Ken Whelan was in touch to tellus that the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) has launched a major initiative entitled The Missing Salmon Project in an effort to solve the mystery of our missing salmon.
Somewhere on their journey, wild salmon numbers are being decimated. For every 100 that leave our rivers for the sea, less than five return – a decline of nearly 70 per cent in just 25 years.
Action must be taken on a scale never seen before in order to identify what is happening to wild salmon and determine how to halt this decline.
Ken is giving a talk on the project, hosted by the Buncrana Angling Club, on Friday 10th May at 7pm in the Swan Park, Buncrana, Co. Donegal.
Larry McCarthy from Corrib View Lodge (087-9135222) reports reasonably good fishing over the last week with trout caught on olive and buzzer. Malcolm Patrick fishing with Larry over 5 days returned 9 trout to 3.5lb.
A well fed Corrib trout
Malcolm & Larry had a double hook up and both fish were sportingly released. Jeremy Herrmann fished 2 days with Larry and returned 13 trout to olives and light nymphs.
Another fine fish which was released to fight another day
If you’d like to fish out of Corrib View contact Larry or Michelle:
The Easter break, dropping water levels and much milder weather combined to see a considerable increase in angling effort on the Moy last week; this resulted in 74 salmon reported caught throughout the system. This brings the total caught to date to 127.
While most of the fish were taken upstream of Foxford, 9 year old Josh Devers from Ballina had his first salmon of 9 lbs on the Knockmore Salmon Anglers water. On the Cloongee Fishery Martin O’Brien, Tony Knox, Billy Kelly and Andrew Donnelly were among the lucky anglers taking a fish each. On East Mayo Anglers water Paul McGrath had a fish of 9.5lbs on fly, Danny Irwin 12 lbs on fly, Kevin Attride 7 lbs on fly, Mick Kane 13 lbs on spinner, Eoin Ceagarn 12 lbs on spinner and Martin Parker 8.5 lbs on spinner.
The next generation on the Moy
With water levels continuing to drop a reasonable weather forecast prospects are good for the week ahead.
Larry McCarthy from Corrib View Lodge (087-9135222) reports reasonably good fishing over the last week with trout caught on olive and buzzer. Malcolm Patrick fishing with Larry over 5 days returned 9 trout to 3.5lb.
A well fed Corrib trout
Malcolm & Larry had a double hook up and both fish were sportingly released. Jeremy Herrmann fished 2 days with Larry and returned 13 trout to olives and light nymphs.
Another fine fish which was released to fight another day
If you’d like to fish out of Corrib View contact Larry or Michelle:
The Easter break, dropping water levels and much milder weather combined to see a considerable increase in angling effort on the Moy last week; this resulted in 74 salmon reported caught throughout the system. This brings the total caught to date to 127.
While most of the fish were taken upstream of Foxford, 9 year old Josh Devers from Ballina had his first salmon of 9 lbs on the Knockmore Salmon Anglers water. On the Cloongee Fishery Martin O’Brien, Tony Knox, Billy Kelly and Andrew Donnelly were among the lucky anglers taking a fish each. On East Mayo Anglers water Paul McGrath had a fish of 9.5lbs on fly, Danny Irwin 12 lbs on fly, Kevin Attride 7 lbs on fly, Mick Kane 13 lbs on spinner, Eoin Ceagarn 12 lbs on spinner and Martin Parker 8.5 lbs on spinner.
The next generation on the Moy
With water levels continuing to drop a reasonable weather forecast prospects are good for the week ahead.
The Scairbhín (Scaraveen) is well and truly upon us with the warm weather of the Easter weekend replaced this week by cooler, wetter weather with winds blowing in turn from all points of the compass and very strong winds forecast overnight on Friday in parts. The Scairbhín is an Irish weather phenomenon that translates as ‘the rough month of the cuckoo’ from the phrase garbh mi na gcuach and refers to the period comprising the last two weeks of April, and the first two weeks of May when the familiar call of the cuckoo returns to Irish shores. These few weeks are often rampant with changeable extremes of weather patterns.
