate to fresh southerly winds stirred the lake into action and some fish were caught on olive patterns in the wave. Telephone, Red Tailed Peters, Cock Robins, Claret Dabblers and Green Dabblers all moved fish with a Yellow Telephone fly as a top dropper producing the best results. Temperatures rose to 20°C and there were good hatches of small sedges and large numbers of Silverhorns. There were hatches of mayfly around Crover and some fish rising to them. Pods of trout were feeding at the back of Church Island but these trout were difficult to hook up with. Wet flies, dry sedges and dry mayfly were the patterns that worked best.
A Junefly – last one to leave turn off the lights…
Tuesday was a different day when temperatures dropped and spells of rain and drizzle persisted. There were plenty of small sedges about but the fish showed no interest and there was little or no surfacing. Wednesday started off with a poor fishing prognosis with bucketing rain and cool temperatures but as the day progressed temperatures rose and winds became light and variable. Pat Magee landed himself a fine fish using an Emerging Buzzer pattern as well as a few smaller weights. Thursday and Friday were sultry and mostly overcast with a hot sun breaking through now and then, it was lovely being out on the lake and although there was plenty of fly life activity there wasn’t much sign of any fish.
The weekend weather pulled the plug for most anglers with strong and gusty winds and continuous rain making things grey, bleak and most uninviting.
A number of the ‘caenis’ hunters battled on with early morning starts but there were only one or two windows of opportunity this week and results were hard got. Caenis is such a tricky kind of fishing, first of all you actually have to find a pod of caenis feeding fish, which is a feat in itself and then you have to cast into the area and literally freeze in the hope that your tiny pattern will be in the line of vision of a feeding trout but sometimes even if it is it seems that the trout could still veer off indiscriminately to another natural with no explanation as to what triggered this swerve.
Caenis – a boy and two girls
It is amazing that if the weather behaved itself and did what it was supposed to do i.e. just produce a proper summer, then this lake would respond accordingly by offering some excellent fishing. The trout menu is here in all its abundant glory in the form of a large variety of sedges including the Murroughs also bibios, some hawthorn flies, caenis, alder flies, the terrestrials (Daddys, Beetles, Moths, and wasps), Buzzers, Daphnia, Fry and Damselflies to name just a few. The trout are interested in all stages of the life cycles as well so it’s an understandably confusing and exhausting selection for the angler to have to decide on what imitation to actually go for. Although bad weather puts a halt on some decent fishing, it is only a temporary piscatorial hiccup and as soon as things settle down again Sheelin will start firing on all cylinders again.
Summer sunset on Sheelin
27 trout were recorded for this week, with the heaviest trout at 5lbs being caught by Cian Murtagh on a small dry sedge; trout caught averaged 2½ – 3lbs.
Selection of catches and Sheelin scenes from the week that's been
1 of 16
The mercurial waters of Lough Sheelin
Over 4lbs on a dry sedge at the back of Stony Islands
Lough Sheelin's finest
Lough Sheelin, June 22nd
Kevin Sheridan with his Sheelin trout
Kevin Sheridan's Sheelin trout
In a wave
Lakeshore
The weight of the week from Cian Murtagh using a dry sedge pattern
A 54cm trout
A June catch
A Sheelin classic from Pat Magee
A well conditioned trout
Fish catches this week were caught on a variety of patterns but the attractor patterns worked best. Attractor flies are great for now when it’s horrible weather and there are poor trout rises. When you are trying to match the hatch, you have to wait before casting to the fish that you’ve spotted but with attractor flies you can cast randomly, a free license to almost cast willy-nilly but hopefully over likely pockets of water that should hold fish. Changing flies more often is advisable when fishing attractor flies until you find the right combination and a good long drag free presentation is just as important as on any cast.
Bugs and critters, fluff and fur
1 of 24
The Stimulator, Randall Kauffman Stimulator fly tied by John Hey
CDC Murrough
Mick McCormack's Picric & Olive Golden Bumble
A green sedge pattern
A reed beetle
A Sheelin sedge
Alder fly
Red Tailed Bumblebee
Bibio species
Buzzers
Caenis moulting from dun to spinner
Damsel nymph
Emerging damsels
Hawthorn fly
Heptagenia sulphurea dun
Holding on
Orchid beetle
Olive spinner
Ringed China-mark moth
Welshman's Button
The mighty murrough
Small male mayfly
Silverhorn sedge
Getting in a knot Sheelin sedges
Humpies and Stimulators brought results but other popular patterns were Claret Bumbles, Golden Olive Bumbles, Bibios, Klinkhammers, dry Buzzers (sizes 8-12), Emerging Buzzers, Grey Duster (size 10), Royal Wulffs, Dabblers (Green, Golden Mayfly and International), the Octopus, Welshman’s Button, Chocolate Drop, Muddlers, Daddys, Hoppers, the Telephone Fly, Elk Hair Caddis, the F-Fly, Red Tailed Peters and small dry sedges.
