Nice fish of about 2lbs hooked and landed on a spent in Bog Bay
Declan Cooke reports
Lough Conn has not seen much trout angling traffic over the last few weeks due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, those local anglers who have ventured out are reporting the best trout angling on this lake for many years. Some suggest that the lack of disturbance by anglers, boats and engines has allowed trout to feed more freely and resulted in more and larger fish being caught by a small number of anglers. Others say that trout stocks and angling have been improving on Conn over the last few years and that this year is a continuation of that trend. Whatever the reason, the lucky Conn anglers have enjoyed an exceptionally fruitful mayfly season.
A lovely 3lbs trout from Conn released and photographed by the captor during the 2020 mayfly season
Small emergers and dry flies were the favoured method by most and many fish in the 2 – 3 lbs size range were encountered. Initially, the action was mainly at the north end of the lake but by mid May hatches were occurring all over the lake with Castlehill Bay and Ned’s Bay offering the best of the action. There was even some excellent spent gnat fishing on offer during the long balmy evenings, which is not something usually encountered on L. Conn.
Nice fish of about 2lbs hooked and landed on a spent in Bog Bay
Most of the fish recorded for this report were released as part of a trend that is gathering immense popularity amongst local Conn anglers.
James Cosgrove from Cloghans releasing a nice springer from the River Deel
Declan Cooke reports
The Moy Fishery beats in Ballina have remained closed to anglers during the Covid-19 crisis but will be re-opening on 8 June on a restricted basis. Anglers residing within a 20km radius of Ballina will be allowed to book and fish on the famous beats (Ridge Pool, Cathedral Beat etc.) with social distancing and travel regulations being rigorously enforced.
As a result, catch records for the Moy are well outside the expected ranges with club and private waters gradually trying to get back to normal operations and the bulk of this year’s grilse run yet to move into the river. The prolonged drought of spring and early summer has also taken it’s toll on salmon fishing with the exceptionally low water levels restricting runs into the river and presenting difficulties for both outward migrating smolts and the returning adults. Last week, just 3 fish were reported from the East Mayo Anglers’ fishery. This beat usually provides the best fishing on the Moy in the late spring /early summer period but conditions are anything but ideal for salmon angling as we desperately wait for rain.
Just upstream of the Moy Fishery is the Ballina Anglers Association water. During these drought conditions, the best of the salmon angling is usually to be had in the lower reaches of the river. With the tidal beats still closed, the Ballina Association water appears to be offering the best prospects for local salmon anglers and 9 fish were reported from this beat over the last week. All were grilse in the 3 – 5 lbs range.
A small number of salmon have also been reported from Lough Conn and the lower end of the River Deel.
James Cosgrove from Cloghans releasing a nice springer from the River Deel
How’s the river doing? Check the Ridge Pool Webcam
Lough Sheelin Angling Report: May 25th – May 31st, 2020
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
W.B. Yeats
The latin name for the mayfly is Ephemera danica. The definition of ephemera is ‘things that exist or are enjoyed for only a short time’. So, although this sums up the lifespan of an adult mayfly perfectly it could also be applied to the numerous anglers who appear in their droves to fish Lough Sheelin when this magical fly has made its appearance, apparently trying to cram in as many good fishing hours as possible. This is a time of opportunity and hope, the hope of catching that leviathan that has overwintered from last season balanced off, of course, with the possibility of being outwitted again. Whatever happens it is a truly special time to be out on this water. There is nothing quite like watching those large majestic flies suddenly disappear as the neb of one of Lough Sheelin’s heavy weights breaks the surface in a truly heart stopping moment.
Spent on the water
The fact that mayflies are important to anglers obviously shows that they are even more important to fish. In fact they are a vital component of the overall ecology of the freshwater systems they still survive in. Mayfly nymphs are particularly sensitive to pollution so the apparent large abundance in Sheelin is good news for all.
Mayfly nymph
The Mayfly season is such a glorious time to be out on the water and Lough Sheelin is very hard to resist, with its heavy trout and large hatches of this special and much coveted insect.
Angling averaged 35 -40 boats per day with the bulk going out in the evenings, usually after 6pm.