Our ancient ancestors who worked the land and were much closer to the seasons knew this as ‘the hungry time’ of the year. This is because they were busy planting and tending their crops which were too young and immature to produce food as yet. But the Scairbhín was actually nature’s way of ensuring the crops success. Initial ‘unseasonal’ warm weather would enable seeds to germinate, a sudden cold snap would then serve to ‘harden off’ the young plants, and the howling gales which followed would distribute pollen.
Other folklore has it that the Scairbhín is nature’s way of exacting retribution on the cuckoo for the havoc she causes in the bird world – although, unfortunately, we all pay the price for the cuckoo’s misdeeds……………
The Scairbhín’s warm spell had many anglers on the water over the Easter weekend; a number of coarse angling competitions took place with some large hauls of bream featuring on Inniscarra, while Muckno fished consistently for their first Easter Festival. Reports of good numbers of tench are coming in from the canals in the midlands, the sudden increase in temperatures in the shallow canal waters helping to stir them from their winter slumber. Indeed, tench were feeding well for the 29 anglers competing in the All Ireland Canal Championships on the Grand Canal at Prosperous on Saturday and Sunday.
Conor Browne with a mixed bag at the All Ireland Canal Championships
Trout fishing on the loughs has been patchy, the ‘in-between time’ with the end of the duckfly and the wait for the olives on some loughs, while on others the first mayfly of 2019 have begun to make an appearance; anglers who stuck to trolling had more success with some nice fish caught. Having said that, those anglers who happened to be in the right place at the right time (with the right flies on) did well and guests of Corrib View Lodge ticked all three of these boxes. Reports are scarce from the rivers; the extremes of either high temperatures or high water in some parts may have contributed to lack of fishing effort.
There are reports of some salmon in the south west, the Ilen and Bandon produced small numbers of fish when conditions allowed but low water on the Laune and high water on the Blackwater made fish hard to come by. Currane also had a quiet week with light winds and air temperatures touching 21°C, a couple of nice salmon were caught on the troll along with the first decent sea trout of 2019 on the fly, a fish of 3lbs or more. In the west, a couple of fish came off Delphi but again the bright conditions and low water made things difficult. Over in Mayo during the Easter break, dropping water levels and much milder weather combined to see a considerable increase in angling effort on the Moy; this resulted in 74 salmon reported caught from throughout the system.
Catch of the week goes to Leo from Austria with his fine pike
Pike fishing has been good by all accounts; Lough Gowna and Upper Erne Anglers’ Association had a great day out with their juniors, some 24 eager anglers taking part. Over in Longford, Melview Fishing Lodge has hosted anglers from as far apart as Austria to Australia this week, with a few Kilkenny men to add to the mix; needless to say everybody caught some pike, although no monsters were encountered. On Lough Key, the Boyle and District Anglers successfully held their Easter Pike Fest with 126 competitors taking part.
Junior anglers at Lough Gowna
Offshore and the Easter weekend’s mild, warm conditions gave an opportunity for some skippers to dip their toes in for the first time in 2019; the Clare Dragoon was one boat to wet her hull over the weekend and plenty of pollack and coalfish along with a handful of mackerel came aboard. Further north, skippers in Sligo had good numbers of mackerel and, on dry land, shore anglers are reporting the first ray of 2019 from some marks with the odd schoolie bass turning up too.
A reminder that Inland Fisheries Ireland is hosting information workshops across the country for angling clubs and community groups who are interested in applying to the 2019 Funding Call.
Funding is available for fisheries conservation projects and development projects nationwide through the National Strategy for Angling Development.
The workshops will take place as follows:
Dublin: Citywest Hotel, 29th of April
Cavan: Cavan Crystal Hotel, 30th of April
Donegal: Harvey’s Point, 1st of May
Ballina: The Great National Hotel, 2nd of May
Galway: The Maldron Hotel, Oranmore, 3rd of May
Limerick: The Maldron Hotel, 7th of May
Tralee: Ballygarry Hotel, 8th of May
Cork City: Rochestown Park Hotel 9th of May
Kilkenny: Ormonde Hotel, 10th of May
Staff from Inland Fisheries Ireland will outline the various funding schemes and provide guidance around how to submit an expression of interest for funding. Applications are invited from angling clubs, local development associations, tidy towns and others who may be looking to carry out projects.
Visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/funding for further information.
