Young angler Luke Kearns, from Meath, had his best day’s fishing yet last weekend as he managed to catch his very first double figure pike. Fourteen year old Luke had been out fishing on a number of occasions with his friend, Shane, but all he had managed so far was a couple of jack pike from the lakes and mixed coarse fish from the canals.
This time, while staying close to the River Shannon for a couple of days, Luke was determined to land a better pike. On day one, Luke and his mates fished for roach, rudd and perch, landing plenty. While reeling in one roach, a good pike engulfed it and Luke had it hooked for a good 10 minutes before the fish bit through the line. Gutted, he kept at it and a couple of hours later, the same thing happened – only this time, after a nerve wracking fight on a light match rod, Luke landed it – a fine fish of 8lbs or so.
On the morning of day two, Luke totally had the pike bug and he fished hard with lures and wobbled deadbaits. Just before midday, a good pike smashed the wobbled roach and, after a thrilling fight, the guys netted a super 10.25lb pike – Luke’s best fish yet. For Luke, perseverance and determination paid off and we’re sure there will be many quality fish landed by him in the future!
Larry Kelly and long time fishing partner John Jack had a great 6 Days on Lough Corrib with 27 fish between them averaging nearly 2lbs. The best fish was a fine trout of 5lbs, with another fish of similar size lost at the net the following day.
The mainly cloudy, windy weather which built up from late mornings was ideal for wet fly fishing and that’s how most of the fish were caught, barring three fish which were caught on small, dry sedges in the mornings. The previous week had fished very well to the dry mayfly, but unfortunately the conditions weren’t ideal for the guys to do the same.
Hatches were very sparse, with a few sedges and occasional mayfly on the water. Most fish were caught on size 12 Green Peter Muddlers, Red Tailed Green Peters and Fuschia Dabblers in wavy conditions. The Inchiquinn shore fished well in southwestery winds, as did Oughterard Bay out over the shallows and the Urkauns between the Islands. All of the fish without exception were caught over 3 to 4 foot of water.
There were a few boats here and there on the usual drifts, but the lough was mainly quiet. Larry described the fishing as tough, with virtually no fish seen rising, but really enjoyable all the same, fishing wets in the shallows.
This great report was sent in by Simon McLarnon who fished the Sean McGettigan Memorial Cup on July 26th:
A group of us took part in the Séan McGettigan Memorial Cup sea angling tournament from Portsalon, Co. Donegal on Saturday, 26th July. Séan was a well known charter skipper who passed away on May 26th, 2024, and his family had organised this fishing competition in his memory, with brother Dessie as the main organiser. Hopefully it will become an annual event. There were ten boats taking part and forty five anglers.
Setting sail
We were aboard the Miss Daisy, skippered by Chris Wilson. Conditions were challenging to say the least with strong winds, a heavy swell, nasty showers and unseasonable cold! However, our spirits were buoyed along by the craic on our boat and we persevered with the fishing conditions.
The competition started at 10am and on the first drop of the feathers, Dean Boardman hit a fish that he knew was not a mackerel Dean reeled in an impressive and rare John Dory, which weighed 2 pounds. That was a welcome catch as this is a species hunting competition and all other species were quite thin on the ground! Certainly our most impressive catch of the day as a crew, and helping us secure 4th overall in the competition.
It was not enough to win best crew member on our boat though, which went to Seamus Martin who caught scad, whiting, coal fish, pollack, small spotted cat shark and tub gurnard to pip Dean for top rod on our boat and 3rd overall for individual angler in the competition!
The top three at the end of the day were:
Mark Cassidy
Mark Orsi
Seamus Martin
The top two Junior Anglers who took part were:
Charlie Doherty
‘Junior’ Johnston
A great day out for all, hopefully it will be run again at the same time next year! Anyone interested in taking part can contact Dessie on 0861796917.
Rob Shirley was in touch to tell us about an unexpected fish he landed while fishing a beach mark near Carnsore Point in Wexford recently.
