David Edwards, skipper of charter boat Tigger, reports from Clonakilty…
There’s no doubting the size of a big pollack. David is photo’d here with one of 12lb 10oz
Inshore reef fishing has been very good in the last week with two specimen weight pollack coming aboard Tigger. Several more into double figures have also shown along with several cod in the 6-8lb range.
Lovely cod and a good pollack
Mackerel are going well and offshore the Blue Shark seem to be making a comeback after a quieter than normal August. The last trip was a Tagging Trip with local councillor Christopher O’Sullivan of Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours and Wildlife Expert Paul Connaughton of Shearwater Wildlife Tours on board to monitor sea birds in our trail. Only using one rod we managed 15 Blues to the boat and a further 5 dropped.
Christopher O’Sullivan tagging a shark onboard Tigger
Weather is starting to impact some off our offshore trips but fishing is excellent when we can get out
David Edwards Tigger Clonakilty Coastal and Deep Sea Charters
Go fishing…
Tigger is a purpose built Procharter 31 angling boat, powered by a 330HP diesel engine and equipped with all necessary safety equipment. Reef and ground drift fishing is generally the most productive method with the potential to catch in excess of 20 species if you adapt your lures and baits accordingly. From mid June through to October it’s usually possible to target the blue shark fishing that is predominatly between 10-15 miles off the estuary. All sharks are released and recent seasons have seen larger species such as mako and threshers being sighted more frequently. Web:www.irelandseaangling.com
‘In this ever-changing world, there are few things that have remained constant for me. The chance of hooking a nice trout still excites and thrills me to this day….I like that!’ M.A.Bookout
Paul Douglas, Northern Ireland with his September trout
This week, seasonal change was in the wind and Lough Sheelin’s trout were making the most of summer’s final bounty with their exuberant aerial exhibionistic behaviour and splashy takes. Fishing was reported to be somewhat tougher than in previous weeks but nonetheless there were some very good catches recorded with consistent reports of 3, 4, 5 and 6 pounders, in superb condition, coming to the net.
A beautiful Sheelin trout caught by Kevin Sheridan using his own tying of a Claret Stimulator
Autumn is a unique time for anglers here, the back end of a fishing season that affords some of the top fishing of the whole year and for anglers who believe that the sun rises and sets only on Lough Sheelin, big trout are high on the target menu.
The quest to catch ‘that big one’ seems to be on everyone’s agenda here and this lake with its abundance of heavy trout offers all anglers the opportunity to fulfill that dream always remembering of course that Sheelin’s trout are tough customers. Moody, smart and reclusive, they put their anglers to the test, especially those big trout. There are two ways to get a big fish here. Either you can be lucky and just stumble into it (which sounds like me) or you can do the leg work and put in the time and this is where the blue blooded persistent Sheelin angler shines through, producing for their efforts an enviable consistency of catches.
Mike Sutherland, Scotland with a 45cm fish, September 4th fishing with Loughsheelinguiding
For this lake (as is probably the case with every other trout fishing water) the winning combination is good timing, the right conditions, the right place and a great presentation. These and a stubborn perseverance will achieve results. It may seem obvious but you have to be in the presence of big trout to catch big trout or indeed any size of trout so getting out on the lake instead of talking or dreaming about it is a good start. Looking at the combining factors – the right conditions always seems to have the slight edge of importance over the others. Tuesday was the pick of the days this week with the other days lagging behind by only partially fishing well mainly from mid afternoon onwards. Tuesday produced some great fish in great numbers, ‘pigs’ of fish, coming to the boat with good aggressive takes. Once in a while the ‘perfect storm’ really is perfect so with a north west wind, mixed cloud cover, along with bright sunshine and a noticeable drop in temperature, the fish responded positively and trout up to 6lbs were caught predominantly on Claret Dabblers, Stimulators and Hedgehogs. Wednesday with different wind directions was a much tougher day with fishing only picking up from 3pm onwards.
Martin Allen, Northern Ireland with a lovely 55cm trout (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com)
The heaviest trout over the past number of weeks was a trout of 7 ½ lbs caught by Northern Ireland angler David Sharpe, Ballymena using a Claret Stimulator.
