Angling Guide and guesthouse owner Kevin Lyons reports from Melview Lodge:
It was like a blast from the past for guest house owner Kevin Lyons of Melview Lodge when fishing buddies Mike Smithers and Kevin Kempster from the UK decided to re-visit Ireland for a fishing holiday,. Kevin said it was great to see them again as they have not fished together for around 10 years for one reason or another. Before this they had fished in Ireland for 20 years together and always had a great time of it, this time was no different…
Mike and Kevin with a nice 215lb catch of Bream
It was straight into fishing mode for the three of us. This of course saw the important first step of cutting out and prebaiting the old venues we had fished years ago.
Mike with some good Roach
The first venue was looking great with plenty of big Roach feeding first and we were just waiting for the Bream to move in over the next day or so like they had done on previous years. But it was not to be, large Pike had moved into the swim to snack on the many Roach we had attracted to the area. We all had our fair share of Pike take’s, however we managed to catch some cracking Roach to around 1lb 8oz in that time using the feeder at 40 yards with various hook baits.
Kevin with his catch of 96lb
Due to bad weather reports we had to change our plans at the last moment and chose another venue for us.Then late that evening it was then off to venue number two for a good old prebait. The change of venue the rught decision as the weather we fished in was very close to madness but it paid off for us producing 215lb for Mike and Kevin and 96lb for myself.
Kevin with a super catch of Roach
Just like the old days, great catches and lot of laughs. Thanks lads, look forward to seeing you again soon.
Kevin has over 30 years experience of fishing in Ireland and is happy to offer a guided tour on your arrival, and to advise where the on-form waters in the area are. We can arrange your bait order so it’s here when you arrive. Melview offers free use of 17ft lake boats with engines to our guests (pay fuel only) and Kevin is happy to assist with any pre-baiting requests. Maps and other information regarding fishing are also available.
‘Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting’ Joyce Meyer
Kilnahard, Lough Sheelin
Lough Sheelin suffered from the remnants of storm Gert in the first two days of this fishing week, in the form of torrential downpours. It is a well-known fact that all weather, good or bad, has a direct effect on the trout here and therefore the anglers. A capricious and changeable stretch of water at the best of times, a sudden influx of fresh cold water will automatically throw out a different dice as the trout sink deep to avoid that sudden cold surface blast. Despite this meteorological hiccup Lough Sheelin was a good place to be this week, for the fishing for some was excellent. A number of 5lb plus trout in prime condition were reported as well as a fine selection of 2 to 3lb catches. Big trout seemed to be on the move and anglers were treated to some aerial gymnastics by a few piscatorial exhibitionists.
‘Life is not measured by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away’ The ecstasy of a Sheelin trout – Owen Jacob, Dublin 25/8/17
The hatches
A late summer Sheelin olive – a Pheasant Tail Nymph is a good choice when fish are feeding on this insectA Sheelin sedge – Limnephilus speciesSheelin’s female Buzzer
Now, into late summer, this is a ‘not to be missed’ fishing stage on this lake with a plethora of ‘on the menu’ food available to the trout here with a corresponding artificial choice for the Sheelin angler. There is definitely no shortage of insects with olives, sedges and buzzers being the three main courses (plus their metamorphical stages – larva, nymphs, emergers and adults) but along with these, to add further confusion to the equation, are the terrestrials and Sheelin’s Daphnia. To avoid getting bogged down in a entomological minefield it is important to keep it simple, for time and time again simplicity is the only thing that works on Sheelin so good advice is to go back to the traditional tried and tested patterns, those that have been used down through the years – the Raymond and the Dunkeld, the Dabblers, Pennells and Bumbles.
