David King on Lene with winning trout in junior section
Mick Flanagan reports on the fishing at Lough Lene…
Last Sunday April 9th Lough Lene Anglers hosted the Peadar Caffrey fly-fishing competition, in cool but nice fishing conditions. On the day you needed a good trout to get into the winning enclosure, and Trim angler Marc Regan had a rainbow of 2.12kg to take top rod. John Brennan finished 2nd with 1.98kg, and 3rd was D.J.Byrne with 1.62kg.
Marc Regan pictured with angling pal Tommy Keogh also of Trim and their winning fish
The junior section was won by David King of Dunsany Co.Meath.
David King on Lene with winning trout in junior section
Presentation took place at Fagan’s Point and Chairman Tom Fagan thanked all who fished the competition, and the next competition on Lene is the Wardell Cup for pike. This is on May 14th and we will have more on this in the coming weeks.
Midlands Angling provide a top class Guiding service covering many of the top coarse and game waters across the Midlands. Visiting fly anglers have landed some fine trout while out with Midland Angling Guides, pike anglers also recorded some net bursting catches including many pike over 20lbs. Top waters include Lough Ree, Ennell, Owel, Lene, Mount Dalton, and Glore Lake just to mention a few. Michael Flanagan Midland Angling
Pike and Trout angling guide.
Mick Flanagan reports on the the trout fishing at Derravargh…
This coming Sunday, 16th April, Derravaragh Anglers will host the Abbott/ Tight Lines fly fishing competition. This is the club’s first trout competition of the season, and all going well a few trout will come on line.
I was on the lake last week for a few days and there was little or no fly life, but a few nice trout were pitching, and they just might be feeding hard on fry. The competition will be fished from 11am-6pm from Donore Shore and new members are welcome to join the club. Derravaragh anglers host quite a few trout competitions during the season, and also a few super pike competitions.
I was chatting to Karl Meehan at the caravan and camping site at Donore Shore, and all hand are on deck now as they open the shop and restaurant St. Patrick’s weekend. The restaurant is open Friday – Sunday and it’s worth checking out over the coming weeks.
Midlands Angling provide a top class Guiding service covering many of the top coarse and game waters across the Midlands. Visiting fly anglers have landed some fine trout while out with Midland Angling Guides, pike anglers also recorded some net bursting catches including many pike over 20lbs. Top waters include Lough Ree, Ennell, Owel, Lene, Mount Dalton, and Glore Lake just to mention a few. Michael Flanagan Midland Angling
Pike and Trout angling guide.
Mick Flanagan reports on the trout fishing scene on Lough Ennell…
Once again Lough Ennel produced some super wild brown trout last week, and Kinnegad anglers Kevin Coyne and pal Joe Darby were in the thick of the action. Kevin had a cracker of 5lbs 2oz, and Joe boated a fish of 3lbs 6oz.
Kevin Coyne and 5lbs 2oz Ennell trout
At the moment quite a few Olives are hatching on Ennell, and fish are showing an interest in surface feeding. Easter weekend weather permitting it should produce a few fish on the troll and fly.
Lough Ennel Trout Preservation Association will hold their A.G.M. on Friday night April 21st in the Greville Arms Hotel. Its an 8pm start, and if interested in joining Ennell anglers drop in that night.
Midlands Angling provide a top class Guiding service covering many of the top coarse and game waters across the Midlands. Visiting fly anglers have landed some fine trout while out with Midland Angling Guides, pike anglers also recorded some net bursting catches including many pike over 20lbs. Top waters include Lough Ree, Ennell, Owel, Lene, Mount Dalton, and Glore Lake just to mention a few. Michael Flanagan Midland Angling
Pike and Trout angling guide.
Liz Dermott with the 2017 season's first fly caught salmon from Melvin, released
Mark Dermott was in touch to tell us the the first fly caught salmon on Lough Melvin was caught just yesterday, 13th April, by Irish Ladies international Liz Dermott in Garrison Bay. Liz Dermott with the season’s first fly caught salmon from Melvin, released
It was the first drift of the first outing on Melvin this season for Liz. The fish is estimated around 10-12lb and was returned safely to fight another day .
