THE NORTH WESTERN REGIONAL FISHERIES BOARD

Water levels high for most of the week but the fish did not run up through the system. Fishing was poor upstream of Foxford and reasonable fishing was had between Foxford and Ballina. Again, spinning and worming were the most productive methods.

206 salmon were reported.

Pat Godfrey, England had 2 fish, both 4 lbs, on a worm.

Terry Mulloy, England had 1 fish weighing 5 lbs.

Paul Young, age 7, had his first fish weighing 4 lbs.

Lough Conn

Only a half dozen boats fished this water all week. However, the fishing was excellent with good hatches of Mayfly all over the lake and fish rising to them. The most productive area was Brackwansha/Cormorant Rocks.

50 trout and 1 salmon reported.

Walter Byrne and Aiden Heffernan had 12 trout for one day - best 3.5 lbs - and the average weight was 1.5 lbs - an excellent bag of fish.

Joe McBride had 5 fish weighing 12 lbs, also for one day's fishing.

John Whitelaw had 3 trout and a 10 lbs salmon on a Daddy Longlegs.

Michael Connolly's boat from Pontoon Bridge had 12 trout for 4 days - best 2.5 lbs -mostly on a Royal Wullf.

Lough Beltra & Newport River

50 salmon caught on the river.

Pat McDermott had heaviest fish weighing 11.5 lbs and 3 other fish weighing 7 lbs, 5 lbs and 4.5 lbs.

Gaye Eplaude had 6 fish weighing 28.5 lbs - best fish 7 lbs.

John Kenyon had 3 fish weighing 19.5 - best fish 7.5 lbs.

Lough Arrow

No fishing during the day. Some sedge fishing late in the evening with just a few anglers out.

22 trout weighing 47.5 lbs reported.

Best fish weighing 4 lbs by Peter Dunne, Offaly on a Green Peter.

Sea Angling

There is excellent shore angling in the Ballina area. The most notable areas are:

Belderrig Harbour where you have spinning and float fishing from the peir for coalfish, pollack and sea trout. There is some bottom fishing for conger and high water is best.

Ballycastle Strand - you have beach fishing between reef and Ballinglen River mouth for flounder and dogfish. Low water and first two hours of flood tide best.

Downpatrick Head - you have cliff fishing for pollack, coalfish, wrasse and conger. It is best on the eastern side.

Lacken Pier - you have spinning for pollack, mackerel and coalfish, float fishing for wrassse, bottom fishing for flounder in sandy patches and conger over rough ground.

Lacken Strand - you have beach fishing on either side of channel for flounder and dab and spinning in the channel for sea trout.

Enniscrone Strand - you have beach fishing for flounder, dab, dogfish and sea trout.

Enniscrone Pier - you have bottom fishing for conger, dogfish and ray, float fishing for wrasse and spinning for pollack, mackerel and coalfish.

Boat angling is very popular in the Ballina area and small boats can easily be launched at Enniscrone Pier. There is good fishing for blue shark, ray, tope, pollack, cod and ling. Information is available from Niall Brennan, Killala Bay Sea Angling Club - phone (096) 70476.

In the Sligo Bay area, Mullaghmore is very popular where mullet to specimen size can be taken. Also, you can catch dab, flounder, plaice and ray. Information from Tony McMahon, Mullaghmore Sea Angling Club - phone (071) 60283.

Belmullet Area Shore Fishing - Main areas:

Porturlin Fishing from the quay wall for mullet, dabs, flounders and eels.

Portacloy Pier You have bottom fishing from Inver Pier for ray, turbot, flounder, dogfish, plaice, dab and gurnard; float fishing wrasse; spinning from both piers at high water for mackerel, coalfish and pollack; beach fishing for flatfish and ray.

Rossport Spinning in the channel for sea trout and occasional bass, bottom fishing for flatfish.

Ballyglass Pier Bottom fishing for ray, turbot, flounder, plaice, dogfish and occasional codling. Float fishing and spinning for coalfish and pollack, beach fishing to north of pier for flatfish.

Belmullet From the quay, large mullet up to 6 lbs have been caught. Ground baiting is essential and high tide is best.

Blacksod Pier Mackerel shoal in large numbers during the summer outside the pier. You also have night fishing at high water from the pier for ray, flatfish, conger and dogfish. Information from Buddy Valkenburg, Belmullet Sea Angling Club - phone (097) 81076.

Achill Sound and Clew Bay - Main areas for shore fishing:

Keem Beach fishing for flounder, turbot, dogfish and coalfish. Ray can be taken by distance casting.

Keem Strand Flounders, dab, turbot, ray and sea trout can be taken.

Northern Shore of Clew Bay There is easy access to many rock fishing areas where conger, pollack, dogfish, wrasse and ray can be taken.

Newport You have float fishing for mullet but ground baiting is essential. Spinning for sea trout and small pollack on the first two hours of a flooding tide. Bottom fishing for flounders.

Information available from:

Michael Lavelle, Achill Island SAC - phone (097) 81038

Finoula O'Malley, Newport SAC - phone (098) 41265

Lucille Grealis, Mulranny SAC - phone (098) 36127

Sea Angling Report

Boat fishing was hampered by the very rough weather. However, in the Porturlin area, 18 different species were recorded. These included plaice, dab, turbot, red, grey and tub gurnard and also a possible specimen cuckoo wrasse. These fish were caught in the Stags area. Competition results:

1st - with 10 different species - Sylvy Sweeney, Belmullet SAC

2nd - David Deane with 9 different species

Heaviest fish - Kevin Walsh with a 13.5 lbs ling

Good numbers of haddock and cod were caught

Padraic Sheerin, skipper of "Aranmore" reported good fishing in the Erris Head area with an English angler catching a 2 lbs 9 oz specimen red gurnard.

Mickey Lavelle and Vincent Sweeney, skippers operating in the Blacksod area, reported good fishing off Achill.

For shore fishing, good catches of wrasse, pollack and conger were reported from Elly Bay, Doohoma, Ballyglass Lighthouse and Pier and Rinroe Beach.

From Tipp Harbour there were good catches of flounder and dab.

Killala Bay

Large groups on Continental and British anglers are enjoying excellent shore, boat and rock fishing on the west side of Killala Bay. Up to 7 different nationalities fishing Killala, Ross, Lacken and Downpatrick Head - good fishing reported with catches of pollack, coalfish, thornback, ray, dogfish, sea trout, plaice, dab and small turbot.

Boat fishing suffered because of the bad weather but, despite this, many visitors had good catches including blue shark.

Killala Bay SAC Master Club Boat Championship with club members from Enniscrone, Ross, Killala Dublin and Ballina was held on Sunday. 21 different species were recorded.

1st - Joseph Barrett, Knockroe, Killala with 9 different species

2nd - Niall Gilroy, Enniscrone with 8 different species

3rd - Paddy Foy, Killanley, Sligo with 7 different species

Joseph Barrett will represent his club at the All Ireland Master Club Boat Championship to be held in Sligo on the last weekend of August.

Angling Report - 2 Weeks ending 19 July, 1998

Angling Report - Week ending 5 July, 1998

Angling Report - Week ending 21 June, 1998

Angling Report - Week ending 14 June, 1998

Angling Report - Week ending 7 June, 1998

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