Happy French anglers (guided by Christopher Defillon)
There are impressive numbers of a vast array of sedge species here but because their passage on to the water is very weather dependent and with consistently unfavourable hatching conditions for this week, the more predominantly nocturnal sedges like the Peters, Long Horn and Murrough seldom ventured out. Anglers did report some late afternoon/evening sedge fishing using size 12 – 14 brown dry sedge patterns. A good combination for Northern Ireland angler Jordon Loughray was a dry sedge on the top dropper, a shipman’s in the middle and a suspended buzzer on the point, all of which landed him a 4 ½ lb Sheelin prize. The Shipman’s imitating an adult buzzer is a good consistent fly for Sheelin. This was a warm week and that warmth was reflected in the large number of buzzer hatches in the sheltered areas of the lake.
Nocturnal perfection – Lough Sheelin’s Peter Sedge
A floating line was best with claret, silvers and greys being the dominant fly colours. Using a Maxima line 8lb strength is recommended, lighter will mean that although you’ll take in a fish, it will also mean a huge length of time playing him increasing the chance that he will die from exhaustion.
Lough Sheelin’s Peter sedge
August is the month for hoppers, hoppers and more hoppers for we are in peak terrestrial time and fishing these imitations on a slick are brilliant in imitating those non-aquatic insects. Nearly all the flies that are getting results now seem to have the Daddy or Hopper legs, spindly appendages with the small knotted joints. Some anglers tried dapping but although a traditional method of trout fishing, dapping Daddies or Grass Hoppers requires specific conditions, ideally a light wind and cloud and although there was good cloud cover this week, the wind with all its changeability made hard work for the dappers.
Sheelin’s Apple Green midge
The catches
Peter Thompson, Dublin
The best fishing areas of the lake were out from Church Island, the middle of the lake, Inchacup and around by the Long Rock. There was some good Murrough fishing at Lynch’s Point. Last week it was all about fishing in the middle of the lake but for the past seven days fishing has moved slightly outwards heading to points like Stony Island, Long Rock and Derry Point although not hugging these area and still favouring towards the centre of the lake. Last Friday was the pick of the days with 4 boats out reporting eleven fish with a top weight of over 5lbs.
Unhooking a trout in preparation for the release
The heaviest fish for this week weighed in at 6 lbs caught by Belfast angler Mathew Grenshaw using a Claret Stimulator fishing out from Church Island, August 25th.
Total number of trout recorded: 52
Guided by Christopher Defillon
Selection of Catches
Des Elliott, Dublin – 7 trout for 4 days, heaviest at 5 ½ and 3 ¼ caught on Black Pennells and Golden Olives.
Owen Jacob, Dublin – 4 trout heaviest at 5lbs on a Muddler.
John Chaney, Dublin – 1 trout at 3lbs using a Chocolate Drop Sedge fishing off Church Island, 25/8/17.
Paddy Brady, Cavan – 3 trout heaviest at 3lbs caught on Dabblers and Hoppers.
Danny Murray, Dublin – fishing with Lough Sheelin Guiding, 3 trout at 54, 56 and 60cm using wet flies.
Kevin Sheridan, Cavan – 2 trout at 1 ½ lbs on a Stimulator and 21″ on a Silver Dabbler.
Peter Thompson, Dublin – 1 trout at 63cm on wets guided by Lough Sheelin Guiding.
Enrico Fantasia, Dublin – 1 trout at 61cm (guided by Lough Sheelin Guiding).
Wilson Clingham fishing with Ned Shannon, Belfast – 3 trout averaging 3lbs each, using Gold and Black Dabblers.
The fresh cold surface water and changing winds meant there was little surface feeding so it was all about fishing teams of wet flies. Obvious as it sounds if you don’t see fish boiling or occasionally breaking the surface, it’s a good bet that they’re holding down below (trout rarely feed on the surface, hitting insects in the surface film no more than 10 per cent of the time) and there was very little breaking the surface this week.
The flies
Midge pupa imitation
The flies most used this week by anglers were the Murrough, the Green Peter’ a Small Brown Sedge (12-14 or smaller), Stimulators, Klinkhammers, Gorgeous George, Yellow Humpies, the Fiery Brown Sedge, the Chocolate Drop, hoppers, the Hare’s Ear Sedge, CDC Emergers, the Alexandra, the red-tailed Green Peter, the Sedge Invicta, the Pearly Invicta, the Mallard & Claret, G&H Sedge, the Black Pennel, the Claret Pennel, , a variety of Bumbles and the Silver Invicta.