Total number of trout recorded: 65
Selection of Catches
Stuart Topp, Orkney – Tuesday September 4th 3 trout biggest at 54cm fishing Claret Dabblers and Hedgehogs.
Tony Grehan, Dublin – 1 trout at using a Chocolate Drop Sedge fishing mid lake, September 8th.
Martin Allen, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 55cm fishing wets.
Gerard McSean, Cavan – 3 trout best at 3 ½ lbs fishing Stimulators and Dabblers.
David Carney – 1 trout at 4lbs fishing wets.
Owen Jacob, Dublin – September 6th 2 trout heaviest at 3 ½ lbs on Stimulators.
Mike Sutherland, Scotland – 3 trout, all over 3lbs using Claret Dabblers.
Mark Dunleavy, Dublin – 8 trout for the week, heaviest at 5 ½ lbs using Stimulators and Claret and Pearly Dabblers.
Cian Murtagh, Cavan – 1 trout at 4lbs using a Stimulator type sedge, September 7th.
Frank Kelly, Cavan – 2 trout best at 3lbs using Dabblers.
Eamon Ross, Ballyconnell – 3 trout best at 2 ½ fishing wets.
Pat Magee, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 1lb on wets.
Tony King, Co.Down – 1 trout at 4lbs
Aaron Flood – 1 trout at 1 lb.
Jonathan Kellett, Mayo – 2 trout heaviest at 5lbs caught on a Claret Dabbler mid lake.
John Brady, Coothill – 1 trout at 3lbs caught on a Hopper.
John Ryan, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 5lbs pulling wets.
Donal Keating – 1 trout at 64cm on Dabblers.
Stuart Topp, Orkney with his 54cm trout (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com)
The trout are still making themselves obvious all over the lake with plenty of leaps, pitches and splashes throughout the day.
Fast intermediate and floating lines (sometimes with sink tips) were being used, both having a respectable amount of success.
Conspicuous by its absence, the blood worm featured this week, the best areas for this was in Bog Bay and in any silty areas using red skinny patterns with a slow retrieve.
The places that achieved the best results were down along Derrysheridan, Bog Bay, Derrahorn, Sailors Garden and mid lake out from Church Island. Wilson’s Pt. and around Stony Island also brought up good fish.
The Hatches
Sheelin’s September Olive
The only natural fly around were the odd hatch of sedge, some September olives and the odd terrestrial – daddies and a stray beetle or two. Pulling wets was the favoured and most productive method with a few anglers chancing their luck by dapping a hopper or daddy in a wave.
The Flies
The flies that featured most were the Stimulators, leggy patterns – Green Peter, Sedges and Daddies, the Dabblers (Claret, Fiery, Pearly, Black and Golden), the Claret Bumble (as a top dropper with an overcast sky), the Golden Olive Bumble (for later in the day when the sunshine was intermittant), Fiery Brown Bumble, Watson’s Bumble, Kate McClaren (good as a middle fly), Sooty Olive, Black Pennel, Mallard & Claret, Muddlers and Hoppers.
A Daddy – good for September fishing
The flies that worked consistently well were those with claret in them and a touch of sparkle usually silver or green. Claret is always a good colour on this lake which brings up the confusing topic of how much or whether trout can actually distinquish different colours. It is fact that at dusk, as light intensity fades, red is the first colour to go, followed by orange, yellow, green and blue. As total light intensity decreases, the rod cells in the fish’s eyes become more active and the fish is no longer able to distinquish colour. Chartreuse and white or red and white produce the most contrast and are the best combinations under any light. Black, due to its contrast is the most visible colour under most conditions and best at night. Experts say using darker colours like claret, black and violet are best in low light. The thing to realise is that the colour of your fly in the water is almost always different from what it is in the air.
A pair of Dapping Daddies by Thomas O’ Donovan
This is a subject that you could get really bogged down in so its best to keep it simple and remember that trout feed by looking up towards the surface of the water which means they have difficulty distinguishing specific colours so it seems the contrast is the most important thing.