And now the weather…
Friday morning will be mostly cloudy with rain spreading over Leinster and Ulster. In the afternoon, more rain will spread from the west with strengthening southerly winds. In the evening it will become very windy or stormy in west and south Munster, with very strong, gusty west to northwest winds. Highest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees. Strong, gusty northwest winds will extend to all areas later in the night and rain will clear eastwards from most areas. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees.
Batten down the hatches in the south west on Friday night
On Saturday morning, rain in the east and northeast will clear and the strong, gusty northwest winds will gradually ease. It will be a cool bright day with sunny spells and scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees.
Sunday will be mild and mostly cloudy with patchy rain or drizzle in many areas. Amounts will be small. Highest temperatures of 12 to 16 degrees with moderate southerly breezes.
On Monday, a band of rain will move eastwards across the country, clearing later with scattered showers following. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with moderate southerly winds.
Current indications suggest that Tuesday and Wednesday next will bring sunny spells and scattered showers. Highest temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees with mostly light breezes.
The Easter weekend saw 29 anglers from across the provinces and further afield take to the banks of the Grand Canal at Prosperous for the annual All Ireland Canal Championships. The competition was fished over two days utilising six of the Prosperous AC match sections. Bright sunshine meant for some tough fishing with Saturday the better of the two days; a fine stamp of fish with tench, rudd and roach to 2lbs led to a section win with catches to 16lbs.
Leinster angler Conor Browne is the 2019 champion with 16lb 6oz on Saturday and 13lb 10oz on Sunday for the winning weight of 30lbs. In second place was John Jurj with 28lb and in 3rd John Easton over from Liverpool with 21lb 13.5oz.
Winner Conor Browne with some fine canal fish
Congratulation to the winners and everyone who took part!
Good access to good fishing at Prosperous
If you want to partake in some match fishing on the Grand Canal the Leinster clubs Royal Enfield CAC, Prosperous AC and, Daingean Match Anglers run regular open matches on the Royal and Grand Canals plus a selection of festivals attended by overseas anglers too. For a list of the Leinster events visit http://bit.ly/2PuwmCd
Two salmon for the week off Club waters on spinner and fly weighing 7lbs and 9lbs.
RIVER BANDON
There was a big flood on the Bandon on the 17th and following on from that and over the Easter weekend there were 5 salmon reported. The best fish was 11.5 lbs and took a spinner. The river is in good order at the moment and with unsettled conditions ahead prospects for the week are good.
RIVER ILEN
Six salmon caught and released for the week on the Ilen river by club members.
RIVER LAUNE AND KILLARNEY LAKES
No reports of any fish. Water levels are low on the Laune. Very few fishing the lakes.
RIVER BLACKWATER (MUNSTER) LISMORE DISTRICT
The forecasted heavy rain put the river out of order for most of the week and no activity to report. However, the coming week should be good and hopefully when levels drop back we may have good fishing.
RIVER BRIDE (LISMORE DISTRICT)
The Bride Valley was totally flooded out for almost the entire week but next week should return to normal.
Tony and wife Saleena from Australia were over in Ireland for a spot of fishing on the fly, their first stop was Melview Fishing Lodge in Longford.
Kevin said, ‘I could see they were keen to get out there from the moment they arrived. So I guided them the first day to show them some good spots for using the fly, it was not long before Tony had a few on the boat. However, during the day Tony hooked into some good fish which managed to slip the hook, but we kept going and he caught seven fish’.
Tony and one of his seven pike
After day one, the couple took one of the boats and explored new areas by themselves, again producing some nice pike on the fly.
A fine Longford fish
Kevin said, ‘great time had and thanks for the fantastic company – I hope the rest of your holiday is enjoyable and hope to see you back in Ireland someday’.
Gert from Austria was over for his annual pike fishing trip to stay once again at Melview Fishing Lodge, this trip he decided to bring his son Leo for his first ever visit to Ireland. They fished two different locations using both lures and dead baits with both venues producing fish for them and while some days were better than others they still managed to catch pike.
Another Irish pike for Leo
Leo was over the moon with his fish (and taking Kevin’s boat for a spin), with nature at its best on the lakes and rivers it was a great experience for Leo.
Leo at the helm
Thanks for your company guys and we look forward to welcoming you both back soon.
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