Paul Caslin’s Claret & Silver Dabbler
Other flies that got results were the Dabblers as top droppers (in black, gold, pearly and silver), the Black Pennell, Sedge patterns (particularly the Chocolate Drop), Daddies (in brown and claret), the Octopus (good for Daphnia feeders) and the Stimulators (as the top dropper with silver and claret flies as middle and point).
Paul Caslin’s Bibio variants
The stimulator is a great attractor fly which doesn’t really resemble any specific type of insect but does a great job at resembling a whole lot of bugs at the same time. The Muddlers in all their variants and in particular the Muddler Minnow (when pulled through the top surface as part of a dry fly team) had high success rates.
Go fishing…
Up coming competitions
The McIntyre/Guider Cup – Saturday September 30th, 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.
The LSTPA Stream Rehabilitation Competition will be held on Sunday October 1st (details later)
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
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.
Declan Gibbons has all the news from Lough Corrib…
Frank Costello – a nice trout on Claret Dabbler about to be released.
Frank Costello www.ashfordoldschoolhouse.ie or 087-2524253 reports from the Cong area of an improvement in trout angling for the week gone by with good action and sport on dry fly in many areas on Ginger and Claret bits and other hopper patterns. Frank himself had a nice fish on Friday last pictured which he got on a claret dabbler and sportingly released.
Vaughn Ruckley had two 4lbers
Larry McCarthy www.corribangling.com of Corrib View Lodge reports that fishing has been very productive over the last week. Many good fish have been caught on dry sedge and olives. Larry fished with New Zealand guide Matt Butler on Tuesday afternoon in the Greenfields area and they had three trout up to four pounds on sedge.
A nice trout caught while fishing with a corrib View Angling boat
Vaughn Ruckley and Bill Brown enjoyed four good days with Larry catching eight trout two of which were four pounds and four pounds eight ounces. Many guests staying at the lodge reported lots of good wet fly action in the Inchagoill area with reports of good bags of fish caught and returned each day.
Another good looking trout for a Corrib View Angling guest
In the Oughterard area Basil Shields of Ardnasillagh Lodge 091-552550 reports of a slow and sporadic olive hatch and a good hatch of sedges along with good fishing in the deeps on Daphnia but hard to locate. A group Dublin anglers staying at the lodge made up of Richard Burgees 1 fish 33cm, Michael Gallagher 1 fish 34cm, Tom Butler 1 fish 35cm and Declan Keogh 1 fish 33cm enjoyed a days fishing and caught the above number of fish which were all sportingly released with the majority of the fish caught on wet fly.
Gareth Orange from Dublin had four fish on wets for his day on Corrib with his best fish being 2.9lbs on wet fly.
Joe Turner for Fermanagh had five fish for his visit to Corrib with the best fish being 3.8lbs on wets. Joseph and Laurence Hanley from Athlone had seven fish for two days on dry fly with the best fish being 2.9lbs.
Ted & Sue Wherry
Ted Wherry 087-4305957 from Mayfly Lodge Ballynalty Bay reports of good fishing in the area Ted along with friend Richard Robinson fished a few afternoons for the week gone by and had fish for most afternoons action . Ted and his wife Sue were out on Tuesday afternoon last and Sue had a nice fish of 2.5lbs to a dry daddy.
Ted
On Tuesday last Father and son Duo from Galway Harold and Harry O Toole enjoyed an days fishing wet fly fishing and trolling and landed seven fish for their day out and Sunday Harold and his Father Kevin enjoyed a days fishing and had four fish to the boat on wet flies. In the Cornamona area Tom Doc Sullivan www.tomdoc.com reports of visiting Italian angler Alberto Campagno and friend had good fishing in the area for two days fishing and landed seven fish on wet flies with the best fish being two pounds. staying in the Cornamona area Mike Shanks had five fish for a days fishing last week in the Inchagoill area.