The weather held the steering wheel on all the fishing this week and hatches, falls of spent and ultimately rises of trout were all influenced by temperature, wind and sun. Mediterranean heats of 20 to 27 degrees dominated the days and when this warmth stretched into the evening spent falls were plentiful, carpeting certain areas of the lake and inducing a heart stopping rise of fish. Anglers don’t get to choose the weather for their fishing expeditions and we can’t abandon the rest of our lives just because fishing conditions are optimal so contrary weather and just being in the wrong place at the wrong time is just something that has to be lived with.
Wilson’s Point at sunset
Lough Sheelin is a very hard lake to write about because there is nothing predictable about this moody stretch of trout water, there are no rules, no definite ‘great fishing spots’ and while one angler could report a great fishing evening, another could blank. This is a wild brown trout lake, there is nothing tame or controlled about the fish here so the importance of observation and studying the environs are crucial and even then you mightn’t get it right.
Lough Sheelin this week as they say in Cavan was ‘a barrel load of contradictions’. Angling reports were full of conflicting information and it was hard to find a sameness about any one day. All anglers reported Monday evening as being tough due to a drop in evening temperatures and a chilly wind, although earlier in the day saw a ‘spectacular’ drift of spent with lots of trout rising to them. The steep rise in temperatures produced unforgiving day time fishing conditions for all days this week but nonetheless some fish were caught on dry Mayfly patterns and a few on nymphs. Tuesday fished well in the very early evening but a crazy fall of spent resulted in too much fly on the water from 8pm onwards which made fishing trickier. Mirror calm conditions didn’t help matters as by nightfall the lake’s surface had become one continuous slick and spent falls were patchy, so the satisfaction of catching the heaviest trout of the week at 8lbs was surreal.
Despite the tropical day time heat there was abit of sport to be had in the sheltered sandy coves around the bays in Merry Pt. where small trout were feeding on a plethora of surface fly. A few nice trout were caught using weighted nymphs at Wilsons pt.
Playing a fish in the tropics
Wednesday was literally a mixed bag with anglers generally reporting that fishing was hard, some boats had fish and some did not. The show of trout was frustratingly bad considering the amount of fly but the blowing up of a north wind at dusk turned things on its head producing far from ideal conditions. After dark winds changed and things became more comfortable with many anglers reporting that the fish hardly moved at all until the light faded into dark.
The waiting game
The rest of the week saw some lovely trout of 2, 3, 4 and 5lb plus being landed but all these success were punctuated with the words ‘it depended where you were on the lake’.
Friday evening which seemed like dream spent gnat fishing conditions was very disappointing for all the anglers who fished in the Gaffney’s to Rusheen area while a slick off Derry pt. produced some fantastic catches for others. But as one philosophical angler reminded me ‘you can’t have the cream each and every day and a bad night only makes the next successful session all the sweeter’, coupled with this polite theory there are also those anglers who return simply for revenge……….
We can have all the theories in the world about how to fish or not to fish Lough Sheelin but ultimately this lake has the last say and the only thing predictable about here is its unpredictability.
157 trout were recorded for this week, with the heaviest trout topping the scales at slightly over 8lbs caught on a Spent Gnat pattern.
Trout caught averaged 2½ – 3½lbs with an impressive scattering of 4 to 7 pounders in the mix.
Selection of this week's catches
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Perfect one pounder
Measuring up
Fish in net
Gina Tanczos eying up her catch
A 5lb 7oz trout caught on a Murrough pattern
Barry Harten displays his fish
A 4lb plus Sheelin beauty
4lb 6oz trout caught on a Spent Gnat pattern, May 24th
4lb on Spent, Kilnahard, May 24th
Ned Clinton with one of his spent gnat fish
A 2lb trout caught on a Grey Wulff, Holywell, May 24th
One in the net for Damien Willis
Most fish were caught using a wide variety of spent gnat patterns. The most successful spent patterns were those that were dressed so that they lay close to and quite flat on the surface of the water. Davie McPhail’s Spent gnat mayfly pattern is made from 4mm white ethafoam and has a segmented body, so it looks like the real thing and stays afloat all day. It is a little on the fiddly side to tie as it has a detached body, but it works brilliantly and looks spectacular.
The Wulffs were popular this week, with the Grey and Royal landing some 4 and 5lb fish. Whereas the Grey Wulf has some sort similarity to the spent gnat, the Royal has no resemblance to the natural whatsoever. This is an attractor pattern and a descendant of both the Royal Coachman fly and the Wulff style of hair wing flies named for Lee Wulff. Presumably this pattern’s ‘stand out in the crowd’ appearance causes the trout to pick it out from the multitude of spent lying prostrate on the surface water.
