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Irish Angling Update – 03 July 2020

By
Paul O'Reilly
-
Somewhere over the rainbows

This week saw June become July and with the windy then calm weather, the sunny then showery, the cloudy then clear and the warm but then cool we were left with no doubt the the Irish summer is fully upon us. Those coarse and sea anglers who ventured out were rewarded with some nice fish; the salmon and sea trout anglers saw fresh water to get the fish moving and the brown trout anglers saw such changeable weather that it kept the hatches to a minimum and the fish off the surface.

The big news from the angling federations is that, with no restrictions on travel within Ireland and less rigorous restrictions on group sizes, they can finally organise both competitive angling events and novice coaching events for their members. The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland (NCFFI) and the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers (IFSA) both released statements detailing their plans to kick off their events calendars for the remainder of the summer; both federations have detailed how they hope to fulfill their plans in line with Covid 19 guidelines and this information is available on their websites and facebook pages.

Robbie Buckley and his first blue shark

Offshore there were some lovely blue shark reported around Dungarvan with some nice smooth hound, including some specimens, recorded further up the coast off of Wicklow.

Bert McGregor is delighted with this specimen

A most unusual capture and our Catch of the Week for this week is Stephen Gill’s Angel Shark that took a shine to his lure as he fished the Shannon estuary. The fish, which he estimated to be 20-22 lbs in weight, was unhooked and released back safely. These magnificent fish are now very rare in Irish waters and hardly ever turn up in angler’s catches. When they do, they are generally caught using bait of some sort.

A lure caught Angel Shark wins our Catch of the Week for Stephen Gill

A quick reminder to sea anglers that the IMREC sea angling survey will run for another couple of weeks and if you haven’t completed the survey yet and claimed an Angling Ireland neck buff and line clips you still have time – more information here.

On the coarse fishing front, club members will be out with their rakes and scythes this weekend cutting swims and clearing pegs for competition and pleasure angling alike. Some super bags of bream and hybrids are coming off lakes around Cavan and Leitrim; these are fish that don’t mind the kind of weather we’ve been having. We’ve also had reports of good tench fishing from the early risers and night owls, the dull weather also meant for good hauls during the day for some.

A nice bag of bream and hybrids for the Go and Catch guys

The changeable weather and extra flush of cool water has made for tricky river trout fishing in some parts where trout weren’t inclined to rise to flies, while on the loughs it seems as though anglers fishing wet flies are having more success than those seeking trout on the surface. Lough anglers eagerly await the hatches of the Green Peter sedge to get the trout really moving again.

John Gorman, Sligo, with a fine Arrow brown

While we do know that salmon are getting caught we haven’t been receiving many reports from anglers in the last week other than a couple, including one from Waterville where Lough Currane has been very quiet. One good report we did see is that of Angus Seigne catching and releasing a fine salmon on the Bandon river in Cork, nicely done.

Angus Seigne returns his fish to the Bandon

We haven’t received any reports from pike anglers this week but we do know that some very big pike as well as some very big trout were caught by lure anglers on the larger loughs.

And now the weather…

Mostly cloudy for the rest of today with scattered falls of rain and drizzle. Whilst it will remain driest and mildest across the midlands and east, some rain will move into these parts too. Highest temperatures of 18°C or 19°C. Saturday will be another mostly cloudy day with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle; however, longer drier spells will occur too, with the best of these during the afternoon. Highest temperatures of 19°C or 20°C. Sunday will see outbreaks of rain in the west and northwest, with the south and southeast faring better with perhaps some sunny spells developing. Temperatures on the low side in at around 13°C to 17°C. Monday will be showery in the northwest but elsewhere will become drier with some sunshine breaking through later. Tuesday currently looks dry and sunny with light westerly winds and temperatures around normal for the time of year.

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

Paul O’Reilly
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to reports@fisheriesireland.ie.

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    Nice blues for Dungarvan Offshore Charters

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -
    Robbie Buckley and his first blue shark

    Dungarvan Offshore Charters got a chance to head offshore in the last couple of days and well done to Robbie Buckley for catching his first blue shark.