Sooty Olive Pearly Dabbler (Thomas O’Donovan)
Some anglers however believe that the silhouette of a claret coloured fly takes a blood red colour on it to the upward looking feeding fish and this triggers a take. Light and colour theories can all get very complicated but to simplfy things and get back to basics what an angler is trying to do is to have the flies imitate pieces of fish food. Trout are not that clever (with a brain the size of a pea) and they attack their prey using instinctive behaviour motivated (or so we think) by one or more stimuli. These stimuli include movement, shape, sound, smell, colour and presentation so if we can encompass some of these into our fishing methods the result is usually a positive one for here.
Jimmy Tyrell’s Claret Dabbler
A hint of flash in the form of silver, gold or green works by adding that extra attractor element to the fly and as some of our Scottish anglers reliably informed me ‘ a thread of silver will entice trout from over 20 yards away’.
This week, when in a heated discussion about the vast array of flies now available, an elderly angler commented ‘The older I get the more I like less’ and so he left me, heading off with a rod and reel in one hand, landing net in the other, leader material, snips, gink and a small waterproof fly box containing a few patterns in different sizes, returning in at the end of the day with some very impressive fishy photographs – simplicity is best.
Low water levels on Sheelin, Tonagh
Upcoming Competitions
The McIntyre/Guider Cup
The McIntyre/Guider Cup – Saturday September 29th, starting at Kilnahard 11.0am to 6pm, this is an open fly fishing competition and gives a good warm up before the biggest competition of the season on October 1st. For further information please contact Dessie McEntee on 047 77216 or 086 8937568.
Stream Rehabilitation Competition
Click to download leaflet [pdf]On Saturday October 6th Lough Sheelin’s angling club The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association will host their annual Stream Rehabilitation Competition starting at Kilnahard from 11am to 6.0pm.
All proceeds of this event go towards the enhancement and rehabilitation of the rivers within the Lough Sheelin catchment.
The club and organisers of this competition, now in its thirteenth year, welcome all anglers who wish to fish one of the best wild brown trout fisheries in Ireland and to experience first-hand the magic and allure of this lake which has the potential to produce the heaviest trout in the country.
Denis O’Keefe Memorial Cup
The LSTPA have added an additional cup on to their list this year, this cup is in honour memory of great angler and Sheelin advocate – Denis O’Keefe and will be awarded to the best member over the 3 senior competitions (Kilroy Cup (18/3/18), the McDonald Cup 9 11/8/18 & The River Enhancement Comp. 6/10/18).
For details please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033
One for the future
Cavan/Monaghan Garda Divisional Fly Fishing Championship and Open Competition
The Cavan/Monaghan Garda Divisional Fly Fishing Championship and Open Competition will be held at Lough Sheelin on Sunday October 7th from Kilnahard Pier, 11a.m – 5.30p.m.
Weigh in at 6.30pm and meal at Pat Bannon’s Pub, Ballyjamesduff. Entry fee of €25 taken at Kilnahard.
This competition is for: The Heaviest fish – visitors and The Heaviest fish – Cavan/Monaghan Division Garda Members.
For further details please contact Colin Dodd 086 6000630, Pat Foley 087 2405313 or DessieMcEntee on 086 8937568.
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
Extra care is needed when playing and releasing trout during periods of high water temperatures as additional stress at these times will decrease the survival rate of hooked and released fish.
BYE-LAW 949 strictly prohibits:
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.
Join the Club…
For anyone interested in joining Lough Sheelin’s Angling Club – The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033.
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.
Appeal for voluntary cessation of catch and release salmon fishing is now lifted
Inland Fisheries Ireland advises anglers that where conditions are suitable locally, catch and release angling may be practiced. The appeal for voluntary cessation of salmon angling on catch and release rivers is lifted.
Inland Fisheries Ireland wish to thank all anglers for their voluntary cessation of angling on catch and release rivers since the appeal.
In July, due to high water temperatures and drought conditions, Inland Fisheries Ireland appealed to anglers to cease fishing in catch and release rivers or where bag limits had been reached on open rivers. While there are low water levels in many parts of the country, water temperatures are at normal levels , therefore catch and release fishing may resume.
