Written By: Kevin Crowley
On Date: 27/8/2007
GALWAY WEIR Water levels were high for most of the week, with 6 gates open, but have no dropped to 3 gates, and hopefully with drier weather forecast they may drop further, improving conditions for flyfishing. With the high water, only 4 salmon were landed for the week. Jim Cusack from Dublin had a nice 5.5lbs grilse on shrimp, while Kenneth McEwan from England landed a 4-pounder, also on shrimp. Gary Fullerton and Pat Kane, both from Donegal, landed grilse of 4 and 3.5lbs on fly this morning, with the Cascade fly doing the business. If water levels drop fishing should improve over the next week with a good head of salmon in the river.
LOUGH MASK
Weather over the week was quite unsettled, with thundery conditions giving way to drier weather over the weekend. Sedges were hatching in good numbers, with some mayfly seen also, and most fish were taken on sedges and dapped crickets. The Partry Anglers held a competition over the weekend on Mask and Carra. 209 anglers fished using wetfly and dapping methods, and 50 anglers had 92 fish for 1day. The winner was Pat Noone from Naas with 6 fish for 7.6lbs, 2nd was Ray Burns from Castlerea with 7 fish for 7.35lbs, and 3rd was Ballinrobe man Dennis Kelleher who had 4 fish for 7.05lbs. Heaviest fish was Bernard Mannion from Castlerea with a fine trout of 3lbs. Some good catches of trout were also made on Carra with Tom Byrne from Partry landing 4 fish for 6.05lbs.
SEA FISHING
John Brittain from Bluewater Angling in Clifden reports on recent good boat fishing in the Clifden area. Awful weather has made shark fishing and getting to the offshore reef marks impossible for the last week, however operating from Cleggan, Bluewater has not missed a day thanks to the nearby shelter of Inishbofin and Inishturk Islands which have produced some great fishing in reasonably pleasant conditions. Jim Doyle and his son John from the U.K. joined a Dutch group led by Joop Aarts for some interesting species fishing between them catching 15 species for two days. The CFB’S Norman Dunlop is fishing at the moment with UK journalist Mike Thrussel and they have had some fantastic ray fishing in really appalling conditions catching and releasing over 40 thornback and spotted ray plus assorted gurnards and doggies in one 3 hour session on Friday the 17th.
For details and to book fishing you can contact John or Sue Brittain at Blue Water Fishing, Sharamore House, Streamstown, Clifden, Co. Galway, (Tel.) 095 21073 or check http://seafishingireland.net/
LOUGH INAGH
Fishery manager Colin Folan reports from Inagh: High water levels continue to bring in plenty of salmon. Lough Inagh has not seen as many salmon in a long time. There are still plenty of fresh grilse entering the fishery. Last season September was our best month for salmon and this year promises to be even better.....At time of writing we have beaten last years total salmon catch.
Notable catches included Michael Heery (Dublin) who fished Inagh for a day and caught 2 grilse of 6 and 5 lbs on a Claret Dabbler. Michael also caught 2 sea trout. Phil McMahon (Dublin) caught 3 salmon for a day on Inagh; the fish weighed 7, 6 and 4lbs. A Claret Bumble and Bibio were responsible for the catch.
Eugene McMahon (Galway) caught a 7lbs salmon and 5 sea trout for a day on Inagh on a Daddy. Denis Murphy (Dublin) caught a cracker of a sea trout of 3lbs.
There were first salmon ever for Patrick Molloy (Dublin) and Robert Daly (Dublin), both fish weighed 5lbs and both were caught on the Derryclare Butts on a Silver Stoat and Badger.
Vincent Foley and Colin Folan fished for trout on Inagh for a day and caught 6 sea trout and 9 brown trout to 2lbs on Bibios and Raymonds.
John Dardis (Kildare) caught a fresh grilse of 6lbs on the Glendallogh Butts on a Hairy Mary.
For details or to book fishing, contact Colin at Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel, tel. 095 34706 or 086 8679459, or email inagh@iol.ie
SEA FISHING
James Linnane from the Lisdoonvarna Fanore club reports on their annual week long competition:
The Lisdoonvarna Fanore Sea Angling Club held it's Annual International Angling Week on 5th to 11th August last. Over 50 Anglers from Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man took part in five days of angling along the shore in Fanore.
In general, weather conditions were very good for fishing and a large variety of fish were landed including a Trigger Fish and Red Gurnard, not normally caught in this area. Other species included Conger Eel, Pollack, Lesser Spotted Dogfish, Wrasse, Pollack, Rockling, Thornback and Spotted Ray. In total over 400 fish were recorded over the five days. The heaviest fish of the week was a Conger Eel weighing 11.1 kgs, caught in Ballyreen by Eamonn McDonnell from Wexford.
First prize was won by George Dugdale from the Isle of Man, with a score of 329 pts. Second was Michael Curtin from Kinvara, with 302 pts, and third was Ian Ashcroft from the Isle of Man, with 246 pts. Fourth was Tom Faley from Limerick on 226 pts, and fifth was Mick Browne from Wexford on 207 pts.
The winner of the juvenile competition was Joseph Birney from Clarecastle with 234 pts. In second place was Paul Norton from Ruan on 200 pts, and third was Sean Copley from Clarecastle on 130 pts. The heaviest fish prize went to Eamonn McDonnell from Wexford for his 11.1kgs Conger Eel, while the top team of the week was Joe Ryan (Wexford), Paul Norton Jnr (Ruan) and Mick Browne (Wexford).
The best Angler aged 60 years or over and winner of the Burren Cup was Ian Ashcroft from the Isle of Man
At the presentation of Prizes in O'Donoghue's Pub in Fanore George Dugdale as overall angler of the week was presented with the cup and Galway Crystal trophy by the sponsor Joe' O'Loughlin - Lisdoonvarna.
Kevin Crowley
WRFB
Western Regional Fisheries Board Ireland Report