Rob was fishing ragworm on a size 4 hook as part of a three hook paternoster rig when the rod buckled over. He thought he was into a smooth hound or even a big bass by the brave and dogged fight, but when the fish revealed itself from the surf, Rob was shocked to see a plump triggerfish on the end of his line!
After unhooking and a quick photograph, Rob released the surprise catch back to where it had come from – none the wiser as to what this deep-water reef fish was doing hanging around a beach in Wexford!
Greystones Annual Tope Festival will be fished 30th & 31st August. It promises to be a great event with record numbers entered last year, it is now the largest Small Boat event in Ireland. To enter, please scan the QR code and complete the entry form. Alternatively email [email protected]
Shad are a migratory fish that return to our rivers to spawn in late spring/early summer. They are relatively rare in Ireland, only returning to a handful of waterways along the east and south coasts, and for that reason, little enough is known about shad and their movements in Irish waters. Fishing for shad is a fixture on the angling calendar for many Irish anglers, particularly the ‘Specimen Hunters’, and anglers’ perceptions and observations on fishing for shad could make a significant contribution to our knowledge base on the species.
So IFI is hoping to tap into some of that knowledge to help us better understand the changes in fish stocks and their supporting ecosystems over time. If you have fished for shad at all, we would value your contribution to the knowledge base, and we have developed a short survey to help us capture that information by asking you a few questions about your fishing patterns over the years. Please click this link if you are interested in participating.
On Thursday 31st July 2025, a draw took place to allocate 15 Brown Tags for the taking of salmon on the River Easkey. The requirement to hold a brown tag is set out in Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations. A total of 45 valid entries were received from salmon rod licence holders. Each was assigned a number in advance of the draw. 20 numbers were randomly generated. The first 15 successful entrants will be issued a brown tag. The final 5 numbers are reserved in case an angler declines or returns the tag allocated to them. The draw was conducted by Michael Wilson (Fisheries Inspector) and observed by Mary Walsh (RBD Director) and Barry Kelly (River Moy Catchment Manager).
We have now tipped into high summer, and you can sense it in the air, as there has been a blanket of dull, humid heat across the country over the past week. It has been quite dry, but the showers have never seemed far enough away to trust in an extended spell without feeling a drop or two. And, despite it being warm, the sun has often remained hidden behind low banks of grey cloud, so it’s no surprise to hear that sunshine was well below average for the time of year across much of the country.
August is an unusual month on the angling calendar, as some types of fishing slow down a pace or two, while others ramp up. Pike anglers tend to be relatively inactive during August, as the higher water temperatures and low oxygen levels are not so amenable to pike fishing. It can be a tricky month for trout angling too, particularly on our rivers, as there is often a drop off in daytime activity due to the summer heat. Grilse runs should be in full swing for the salmon anglers, but success will often depend on rainfall, which can be relatively scarce during August, and with higher temperatures having already led to closures of fisheries this season, much remains in the balance for them. Coarse anglers, on the other hand, are starting to head into their prime festival season, as August and particularly September are top months on the competition schedule. And the sea anglers should be hitting top gear right about now, as the warmer waters around our coast lead to an influx of a variety species at this time of year.
And it’s straight to sea angling and influx of species that we turn to, as we have a couple of notable examples this week. The bluefin tuna season kicked off in July, and we have been waiting with baited breath to hear any news of these long-distance travellers returning to our shores. That news eventually broke last week, as Adrian Molloy claimed the first fish of the season, as he hooked and tagged a 195cm fish as part of the Tuna CHART (CatchAnd Release Tagging) programme. And with news of tuna being spotted off the south coast too, let’s hope it’s the first of many reports this year.
First tuna of the year for Adrian Molloy
And keeping with the same theme, well-known specimen hunter Craig Murphy was in touch to tell us of the super-rare capture of a John Dory, which was caught from the shore by his dad, Martin, off Wicklow Pier. These fish are sporadic visitors to the south and west coasts during the summer months, but rarely caught on the east coast, and, even better, it was caught while participating in the Southside Angling Species Hunt, so it will have been a much-welcomed addition to his species list. It’s hard to look past the first tuna of the year when awarding Catch of the Week, but I expect there will be plenty of tuna winning that prize in the coming months, but not too many shore-caught, east coast John Dory. So Martin’s unusual capture wins this week’s Catch of the Week.