On Thursday last The Garda Angling Club Galway West held a competition at Greenfields where eight fish were caught by nine anglers with the average weight of the fish being a pound and a half.
1st Christy Reilly with three fish for 4lbs 8oz.
2nd Seamus Kelly with two fish for 3lbs 8oz.
3rd Shane Travers with one fish 2lbs 4oz.
Billy Kavanagh of The Annaghdown Angling Club reports that 11 Anglers had 6 fish for 7.94Kgs in the The Paddy Cunningham Cup
The numbers of children are taking up fishing as a sport is often a concern to us here but this recent booking with Richie Ryan gave us all a bit of hope. Richie takes up the story…
Georgia Zeolla was the first to connect
I recently received a call from a Godfather who wanted to take his two Godchildren out fishing. Now that’s what I call thoughtful ! Another skipper from Crosshaven had recommended me as I only have a license to take out small groups. This kind gesture by their Godfather Adam Troy will hopefully inculcate a love of angling in these two youngsters. And so it was they set out on their treat after the initial safety briefing.
Callum Troy
Ok , here is where we cheated a small bit. Knowing that the fly fishing was producing really great results I set up all three with fly rods and gave them a small demonstration. As if on cue a Pollack wolfed my fly. I really love the look of awe and disbelief when this happens. Invariably the first cast produces a fish and gets the client very excited about the prospects of a good fishing experience. In order to let someone try saltwater fly fishing the inexperienced angler simply drops the fly in the water and the current takes the line away from the boat and down into the brine. Many clients have taken up fly fishing as a result of this experience.
Adam Troy
Georgia Zeolla , one of the Godchildren , was a fast learner and was instantly into a fish. She definitely had the knack. Not to be outdone her cousin Callum Troy was next to instantly hook up after being given a quick lesson. When theIr Godfather Adam was happy that the VIP’s were catching fish he took the third rod and also started catching fish. Excitement and tallies of fish caught flew back and forth. And so it continued until the kick off for the Manchester United match beckoned. With a promise to return next year for more fishing the children and myself left with a smile. And Adam Troy was also smiling, the plan worked.
Water Heritage Day on Sunday August 27th will provide an opportunity to celebrate water and what it means to us. There is so much to discover about water as it moves through catchments in rivers, lakes and underground on its journey from source to sea.
Something Fishy Going On – 27 August, 12pm – 4pm
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Glenveagh National Park beside restaurant at main car park
Co. Donegal
“Something Fishy Going On” is an excellent opportunity to observe juvenile trout and salmon in an aquarium. Participants will have the opportunity to view a range of macroinvertebrates under microscopes.
Fisheries Officers will be available to discuss the life cycle of various fish species and environmental factors that affect their survival. Participants will be able to view a range of macroinvertebrates including mayflies, stoneflies and freshwater shrimp to name a few.
Water Heritage Day on Sunday August 27th will provide an opportunity to celebrate water and what it means to us. There is so much to discover about water as it moves through catchments in rivers, lakes and underground on its journey from source to sea.
Kick sampling team
How Communities Can Restore Small Streams – 27 August, 10:30am – 2pm
The Water and Communities Office and Coastwatch
National Heritage Park
Co. Wexford
An invitation to the first findings of how healthy is your stream, what assets does the stream provide for eco-systems? What can we all do?
Dr. Fran Igoe, LAWCO and Siobhán Atkinson, researcher UCD will discuss citizens science and restoration of small streams. Learn about the Reconnect Project App developed by EPA-funded project involving citizens in the recording of obstacles (dams, weirs, culverts etc.) in small streams.
‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see’ Henry David Thoreau
A Sheelin sedge
August is a fishing month that can sometimes be mistakenly written off by anglers as being slow and sluggish with not much happening, a month of ‘resting up’ as such before that final blast into the last leg of the trout fishing season.
Ned Shannon, Belfast with his 5 ½ August trout
Despite having struggled with water clarity issues, Lough Sheelin is pulling away from its contemporaries and is producing some excellent and diverse fishing for those tenuous anglers whose passion for this stretch of water can, at times, be only admired. I am definitely in awe of those anglers who display a continuous and unwavering faith in this unique stretch of trout fishing water and because of their faith often reap the benefits.
