18/3/20 Lough Currane anglers were as calm as the Currane waters and their humour was as light as the wind, but come docking time their language, well that’s another story. Yesterdays weather, amount of rainfall 5.7 mm. Maximum air temperature 12.9 centigrade.
19/3/20 The Currane anglers were all quiet on all fronts. Just for the record there was six boats out manipulating which is great to see. Wind East light with reasonable cloud cover. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 8.0 centigrade.
20/3/20 All the Salmon headlines go to Currane anglers Mr. Joe O’Dwyer and his Gillie Mr. Sion Braine and in the words of Sion and I quote, in the boat by 7.30 am. Joe and Sion tag team it again with a fine 10lb Salmon, caught on the troll or the fly, you decide and for the rest of the Currane anglers it was all quiet on all fronts, as you can see by the picture it tells the story of the day. Wind East light, bright and sunny. Yesterdays weather, maximum air temperature 9.1 centigrade.
21/3/20 I will make it short and sweet, the Currane anglers were all quiet in all departments. Wind ESE light and overcast with misty rain at times. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 8.8 centigrade.
22/3/20 There were a few boats manipulating this day but sadly my Noble Salmon were keeping their distance as laid down by the Government. So stay safe Anglers and non-anglers alike. Wind SE light bright and sunny. Yesterday’s weather, amount of rainfall 14.3 mm. Maximum air temperature 7.7 centigrade.
23/3/20 A new week, a new strike, yes you have it, local angler Mr. Anulal Hitmiang (Tam) while trolling this morning caught a fine 10 lb Salmon on the troll in a light SE wind and overcast. Yesterday’s weather amount of rainfall 0.9mm. Maximum air temperature 11.8 centigrade. Now we head for the Killarney Lakes and for good reason because it was reported to me that a cracker of a 21 lb Salmon was caught last Saturday on the Middle Lake. Just for the record that’s two Salmon caught in Kerry in the past ten days in the 20 lb plus class.
24/3/20 Currane Anglers were all quiet on the Western frontier. Wind SSE fresh and overcast with misty rain throughout the day. Yesterday’s weather, maximum air temperature 10.7 centigrade.
The rivers and lakes of Waterville drain a large catchment and are regarded by many as the foremost Salmon and Sea-Trout fishery in the country. The lake system is well developed with access to boats and guides being readily available to the tourist angler. The Sea-Trout caught here are renowned for their size and quantity. For more details see
Pascal, chef and angling guide at Watermill Lodge was in touch and asked us to share some words of advice and encouragement in these times of uncertainty.
Wise advice Pascal and let’s hope your kitchens are back open before too long.
Melvin was fairly quiet over the week given Covid 19. There were a couple of lovely spring days over the week and a few rods ventured out after salmon. Melvin Schofield fishing with Rodney Benson recorded a salmon of around 2lb caught trolling the Garrison shore. One rod witnessed a single fisherman land another salmon and we have yet to find out who the lucky fella was. There was no reports of any rods out targeting trout over the week.
The Drowes ran at nicer levels this week. On Monday the gauge read 0.84m and dropped over the following day but rose again to read 0.85m on Wednesday. Thereafter the river dropped nicely and read 0.7.m by the end of Sunday. At the present time of writing the gauge is just under 0.7 which is a perfect level.
Angling attendance was lower than normal for this time of the season due to the Covid 19 situation meaning many folks are not travelling. There were good numbers of salmon caught with 7 recorded to date in the catch register at the Fishery Office.
On Monday, Joe Newman recorded a 7lb salmon caught from the Mill Pool on a Flying ‘C’ lure and Eoin McManus accounted for a 12lb salmon caught from The Wahstones on a Rapala lure.
On Tuesday, Gareth McAllister reported an 8½lb salmon caught worm from Boat House.
On Saturday, Stuart Blair recorded a 7lb salmon caught on fly from the Sea Pools.
On Sunday, Billy Grimes reported an 8¾lb salmon caught on prawn from The Point of The Meadow and Michael McKeever accounted for a 7½lb salmon caught on prawn from The Wee Drain.
The forecast for the coming week is for lighter amounts of rain but remaining somewhat cold and prospects look very good for those that fish.
Make a booking
River Drowes
The Drowes Fishery is one of Ireland’s premier spring salmon and grilse fisheries. The river is some 5 miles in length, with over 70 named pools, flowing from Lough Melvin at Lareen Bay and entering the sea at Tullaghan, just outside Bundoran. The Drowes has a wide variety of water suitable for all fishing methods, including several miles of good fly water and deeper slower moving pools suitable for spinning and bait fishing.
