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The Western Regional Fisheries Board

Western Region Angling Report June 8th. 2001
by Danny Goldrick

Lough Corrib
One of the best fishing stories in recent times involves a Dutch couple who came to Galway two years ago and decided to do a spot of pike fishing on the River Corrib. Jan and Debora Tinnemans from Holland hired a small boat to take them upriver from Galway City. Within hours they Jan landed one of the largest specimen trout ever caught on the river, a whopper of 7.5 lb. At the time they didn't even know it was a trout until returning the boat to its owner at Woodquay. The couple returned again two weeks ago to better their first performance, this time Debora landing a 6.5 lb trout followed by the largest trout ever taken from the river, a massive 11.88 lb fish (a river specimen is 5 lb). The Fisheries Board took particulars of the two fish for inclusion in the national list of large river trout caught during 2001.

It was another good week for trout angling on the Corrib with lots of Mayfly still around to attract fish to the surface and provide top-class fishing on the lough. Angling returns were particularly good in the Oughterard area where 390 anglers caught 785 trout for 1,106 lb in 806 angling days. Mr. Deiter Lampe from Germany, a regular visitor to Currarevagh House Hotel, had some excellent fishing to both the dapped Mayfly and to the wet fly including 13 for a day for 15.5 lb. Another visitor to Currarevagh was Mr. Saeler who had 18 over two days for 25.5 lb. And at Corrib Wave guesthouse a party of Letterkenny anglers had over 30 trout in two days, while Niall Farrell had 9 for 11.5 lb while fishing out from Lakelands guesthouse.

Trout angling in the area between Cornamona and Greenfields was once again regarded as excellent when conditions obliged, 219 rods having 716 for 945 in 485 angling days over the week. Moderate Mayfly hatches continued to bring lots of fish to the wet fly and dapping was also very good when the winds suited. However, hatches will peter may peter out this week, having been prolonged by the broken weather in the past week. Mayfly patterns were best but the Green Peter also took a fare share of the catch too.

The Joe Lane party of 5 rods from Cork - all staying at the Corrib View Villa guesthouse, Cross, Co. Mayo - landed 49 trout for 64.5 lb in 4 days with wet fly and the dap; Henri Schnider from Germany along with 3 others had 15 for 30 lb and released 15 others; Nick Simmers and James Martin from England had 59 trout in 6 days, keeping only 14; Peter Walsh and Keith Curtis from Cornamona landed 21 for 35 lb in 5 days to the dap, and Matt Jones and his friends from Wales had 11 for 17 lb in two days. The McWilliam part of 4 rods fishing for 3 days from Mike Holian's Angling Centre at Derry Quay landed 15 trout, best 3 lb. They also had what appeared to be a sea trout of 3 lb, which was returned again to the water.

Peter Duckett and Colm Morgan from Wales fished for 8 days from Derry Quay, Cross, and he says: "The best fishing came in the first five days when we landed 89 trout averaging 1-3 pounds on the wet fly and returned all but 2. Three days were spent trolling and dapping. Trolling was very slow and only four fish were taken, one 4lb one 3lb and a very large salmon was lost at Ashford Castle. We then changed to the dapped mayfly and landed another 42 fish between 1lb and 3lb, all returned bar 6 to take home. Overall, the fishing was the best experienced in 14 years and all are looking forward to next season's visit."

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Lough Mask
This lough has fished extremely well in the past few weeks, 58 anglers having 383 trout for 478 lb in 197 angling days. This is good news for the anglers and people in the angling service around the area, especially after a period of several years when the lough seemed to be in the doldrums; that is until last season when there was a vast improvement in trout returns. Hatches of Mayfly and Olives seemed to be localised last week, bringing to the surface a lot of quality trout and providing anglers with the best returns in years.

Following are some of the noted catches reported to Fisheries Board staff around the lough: 14 trout for 18.5 lb to Ronan Cusack and a German friend for just a single day's wet fly fishing; 15 for 19 lb to Declan Murphy and Phil Brooks in one day with wet fly; 8 for 11 lb to Robbie O'Grady for a day; 4 for 11.5 lb for a day to B. Hynde from England; 32 for 38 lb to S. Haverty and T. Moore over 7 days; 23 for 26 lb to K and S Roche from Dublin; 31 for 35 lb to Mr. Lepp and Mr. Marname from Northern Ireland; 29 for 35 lb in just a single day to Sammy Wilson and his party of 8 anglers from Northern Ireland, and the best trout of the week, one of 4.75 lb, was by David Hall from Lakeside Holiday Homes, Ballinrobe.

This note comes from David Henderson from England about his recent visit to the lough: "I had a tremendous week on Mask from 19th May, landing 14 trout, best around 3lb and the average 2lb, all on Mayfly and Green Peter in Caher Bay. I rowed around each day following the feeding seagulls! There were many small fish also, and even a perch to a dabbler. All fish bar two were returned."

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Lough Carra
Trout fishing was slow all week even though there were some Mayfly, Olives and Chironomid fly-life on the water. 29 anglers caught 61 trout for the week that weighed 74 lb, all taken in 67 angling days. There are big numbers of smallish trout continuing to rise. Mr. Chandlers and Mr. Ivors from Northern Ireland spent 3 days on the lough and they had 11 for 13.5 lb, best 2.5 lb.

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Galway Salmon Weir Fishery
While the runs of grilse are quite good at the moment the catch of fish is poor enough for the time of season with only 57 taken for the week. A lot of the fish seem to be running upstream to Lough Corrib and are slow to take at the fishery downstream of the Weir. However, at this moment in time some anglers are landing 3 and 4 fish a day, which shows a vast improvement on last week's returns. Heavy rain is falling in the area.

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Bunowen And Carrowniskey
Heavy rain within the are has brought up the water levels to a good fishable height and anglers are expecting more salmon to enter the rivers with the higher water. Permits can be obtained from Charles Gaffney, Gaffney's Bar, Louisburgh, telephone: 098 66150, or by telephoning the Fisheries Board Office at Louisburgh, 098 66404.

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Moher Lake
Boats and permits from: Margaret McDonnell, Liscarney, Westport, telephone: 098 21638.

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Lough Inagh Fishery
No report from this fishery yet

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Kinlooey Lake, Aughergower, Westport
Permits and boat hire can be obtained through John Scott's Shop, Aughergower, telephone: 098 25119

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Kylemore Fishery
No report from this fishery yet

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Erriff Fishery:
No report from this fishery yet

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Coarse Angling
No report for this week.

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Sea Angling

No report for this week.

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Castlebar Main Index

Lake Reports:

Lough Corrib

Lough Mask

Lough Carra

Galway Weir

Bunowen And Carrowniskey

Moher Lake

Lough Inagh Fishery

Kylemore Fishery

Erriff Fishery

Coarse Fishing

Sea Angling

The Western Regional Fisheries Board

Western Region Angling Report June 8th. 2001by Danny Goldrick

Western Region Angling Report June 8th. 2001
by Danny Goldrick