Written By: Kevin Crowley
On Date: 8/8/2005
GALWAY WEIR Fishing remained consistent on the Weir this week, with 33 fish landed for the second week in a row. 24 of these were taken on fly, with the remainder on shrimp. Normally by this time of year the salmon run has pretty much finished in Galway, but this year grilse are continuing to run late and adding to the sport.
Dave O’Reilly and brother Declan from Dublin had good fishing over a couple of evenings, with Dave recording 3 salmon, including a fine 8.5pounder, on fly, and Declan taking a nice grilse of 4.5lbs. Padraic Cullen from Swords, Co. Dublin, had a nice grilse on shrimp, and UK visitor Terence Bolton landed a 5.5lbs fish on fly. Scottish angler J. Marshall had a 6lbs grilse, and Neil McGrath landed 2 fish. Local angler Sean O’Toole landed 3 grilse to the fly in one evening, including a fish of 7lbs, and Fergal Molloy from Dublin also had a 4.5lbs fish. Canadian visitor Keith Wenham had a 5lbs grilse, and Dubliner Gareth Byrne landed a 4.5lbs fish. Sammy Lewis and Neil Spellacy both landed a fish each, while Noel Kavanagh from Cork and Dublin’s David Gardiner had a brace of grilse each. Water levels are now fairly low and perfect for the fly, so fishing should continue to be good for the coming week.
BUNOWEN AND CARROWNISKEY RIVERS
A small spate early last week brought some fresh grilse into the river, and Bruce Lennie reports that 6 salmon were caught to 4lbs, with more seen in the river. With water low again, rain is needed to bring more fish in, but once we get a drop, salmon fishers should be rewarded.
To book a rod, contact Bruce Lennie or John Connor at the Fisheries office in Louisburgh, telephone 098 66404.
LOUGH CORRIB
Lough Corrib was very quiet again, with many local anglers competing in the World Cup over on Mask, and few other anglers out. On the bank holiday Monday Steve Wellard from Norwich, a regular visitor to Lough Corrib staying at Nonaim Lodge, enjoyed some good fishing under very difficult sunny and calm conditions. Fishing dry fly he bagged 5 trout for 6.25lbs, excellent fishing despite the difficult conditions. It just shows how good fishing can be if anglers put the effort in.
LOUGH MASK
Lough Mask was a beehive of activity over the bank holiday weekend, with the annual World Cup Trout Fly Championship held from Cushlough Bay. The weather came good and the fish started rising, and the superb organisation of the event meant competitors had a great time. There was great fishing, a lot of camaraderie, but in the end it came down to a final day of fierce competition for some fantastic prizes. The top angler on the final day was Alan Murray from Dublin, with a superb catch of 4 trout for 10.73lbs, 3lbs ahead of his nearest competitor. Alan takes home the World Cup trophy, along with a 19-foot Anglers Fancy lake boat, sponsored by Burke Boats of Ballinrobe, a 15 hp Yamaha engine sponsored by O’Connors of Cong and the World Cup Committee, and a Hardy Swift fly rod, sponsored by Hardy Alnwick.
Burke Boats also sponsored a lake boat for the angler with the heaviest fish, and that was won by Ian Ireland from Ulster, with a fine trout of 4.26lbs.
Second place on the day went to John Burke from Trim, with 4 fish for 7.74lbs, who takes home a 9.9hp Yamaha engine, again sponsored by O’Connors and the World Cup committee, and third place went to Joe Creane from Roundstone, with 3 fish for 6.65lbs. Joe wins a 6 hp Yamaha engine sponsored by the Mayo News. Over the competition, there were an incredible 900 trout caught for a weight of 1,254.2lbs. The World Cup is a major event on the angling calendar and is very important to the Ballinrobe area, bringing in hundreds of anglers from near and far. The running of the event was excellent, and tribute must be paid to the members of the World Cup committee who put in so much hard work to ensure everything went smoothly.
LOUGH CARRA
Weather conditions were more favourable last week than of late, and small hatches of sedges and olives brought some fish to the surface, mostly late in the evenings. Wetfly and dry fly accounted for fish, and 31 anglers landed 39 trout in 47 rod-days. 13 anglers staying at Peter Roberts guesthouse in Partry had 19 trout, with 14 returned, and the 5 others weighing 10lbs 12oz. Peter himself caught a fine trout of 4lbs 3oz. 2 French anglers landed 4 trout for 6lbs in one day to wet and dry fly, and John Ryan and friend from Dublin, staying at Flannelly’s, had 4 trout for 6.5lbs in one day. Carra certainly seems to be picking up with the change in weather, and should be worth a cast, especially in the evening time.