Appeal to anglers and fishery managers during hot spell is now lifted
There's no doubting the size of a big pollack. David is photo'd here with one of 12lb 10oz
David Edwards, skipper of charter boat Tigger, reports from Clonakilty…
There’s no doubting the size of a big pollack. David is photo’d here with one of 12lb 10oz
Inshore reef fishing has been very good in the last week with two specimen weight pollack coming aboard Tigger. Several more into double figures have also shown along with several cod in the 6-8lb range.
Lovely cod and a good pollack
Mackerel are going well and offshore the Blue Shark seem to be making a comeback after a quieter than normal August. The last trip was a Tagging Trip with local councillor Christopher O’Sullivan of Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours and Wildlife Expert Paul Connaughton of Shearwater Wildlife Tours on board to monitor sea birds in our trail. Only using one rod we managed 15 Blues to the boat and a further 5 dropped.
Christopher O’Sullivan tagging a shark onboard Tigger
Weather is starting to impact some off our offshore trips but fishing is excellent when we can get out
David Edwards Tigger Clonakilty Coastal and Deep Sea Charters
Go fishing…
Tigger is a purpose built Procharter 31 angling boat, powered by a 330HP diesel engine and equipped with all necessary safety equipment. Reef and ground drift fishing is generally the most productive method with the potential to catch in excess of 20 species if you adapt your lures and baits accordingly. From mid June through to October it’s usually possible to target the blue shark fishing that is predominatly between 10-15 miles off the estuary. All sharks are released and recent seasons have seen larger species such as mako and threshers being sighted more frequently. Web:www.irelandseaangling.com
‘In this ever-changing world, there are few things that have remained constant for me. The chance of hooking a nice trout still excites and thrills me to this day….I like that!’ M.A.Bookout
Paul Douglas, Northern Ireland with his September trout
This week, seasonal change was in the wind and Lough Sheelin’s trout were making the most of summer’s final bounty with their exuberant aerial exhibionistic behaviour and splashy takes. Fishing was reported to be somewhat tougher than in previous weeks but nonetheless there were some very good catches recorded with consistent reports of 3, 4, 5 and 6 pounders, in superb condition, coming to the net.
A beautiful Sheelin trout caught by Kevin Sheridan using his own tying of a Claret Stimulator
Autumn is a unique time for anglers here, the back end of a fishing season that affords some of the top fishing of the whole year and for anglers who believe that the sun rises and sets only on Lough Sheelin, big trout are high on the target menu.
The quest to catch ‘that big one’ seems to be on everyone’s agenda here and this lake with its abundance of heavy trout offers all anglers the opportunity to fulfill that dream always remembering of course that Sheelin’s trout are tough customers. Moody, smart and reclusive, they put their anglers to the test, especially those big trout. There are two ways to get a big fish here. Either you can be lucky and just stumble into it (which sounds like me) or you can do the leg work and put in the time and this is where the blue blooded persistent Sheelin angler shines through, producing for their efforts an enviable consistency of catches.
Mike Sutherland, Scotland with a 45cm fish, September 4th fishing with Loughsheelinguiding
For this lake (as is probably the case with every other trout fishing water) the winning combination is good timing, the right conditions, the right place and a great presentation. These and a stubborn perseverance will achieve results. It may seem obvious but you have to be in the presence of big trout to catch big trout or indeed any size of trout so getting out on the lake instead of talking or dreaming about it is a good start. Looking at the combining factors – the right conditions always seems to have the slight edge of importance over the others. Tuesday was the pick of the days this week with the other days lagging behind by only partially fishing well mainly from mid afternoon onwards. Tuesday produced some great fish in great numbers, ‘pigs’ of fish, coming to the boat with good aggressive takes. Once in a while the ‘perfect storm’ really is perfect so with a north west wind, mixed cloud cover, along with bright sunshine and a noticeable drop in temperature, the fish responded positively and trout up to 6lbs were caught predominantly on Claret Dabblers, Stimulators and Hedgehogs. Wednesday with different wind directions was a much tougher day with fishing only picking up from 3pm onwards.