Fishing on Lough Sheelin this week has been good but hard and it is important to note that word hard.
The hatches
One of the many Sheelin sedges
Catch and release is encouraged on this lake but still in order to know what exactly the fish are feeding on, an odd spooning job is necessary – buzzer pupa and a terrestrial, along with a greenish and orange mush were the results from one stomach content last week. Late summer is terrestrial time and trout love the nutrient packed meal for one of a Daddy Long Legs, fly or beetle that inadvertedly tumbles on to the water, adult buzzers are there in good numbers in the evenings in the sheltered areas so it was no surprise seeing their pupa but the other greenish/orange mush present was Sheelin’s water fleas or Daphnia.
Daphnia of course are not actually fleas they are only sometimes referred to as that because of their minuscule size and this size of course makes it impossible to recreate perfectly an individual so instead the angler heads for a minic of a group of Daphnia to lure the trout. Trout feed on Daphnia by swimming around with their mouths open, simply gulping groups of them at a time. Although there are quite a few options when it comes to colour as Daphnia are quite varied in their appearance, if the water is dark or murky as it is at present, go for the bright colours – orange and yellow. Bobs Bits and Humpies are good but bright Streamers, Zonkers, Damsel Nymphs and Buzzer larvae patterns can also work. Trout know that Daphnia only sink very slowly so you want to fish it while it is sinking as opposed to on the retrieval. On days where the trout seem to be extra elusive using flies that mimic Daphnia just might make the difference.
A Sheelin Buzzer
Lough Sheelin is a lake full of human contradictions so in order to give as accurate an account as possible the only way is for me to get out there myself, for example this week a worried angler sought me out to inform me that there was a big reduction in the sedge numbers this year on Sheelin and that he had seen hardly any, well, I can contradict that one, as for the past number of weeks I have been amazed and bewildered by the huge quantities of sedges that are at Sheelin. In fairness to my worried angler, the weather has been unkind to our sedges and because of the rain and winds, the Sheelin sedges have been regularly stuck in the bushes and not in evidence out on the water but rest assured they are there and in vast numbers. There was some sedge fishing this week with two 3lb plus fish caught on a Murrough pattern and a Green Peter. The best sedge fishing remains in the evening and those first hours of darkness and with the recent chilling down of temperatures are not a popular option with anglers.
Stomach contents of a trout – Corixa, buzzer pupa & a terrestrial fly
The Catches
‘No Kiddin’ Davey Kidd, Belfast with a beautiful 3 pounder using a George pattern, fishing around Church Island
On Thursday August 18th, the Ulster Shield was held on Sheelin. Bright sunny conditions prevailed but despite this far from ideal weather there were no complaints as there were lots of trout seen and a fair amount of misses. Seven trout were weighed in for sixteen anglers with the winner being Dundalk angler Vinny Connell with a lovely 3lb 11oz fish.
Ned Shannon’s fish of 5 ½ lbs
The best areas for fishing on the lake this week were Lynch’s pt (good for Murrough and Green Peter hatches) , Chambers Bay, the middle of the lake, Ross Bay round to Derrahorn, Inchacup and off Wilson’s Point.
Peter Neeson, Northern Ireland
The heaviest fish for this week weighed in at 6 ½ lbs caught by Dublin angler Finten Blakely using a Silver Dabbler fishing in the middle of the lake.
Total number of trout recorded: 32
Selection of Catches
Kenneth O’Keefe and Jack Egan, Cavan – 5 trout averaging 2 ½ to 3 ½ lbs.
Ned Shannon, Belfast – 1 trout at 5 ½ lbs
Des Elliott, Dublin – 1 trout at 2lbs using an Octopus, August 15th.
Davey Kidd, Belfast – 1 trout at 3lbs using a George pattern, fishing around Church Island.
Vinny Connell, Dundalk – 1 trout at 3lbs 11ozs using wet flies.