For info/Guides/boat hire on Lough Melvin contact Sean Maguire’s Tackle Shop, Main Street, Garrison. Tel: 0044 7871443304
For bookings/guides etc on the Rossinver Fishery contact Bill McNeary, Tel: 071 9854930 or Jim Hoye, Tel: 0831197428
For info see http://www.rossinverfishery.com/
The talks in this event will challenge the commonly-held view of fish as robot-like animals with no intelligence and a 30 second memory, which often leads to fish conservation being ignored in favour of more charismatic animals. Fish perform many complex behaviours that in mammals, for example, would be deemed intelligent or “smart”. Thus they form mental maps, use tools, build complicated structures and develop traditions. The dissonance between popular image and reality arises because most people do not have the time or opportunity to discover just how complex fish behaviour is. However, it needn’t be this way. Anglers spend a lot of time observing and interacting with fish, so in this session we will explore what they have to say about how smart, or not, fish are. Our aim is to promote a lively discussion between people with different perspectives and to highlight the value of the traditional knowledge that anglers possess and that they pass on to successive generations.
The best of the sport was had by those out fishing for trout on wet flies with a few boats reporting decent fishing. There are fair numbers of early sedge and buzzer hatching at present.
For info/Guides/boat hire on Lough Melvin contact Sean Maguire’s Tackle Shop, Main Street, Garrison. Tel: 0044 7871443304
For bookings/guides etc on the Rossinver Fishery contact Bill McNeary, Tel: 071 9854930 or Jim Hoye, Tel: 0831197428
For info see http://www.rossinverfishery.com/
Glen Wightman tells us that after a poor month of bass fishing in March he was desperate to catch some bass. He headed out to a mark that generally produces a good few bass in April and May. The mark didn’t disappoint as he landed a 54cm bass on a small plug shortly after arriving. Things slowed down after the initial fish so he moved a few hundred meters north to a shallow sandy spot with several large patches of weed. A few casts later as he was brings the lure past one of the weedy patches he got an almighty take.
Glen with his 87cm bass – Catch of the Week
The rod bent deep and the drag started screaming. He knew he had a special fish. An epic battle ensued with the fish making numerous runs. He was absolutely stunned when he eventually landed the 87cm bass, as he knew this was a fish of a lifetime. After few quick photos taken with the help of locals who had gathered to watch the battle the fish was tagged and released.
National Bass Tagging Programme
If you catch a bass with a yellow tag, please don’t remove the tag. Note the code on the tag (e.g. B-00001). If possible take a length and weight of the fish, and five scales from behind the pectoral fin (see link below for more details). Please then release the fish alive! Send us the details, along with the date and location and your name and phone number to [email protected].
Find out more about the National Bass Tagging Programme
A bit of settled weather last week saw fishing improve at a number of venues around the coast and inland. The dry spell has meant many rivers are starting to run low, not great for salmon, but the increase in water temperatures sees the start of coarse fish spawning…
Anglers on the Munster Blackwater reported fish from Fortwilliam and the Ballyduff beats of Blackwater Salmon Fishery. There was another salmon from the Bandon, and though conditions are good it is still a bit early for this river to start fishing properly. No change at the Laune where salmon are scarce on the Laune Angler’s waters, but a few sea trout have been reported. Lough Currane only saw two salmon returned to the local paparazzi and the Feale also saw two fish reported. Better weather and falling water made for improved fishing on the Moy and at least 29 fish were landed through the system. Yesterday the Ridge Pool had its first fish of the year, which is an early start of the Ballina Fishery. Levels on the Drowes continued to fall and only 9 salmon were reported last week.
Fly anglers on the Boyne had good dry fly and nymph fishing last week. Sheelin is still a little cold and there were no major hatches to bring on the fishing. Nevertheless some good trout were landed including a fine fish of 7lb on a Silver Humungus. It’s a bit early for talk of Mayfly but Lough Derg’s anglers will be keeping an eye out for any early appearances.