The places that produced catches were down along the Western shore of the lake, Stony Island, at the back of Church Island, Merry Pt., Wilson’s pt, Inchacup, Chambers Bay and from Kilnahard down to Crover, Crane Island, Bog Bay, and Sailors Garden and into Goreport, Lynch’s Pt, Derrysheridan and Derry Pt.
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
3lbs 2oz catch and release
Please remember anglers to abide by BYE-LAW 949 which strictly prohibits from June 14th 2017 onwards:
The taking of any brown trout of less than 36 centimetres.
For a person to fish with more than 2 rods at any one time.
To fish with more than 4 rods at any one time when there is more than one person on board the boat concerned.
For a person to take more than 2 trout per day.
All trolling on the lake from March 1st to June 16th (inclusive).
To fish or to attempt to take or to fish for, fish of any kind other than during the period from March 1st to October 12th in any year.
Our next featured business is Corrib View Lodge, a B&B and angling guiding business run by Larry and Michelle McCarthy in Glencorrib, Co. Mayo. Within sight of Lough Corrib, the house offers a warm welcome to anglers and non-anglers alike. It is best known as an angling guesthouse, however, with guests returning year after year to enjoy the fishing and hospitality on offer.
Larry is an accomplished fishing guide on Lough Corrib, spending at least 150 days on the lough every year, and having been out with him recently for a morning’s Caenis fishing, I can vouch for his expertise.
Like most businesses in the tourism sector, Corrib View Lodge has been closed for the past few months due to Covid. Michelle and Larry have been working hard to prepare for reopening from today, June 29th, to ensure all the recommended health and safety precautions are in place. All done, and they are now looking forward to welcoming guests.
Summertime Sport
In anticipation of re-opening, they shared a video of some of the fantastic summertime fishing that Lough Corrib has to offer. The Caenis hatch is still going on at the moment, giving great early morning sport when conditions allow. Sedge fishing will be really picking up this month, and the second hatch of mayfly will also swing into action in the next few weeks. While Lough Corrib is most renowned for mayfly fishing, the summer sport can be fantastic. Now that we can all travel outside our region again, why not book a stay at Corrib View Lodge and enjoy the great sport that Lough Corrib can offer?
Corrib View Lodge is waiting for you! To book accommodation or fishing, check the website at www.corribangling.com, call Michelle or Larry at 093 31718, or email [email protected]
Inland Fisheries Ireland offers the following information to anglers as a guideline only.
General Guidance for everyone
Follow Government protocols and public health guidelines.
Exercise in groups with physical distancing.
Observe physical distancing by keeping at least 2 metres apart.
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 and visit outdoor areas at off peak times if possible.
It should be noted, any change to the over-arching ‘Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business’ may result in an amendment(s) to this table. Anglers must follow up-to-date Government advice at all times.
We strongly advise the suspension of all angling competitions until further notice.
To stay safe and keep fishing, stick to protocol and always practice good:
Maintain physical distancing
at slipways and access points.
Sea Anglers Shore
Can travel with no restrictions.
In groups with physical distancing.
Phase 4
20th July
Outside your region
Bank Anglers Trout
Salmon
Pike
Coarse
Can travel with no restrictions.
In groups with physical distancing.
Boat Anglers Game
Coarse
Pike
Sea
Can travel with no restrictions.
In groups with physical distancing.
Maintain physical distancing
at slipways and access points.
Sea Anglers Shore
Can travel with no restrictions.
In groups with physical distancing.
Business Owners can determine when your business may reopen in accordance with the Government’s ‘Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business’ .
Once you have determined the phase under which you can reopen your business, please ensure you adhere to the ‘Return to Work Safely Protocol’
Guides and Ghililes
Angling guides and ghillies should to refer to Government’s ‘Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business’ to determine when they may open. Businesses should ensure that they are able to offer the level of service and experience their clients would expect under current COVID-19 restrictions. For those who decide to offer services we would advise the following, as a guideline only, to help you plan for a safe operation of business.