A super rare, shore-caught, east coast John Dory wins this week’s COTW
On the competition scene, 76 shore anglers headed to the Kerry beaches last week to fish in the third annual Kerry Pairs competition. The venue was Cappaclough, and it was an impressive sight to see the 38 pairs lined up along the beach. Previous winners Sean Ivory and Kevin Barber were installed as hot favourites when they drew a good peg on Friday night, but it was a debuting pair that took the prize in the end, as newcomers Paul Tindal and Stephen Glynn landed 20 fish, including three stingrays, to take the title. Meanwhile, on the east coast, 41 Seniors and two juniors fished the Henrystackleshop.com Irish Smooth Hound Championships at Ballinoulart in Co. Wexford last Saturday. Weed made things a bit difficult for the competitors, but at the end of the evening’s fishing, Michael Christian was crowned the Irish Smooth Hound Champion 2025 with a hound of 95cm.
Novice angler Amy Lynam came up trumps on a recent visit to West Cork. Amy had tried a day’s coaching with David Norman of Angling Adventures West Cork way back in 2021, where she learned how to cast lures. But she returned to David last week, all kitted out with a rod and reel combo, and put it to good use by landing her first-ever shore-caught fish, a pollack, quickly followed by a wrasse. Over on the Shannon Estuary, Peter Turner wrote in to tell us he has been getting decent results on the south side of the estuary, with conger and thornback ray amongst his catches. He’s even been encouraging some family out to enjoy the experience with him. Embarking from the opposite side of the estuary, anglers fishing with Luke Aston out of Carrigaholt have been enjoying some fine sport, targeting shark on the drift with up to 7 blues a day, and some quality pollack, coalies and ling from the reefs. And, in our final piece of sea angling news, lure angler Cormac Walsh ditched the fancy, high-end lures recently for a spot of long-range jigging with some heavy 40g jigs. The increased weight helped him launch the jigs to the horizon, and he was rewarded with a range of species: bass, wrasse, pollack and coalies.
Competitors lined up on Inniscarra
To coarse angling now, and the biggest story of the week took place in County Cork, where the 44th FIPSed World Championship Coarse Fishing for Clubs brought an unforgettable week of world-class angling and warm Irish hospitality to Inniscarra Reservoir, as 25 elite coarse angling clubs representing 16 nations gathered to compete in the prestigious international event. The fishing was exceptional, and after two thrilling days of angling, Club Lenza Emiliana Tubertini (Italy) emerged as World Champions—claiming their fifth world title and ninth podium finish. Up in Co. Monaghan, the Lough Muckno 5-day July festival came to a close last Friday after a week of first-class fishing. The top three anglers all had totals of 50kg or over, which shows the venue was on good form. Alan Larkin managed to win his section on most days, and his final tally of 56.71kg saw him finish as the festival winner, just ahead of Jim Brockie, who bagged 55.64kg. The CM Lakelands Feeder Club were on Lough Skeagh last Sunday, where they found plenty of skimmers, roach and hybrids on the feed. They posted some decent weights, with Darren Fairhurst the pick of the bunch with 11.340kg. Meanwhile, anglers from the MADCAP angling club in Athlone held a practice knock-up ahead of their 2-day festival this weekend. The quality of the fish was outstanding, with the winner, Gus Green, totalling just shy of 100lb, with plenty of big bream to 9lb in his net.
Enough slabs to build a wall there…
In Co. Longford, Kevin Lyons of Melview Lodge welcomed back some regular visitors from the UK last week. The guys were well tuned in to what it takes to get the fish on the feed, and they prebaited their venue and fished it hard for a few days. Over time, the fish moved in, attracted by the constant feed, and they had some fine fishing for tench and bream, with one day’s tally exceeding 150lb. Finally, interested anglers are reminded that the IASCaire American Pairs competition is now only a month away. With the date set for August 30th, and interest growing for the event, the organisers are asking for teams to confirm their participation in the competition.