Frank Carty had the first TWO Tench of the year at 3lb 09oz and 3lb 02oz winning him Catch of the Week
Coarse reports are a bit thin on the ground this week. There is some good news to report though – the first tench of the year were landed at Lanesborough. This popular Shannon venue has also seen the big shoals of roach move in for spawning and a few decent bream are on site as well.
French and Belgian anglers fishing around Longford have had some great pike in the last week. Good pike fishing was also reported in the Boyle area where fish to 105cm were landed. There was also some good competition fishing enjoyed by pike angling clubs. Best of these we heard of was the Ardee Pike Anglers competition where 160 pike to 13lb 06oz were caught and safely released.
Cork was a sea angling Mecca over the weekend as small boat, charter boat and shore anglers all reported good fishing. Lure and fly anglers had good bass and mullet fishing at venues in east and west Cork. Boat anglers fishing from Cork Harbour had excellent pollacking. West Cork charter reports were also good. Anglers across Kerry, Galway and up into Donegal also reported good catches.
Good Friday will be mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, persistent in places. Highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees with moderate westerly breezes. Holy Saturday is likely to be mainly dry with some sunny spells but scattered showers may affect the northern half of the country. Top temperatures of around 9 to 12 degrees in a moderate west to northwesterly breeze. Sunday will be mostly dry over the south but showers or showery rain may affect parts of the west and north. Top temperatures may reach 11 to 14 degrees in light to moderate southwest to westerly breezes. On Easter Monday some patchy rain likely over the northern half of the country but the south is likely to stay mainly dry. Top temperatures again may reach 11 to 14 or 15 degrees.
For a lot of people this will be their first time out this year. Some might be a bit rusty on the ole water safety bit – so here it is again. Check the weather. Check the tides. Don’t take risks. Wear a life jacket.
Safe fishing to all this Easter and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Connor Lowry sets the 2017 benchmark with a 5lb 5oz fish
Paul Waghorne reporting to Lanesborough has all the latest coarse angling news…
06 April: Josh fished near the bush and had lots of Roach to about a pound. The bites dried up towards the evening, just as I arrived of course. I struggled to get bites at the gusher so moved downstream. A couple of nice 4oz fish were caught before a Pike interrupted the session by taking a larger fish. I thought it was a Tench or Bream at first, but as soon as I saw it, my hook length gave way. The swim never recovered and although I had loads of smaller Roach below the bridge, an early bath was called.
07 April: In the evening, there were quite a few out on the banks, and whilst most were Piking, one sat it out on a feeder near the bush. He only had two fish in 4 hours. I think if he’d tried the float he would have caught considerably more. I set up above the bridge and found the Roach most obliging. Averaging 8oz with several around a pound, it was a wonderful two hour session.
Below the disabled section, Philip Gordon was catching lots of very small Roach, with 4oz or so being the best.
A cold and misty start to the day
08 April: Brrr… That was a bit nippy at dawn, and with a thick mist seemed very quiet. First on parade was Frank Carty who opted the feeder on the bush. Fishing was slow, but his reward was the first tinca of the season. It was weighed at 3 lbs 9 oz and was followed by another of 3 lbs 2 oz – both were female.
Frank Carty had the first TWO Tench of the year at 3.09 and 3.02 winning him Catch of the Week
I started at the bridge, but after 15 minutes with just a pair of sprats to my credit, decided to move to the gusher where not only did it seem warmer, but the fish were easy to catch. I had nothing over 6oz and although they were mainly Roach, there was the added bonus of several chunky Rudd and two small Perch.
It looks like being a glorious day and I expect the stretch to have many anglers present this afternoon. As the sun goes overhead, I think Noel from Co. Cavan who is fishing the stick float just above the bridge will do very well as the fish retreat to the the shade.
