Guide Bodo Funke with a nice Derryhick Lake Pike

River Moy

The Moy had a reported catch of 22 salmon for the week.

The first Moy Fishery salmon for the 2007 season was caught on Friday, 20 April by ghillie John Howley on the Ridge Pool. John was using a size 8 Ally?s cascade fished on an intermediate line. The fish was estimated to weigh approximately 11 lbs. and was released immediately after being caught.

Half an hour later Gary Fullerton from Buncrana Co. Donegal caught the second salmon of the season on the Ridge Pool. He was also using a size 8 Ally?s Cascade. His fish was estimated to weigh about 6 lbs. and was also released.

On Clongee, Frank Walsh, Belfast, caught a salmon at 8 lbs. on spinner. Fly angler, Ben Baker, UK, fishing the East Mayo Water, had a fine fish weighing 11 lbs. There have also been reports of a big salmon of app. 17 lbs.  caught trolling on Lough Conn.

Moy Estuary

The Moy Estuary saw a good start to the sea trout season this week. Bob Bell, England, John James, Wales and Pat Rice, Bray, had 23 trout (all between 1 & 1.5 lbs.) for 3 days. All were fishing with Judd Ruane who can be contacted on www.fishingireland.ie. All fish were caught on mackerel strip and released. With water conditions remaining good and a good show of sea trout in the estuary fishing should improve in the coming weeks.

Carrowmore Lake

Once again, Carrowmore Lake proved to be one of the top spring salmon fisheries in the country with 25 salmon caught, 15 of which were released.

Visiting anglers as well as locals enjoyed excellent fly fishing for the third consecutive week. Brian Butler, Frank Dooley, Andy Letterman, Peter McGuire and Franz Kaizer all had one fish each. The biggest fish for the week was landed by Keith Hudson from Devon, England, weighing 10.5 lbs and visiting anglers Neil Atkinson and Bernard Cravan, Dublin, both caught their first ever salmon.

All salmon weighed between 6.5 lbs and 10.5 lbs with the bulk of the fish around the 8 lbs. mark. Most successful flies were various Dabbler patterns, Clan Chief, Claret Bumble and Red Zulu Palmers.

With more settled weather conditions predicted, the prospects for Carrowmore Lake for the coming week look excellent.  

Lough Beltra

There was only one fish caught this week on Lough Beltra. Michael Dolan caught and returned a fine 9lbs. salmon.
 
Lough Conn

Angling activity was slow on Lough Conn this week due to the weather conditions.

The Foxford Anglers held a competition on Sunday, 22 April. Twenty-five anglers took part and the event was won by Michael Monaghan who had the heaviest bag (2 trout for 2.2 lbs.). John Burke came 2nd with 2 fish for 2.1 lbs and the heaviest fish (1.5 lbs.) was caught by Joe Quinn.

Elsewhere, Henry Belshaw, England, had 4 trout for 6.5 lbs on Dry Olives and Murphy?s Boat Hire report 10 trout from the Massbrook area and the Coleman?s Shallows.

Lough Arrow 

Angling activity on Lough Arrow is still quite slow. However, 3 nice trout were reported for the week. Jonathan and David Frazer had a trout at 2.5lbs. each and their father, Ivan, landed a fish at 2 lbs. All three fish were caught trolling.

Pike Angling

Professional angling guide, Bodo Funke, who can be contacted on www.anglingservicesireland.com reports excellent pike fishing for the week. Bodo was guiding a German film team on Templehouse Lake and Derryhick Lake during the week and the journalists landed more than 30 pike fishing lures and the fly in two days. The biggest pike weighed 12 lbs. with most of the fish between 5 and 7 lbs.