Mark Bradshaw, Dublin – 3 trout averaging 2 ½ lbs using Stimulators and Daddies.
Cian & Dara Murtagh, Cavan – Friday August 18th 5 trout averaging 2 – 3lbs on Daddies and Dabblers.
Rain? Just a good sky
The Flies
Sedge patterns for Sheelin
The flies that were most successful over the past number of days were the Silver Invictas, the Pearly Dabblers, the Claret Bumbles, the Claret George, Daddies, Hoppers, Dabblers (Claret, Green and Silver) the Murrough, the Green Peter’ a Small Brown Sedge (12-14 or smaller), Stimulators, Klinkhammers, Gorgeous George, Yellow Humpies, the Fiery Brown Sedge, the Chocolate Drop, the Hare’s Ear Sedge, CDC Emergers, the Alexandra, the red-tailed Green Peter, the Mallard & Claret and the G&H Sedge.
A Murrough pattern
The best line to use at the moment is a floating line (forget the midge/sink tips for the time being) and of course it is the top dropper (in a 3 rig set up) that is the most important – one angler tells me that his top dropper has become a permanent feature for the season while the point and middle are replaced frequently as they become chewed and battered. Because of the discoloured water, bright flies are a good choice. The wet flies that featured most was the Octopus, Gorgeous George (and variations), Bob’s Bits, Humpies, Daddies and the Dabblers. Claret is still in there as the top colour.
Silver Invicta – Kevin Sheridan
I don’t know whether this is an Irish or universally human thing but sometimes we have a habit of asking a question and then answering it ourselves without listening to the person to whom we have asked the question. Sheelin anglers in general have a reluctance to share information but those that do wryly comment to me that they are seldom listened to – ‘use a floating line’ being the advice at the moment but ‘sure would you not use an intermediate ‘ is the reply from the angler who is continually blanking – I rest my case…
Go fishing…
Up coming competitions
The McIntyre/Guider Cup – Saturday September 30th, 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.
The LSTPA Stream Rehabilitation Competition will be held on Sunday October 1st (details later)
A catch & release policy is actively encouraged on the lake at all times
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.
Osgur Grieve reports that they had another brilliant week here on the Erriff with 56 salmon landed for the period 16th – 22nd August…
The fish have been coming to a variety of flys from nearly the entire length of the river which is great to see. Some of the catches includes, Ross Varian who fished with us on Wednesday 16th and released 2 grilse of 2lbs. and 3.5lbs from tawnyard potholes and mike’s pools on beat 3 using a yellow and black conehead and a garry dog. On Thursday 17th Jonathan Murray and Stephen Coulter fished with us and released 6 salmon between them ranging in weight from 3lbs. – 7lbs. from Altamot’s dam and colonel’s pool on beat 6 and the square pools on 9 on a Bann special and a Dunkeld. On Friday 18th Aidan Crean released 3 grilse of 5lbs., 4lbs., 4lbs. from colonel’s run on beat 6 and bridge pool and paddy stick pool on beat 3 using a Tosh fly. Roy Sanderson also fished on the 18th and released a 5lbs. grilse from the broken bridge pool on beat 5 using an Ally’s shrimp. Kevin Cronin was also into action on the Coronation pool on beat 8 releasing a 3lbs. grilse and loosing another bigger fish at the net.