Has anyone noticed the moon phase? I’m going to make a bold prediction by saying that Sunday evening after the rise at 17:30, we will see a huge influx of fish coming off the lake as the evening progresses.
09 April: Connor Lowry had the best of the action with two Tench weighing in at 4 lbs 13oz and 5 lbs 5 oz both were female and caught in the same swim as Frank’s fish yesterday.
Connor Lowry sets the 2017 benchmark with a 5lb 5oz fish
We discussed has to why these Tench have ‘appeared’ so early and came to the conclusion that as the Shannon never really flooded to excess this winter, thus resulting in the hot water stretch staying at a higher temperature than normal, some Tench stayed resident without disappearing into the reeds out on the lake.
I learned last week, that several Tench were caught all through November and December with one being caught on Dec 23rd!
Evening session – I was set up by six o’clock and started briskly, with most fish being hens of about 8 – 12 oz, but as the evening progressed, there were far more cock fish and of course, these were much smaller. I finished at 20:15 with 29 fish including two Perch. Lots of the hen fish were ready to spawn, so I believe it may be done and dusted by Thursday. There was an amount of surface activity which may suggest the Roach are moving with several fish turning in the navigation channel.
13 April: Not surprisingly, the bed was my best friend this morning. During the night, Connor and Dylan Lowry had a combined bag of just over of 50lb made up of a few Bream to 4lbs plus hybrids and two more Tench of 3lb and 3lb14oz. At this moment, there are a good few anglers using various methods, all having an amount of success. My morning walk found evidence of overnight spawning in the gusher. This hasn’t surprised me, as those fish entering the stretch in the last week have had a week of hot water and the cock fish must had a ‘bukkake’ time with the few hens present.
Spawn on weed from the hot water sectionA big bream that may have been as much as 10lb was found dead
Also, Phillip Gordon fished the duckpond area and found some Bream before they got into the hot stretch. I just checked the water temperature which now shows 10.22c which is as near to 51f as can be, so it really will happen today. Blain Carberry was opposite me in the main navigation channel yesterday evening and recorded 55f which I think is about 11.5 however, transducer’s on fish finders usually only read the surface water and also, there may have been a small influence of the hot water on his reading.
Due to the biosecurity risks posed by the Asian Clam populations anglers can only use the specially provided keep-nets, available both sides of the bridge – from the Daybreak Filling Station, Ballyleague and Bridie Holmes Fishing Tackle Shop, Lanesborough.
The settled weather at the end of last week saw some great angling activity for boats based in Cork Harbour. Small boat anglers had excellent pollack fishing on shads and soft lures.
Fishing with Richie Ryan of Eirbass on Sunday was young Haley Burger from the USA , a keen fly fisherman, who caught his first Pollack on the fly
In an earlier report this week it was all about the fly, when young Haley Burger got his first pollack on fly with guide Richie Ryan, but it was the the turn of the lure anglers to show what they’ve got this time.
Josh caught his own weight in fish
A change to bait saw small ling and some lovely cuckoo wrasse brought to the boat. Ian O’Shea of Bellavista Angling Centre was fishing with Declan Collins and Co and he was impressed by the consistent stream of pollack over 5lb that came to the boat in the slack tides.
pollack
Charter boat skipper Joe Lynch of the Wreck Hunter (087-2302362 or check out the Wreck Hunter) reported a group of anglers fishing with him had over 200 pollack in a day last week. Joe reckons that settled weather at this time of year can produce some exceptional fishing.
Cuckoo wrasse same to mackerel baited hokais
This sentiment was echoed by Peter Manning of the charter boat Cleona in Ballycotton (+353 (0)86 8124922). He skippered for a club competition that was won by Pat Condon with over 700 points. He had a busy day on the boat and never had a chance to put the score cards down. Amongst the mix of species were a couple of dozen fine codling of 4lb or so.
bass
Shore angling in the general area saw an improvement too. Pat O’Shea, Commodore Hotel, hadn’t fished in months but managed to get out on Tuesday evening and got his first bass of the year. Which was then followed by 11 others!