For information and bookings on the Drowes Fishery & Lough Melvin see http://www.drowessalmonfishery.com Tel: 071 9841055 (8am to 12 noon). Mob: +353 (0) 87 8050806
Dan O’Neill reports from the River Nore at Mount Juliet…
The Nore was still a little high at .84 on the gauge so I was again drawn to the King’s River. With the company of my trusty fly rod and box of nymphs it was time for a look at the Kings and I found the water level running substantially lower than my last visit.
Making a couple of changes to my leader it was time to pick a couple of nymphs. My starting two were going to be the Grey Heron and a Pheasant Tail Nymph with a flashy thorax as my point fly.
Edging into the first run it took about 10 minutes to meet my first trout, a lively little fellow but most welcome. After a short while longer I met a slightly larger trout who gave me a bit more of a run around.
With some dark olives starting to show I decided to change to a dark olive nymph. I found it to work best fished on its own with no dropper – out of the 8 trout I had the top 3 fell to the dark olive nymph.
I did move up through various other runs and met some more beautiful browns with some nice colour variations. Great to see trout in this tributary river and in reasonable stocks too.
Mount Juliet House is set on a large estate, which offers private fishing on 2.5 miles of the middle to lower reaches of the River Nore. Mount Juliet Estate offers fishing of the highest quality, just a short stroll away from the Manor House. There is a fishing room on site in the Manor House for your convenience i.e. for storage and drying of fishing equipment. Mount Juliet Estate can also provide the necessary equipment on site if needed.
Lough Sheelin Angling Report: March 16th–22nd 2020
‘There’s a fine line between saying too much and saying too little. I walk that line like a drunken clown at the circus’ (anon)
This week it was hard to escape from our present pandemic, those increasing restrictions, the constant cleaning and disinfecting and of course the most alien one to us all – social distancing.
Still, it is amazing how quickly it has almost become intuitive to back away from another human being. These are difficult times for everyone with Simon Coveney’s contradictory words on March 13th summing up life as it is now – ‘we must pull together by keeping apart’.
Laurent Virtel with a beautiful early season Sheelin trout
With self isolation being the words most bandied around, Lough Sheelin fits that bill, 1880 hectares of aquatic seclusion and for this week a steady number of anglers have been availing of this watery solitude. Water levels have shrunk but not enough for the full complement of boats to return to the various mooring spots around the lake. Temperatures ranged from 6.3 to 6.5 degrees keeping the trout predominantly down in the deep. Nightly frosts, north to easterly winds and bright sunshine made conditions challenging for the fly angler and placed Lough Sheelin’s trout catches into the lure category for another week. The lure anglers are doing well, producing great fish in beautiful condition, the majority of which are released.
Challenging cold North easterly winds swept over Lough Sheelin for a number of days this week
Minkies, Zonkers, Cat’s Whiskers, Humungus and Ace of Spades along with an array of plastic and metal quite simply are what is working at the moment on this lake.
It is as yet too early for the fly angler to ‘come into his own’ here, it still feels like winter, with those harsh northerly winds, chilly nights and drenching showers reminding me of a quote from Izaak Walton’s book The Compleat Angler – ‘And for winter fly-fishing, it is as useful as an almanac out of date’. It is understandably hard for the purist fly angler to have to endure great fish being caught on a method that is alien to his every being but none the less it all comes under the heading fishing, so all is fair in love and war.
On March 8th a Lithuanian angling club – DH ANGLING held the first leg of their fishing league on Lough Sheelin. This is a spinning fish club with 34 members and 17 teams in the club, all of whom took part on the day. DH Angling operate a strict catch & release policy. This was the first leg of their competition and Sheelin did not disappoint with 44 trout over 36cm being recorded, the biggest trout was 61cm with an average length of fish at 49cm.
DH Anglers Club back when the term social distancing hadn’t been coined yet……..(March 8th)
First place with 7 trout was team Extream members Skirmantas and Viktoras, Second place with 5 trout were team members Vladislav and Jurijs and third place with 4 trout were team members Su Vyciu members Erikas and Laurynas.
Measuring up
The wheels of change are, however, turning here, we are barely into this brand new trout season and for every week that goes by we are progressing into spring which means temperatures are already going up a notch which is enough to start the Chironomid midge hatch, warmly known to the fly anglers as buzzer hatches. The arrival of these flies signals the start of serious feeding for the trout and some seriously good sport at last for the fly angler. While there is no need to get bogged down in entomology it is a distinct advantage for the angler, in the interest of success, to understand a little of the lifecycle of this, one of the most underestimated flies in the fly angler’s armoury, the humble buzzer.