    All sharks were measured tagged under the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme and released safely back to the depths again

    David Hehir with a tagged blue shark ready for release
    Robbie Buckley and his first blue shark

    If you want to hook up with Dungarvan Offshore Charters and try and land a big blue you’ll get them here:

    Dungarvan Offshore Charters

    East coast fishing well for Wicklow Boat Charters

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -
    Somewhere over the rainbows

    Kit Dunne reports from Wicklow:

    We still have a few fish coming in. Specimen hounds, the odd bull huss and ray, tope also when we can get to them with small pollock and codling closer inshore with the odd small ling.

    A lively one
    Hats off to Bert MCGregor, a gentleman and a great Angler. Three trips recently with 100% Specimen result, Bert took a 20.5lb, a 16lb and finished off with three on his last trip 105cm, 119cm and a 19lb.
    Bert McGregor is delighted to land another one of his specimens
    Kieran Kenny and his crew managed a fine few fish also, 11lb and 103cm hounds for Dean, and a 10.2lb for Conor, a small ling and Thornback were also landed and a few scalded heads.

    Go fishing…

    Angling Charters are offered on a full-day, half-day and evening trip basis and can be tailored to suit your needs. Two boats available – Lisin and Castle Maiden. All levels of anglers are catered for. Anglers will benefit from your skipper’s angling experience and local knowledge with advice and guidance on-hand at all times.

    SPECIALIST ANGLING CHARTERS

    Specialist Angling Charters are offered for those who wish to target specific species, specimen fish or try new methods of angling.

    ANGLING COACHING

    Whether you’re a Club, Individual, School or Junior you can have an angling coaching session or programme tailored to suit your needs.

    Kit Dunne
    Wicklow Boat Charters

    Telephone: +353 (0)87 6832179 +353 (0)404 67031
    Email: dunnekit@gmail.com Website: www.wicklowboatcharters.ie

    IFSA granted status to return to angling events

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -

    The Central Council of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers have released the following statement in relation to their events programme:

    The IFSA are pleased to announce that we have been granted Status to return to Angling Events on the basis we adhere to the COVID 19 Guidelines, Procedures and Documents

    *Each Club will be required to appoint a Covid Compliance Officer and a Covid Designated Officer – Both required to have completed the ACI Online Induction Course.

    *Each Club must forward the names of their Nominated Covid Officers to their Provincial Secretary and the National Secretary prior to commencing any competitions or events.

    *The roles of the Covid Compliance and Designated officers have been covered in the ACI Online Induction Course.

    It is essential that the Covid Compliance Officer ensures that the guidelines are adhered to, that the Covid Documentation be completed and legible. It should then be forwarded to their Club, Provincial and National Secretaries in a timely manner

    Please ensure that Clubs are aware of the following:

    1) All events must be published on the IFSA Fixtures Calendar to be Covered under The IFSA Insurance

    2) If an event is postponed and rescheduled, venue or times changed, then there must be clear evidence of a communication sent out prior to the event, eg, Text, Facebook etc Notification to Anglers for the event to remain covered with Insurance.

    3) If you do not hold a current IFSA Number you are Not Insured.

    4) Clubs to Submit their Fixture lists to their Provincial and National Secretaries if revised due to Covid.

    We hope you have an enjoyable and successful return to Competitive Angling.

    Stay Safe and Tight Lines

    IFSA – Central Council

     

    For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/seaanglingIFSA?fref=nf 

    Waterville angling report w/e July 1st

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -
    Lough Currane

    Vincent Appleby reports from the shores of Lough Currane:

    24/6/20 Made a good drop of rain last night which was no harm. Wind was light and variable from the Northeast to the Northwest. The Salmon were staying deep and putting the Currane Anglers in deep deep Salmon depression. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 14.9°C.

    25/6/20 Lough Currane was all quiet in all departments this hot and humid day, with a light to calm and variable wind mainly Northwest. Now we head for the Ghillie Technical department, just for the record Mr. Neil O’Shea of www.oshealoughcurrane.com  has changed his business  email so just click the www, If you are in a lazy mode? info@oshealoughcurrane.com Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 16.6°C.

    26/6/20 The Currane anglers look to the sky as their reels stayed silent this day. Wind Southeast variable Light to fresh followed light rain at times. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 19.4°C.

