Angling News
Angling News - Mayo/Galway - 23 August 2011
By Kevin Crowley
24, Aug 2011 - 08:10

Western Lakes

Tom Kelly reports that fishing on Corrib was very good last week, with plenty of trout coming to the fly when conditions were right. A lot of these fish were over 2lbs too, so the quality of fish is very high at the moment. Martin Coughlan from Offaly had 5 trout for approx. 7.5lbs on Friday, while two American anglers, Dwayne and Don Miller had 15 trout over 4 days up to 3lbs on wet and dry fly. Glen O'Donnell from Shannon had 3 fish for a day, best 3lbs, and Donie O'Loughlin and John Fitzgerald landed 4 trout for their day. The Commercial club in Galway held a mixed grill competition on Sunday, which was won by Patsy and Peggy Griffin, with 2 trout for 6.5lbs, including a fine trout of 4.5lbs.

Galway Fishery

The main run of grilse has pretty much come to an end in Galway by now, but with a good head of resident fish in the river there is still plenty of sport to be had. Water levels remain perfect for flyfishing, and fly anglers accounted for almost all the 14 fish landed this week. Local angler Bob Lawlor landed a 4lbs grilse, as did Denis Daly, while Blackwater angling guide and casting instructor Glenda Powell caught and released a 5lbs grilse. Alan Carthy from Dublin released a 5.5lbs grilse, while Clare man John Liddy landed 2 grilse on fly. Eddie Corry from Limerick landed 3 grilse on fly, releasing 2, while John Anderson caught and released 2 grilse on fly. With conditions on the fishery so good, fishing prospects here remain decent for the week ahead.

Connemara

Rain on several days last gave good fishing conditions for most of the week, and the Connemara fisheries reaped the reward, with excellent salmon fishing on most rivers.

Erriff

Richard Daly from Dublin with a nice Erriff grilse, one of many caught this week.

Fishery manager Jim Stafford reports from the River Erriff on fishing up to Saturday last: Angling conditions were good with the water level at 1.2 metres on Sunday 14th. Levels fell slowly to 0.65 meters by Wednesday morning and rains brought the level back up to 0.9 meters by evening time. With intermittent heavy showers levels were at 1.0 meters by Friday and dropped off to 0.9 meters on Saturday - overall levels were good for the week although a little bit on the sunny side with a scarcity of upstream wind at times.

David Mooney, Killimor caught & released two fresh-run grilse taken on a Cascade in the Gauge Pool on Beat 9. It was a first fish on the fly for 12 year old Finlay Caffery, Athy a sea-liced grilse taken in the Sea Pool on a Black Shrimp Fly. Hugh Jamison & Martin Wilson, N.I. had a brace of fish from Mickey's Run ON Beat 7 - both fish were taken on a Cascade.

The Erriff & District Anglers had a Competition Day on Sunday 14th, with 5 rods catching 6 fish on Beats 2, 6 & 9 - heaviest fish was taken by Stuart Fleming at 5.75lbs while Conor O'Leary had 2 with one from Beat 9 and the other from the Quarry Pool on Beat 2.
Vaughan Lewis, U.K. caught & released 3 fish all taken on a Gold Stoat in Yellow Banks, Beat 5. Kevin Duffy, Dundalk had 3 including a 7lbs fish taken in the Boat Pool on Beat 5. A Black Pennell was successful for Anthony Tindal, Dublin taking a sea-liced grilse in the Garden Pool - his son William caught 2 in the Falls Pool including his first ever salmon and returned another one.

Paul Smith, Co. Offaly returned a grilse taken in the Coronation Pool on an Orange Shrimp. Stephen Jones, Dublin returned one taken in the Falls Pool on a Cascade and lost a big fish after some twenty minutes on a single-handed trout rod. Jeremy Argall, Brest, France fishing the Erriff for the first time had his best ever salmon fishing, catching 6 fish for the week and lost several more including one in the Quarry Pool on Beat 2 - a small Stoats Tail tube variant was the most successful fly.

Fishing a Sunray Shadow Dr. John Casey, Clifden caught and released 4 salmon in a morning session on Beat 9. Malachy O'Callaghan, Dublin released a fish caught on a Shrimp pattern in the Coronation Pool Beat 8. Dr. Eoin Brenham, Oughterard caught and released 2 fish taken on an Erriff Badger.

A total of 34 salmon and 16 sea trout were taken for the week of which 22 salmon were returned again to the water.

Although the main run has peaked nevertheless sea-liced fresh fish continue to enter the river and it is hoped that this reduced but steady run will continue into September. Anglers planning future trips are advised to have a selection of darker flies in smaller sizes such as 12 & 14 and to have a selection of sink tips or an intermediate fly line.

To book fishing or accommodation, contact Jim at Aasleagh Lodge on 095 42252, or email erriff.fish@iol.ie


Inagh
Fishery manager Colin Folan reports from Lough Inagh on fishing up to Sunday: Heavy rain again last week brought the falling levels up to flood level once more. We are experiencing our best catch of salmon on record for Inagh, with plenty of fresh fish still entering. There are some very big fish about and they are estimated at 25 - 30lbs. September on Inagh should be magic.

11 Salmon were landed for the week. Tom O Brien and Andy Walsh (Galway) fished 2 days on Lough Inagh and landed 5 grilse ranging from 4.5lbs to 5.5lbs. Top fly was a Green Peter. Ian Garratt (UK) had the best fish of the week weighing 6.5lbs, caught on Lough Inagh on a Daddy. There were also first ever salmon for hotel guests Randy Smith (USA) - 3lbs, Kevin Lorenz (USA) - 5lbs and Silvio Morano (Italy) - 5lbs

To book fishing or accommodation, call Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel at 095 34706 or check their website at www.loughinaghlodgehotel.ie


Kylemore Abbey
Nigel Rush reports that salmon fishing really picked up last week with the fresh water, despite low numbers of anglers. The catch for the week was 13 salmon and 37 sea trout for just 25.5 rod-days, a great catch per unit effort indeed. Among those to land fish were Geoffrey Fitzjohn, Seamus O'Neill and John Curran, as well as fishery guide John Irwin. Kylemore is a beautiful fishery, combining a delightfully intimate river with a myriad of holding pools, and 3 lakes which produce fantastic sport for both salmon and sea trout in the right conditions. This fishery tends to fish very well in August and September, and is well worth a throw from now on. To book a rod, contact Nigel Rush at 095 41178 (fishery office) or 095 41161(home), and for regular fishing update check the website at www.kylemoreabbeyfishery.net