Martin Allen, Northern Ireland with a lovely 55cm trout (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com)
The heaviest trout over the past number of weeks was a trout of 7 ½ lbs caught by Northern Ireland angler David Sharpe, Ballymena using a Claret Stimulator.
Total number of trout recorded: 65
Selection of Catches
Stuart Topp, Orkney – Tuesday September 4th 3 trout biggest at 54cm fishing Claret Dabblers and Hedgehogs.
Tony Grehan, Dublin – 1 trout at using a Chocolate Drop Sedge fishing mid lake, September 8th.
Martin Allen, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 55cm fishing wets.
Gerard McSean, Cavan – 3 trout best at 3 ½ lbs fishing Stimulators and Dabblers.
David Carney – 1 trout at 4lbs fishing wets.
Owen Jacob, Dublin – September 6th 2 trout heaviest at 3 ½ lbs on Stimulators.
Mike Sutherland, Scotland – 3 trout, all over 3lbs using Claret Dabblers.
Mark Dunleavy, Dublin – 8 trout for the week, heaviest at 5 ½ lbs using Stimulators and Claret and Pearly Dabblers.
Cian Murtagh, Cavan – 1 trout at 4lbs using a Stimulator type sedge, September 7th.
Frank Kelly, Cavan – 2 trout best at 3lbs using Dabblers.
Eamon Ross, Ballyconnell – 3 trout best at 2 ½ fishing wets.
Pat Magee, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 1lb on wets.
Tony King, Co.Down – 1 trout at 4lbs
Aaron Flood – 1 trout at 1 lb.
Jonathan Kellett, Mayo – 2 trout heaviest at 5lbs caught on a Claret Dabbler mid lake.
John Brady, Coothill – 1 trout at 3lbs caught on a Hopper.
John Ryan, Northern Ireland – 1 trout at 5lbs pulling wets.
Donal Keating – 1 trout at 64cm on Dabblers.
Stuart Topp, Orkney with his 54cm trout (www.loughsheelinguidingservices.com)
The trout are still making themselves obvious all over the lake with plenty of leaps, pitches and splashes throughout the day.
Fast intermediate and floating lines (sometimes with sink tips) were being used, both having a respectable amount of success.
Conspicuous by its absence, the blood worm featured this week, the best areas for this was in Bog Bay and in any silty areas using red skinny patterns with a slow retrieve.
The places that achieved the best results were down along Derrysheridan, Bog Bay, Derrahorn, Sailors Garden and mid lake out from Church Island. Wilson’s Pt. and around Stony Island also brought up good fish.
The Hatches
Sheelin’s September Olive
The only natural fly around were the odd hatch of sedge, some September olives and the odd terrestrial – daddies and a stray beetle or two. Pulling wets was the favoured and most productive method with a few anglers chancing their luck by dapping a hopper or daddy in a wave.
The Flies
The flies that featured most were the Stimulators, leggy patterns – Green Peter, Sedges and Daddies, the Dabblers (Claret, Fiery, Pearly, Black and Golden), the Claret Bumble (as a top dropper with an overcast sky), the Golden Olive Bumble (for later in the day when the sunshine was intermittant), Fiery Brown Bumble, Watson’s Bumble, Kate McClaren (good as a middle fly), Sooty Olive, Black Pennel, Mallard & Claret, Muddlers and Hoppers.
A Daddy – good for September fishing
The flies that worked consistently well were those with claret in them and a touch of sparkle usually silver or green. Claret is always a good colour on this lake which brings up the confusing topic of how much or whether trout can actually distinquish different colours. It is fact that at dusk, as light intensity fades, red is the first colour to go, followed by orange, yellow, green and blue. As total light intensity decreases, the rod cells in the fish’s eyes become more active and the fish is no longer able to distinquish colour. Chartreuse and white or red and white produce the most contrast and are the best combinations under any light. Black, due to its contrast is the most visible colour under most conditions and best at night. Experts say using darker colours like claret, black and violet are best in low light. The thing to realise is that the colour of your fly in the water is almost always different from what it is in the air.