Buzzers go from eggs to larvae (bloodworm) to pupa to adult. It is the pupal stage, when it ascends to the surface of the water, that anglers imitate, that are called ‘buzzers’.
In cold and breezy weather, the trout will be well down in the water, gorging on the pupae, waiting for the improvement in weather conditions, particularly a rise in temperature combined with falling wind strength and this will cause the pupae to ascend to the surface in such numbers that they will attract the trout to the surface even on the earliest of spring days so anglers need to be on the alert.
There were a few fly anglers this week pottering about, keeping close to the reeded shoreline around Kilnahard and Bog Bay, watching closely for any surface activity induced by small hatches of duck fly, with a dry fly on the ready. Patterns were generally black with an appropriate rib to offer up the colour whether it was olive, bright green, red or ginger. Black Pennells and Connemara Blacks seemed to be the favourites.
Duckfly
The favourite flies being used in the wet fly teams were Dabblers (as top droppers) – Claret, Green, Silver and Fiery Brown, Pheasant Tail (on the point), Hare’s Ear Black Pennels, Golden Olive Bumbles, Claret Bumbles, Glister Ollie, Sooty Olives, Claret Bibios, Buzzer Emergers and the Yellow Owl. The Yellow Owl was a new one on me but apparently the CDC version represents a wide range of midge hatches, the body hangs just below the surface film where the cdc will keep it buoyant.
The fly anglers are a stoic lot and there were a few equipping themselves with dry flies as well as lining up the teams of wet. Now heading towards April we should be seeing the odd olive hatching here which means dry olive patterns coming to the fore.
Some of this weeks flies
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Golden Olive Dabbler (Jackie Mahon)
'Dinner for a trout’ – a beautiful tying by Andrea Gasparini
Dry buzzer emergers (William Muir)
Eagerly awaited by fly anglers on Lough Corrib - the Duckfly
Bibio hogs (Jackie Mahon)
An emerger pattern
A buzzer creation (Steve Cullen)
March Browns (Paul Slaney)
The lures that worked best for the past seven days were a Gold & Black Humungus with beaded head (using a figure of eight retrieve on an intermediate line), Black or Olive Snakes, Black and Silver Minkies, an Ace of Spades and a Black Zonker.
Di3, 5 and 7 were used.
Best areas for this week were down along Crover shore, Stony Island, at the back of Church Island, Merry Pt, Inchacup, Bog Bay, Rusheen, Chambers Bay, mid lake and from Kilnahard down to Holywell. Cold easterly winds dominated for the week which predictably did not die down until sunset on the lake forcing anglers to seek more sheltered areas in bays and inlets. Sheelin is still at flood level the only advantage being the ability to access between islands which would be treacherous at normal water levels.
Selection of catches
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Pascal Rafaut with a handful of Lough Sheelin’s finest
Owen Pickersgill with his early season trout
Max Mirebel with his Sheelin catch
A good days fishing for Lauret virtel
Gaetan Hincelin with his magnificent Sheelin trout.
(Gaetan is wearing a ursuit floatation suit).
Christopher Defillon with a spectacular Sheelin trout (released)
Owen Pickersgill enjoying Lough Sheelin
Laurent Virtel with a beautiful early season Sheelin trout
A lengthy Sheelin catch (released)Double beauty. The only rainbows you’ll see on SheelinSwan mussel and hitch hiker‘Sunken dreams’ Crover, Lough Sheelin
Remember to keep a rod length apart from other anglers and members of the public if you are planning on going fishing in the next number of weeks. Try to minimise contact with objects that others need to touch (such as gates and stiles) and use disinfectant hand wash before and after touching those objects yourself.
Competitions:
ALL FISHING COMPETITIONS ON LOUGH SHEELIN ARE CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
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.
Some families made the most of the fine weather on Sunday to get out of the house for a while and find a change of scenery.
The Carrolls from Tullamore wanted to get out in the fresh air, but they also wanted to observe social distancing guidelines by keeping away from others.
They decided to hit a remote part of the Grand Canal in search of a jack pike or two and they weren’t disappointed. Oisin and Caoimhe each caught a nice pike and had a lovely day out.
Oisin Carroll and his pike
Well done to Oisin and Caoimhe. Teach the art of angling, get them hooked young and they’ll have a lifelong pastime.