The fake flies
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The Royal Wulff
The real meets the unreal
Spent gnat patterns
Real and unreal
Nymph and imitation
Damien Willis flies
A spent pattern
Spent Gnat fishing usually kicked off after 5pm and ended as the light faded into darkness. During office hours mayfly nymphs and a selection of dry fly Mays did the business.
Although now is predominantly about the mayfly there are also plenty of other potential trout food out there – terrestrials, caenis, apple green midges, buzzers and the appearance at the later end of the week of the largest sedge our ‘after dark’ specimen – the Murrough.
The bugs and critters
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Sheelin newt
Ephemera
Damsel
Ephemera danica
Alder fly
‘Dinner time’
A damsel fly eating a male Campto buzzer
Female campto buzzer
The fish success this week were mostly using spent and mayfly patterns with traditional patterns featuring in the returns – Wulffs (Grey, Royal, Green and Yellow), Emerging Mayfly, Melvin May, Ginger & Olive May, Goslings, Mosley May, French Partridge, Green Drake, Cock Robin with Claret Bumbles, Golden Olive Bumbles, Bibios, Klinkhammers, dry Buzzers (sizes 8-12), Grey Duster (size 10), Spent Gnat patterns, Dabblers (Green, Golden Mayfly and International), the Octopus, Welshman’s Button, Chocolate Drop, Muddlers and small dry sedges.
Resting up
The best areas for fishing was all down to wind direction and dips in temperatures but the areas that fished best were along the Western shore of the lake, Stony Island, at the back of Church Island, Merry Pt, Wilsons pt, Inchacup, Chambers Bay and from Kilnahard down to Crover, Crane Island, Bog Bay, Sailors Garden and into Goreport, Lynch’s Pt, Derrysheridan and Derry Pt.
Release
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
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 centimeters.
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.
We would implore anglers and all other users to wear life jackets for their own safety as well as it being the law.
Life jackets are required by law – SI No 921 of 2005 – Pleasure Craft (Personal Flotation Devices and Operation) (Safety) Regulations 2005. Water rarely gives second chances and a life jacket is just that – it saves your life.
Please put on and keep on that life jacket until you are back on dry land.
Please remember All anglers are required to have a Fishery Permit to fish Lough Sheelin which must be purchased BEFORE going out on the lake.
A salmon from the River Corrib showing early signs of the disease in 2019
Appeal to report incidences of red skin disease in salmon
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has recently received reports that individual fresh-run wild salmon have been encountered in the River Leannan, Co. Donegal and River Corrib, Co. Galway displaying suspected signs of red skin disease (RSD). Low incidences of this disease were first documented in 2019 in several European salmon stocks. In the past few weeks, suspected cases have again been reported in small numbers of returning salmon in Denmark, Norway and Scotland. In Ireland last year suspected incidences of RSD were reported in 56 salmon from 17 rivers throughout the country. The majority of these reports were in June and July with only single incidences reported prior to and after this time.
A salmon from the River Corrib showing early signs of the disease in 2019
Salmon affected by RSD have a characteristic red-spotted rash on their underbelly and may appear lethargic or moribund. The rash can either be localised or extend along some or most the length of the fish. As the disease progresses, skin lesions, signs of bleeding and skins ulcers can develop primarily along the belly area and extend to the head and tail. Secondary fungal infection can further develop which may ultimately result in death of the salmon.
Salmon from the River Boyne showing signs of red skin disease in 2019
Within the operational constraints imposed by the COVID-19 National Public Health Emergency, IFI staff are continuing to liaise with the Fish Health Unit in the Marine Institute and international colleagues to monitor and respond to the situation. As part of this, where practicable, anglers and fishery owners are asked to report any incidences of salmon with signs of RSD to IFI to help determine the occurrence of the disease nationally. Anglers who capture such salmon are advised to follow normal biosecurity procedures and disinfect tackle, waders and equipment. Until the cause of the disease has been determined and the risk of spreading the disease established, affected salmon should not be removed from the water.
Anglers are asked to forward any reports of salmon with signs of RSD along with photographs and an estimate of fish weight to [email protected] or notify us by calling IFI’s 24 hour confidential hotline number on 0818 34 74 24 or 0818 FISH 24.