MOHER LOUGH
The fishing picked up on Moher last week, with cooler fresher conditions more conducive to angling. Pat McGrath and Billy Magee from Ballyvary had 6 good trout, as well as a few small brownies, all returned alive. Dave Casabon caught 2 good stockies, and Gunter Heyne from Leenane had 4 trout. Rory Daly from Leenane had 2 trout, and other anglers reported good fishing also. The lake will be restocked again very shortly, and fishing should be excellent for the rest of the season.
Boats are available for day or evening fishing from McDonnell’s in Liscarney, telephone 098 21638.
AILLE LOUGH
Aille was fairly quiet during the week, with few anglers out. David Dunne fished on Thursday and reported 3 good fish, with Connemara Black, Green Pater and buzzers all successful.
For boats and fishing permits contact Mr. Edward Mannion at 098 35366.
KINLOOEY LOUGH
Kinlooey Lough is a small scenic lough set in rolling countryside at Aughagower, Westport. This lake was recently restocked with brown trout, and should provide good fishing. Boat hire and permits from Scott’s Shop, Aughagower, telephone 098 25119.
LOUGH INAGH
Colin Folan reports from Lough Inagh. “Where will the water come from that is needed so desperately here?” is the question on anglers minds at the moment. There is no angling on the river beats at present, so effort is confined to the lake. Salmon numbers are poor this season, the worst in a few years. However the sea trout numbers will smash the previous seven seasons catch.
Notable Catches included John Dardis (Kildare) had 1 salmon, 3.5lbs (returned) on a Bibio, and John’s wife Beatrice had 2 sea trout on a Kingsmill.
Ciaran Wilson & Pierce Lawrence (Galway) had 11 sea trout to 1.5lbs on a red daddylonglegs. David Foster (UK) had 5 sea trout and 4 brown trout to 1.5lbs on Magenta Hopper and dark Mackerel. Kieran Power & sons Colm and Evin (Galway) fished 2 days on Inagh and landed 13 sea trout and 6 brown trout to the red daddy.
Aidan Guinness (age 8), caught his first brown trout, a fine fish of 1lbs on Derryclare Lake on a Bloody Butcher
There are 4 boats for hire on Lough Inagh, and boatmen available upon request from; Colin Folan, Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel, Recess, Connemara, Co. Galway.
095-34706, 0868679459
inagh@iol.ie
COSTELLO AND FERMOYLE
Terry Gallagher gave us this report for the month of July. The month started well weatherwise but a week long heatwave then followed which put down the fish. The wind then swung round to the north and remained northerly for the remainder of the month. Any days which had cloud cover tended to fish quite well and fishing generally improved towards the end of the month.
Brian Smith fished Fermoyle and was rewarded with 2 salmon. Pat Farrelly landed his 5 lbs grilse on River Beat 1. John Maher and friends fished Glenicmurrin and Fermoyle over 3 days and caught 2 salmon 8lbs and 4 lbs aswell as 35 sea trout. Eamonn O Brien paid a visit to Muckinagh Lough and teased out 9 sea trout. Gianlucca Bonami followed the next day and also caught 9 seatrout. Chris and Donna Warne braved very bright and still conditions but still landed 5 sea trout on Glenicmurrin Lough.
John McManus fished Glenicmurrin and Fermoyle Loughs and was rewarded with 7 sea trout and 6 sea trout respectively. Greg Perry & Padhraig McDonagh caught their 8 sea trout on Glenicmurrin despite the blue skies overhead. David Dinsmore and Terry Gallagher fished Glenicmurrin for a few hours and caught 6 sea trout. They then did a few drifts on Fermoyle Lough for an hour and landed four more. Neil McGrath and David McCleod spent their day on Glenicmurrin Lough and caught 7 sea trout. Steven Kirk and Freddie Boyd had a great day out on Fermoyle where they caught 27 sea trout. Finally, Mark Rogan fished Muckinagh Lough on the last day of the month and landed 15 sea trout despite only a light breeze to aid him.
Plenty of sea trout have reached the lakes and with rain finally due over the coming days, the outlook is indeed quite promising. For information on Costello and Fermoyle Fisheries, contact Terry Gallagher 00353 (0)91 572 196, email cosfer@iol.ie or visit www.costelloandfermoylefisheries.com
Kevin Crowley
WRFB
WESTERN ANGLING REPORT Ireland