Remember, if you are planning on going fishing in the next number of weeks, to keep a rod length apart from other anglers and members of the public. Try to minimise contact with objects that others need to touch (such as gates and stiles) and use disinfectant hand wash before and after touching those objects yourself.
Joe Early with the first salmon of 2020 for the Navan Anglers
Sunday March 22nd saw the Navan Anglers report their first Boyne system salmon of 2020; this lovely 8lbs spring fish was taken on an orange tube fly yesterday afternoon just outside Navan town. Joe Early was the captor and the fish was speedily unhooked and released after a quick photograph. Joe was fishing in the company of Simon Cassidy – who could have claimed the Christy O’Callaghan perpetual cup for the first fish of the season himself if he could have only held onto the fish he hooked and lost twenty minutes beforehand. Better luck next year Simon….
If you are housebound and in need of something to entertain you for a while, you can watch all the action here (although we recommend parental guidance as the language associated with losing the first spring salmon of the year can be described as ‘unparliamentary’ at best!!)
Joe will claim the Christy O’Callaghan perpetual cup for 2020, the cup is awarded to the captor of the first salmon of the year on Navan Anglers waters.
(l-r) Pat O’Toole (captor of the first fish in 2019), Neil Duggan (Competition Secretary) and Joe Early with the Christy O’Callaghan perpetual cup. The anglers briefly broke social distancing guidelines to fit in the photo frame
Remember to keep a rod length apart from other anglers and members of the public if you are planning on going fishing in the next number of weeks. Try to minimise contact with objects that others need to touch (such as gates and stiles) and use disinfectant hand wash before and after touching those objects yourself.
Go fishing…
The River Boyne is Catch and Release for 2020.
The River Boyne rises near Newberry Hall in Co. Kildare and meanders its way in a north easterly direction for seventy miles through counties Offaly, Meath and Louth before entering the Irish Sea below the historic town of Drogheda, between the townlands of Mornington and Baltray. The Boyne has a good run of salmon and sea trout in summer and early autumn. The majority of salmon fishing in this area is controlled by angling associations with some being maintained by private fishery owners.
Angling Clubs
The following angling clubs control much of the salmon fishing on the River Boyne:
Permits and day memberships for the above angling association waters are available from the secretaries of the above named Angling Associations and the following local tackle dealers.
Leave No Trace Guidelines for Getting Outdoors Responsibly and Safely
Friday March 20, 2020
As we head into the weekend, though ‘weekend’ activities are becoming less defined, Leave No Trace Ireland have published a set of simple guidelines for getting outdoors responsibly and safely amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Increasing numbers of people are seeking the natural benefits of getting outdoors, taking in fresh air, letting off pent up energy and enjoying our Island’s incredible nature during this difficult and uncertain time. Now, more than ever, it is vitally important that collectively, we use the outdoors responsibly, taking care of each other and taking care of our local environs, our magnificent wildlife, our lands and waters.
As seen in the media, overcrowding at popular outdoor beauty spots, lack of social distancing, increased disturbance of wildlife and vegetation, rubbish left behind, are all indicators that outdoor use is up but we are not caring for our outdoor spaces as we should be. Following Leave No Trace Guidelines ensures we are being collectively responsible in our use of outdoor spaces, protecting ourselves, our families, our fellow citizens and our incredible island.
The outdoors is our escape, somewhere to step away from the news cycle and gain some sense of normality. We need to pull together now and protect our nature, our wildlife, our local spaces so that we continue to have somewhere beautiful, natural and available to all the people to enjoy.
Plan Ahead – Check weather, bring proper clothing and footwear, water and food. Park and walk responsibly.
Expect Closures – Before leaving home, consider lack of usual facilities such as toilets, shops, cafes, restaurants.
Stay Home or Local – Unwell? Don’t go! Feeling well? Look for local trails, hidden gems, explore closer to home.
Be Considerate: Maintain social distancing throughout the day. Keep group sizes small. There is plenty of space in the outdoors for everyone!
Time and Place: Find those hidden gems, avoid peak times, avoid difficult routes. Adhere to HSE guidelines.
Leave No Trace: Don’t rely on or add to already overburdened services. Bring your own rubbish home.
Be Dog Responsible: Keep dogs under control. Mind out for young wildlife. Pick up and bring home dog waste.
Don’t Forget the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace: Remember, prepare for spring weather conditions, stick to trails, dispose of our waste properly, minimise fire impacts, leave what you find, keep a safe distance from wildlife, and be considerate of others.
If you are well, remain active through outdoor pursuits, but do your part and comply with the latest Government guidelines issued by the HSE in the Republic of Ireland and the HSC Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland. For more up to date information and advice about Coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit www2.hse.ie/coronavirus.