A pair of Dapping Daddies by Thomas O’ Donovan
This is a subject that you could get really bogged down in so its best to keep it simple and remember that trout feed by looking up towards the surface of the water which means they have difficulty distinguishing specific colours so it seems the contrast is the most important thing.
Sooty Olive Pearly Dabbler (Thomas O’Donovan)
Some anglers however believe that the silhouette of a claret coloured fly takes a blood red colour on it to the upward looking feeding fish and this triggers a take. Light and colour theories can all get very complicated but to simplfy things and get back to basics what an angler is trying to do is to have the flies imitate pieces of fish food. Trout are not that clever (with a brain the size of a pea) and they attack their prey using instinctive behaviour motivated (or so we think) by one or more stimuli. These stimuli include movement, shape, sound, smell, colour and presentation so if we can encompass some of these into our fishing methods the result is usually a positive one for here.
Jimmy Tyrell’s Claret Dabbler
A hint of flash in the form of silver, gold or green works by adding that extra attractor element to the fly and as some of our Scottish anglers reliably informed me ‘ a thread of silver will entice trout from over 20 yards away’.
This week, when in a heated discussion about the vast array of flies now available, an elderly angler commented ‘The older I get the more I like less’ and so he left me, heading off with a rod and reel in one hand, landing net in the other, leader material, snips, gink and a small waterproof fly box containing a few patterns in different sizes, returning in at the end of the day with some very impressive fishy photographs – simplicity is best.
Low water levels on Sheelin, Tonagh
Upcoming Competitions
The McIntyre/Guider Cup
The McIntyre/Guider Cup – Saturday September 29th, starting at Kilnahard 11.0am to 6pm, this is an open fly fishing competition and gives a good warm up before the biggest competition of the season on October 1st. For further information please contact Dessie McEntee on 047 77216 or 086 8937568.
Stream Rehabilitation Competition
Click to download leaflet [pdf]On Saturday October 6th Lough Sheelin’s angling club The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association will host their annual Stream Rehabilitation Competition starting at Kilnahard from 11am to 6.0pm.
All proceeds of this event go towards the enhancement and rehabilitation of the rivers within the Lough Sheelin catchment.
The club and organisers of this competition, now in its thirteenth year, welcome all anglers who wish to fish one of the best wild brown trout fisheries in Ireland and to experience first-hand the magic and allure of this lake which has the potential to produce the heaviest trout in the country.
Denis O’Keefe Memorial Cup
The LSTPA have added an additional cup on to their list this year, this cup is in honour memory of great angler and Sheelin advocate – Denis O’Keefe and will be awarded to the best member over the 3 senior competitions (Kilroy Cup (18/3/18), the McDonald Cup 9 11/8/18 & The River Enhancement Comp. 6/10/18).
For details please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033
One for the future
Cavan/Monaghan Garda Divisional Fly Fishing Championship and Open Competition
The Cavan/Monaghan Garda Divisional Fly Fishing Championship and Open Competition will be held at Lough Sheelin on Sunday October 7th from Kilnahard Pier, 11a.m – 5.30p.m.
Weigh in at 6.30pm and meal at Pat Bannon’s Pub, Ballyjamesduff. Entry fee of €25 taken at Kilnahard.
This competition is for: The Heaviest fish – visitors and The Heaviest fish – Cavan/Monaghan Division Garda Members.
For further details please contact Colin Dodd 086 6000630, Pat Foley 087 2405313 or DessieMcEntee on 086 8937568.
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
Extra care is needed when playing and releasing trout during periods of high water temperatures as additional stress at these times will decrease the survival rate of hooked and released fish.
BYE-LAW 949 strictly prohibits:
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.
Join the Club…
For anyone interested in joining Lough Sheelin’s Angling Club – The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association please contact Thomas Lynch @ 087 9132033.
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.
Appeal for voluntary cessation of catch and release salmon fishing is now lifted
Inland Fisheries Ireland advises anglers that where conditions are suitable locally, catch and release angling may be practiced. The appeal for voluntary cessation of salmon angling on catch and release rivers is lifted.