    27/6/20 No Reports of any action on this wild and windy day. Wind was Northwest fresh to strong followed by heavy showers throughout the day, humidity 81%, maximum air temperature 15.5°C.

    28/6/20 The Currane Anglers were all quiet this day, the same could not be said for the weather with a strong Northwest and overcast with heavy showers. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 15.1°C.

    29/6/20 As the Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts opened their doors today, after three months of dry throats, you can understand the Currane Anglers were gasping for their pint and as the surge gained momentum this evening in pulling their pints, I can say where the Currane Anglers are concerned there was no pulling Wild Salmon or Sea Trout over the gunnell this day. Wind West light with reasonable cloud cover, Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 14.6°C.

    30/6/20 Good News from our Chairman Mr. Michael Roden:

    Now that the lockdown is over and restrictions are being eased, we are delighted to announce that the Waterville upper lakes Derriana, Cloonaughlin and Namona, along with beats on the Inny and Cummeragh are now open again. A new club has been established under the guidance of a committee including Michael Roden, Kevin O’Sullivan, Neil O’Shea, John Quinlan, and Tadgh O’Sullivan to oversee angling activities on these spectacular fisheries. Currane Fisheries Ltd will also run the hatchery and organise the annual cleaning of the spawning streams. Please support this community based not for profit initiative. Memberships and day tickets are available from the Mace shop in Waterville.

    Now today’s manipulations on Lough Currane, going by the mobile all quiet on all fronts. Wind Southwest then veered Northwest with misty rain this morning, humidity 87%. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 14.7°C.

    1/7/20 Today’s action, all quiet on all fronts. Wind Northwest light and overcast, humidity 88% Lough Currane Moon Phase Waxing Gibbous. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 16.5°C.

    Angel Shark caught on a lure in the Shannon Estuary

    By
    Shane O'Reilly
    -
    A lure caught Angel Shark wins our Catch of the Week for Stephen Gill
    A report came into us via the ISFC of one of the most unusual angling catches in many years as lucky angler Stephen Gill managed to catch a very rare Angelshark on a lure. These magnificent fish are now very rare in Irish waters and hardly ever turn up in angler’s catches. When they do, they are generally caught using bait of some sort.


    Stephen was out for a day’s fishing patrolling the Shannon Estuary with his lure rod. It was a slow day and after three hours with little action he noticed something unusual in the water while casting out his lure. As he retrieved he watched it and at first thought it was two Thornback Ray in close proximity to each other but as it swam closer he was surprised to see it was a rare Angleshark (Squatina squatina).
    He ws even more surprised when the Angelshark saw his lure and made a lunge for it and before he knew what was happening he had a fight on his hands as the fish took the lure. He was only using relatively light tackle and so the fish was more powerful than he was set up for but he managed to get control of it and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing eased it ashore onto the seaweed. Conscious of the rarity of the fish he quickly released it and watched it swim strongly away.
    Angleshark used to be far more common on Irish shores and had a number of strongholds, the most famous of which was in Tralee Bay. They have suffered very badly as a result of commercial fishing and numbers have massively declined in recent years to such an extent that is an extreme rarity to capture one of these fish on rod and line at all. During the 70’s and 80’s it was common to the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme to have over 50 Angelshark tagged a year. However the last one on our database caught & tagged by rod and line is from back in 2006. When they are caught by rod and line it is always with bait and so to capture one on a lure is unheard of.


    SPECIES: Angelshark (Squatina squatina)
    WEIGHT: 20-22lb guesstimated
    Total length: 120cm
    TACKLE USED:Savage gear Bushwacker XLNT2, 243cm/8′ 15-40g
    Diawa BG 3000 loaded with 8strand Diawa J-braid 20lb , FG knot and two foot of YGK N Walker 16lb Fluoro, Mustad snap swivel and the lure was HTO Arctic eel 120mm-15g

    Coarse fishing round up

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -
    Oaklands lake - safe as you like and stuffed with fish

    A number of clubs and fisheries around the country have celebrated their new found freedom by holding knock ups and matches with anglers, both competitive and non-competitive alike, only delighted to get back in the swing of things.

