32 captures

20 Apr 1999 - 11 Dec 2004

Nov	DEC	Jan
	13
2000	2001	2002

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WEEKLY COARSE AND PIKE ANGLING REPORTS 2001 SEASON

Weekly Angling reports are published here every Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning for weekending Sunday of any particular week until the season slows down in the autumn when they revert to fortnightly or as available. Where there is a bank holiday Monday,  reports will be a day late. We hope you find these reports informative. 

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Notice: It is important that anglers be aware that you may catch a large fish which could qualify for an Irish Specimen Fish Award. There is a special notice at the bottom of this page outlining the Specimen Weights which apply for 2001. Please go to our Special Notice 

 Coarse & Pike Angling Report Dated December 5th, 2001 

Planning a trip to fish the Shannon at Portumna in 2002, then read this article by Howard Barber,  you will be better informed and amused !

" After writing to the Irish Shannon Regional Fisheries Board about this years visit and the outcome of my holiday fishing in the Portumna area I've received quite a few intriguing questions and also some helpful communications on where other anglers have done well,.and also received communication from many anglers who intend to go over and some who have already been before asking all kinds of questions about the best way to go regarding accommodation ferries bait, what tackle should we use, how do we find these pegs where these big bags are caught, the list is end less.

So what I Intend to do is tell what I've learnt and am still learning,
Before we go any further I've not fished for England and I also have to go to work to keep my head above water so therefore it takes me 12 months to save for my 10 or 14 day holiday and as the years have gone by so have I.
But in the process I have also learnt how to better my angling in Ireland and in each year I still manage to break one of my many personal records OK they my not be much to some anglers but to me they really do, It shows I'm still capable of improvement and a satisfaction of achievement and of all the achievements to me has to be to get that big bag,  
But to some I've seen and some I meet they do what they want to do and at their pace So Let Each To His Own but a little chat and you can glean the information that you want it all helps someday when you least expect it.

I'm just an average angler and no super star and do not intend to make out I am or that I know it all,
All I'm trying to do is direct you some where in the right direction and also remember I have to go to work to keep my head above water and make ends meet. There for my tackle is not the top of the range just what was affordable at the time I acquired it. I've managed to do quite well with the tackle to date even though perhaps at times I could have done with a stiffer rod to get a bit more distance especially in the Loughs

So where shell I start I suppose the first thing we need to arrange is our ferry and some accommodation this you can do in many ways the hard way would be to find phone numbers for any ferry provider prices and time of departures fast ferry or still the old ferry service, Ho Ho, and then try to sort out some accommodation.

No the best way joking aside is to get a Fishing Holiday Brochure there are plenty about but the one I myself use is Anglers World Holidays run by a Mr. Martin Founds and his very helpful staff, why not phone and ask for a brochure they are free at no cost you will find plenty of information about all angling methods and holiday resorts and even some types of rigs to use including all your ferry information you will need.  
This will give you plenty of options to pick from; if you can supply these four questions then they will do the rest for you, all you do is phone (01246 221717)
They even send you a form to fill in for your bait order.

1/All you do is decide where you would like to try
2/What dates would suit you
3/And how many are in the trip and what vehicle or how many vehicles you intend to use.
4/And which type of ferry (i.e.) (4 hour or 90 minute crossing)

1/If this is your first trip it is advisable to stay at a lodge with Premier knowledge about the fishing with in the area you are located in and a bait supplier with a storage facility also. As this goes along way to keeping your bait fresh during your stay, there is normally two delivery days a week so if you are fortunate to be able to stay for a 14 day period you can order for each week which will give you fresh bait through out your stay?

2/As for the dates this will be to suit you and your friends, only one thing to remember there is always extra supplements to pay over any bank holidays this you will find with all ferry companies. To travel over night with most ferry company's is normally a little saving, this also helps miss out on a lot of traffic on your journey if you take the late crossings.

3/As for the number in your party the more that's in your party the cheaper it will cost. This has it's plus points as well has its minus points. Ok its cheaper but lets say there is eight in your party and all in one van (Must be a big van) no I've seen it and heard it but I must also say large groups get on very well and do well. But there is nothing worse than a party arguing about 5 want to go here 3 of them want to go there.

4/You have several choices of ferry the old type takes 4 hours and now you can catch the fast ferry or cats they call them, which only take 90 minutes.
The trip times from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire.
Other journeys my take shorter or longer depending on your place of departure.

ANY WAY my first visit was actually a party of 8 and I must say we had no such problems except that at the end of each day the angler with the smallest weight had to wear this silly looking hat which looked like an Easter bonnet all through heating our dinner at the lodge where there were 15 anglers YES you guest it I had managed to win it three times over an 8 day holiday embarrassed or what but all good fun.
My thanks to Mr. Dave Reeves a very good friend indeed not only for the hat but he was so kind to take myself and Mark Newman on our first trip over to Ireland to get the idea of what to do.
This first trip was to Ardrum Lodge and run by Ivan Price this being a Premier Lodge with all you needed for an angling holiday and take it from me you will not go hungry here, and in this area there are more lakes than rivers around Ballinamore and also worth trying out.

The next 5 years I went with my good friend Mark Newman and now we go to Ballyshurale Lodge in Portumna run at first by Ray and Marie Bows but now run by John and Heather Dyson. This being the mid Shannon area and becoming one of the most popular areas,
At Ballyshrule Lodge a lot of top anglers use so you never no who will be there when you arrive like Bob Nudd Ian Heaps, John Wilson, Terry Smith, Martin Founds and so many more so make up your own mind why they are here and why we have come back 6 times.
The information from over the last two years has come from John Dyson as Ray Bows has retired whether for good or for a break Im not too sure but he's only down the road so we still can call for a chat when he's in.
Any way the location of the fish seems to be no problem John is only to helpful to put you in the right direction methods and types of rigs that seems to work best and if you require a boat to fish Lough Derg John will arrange with Dave Harris who also is very helpful especially when out on the Lough and the weather gets a bit rough when on one occasion Dave came round the Forest and offered to take us back in his 4x4 if we did not feel safe returning in the boat, Would anyone do that at home no not many, you will find they are very helpful over there weather you be an angler or not just ask, no one can give information if you do not tell them what you would like to know and if they don't know they will know someone that may help.