Inland Fisheries Ireland wish to thank all anglers for their voluntary cessation of angling on catch and release rivers since the appeal.
In July, due to high water temperatures and drought conditions, Inland Fisheries Ireland appealed to anglers to cease fishing in catch and release rivers or where bag limits had been reached on open rivers. While there are low water levels in many parts of the country, water temperatures are at normal levels , therefore catch and release fishing may resume.
Appeal to anglers and fishery managers during hot spell is now lifted
Inland Fisheries Ireland is reminding all salmon and sea trout anglers of the importance of returning their 2018 angling logbook and unused gill tags. These returns provide vital information and facilitate informed decision making on Ireland’s wild Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks. Anglers are asked to return their logbook as part of the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme which regulates salmon and sea trout fishing in Ireland and is administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers are required by law to return their completed logbook and all unused tags to the issuing office of Inland Fisheries Ireland once they have finished fishing for the season or as soon as the season is over at the end of September and no later than the 19th of October annually. Anglers are reminded that they can only retain a maximum of one salmon per day in a fishery with a surplus provided they still have remaining tags in the month of September.
The return of logbooks and tags can be done via the business return envelope which was supplied at the time of license purchase. In the absence of the prepaid logbook return envelope, anglers can return their completed logbook and unused tags to the Inland Fisheries Ireland office addressed on their licence/logbook. The records from this year’s angler returns will support management decisions in 2019.
As part of the Scheme, an angler must attach a valid gill tag to a salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) immediately on landing. They then must enter the details of the catch and gill-tag used into their logbook. If the fish is to be released, anglers must also make a catch record in their logbook.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “As the end of season approaches, we are reminding salmon and sea trout anglers to return their logbooks and unused tags as soon as possible. The vast majority of anglers appreciate the importance of their data in terms of the conservation of our precious fisheries resource. “
Inland Fisheries Ireland is reminding all salmon and sea trout anglers of the importance of returning their 2018 angling logbook and unused gill tags. These returns provide vital information and facilitate informed decision making on Ireland’s wild Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks. Anglers are asked to return their logbook as part of the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme which regulates salmon and sea trout fishing in Ireland and is administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers are required by law to return their completed logbook and all unused tags to the issuing office of Inland Fisheries Ireland once they have finished fishing for the season or as soon as the season is over at the end of September and no later than the 19th of October annually. Anglers are reminded that they can only retain a maximum of one salmon per day in a fishery with a surplus provided they still have remaining tags in the month of September.
The return of logbooks and tags can be done via the business return envelope which was supplied at the time of license purchase. In the absence of the prepaid logbook return envelope, anglers can return their completed logbook and unused tags to the Inland Fisheries Ireland office addressed on their licence/logbook. The records from this year’s angler returns will support management decisions in 2019.
As part of the Scheme, an angler must attach a valid gill tag to a salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) immediately on landing. They then must enter the details of the catch and gill-tag used into their logbook. If the fish is to be released, anglers must also make a catch record in their logbook.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “As the end of season approaches, we are reminding salmon and sea trout anglers to return their logbooks and unused tags as soon as possible. The vast majority of anglers appreciate the importance of their data in terms of the conservation of our precious fisheries resource. “
Rosslare Small Boats Festival returns with competitors from all over Ireland and UK to attend
Sea angling event takes place from 7th – 14th September 2018
The prestigious Rosslare Small Boats Festival will once again return from the 7th– 14th September 2018. The four day angling competition, which takes place at Kilmore Quay Harbour, will see over 120 anglers attend from Ireland and the UK. The festival is now in its 33rd year and is one of the largest sea angling events in Europe.
The festival contributes €300,000 to the local angling every year following significant growth since its inception in 1985. An attractive prize fund worth €20,000 is on offer for anglers, which consists of fishing equipment, substantial monetary prizes and engraved trophies.
This year, there will be 39 boats participating from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales with fishing taking place every day of the competition. Anglers will compete in a variety of categories with prizes on offer for largest nominated species, the heaviest round and flat fish, best specimen of the week, heaviest fish of the festival and many more. The boat which achieves the highest number of fish species over the week will win the prestigious ‘Rosslare Small Boats Competition’.