    Oaklands lake in New Ross has been producing some fine bags of carp for anglers of all shapes, sizes and ages, as has Tooman Fisheries in Leitrim where Wednesday’s open match was won with a haul of 184 lbs.

    Portumna CAC are planning their first club match of the season this Sunday July 5th, hopefully the strong wind that’s forecast eases for them and they can still blow away their cobwebs.

    Tommy Burke won the Edenderry knock up with 6 lbs 9 ozs

    On the canals, the Royal Enfield CAC have been busy clearing swims for their upcoming events and Edenderry CAC held a knock up in terrible conditions where 6 lbs 9 oz of fish was enough to take top spot.

    Ready to Go and Catch……..

    Lakes in Cavan and Leitrim have been fishing well for tench, bream and hybrids, as shown by the Go and Catch Feeder Team who made the most of a calm but overcast day to bag up with an impressive haul of bream and hybrids.

    A nice bag of bream and hybrids for the Go and Catch guys

    In county Laois some nice carp and tench are being reported from Gill’s pond by the Ballinakill anglers.

    Norman Rothwell and an impressive few fish

    In east Clare, the Tulla District and Angling Club will be holding their first competition this Sunday at Silvergrove from 11am until 4pm with new and novice anglers welcome, draw for pegs will be at 9.45am; they’ll be busy clearing swims this Friday evening ahead of the event.

    So grab your coarse rod, some floats, weights, bait and hooks and get out there; what better way to introduce the younger generation to the art of angling than nabbing a few tench from the canal, bream and hybrids on a lough or a carp from a commercial – what’s stopping you?

    Re-Opening After Covid: The Helm, Westport

    By
    Kevin Crowley
    -
    The White Seahorse

     

    The Helm, Westport

    Our next featured business is the Helm, a bar, restaurant and B&B situated on the Quay in Westport, Co. Mayo. Owned and run by Vinny Keogh and his family, the business also runs a charter fishing boat – the White Seahorse, with Clew Bay providing shelter and some of the best sea fishing in Mayo, indeed Ireland!

     

    The White Seahorse

     

    Having had to close everything during the Covid lockdown, Vinny is back up and running on all fronts now, with all the precautions being taken to protect staff and customers. Since May the boat has been back in the water. Although bookings were confined to locals initially due to travel restrictions, Vinny and new skipper Jim Nolan were delighted to see so many new customers from the local area.

     

    Vinny Keogh
    Family Outings

    “The boat is doing really well since we restarted trips, especially with short trips. We are amazed that so many local families and groups had never experienced the joys of a few hours on the bay. Due to lockdown and boredom most of them went for first time and the majority have rebooked trips going forward.  With limits extended now we have been getting bookings from all over Mayo, and now nationally” says Vinny.

     

    Recent Trip

    The White Seahorse has had a refit and with a new prop can now travel further and faster on a day trip, allowing access to some of the best sea fishing in Mayo. One recent trip saw Vinny and Jim take a group from Westport and Achill out to the Bills Rocks, where they enjoyed fantastic sport. The group included Denis Gallagher, Padraic Kittrick, Paul Melia, Sean Kernon and Eric Houalet. Photos are courtesy of John O’Connor, a well-known photographer who was also aboard.

     

     

     

    A nice pollack

     

    Vinny – “Fishing was tremendous with 7 species caught Jim had to keep moving as we were getting caught in shoals of Pollack and Mackerel. and we were looking for species”.

     

    Another lovely pollack
    Great sport to be had close to the Bills Rocks

     

     

    To Book

    To book some the best sea fishing in Mayo, accommodation or dining at the Helm, contact Vinny or Shane on 098 26398, email info@thehelm.ie  or check the website at www.thehelm.ie

     

    NCFFI prepare for return to coaching and competitions

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -

    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.

    For more information on the NCFFI and their events and activities see https://www.facebook.com/coarseanglingireland/  and for more information on their return to angling guidelines click here.

     

    Anglers and respect for the countryside

    By
    Paul O'Reilly
    -
    Bring a bin bag #LeaveNoTrace

    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:

    1. Plan ahead and Prepare
    2. Be Considerate of Others
    3. Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife
    4. Travel and Camp on Durable Ground
    5. Leave What You Find
    6. Dispose of Waste Properly
    7. 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.

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