Guides, ghillies and instructors must not make physical contact with clients and maintain physical distancing guidance at all times.
A dummy rod or set up must be used to explain techniques from a safe distance, no direct contact with client or equipment.
No sharing of cars, equipment or physical contact of any sort.
Care should be taken to ensure that the same person throughout the day ties all knots, lands all fish and handles their own equipment only.
Weighing and/or photographing of fish should be carried out within physical distancing guidelines.
All payments should be made electronically where possible.
Charter Boats
Charter boat owners should refer to to Government’s ‘Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business’ to determine when they may operate. Charter boat operators should ensure that they are able to operate safely under current Covid-19 restrictions. They should refer in the first instance to any guidance on passenger vessels from the Department of Transport. For those who decide to offer services we would advise the following, as a guideline only, to help you plan for safe operation of business.
Limit number of passengers to allow for physical distancing
No passengers allowed in wheelhouse/cabin
Hand sanitiser should be provided, and passengers encouraged to use it.
No sharing of rods or equipment
Hire rods should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after use
All payments should be made electronically where possible
It’s been a pretty wet week. Parts of the country recorded between 1½ to nearly 4 times their average weekly rainfalls for the time of year. Southwestern and western counties were especially wet. In the northwest Claremorris recorded 63mm of rainfall, 365% of its normal. The wet weather is due to continue for another week, bringing hope to those systems that have yet to see water levels improve…
A salmon puts a good bend in the rod at Carrowmore
The recent rain has seen some river levels rise and there have been some great reports of salmon fishing circulating in the west and north west. Some of the Donegal rivers are getting a run of salmon as is the Moy, and Galway Fishery. The south west also saw a good bit of rain and fishing has much improved. The Munster Blackwater was slower to respond to the rain, though levels came up a couple of feet yesterday. Unfortunately water levels have dropped back about 18 inches already.
A day time catch on Lough Sheelin
Not much to report from the the trout angling scene. There is plenty of fly hatching on Sheelin. Millions of caenis and caddis created clouds of fly at times, but the trout have been difficult to tempt and the shifting weather conditions were not much help.
Sean Dolan and Shane Galligan with a pair of tench
There is not much else to report from the freshwater scene. With coarse angling competitions suspended we’ve not heard much from those out pleasure fishing. Though there are some good tench to be had at this time of year, and at least two anglers have been enjoying what Cavan has to offer in that regard.
Tope
We have some sea angling reports in from the east coast where super smoothhound and tope fishing is being enjoyed by charter boat anglers fishing out of Wicklow. On the west coast there have been some good reports from Galway as boats there return to the water. In general we are hearing that there is some good cod fishing to be had by boat anglers.
We are all still operating under the Covid-19 restrictions which is limiting our movements around the country. We urge anglers to adhere to all government guidelines relating to Covid-19 in the hope that we can continue our path towards recovery. IFI is continuing to review the government advice as it comes out and publishing a roadmap for return to the water which gives guidelines on what anglers can expect at each stage of our recovery.
Many charter boat skippers, angling guides and guesthouses will have gaps in their schedules over the coming months due to cancellations from foreign tourists so this year could be a good year to get out there and take advantage of their angling knowledge and sample some of the best fishing Ireland has to offer. IFI have a list of charter boats and angling guides on their website and, as restrictions relax over the coming weeks, now would be a good time to make an enquiry.
A reminder to sea anglers – as part of the Irish Marine Recreational Angling Survey, IFI in consultation with stakeholders have developed a behaviour and attitude questionnaire to inform about the state of sea angling in Ireland. If you consider yourself a sea angler, regardless of your level of ability or enthusiasm, we would love to hear from you.
And now the weather…
Warm today but getting cooler as the breeze picks up. Showery rain in most areas tonight with some heavy and possibly thundery bursts. Frequent showers tomorrow, merging into longer spells of rain at times, with some heavy bursts, especially in parts of the west and north of the country. Winds mostly moderate and westerly in direction but increasing fresh to strong at times along coasts. Highest temperatures between 14 and 17 degrees. Scattered showers on Sunday with moderate westerly winds. Current indications suggest our weather will continue changeable with rain or showers at times, but dry interludes will occur too. Temperatures close to average or slightly below. That’s good fishing weather!