On the River Ilen a single salmon of 9lbs was caught last Saturday by a local club member. Some sea trout are also showing with fish of up to 2lbs being caught.
Trout fishing is cracking at the moment on the Munster Blackwater. Sedges are fishing fabulously on the evening rise with trout up to 3lbs being landed and released below Fermoy. Trout fishermen are reporting very good fishing above Killavullen also with some more activity possible due to the Covid-19 distance from home relaxation.
Conditions are also good on the River Bride at the moment but fewer anglers are fishing it.
Salmon fishing effort has picked up between Fermoy & Ballyduff but scarce results. Any fish that have been caught have been of good size. Water levels are low with good clarity making things difficult.
It’s been a week of extremes, with an unseasonably strong storm last Friday giving way to a heatwave getting underway today. Last Friday and Saturday were exceptionally windy, blowing away hopes of getting out fishing for many. Since then the weather has been quite benign, warming up as the week progressed with temperatures up to 28C in part of the midlands and west today. Needless to say, this has impacted on angling, just as anglers were starting to get a bit more freedom from Covid-19 restrictions and exploring fishing options within 5km of home. Many are looking forward to Phase 2, when people can travel up to 20km from home, which will open up many more opportunities for fishing.
Inland Fisheries Ireland has issued guidance for anglers on getting back fishing in compliance with the government roadmap for reopening the country. These are guidelines only and may change if the overarching roadmap for society changes.
While the storm brought wind, much of the rain that fell was soaked up by the land that has been hit by a spring drought. Consequently, floods were small and many rivers did not see much of a lift at all. Water levels remain low in many places around the country.
Salmon Fishing Reports
There were few reports of salmon fishing, with low water levels prevailing in most rivers. Indeed, as our reporter in Kerry mentions, Lough Currane has not seen a good flood since St. Patricks Day, over two months ago.
The mayfly has been in full swing on several of the big loughs for a few weeks now, with hatches slowly coming to an end. Spent gnat fishing on Sheeling is coming into its own at the moment. Over on Corrib, trout have been coming freely to wet and dry fly, as well as the dapped mayfly, and they were even jumping into the boat!
Christopher Defillon with a magnificent Mayfly trout
River trout angling is at it’s best at the moment, with excellent fishing on the river Boyne reported. Many other rivers around the country will be seeing good hatches and trout feeding hard now.
Pike fishing is going well at the moment, with good fishing reported from Lough Derg, where fish up to 110cm were caught. A fantastic 26lbs pike was also reported from Lough Derravaragh.
Ian O’Keefe with his lovely 26 lbs. Derravaragh pike
Sea Fishing Reports
While charter boats remain tied up and shore anglers restricted to 5km, there has been little to report on the sea angling scene. Chris O’Sullivan from near Tralee has been making the most of his local fishing, however. Bass, flounder, and ray, including stingrays have been on the target list lately. But it was a surprise catch which gave him a big shock – a specimen tope of 45lbs! Read about it and watch the video here.
Do you know of a story with a water theme – a story that simply must be told? Here is your opportunity to tell it and to be in with a chance to win one of 20 great prizes totalling €4,000, which will support local businesses. Closing date is May31st, so start scribbling!
Your story can be from the past or the present day – that’s up to you. It might be about the wildlife that lives or once lived in or around a waterbody – your story might be about fishing, hunting or just watching nature.
Find out more at: Stories from the Waterside
And now the weather…
As I look out the window, the sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing, and it’s a sweltering 25 degrees outside. The forecast bodes well for sun worshippers, with high pressure dominating for the next few days. Met Eireann forecasts warm and mostly dry weather continuing for the rest of this week and through the Bank Holiday weekend, and current indications are that it will remain mostly if not completely dry until the end of next week. With little rain in sight, rivers will continue to endure low water levels, and salmon angling may not get going for a while yet. The settled conditions will suit a number of angling disciplines, however, and if you have fishing within 5km of home, get out and enjoy it .
Chris O’Sullivan had a pleasant surprise wile fishing for stingrays in Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry when a 156cm tope took his bait. Chris was absolutely thrilled after landing this fish of a lifetime from the shore! The 45 lbs. tope is a specimen and new PB for Chris!