For ideas on where to find inspiration for safe and responsible outdoor activities, see www.leavenotraceireland.org Share these ideas with friends and family on social media #LeaveNoTrace #WeLoveNature
Leave No Trace Ireland is endorsed by Comhairle na Tuaithe, the National Countryside and Recreation Strategy, and the Northern Ireland Outdoor Recreation Plan as the only recognised outdoor ethics education programme in Ireland that promotes caring recreational use of the countryside. The Leave No Trace message has been adopted by key state and national organisations including government departments, state agencies and national governing bodies of sport, education and training and a range of businesses. These include the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Sport Ireland, Coillte, the OPW, Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Irish Environmental Network.
Ends.
For more information please contact Aileen Galvin, Sync & Swim – [email protected] / 087 8595063
Maura Kiely, CEO Leave No Trace Ireland, is available for interview on responsible and safe use of the outdoors.
Leave No Trace Ireland is Ireland’s only outdoor ethics programme, which promotes the responsible use of the outdoors. Through education, research and partnerships, Leave No Trace Ireland enables and supports individuals, communities, organisations and companies in reducing the environmental impact of outdoor activities.
Plan Ahead: Check the weather forecast and wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Ensure you have adequate hydration and food snacks. Be safe, know your skill level and respect the landowner’s wishes by closing gates and not damaging fences or private property. Ensure you park responsibly and don’t block gateways, forest entrances and narrow roads which need to be passable for emergency services, land managers and local residents.
Expect Closures: As businesses like visitor centres, service stations and restaurants are closed, there are limited availability of services. The result could be a lack of water, toilets, or other facilities. Do your best to research before you leave home, but also be prepared for things to change quickly. Take necessary precautions like bringing extra food and water, learning how to go to the bathroom outdoors, and being ready to pack all your rubbish out with you.
Stay at Home, or at Least Stay Local: If you are unwell, the best thing to do is to stay at home. Even if you are not symptomatic, less travel is still a good idea. You can enjoy your local trails, open spaces, and parks. Rather than travel to popular outdoor places, try exploring your local area. There is a wealth of walks to choose from across Ireland. Whereas some are popular and well-known, many hidden gems are waiting to be explored. Consider participating in citizen science while you are outside.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors: Be considerate of other outdoor visitors by washing your hands regularly and using hand sanitizer when hand washing facilities are not available. Sneeze and cough into a tissue or your elbow and keeping group sizes small. Maintain social distancing throughout the day. There is plenty of space in the outdoors for everyone
Avoid Times and Places of High Use: Social distancing applies to the outdoors too. To avoid creating large crowds and groups at popular trails or outdoor areas, spread out to less popular spots, and avoid times of highest use if possible. If an outdoor area is more crowded than anticipated, don’t hesitate to adjust plans. Use low risk routes to avoid needing rescue services at this time. Remember to adhere to the HSE guidelines.
Bring Your Rubbish Home: With limited staff and services in many parks and protected areas, rubbish and recycling facilities may not operate as normal. This can result in rubbish overflowing which becomes litter and can harm wildlife and livestock. Instead of relying on these services, pack all your rubbish with you and bring it all home.
Be Responsible with Your Dog: If taking a dog with you, choose a location where dogs are permitted and keep your dog under control. Follow local signage and remember that the presence of dogs can startle sheep, wildlife and ground-nesting birds. Always carry waste bags with you when walking your dog and pick up after them.
Don’t Forget the 7 Principles: Our outdoor spaces will likely be receiving less resources from staff and volunteers for the time being. This means our outdoor spaces need us to act as environmental stewards more than ever. Remember, it is still just as important to prepare for spring weather conditions, stick to trails, dispose of our waste properly, minimise fire impacts, leave what we find, keep a safe distance from wildlife, and be considerate of others.
Robbie Pitman reports that the early season fishing is improving on Lough Corrib. Robbie was out last Sunday, March 15th, fishing with a team of wet flies and he managed to catch and release four nice trout including this fish he estimated to be 4lbs in weight. The fish were lively and this one spent more time in the air than the water once hooked. The flies that did the damage were dabblers – Claret Dabbler and Silver Dabbler being the most effective.
We can expect the action to pick up over the coming weeks when the hatches of duckfly kick off and the numbers of trout moving to the surface to feed on them increases.
If you are planning to wet a line this weekend, or in the near future, please respect other anglers, landowners and members of the public by observing HSE social distancing recommendations; together we can stop the spread of Covid 19.