Safe fishing to all this weekend and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
23 June: We have perfect fishing conditions on the river at the moment. A local man on the river who was fishing for seatrout met 3 salmon. Due to the fact that he was fishing very light gear the first two fish broke on him. 1 was of about 9 lbs the other one 7 lbs and after a long battle managed to land a grilse of 5 or 6 lbs on a 4 lb breaking strain. They were all caught on a small black and silver fly designed by Ross Coyne who is a regular on the river. When we left the river this evening it was rising but will be perfect for fishing for the next few days.
There are approximately five miles of fly fishing along the main part of the Owenmore River in Kerry, with 33 named pools and an additional 180 acres of lake fishing in this Kerry beauty spot. The salmon, grilse and sea trout begin to run in April. The runs continue through spring and summer into early October.
A lot of Salmon had built up along the Cappoquin area during W/E 21/06/20 and catches here were reported as good. Unfortunately for the remainder of the system the low water conditions did not allow for these Salmon to migrate upstream, so the other fisheries did not fair as well.
River levels during period are at drought conditions, but rain is forecast for W/E 28/06/20.
Go fishing…
Fortwilliam Fishery & Self-Catering Cottages
Fortwilliam Fishery offers two miles of double bank salmon and trout fishing over five beats on the river Blackwater.
Our salmon include – Springers, May Salmon, Grilse, Back End Salmon, and in Summer sea trout.
Our beats provide a wide variety of water, suitable for both beginners and the more experienced fishermen.
Fortwilliam Fishery, Glencairn, Lismore, Co. Waterford, Ireland Web: www.fortwilliamfishing.ieEmail: [email protected] Tel: (00353) 87 8292077 or 058 75299
Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery
Ballyduff Bridge fisheries control a number of beats of the Munster Blackwater. The Ballyduff Bridge beat is almost a mile long offering a huge variety of water and is particularly suited to fly fishing. Upstream near the village of Ballyhooley (a few miles outside the town of Fermoy, Cork) we have two beats. The Ballincurrig Beat is one of the most beautiful locations along the river and has an excellent piece of fly water flowing into a deep pool. Just downstream on the opposite bank we have a short but productive beat, called Magners. This beat fishes also well in high water.
Careysville Fishery offers some of the best salmon fly fishing in Ireland and includes 26 named pools. It is considered by many to be one of premier beats for salmon fishing in Ireland. Wading is excellent and among the numerous streams, pools and glides there is a great variety of fly fishing to suit both complete novice and challenge the most competent of fly casters.
Blackwater Salmon Fishery has 3 beats downstream of the weir and 2 upstream of the weir. Blackwater Salmon Fishery offers fishing on approximately 5 miles of the river Blackwater. The fishing is spread throughout the middle section of the river to offer good sport throughout the fishing season. Due to the location of the beats, fishing can still usually be offered in low or high water. Contact Glenda Powell: Lismore, Co Waterford, Email:[email protected] Mobile: +353 (0) 872351260 Telephone: +353 (0) 5853929 Web: www.blackwatersalmonfishery.com
Blackwater Salmon Anglers, Mallow
We provide Day Tickets for some prime Salmon fishing in Mallow Co. Cork. We have excellent fly water, shrimping worming and spinning also. We also have very competitive Day rates and we have very recently upgraded our fishing.
Tickets available from “The Bridge House” and “Vincent Downes Menswear” Mallow.
Located on the Munster Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Situated mid river between the towns of Fermoy and Mallow. A productive left bank beat in stunning surroundings.
For bookings contact Conor Arnold: +353 87 755 4682
Ilen river 25 salmon best 13lb club angler also 4lb sea trout.
Coomhola River 6 Salmon best 9lb club angler.
Glengariff 3 Salmon best 6lb.
Ouvane river 2 Salmon best 7lb.
Mealagh river 2 Salmon best 6lb.
All caught with either worm or lure.
Go fishing…
The River Ilen is a medium size spate river that fishes best on a dropping flood for both salmon and sea trout. Spinning, worm and fly fishing are the methods used and allowed on club water.
The river is beautiful and a joy to fish, pools along club waters are easily accessible with seats, steps and stiles put in place for the anglers comfort. With selective tree pruning done along the river in recent years fly fishing has become a more available option especially on the lower river with numerous pools opened up to suit fly fishermen, night time fly fishing for sea trout is a pleasure with great stocks of trout entering the river from April.