Saturday 19th was a red letter day producing 24 salmon for the day! The combination of high water for the previous 2 days meant that with the water showing 1.36m in the morning and dropping for the day it was perfect conditions for the anglers. Jonathan Murray and Stephen Coulter (N.I.) returned and released 7 grilse between 2lbs. and 6lbs. in the Coronation pool on beat 8 and the Hill and Joyce’s sands on beat 5 using Bann special, garry dog, cascade. Regular visitor Martin Witort released 2 salmon from the Quarry pool on Beat 2 of 5lbs. and 8lbs. on a shrimp fly. and another of 4lbs. from Beat 6. James Muckian released a 4lbs. grilse from White rock run on Beat 7 using a kingfisher stoat and another 4lbs. grilse from the washing pool on Beat 4 using a Curry’s red shrimp. Noel Fitzpatrick broke his unlucky spell with salmon and released a 3lbs. grilse from The Oaks on Beat 3 using a red shrimp fly. Glen Harmon also returned for a day and released 2 nice grilse of 4lbs. and 6lbs. from Kings pool on Beat 4 using a red ally’s shrimp. A group of U.K. anglers who were visiting the Erriff for the 1st time also had great sport that day with Sam Carlisle releasing 2 grilse from Nee’s run and the High bank of 2lbs. and 4lbs. on a fly called ” in flames”, Tom Allen released a 2lbs. grilse from the falls pool on a turbo phantom and Euan Ivory released 2 grilse of 4lbs. and 5lbs. from Altamot’s dam and Colonel’s run on Beat 6.( They went on to catch a total of 14 grilse between 4 of them for their 3 day stay). Aidan Crean fished again on the 19th and released 2 grilse of 3lbs. and 6lbs. from the cottage pool on Beat 4 on a Tummel shrimp and black shrimp. Arthur Muckian released a nice 5lbs. grilse from King’s pool on beat 4 on a Stoat’s tail. Gerry Merrick returned to fish with us and released a 3.5lbs grilse from the Coronation pool on Beat 8 using a Willie gunn. On Tuesday 22nd regular visitor Anthony Holden released a 3lbs grilse from the Tawnyard potholes on Beat 3 using a red shrimp fly as the water cleared and was dropping.
At the moment the river is at 1.05m and is clear, we have rain forecast for the next couple of days which will help to keep the river topped up and the good fishing to continue.
Make a booking
If you wish to book fishing please call the fishery office on (095) 42382 or email us at [email protected]
The week was wet with good rainfall amounts. This brought numerous floods and in fact there was good water each day except for Tuesday and Sunday but even on these days water levels were fair (0.18m). The gauge average for the week was very high reading 0.28 metres! There were a number of salmon recorded but not as many as expected. Some 25 salmon were caught for the week. Constant high water can often be counterproductive. Hard to keep us anglers happy! 44 visiting rods were in attendance over the week.
On Monday Pat McLoughlin recorded a 4lb grilse caught on a fly from beat 5 & Sean Campbell accounted for a 5lb grilse caught on a spinner from 4. On Tuesday, Alan Watson reported a 2lb grilse caught and released on a fly from beat 8. On Wednesday, John Joe Doherty recorded a 4lb grilse caught on a fly from beat 9 and Paul Brennan accounted for a 3lb grilse caught & released on a spinner from beat 9. On Thursday, Neil Gallagher recorded a 4lb grilse caught on a spinner from beat 5 and Sean Campbell logged a 10lb salmon caught on a spinner from beat 3. On Friday, Jim McLean reported a 4lb grilse caught & released on a spinner from beat 9. On Saturday, Paul Brennan recorded a 5lb grilse caught on a spinner from beat 9 and Kevin O’Neill accounted for an 8½lb salmon caught on a fly from beat 5.
The forecast for the coming week is for continuing wet weather and I would expect good water levels at times over the week.
Make a booking
For info/bookings etc on the Owenea Fishery –
Tel: 074 9551141. (9am to 1pm April to May & 7am to 1pm June to Sept).
Dick Warner’s Great Irish Fishing Odyssey is a factual entertainment series presented by the late, great, Dick Warner which blends an innovative format with theatrical photography and unseen fisheries archive. It airs tonight, Monday 21st of August 2017 at 7.30pm on eirSport.
The thirteen part series promises a comprehensive and entertaining guide to fishing in Ireland with series presenter Dick Warner, a diverse cast, and breath-taking scenery. The series will also include some of the Inland fisheries incredible unseen archive making it one of the most exciting new programmes for a single sport in Ireland.
In this, Dick’s last contribution to Irish television, he leaves no stone unturned in his Odyssey to catch 13 of Ireland’s freshwater fish and cements his legacy as one of Ireland’s all time presenting greats.
Grey Duster Guiding