Irish youths honing their skills in the USA
In trout fishing news, the TAFI Ireland Youth Team travelled to Idaho, USA, recently to compete in the 22nd World Youth Fly Fishing Championships. They fished on some legendary trout waters while over there, including the world-famous Henry’s Fork. The team narrowly missed out on a podium place, finishing fourth in the overall standings. But I’m sure they will have gained some valuable competition experience by training and competing on those wonderful fisheries. Eamonn Conway of Táin Fly Fishing has been putting in a few sessions on the rivers in the north east over the past week. The recent rain has freshened up the systems, making the brownies a bit more lively, and also encouraging the seatrout upstream. Angling guide Johannes Bulfin continues to learn the ins and outs of targeting Croneen in our midlands rivers and is honing his skills nicely. He has had a few fish in the 3lb category at this stage, and lost a much better one, estimated around 5lb, recently. But there’s plenty of time left in the season to have another go… Up on Loughs Conn & Cullin, fishing pressure is low at the moment, but some fish seem to be moving, most of them being tempted by wetfly, but the odd one falling to dries, including a dry Daddy Long Legs.
Fine Croneen for Johannes Bulfin
To salmon news now, and in a slow week in general, things were particularly slow down on the Waterville fishery this week, with not a fish to report. But at least spirits are still high after the footballers’ display in Croke Park at the weekend… In Co. Mayo, water levels have been dropping back all week on the Moy, and there was a steady catch of salmon throughout the system, with the Ballina Salmon Anglers stretch being the most prolific, with 24 salmon coming from that fishery.
We wrap this week’s report with a single pike angling report, as prolific YouTuber Senan Stanley was busy during the week, guiding clients to some fine pike, trout and perch. Early morning starts were key to success as the cooler temperatures at that time made the fish more active.
Pike, perch and trout all featured for Senan Stanley on Lough Derg
And now the weather
Today, Friday, will be dry in most areas, and it should stay that way overnight and into Saturday. The east coast will continue to remain dry on Saturday, but the rest of the country may see some rain and drizzle. Temperatures should be warm throughout Saturday, with highs of 17 to 23°C in a light to moderate southwest breeze. Rain will develop overnight on Saturday, but will clear from the south east on Sunday morning, and dry, bright conditions should prevail for most of the day. Things look set to change on Monday, as a more unsettled system will bring some wet and windy weather.
Peter Turner wrote to us back in 2019 to tell us af a fine shore caught Tope from the Shannon Estuary. He has been back fishing the same area in recent weeks, and while the tope haven’t been showing, he has been getting some conger to circa 20lb from the Ballyvaughan area and some decent thornback ray to circa 11lb from Tarbert.
A 20lb conger from BallyvaughanA nice Tarbert thornieAnother Ballyvaughan conger
Pete encouraged his cousin Paul to join him, along with his wife Emma and daughter Evie, as they had not fished before. Emma managed to catch a couple of small coalies, and the family seemed to enjoy the whole experience and were fully engaged in keeping an eye on the twitching rod tips as fish knocked at the baits.
A super rare, shore caught, east coast, John Dory wins this week's COTW
All round angler and specimen hunter Craig Murphy wrote in to tell us of this rare catch on the east coast:
Over the weekend, my family and I were fishing off Wicklow Pier, hoping to add a few more species to our list for the Southside Angling Species hunt. The usual suspects were making an appearance, pollock, corkwing, whiting, pouting, when something unexpected took us all by surprise.
My dad, Martin Murphy, got a good bite on his rod, and as he reeled it in, we noticed what looked like bones sticking out of a clump of weed. It wasn’t until the fish broke the surface that we realised what it was: a John Dory, a first for him, and a species none of us had ever seen caught on this side of the country.
They are typically found in deeper, warmer waters off Ireland’s south and west coasts, so landing one from the east, especially from shore, is highly unusual. It was a fantastic moment and a highlight of the weekend.
There is still plenty of time to sign up for the Southside Angling Species hunt. It runs until mid-June 2026. We have a seniors and juniors category, as well as a separate lure-only category, this year.