It is anticipated that boats will launch at Kilmore Quay and fish at a number of locations along the Wexford coastline in search of as many varieties of sea fish as possible. Fish may include cod, bass, whiting, ray, gurnards, dogfish, wrasse, bull huss and conger. Kilmore Quay Harbour is a renowned location for species fishing with over 40 different species of fish often caught during previous festivals.
On the shore, Inland Fisheries Ireland will have a marine fish tank for the purpose of displaying fish species that will be caught and released during the competition. People will be able to view marine fish such as thornback ray, ballan wrasse, gurnard and bull huss which will be kept in the fish tank and released back into the sea alive. The educational benefits of the tank and practising catch and release for marine species are hugely beneficial in terms of conservation and creating public awareness of our sea fisheries resource.
The prizegiving ceremony takes place on Friday 14th September at 7.30pm in the Coast Hotel, Rosslare Strand, Co. Wexford. For more information about the festival, visit www.rosslaresmallboatsfestival.com or contact Ms. Josie Mahon, Inland Fisheries Ireland: T: 087 6538202 / e: josie.mahon@fisheriesireland.ie.
Kyne announces new angling bye-laws for Galway and Mayo
Sean Kyne TD, Minister with responsibility for the Inland Fisheries Sector, has signed off three new angling bye-laws which affect the Corrib catchment in Counties Galway and Mayo.
Minister Kyne said: “The bye-laws, which have been requested by local angling clubs, concern the Abbert and Grange Rivers, the Clare River and the Cong River and Canal and reflect the support of the clubs for the conservation imperative and the sustainable management of the local fisheries resource. As Minister I am happy to make these bye-laws which will come into immediate effect.”
The details of the new bye-laws are as follows:
Abbert and Grange Rivers (Annual Close Season) Byelaw
Both rivers make a significant contribution to wild brown trout stocks in the Clare River system and Lough Corrib. The new bye-law will afford greater protection to spawning salmonids in these two very important tributaries of the Clare River.
The bye-law extends the closed season for all angling on the Abbert and Grange Rivers by two months to cover the period from the 1st of September until the 31st of March annually. This bye-law is being introduced at the request of the angling clubs on the Clare system and will act as a vital conservation measure.
Western Fisheries Region River Clare (Revocation) Bye-Law
This section of river was previously restricted to fly fishing only however this new bye-law will bring this short section of the river into line with the rest of the Clare River. This bye-law was introduced at the request of the local angling club.
This new bye-law permits all legal angling methods on the Clare River from Daly’s Bridge in the townland of Corrandrum to a point 300 metres upstream of the footbridge at Anbally in the townlands of Anbally and Turloughmartin, County Galway.
Upper and Lower Limits of Cong River and Cong Canal Bye-Law
This bye-law will remove any difficulty in identifying the correct angling season at the extremities of the Cong River/Canal and will afford greater protection to highly prized ferox trout which are known to spawn in the Cong River/Canal. This bye-law clearly defines the upstream boundary between Lough Mask and the Cong Canal and the downstream boundary between the Cong River and Lough Corrib. The purpose of the bye-law is to enable the effective enforcement of legislation governing the open angling seasons for trout and salmon on the Cong Canal/River as these differ from the open seasons for these species on Loughs Corrib and Mask.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “We welcome the introduction of these bye-laws in Galway and Mayo which will help us to enforce relevant legislation and enhance the resource in the long term. The introductions of these bye-laws follow public consultations whereby stakeholders were invited to input their views and insights into the proposed new regulations. Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Fisheries Officers will now protect these rivers in line with the new laws in place.”
Anglers are requested to familiarise themselves with the details of the new bye-laws which can be found on www.fisheriesireland.ie. Inland Fisheries Ireland has a confidential hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents – 0818 34 74 24 or 0818 FISH 24. This phone line is designed to encourage the reporting of incidents of illegal fishing, water pollution and invasive species.
Grey Duster Guiding