On that subject listen to what you are being told and try it out I've listened to a group being told by the land lord of the lodge that you need to prebait the swim you intend to fish the night before with about 20 or 30 balls of ground bait the size of a small orange with plenty of particles in to keep the fish there once they arrive.
Perhaps I should explain a bit more about particles, this can be most anything really for instance casters – sweet corn – wheat – maize flake – rice – barley – anything that will stay on the bottom in your chosen swim DO NOT use maggots or worms they will only crawl away before the fish arrive only put them in when you actually fish the swim,
Any way this group of 5 anglers took one bag of brown bread crumb 25kg and five small cans of sweet corn to prebait  and on top of that I found out that they had only ordered one bag of ground bait between them for the holiday and on there return they had brought back ¾ of the bag back this was only going to mean one thing there would be very little caught tomorrow and say they had done what they were told to do and that the pegs were rubbish and then pester the land lord to but them on a better place, you will find at most Premier lodges that they will carry extra bait just in case any way so just ask if you feel you need more there's probably Even a gallon of casters if you feel you need them.
My average bait for prebaiting is something like this.
8 pints white bread crumb
8 pints brown bread crumb
6 pints wheat
2 pints fish pellets
3 pints flake maize
6 small sweet corn
1-½ pints casters
And the same when I fish the swim roughly but then I will have the casters maggots and worms but also take a little extra just in case the big shoals turn up.
This year there was three of use we took Marks cousin Garry Rowberry who had never been before and what took us three years to catch that first 200 lb bag took him only three days so was this by following in our example or simply a good angler.
Our bait for our 8-day holiday between us was
10 x 25kgs ground bait
3 x 25kgs wheat
2 x 25kgs flake maze
1 x 25kgs fish pellets
180 x sweet corn – small
4 x gallons casters
1 x gallon red maggots
6-kgs worms     

Some of our bait we took with us but most you can get over there any way you will find that there ground bait is a lot finer than we buy at home and is very good too
As for the worms this year we had to buy over in Ireland due to the foot and mouth you are not allowed to take our worms over this year and I would expect next year also the problem here is that worms are a little more expensive in Ireland that's one of the reasons we normally take our own but until the foot and mouth is cleared we will have to order with our casters maggots and ground bait which will be waiting for us when we arrive at our Lodge,
The wheat we take with us but you can get it over there now but at one time you could not if you do take your own the bag must be sealed or you will not be allowed to take through the ports when you arrive Flake maize is the same also and as for the corn that's in tins any way.

Ground bait at one time we used to take P V 1 binder or brown sugar to hold the ground bait together as some of the swims in the Shannon are from 20 to 50 feet deep with in the Portumna town section, But have found that if you soak wheat for 24 hrs and use the wheat as well as the water to mix all your ground bait this works very well keeping it together if you find you have not enough water from your wheat just top it up from the river so long has you mix it all well together first before adding the river water,
For best results make sure your bait goes to the bottom and quick to or you will be feeding the swim 4 pegs below where you intend to catch your fish from, It pays to put a skin on your balls of ground bait this you do by once you've maid your ball is dip your hands in water and then smooth and press the balls this will give them a skin all over helping stopping them breaking up on there way down to the bottom once you've done it a few times you will get the hang of it. And after 7 days of doing this between 80 and 100 balls a day you will feel it to I've considered getting a cement mixer after about 2 days.
There are also pegs from 12 to 14 ft with in the Shannon and most swims in Lough Derg are of the same depth to and this mix seems to work well here also, On the bright sunny days fish are not quite so forth coming but have found that not putting so much water to the mix so has to break up just after it hits the water to make a cloud on the way down helps. Here you will have to slow down on how frequent you feed the swim or you will fetch them up in the water and if you intend to catch bream we need them on the bottom for best results so there you could drop one cloud ball and then one that will go strait to the bottom all we need to do is spark the feeding back into motion.
The next thing is to keep your bait consolidated to a small area you do not want to be putting it all over the Lough my normal effort is to pick a marker and keep with in a 12ft radius if possible, before this year it has been only Mark and myself and on a lot of occasions we've fish from the same peg not because we could not get in any where but simply to consolidate our bait to a confined space this also has a lot of pluses to it has if one of you find they start preferring a different bait all of a sudden you share information and change over quicker than if you were on your own and also there is only bait in the one area for them to feed from so if they do drift off it do not take long for them to return and you are catching again.

This year with Gary with us for the first time we still fished close together all three of us fished in an area of about 30ft and our best days catch was Gary 241 lb 8oz Howard that's me 230 lb 12 oz and Mark 109lb 4 oz and Mark that day only fished half a day a total of 581 lb 8oz so as you can see some of these shoals are massive imagine if you were to fish that peg on your own you would probably not hold them for long in your swim because you would have to spend all your time throwing in ground bait to keep them there and no time to cast out Im not saying you would not catch but you would probably still do well but for how long once you've got them there you must keep them and that's the hard job some days.
So for a guide line lets put a small ball of ground bait in every 5 minuets and don't leave your feeder out all day give it 3 to 5 minuets if no bite get it back in refill and back out again you must keep feeding and hopefully they will arrive with there heads down.

Hook bait this is normally what is called a cocktail a combination of baits something like worm and a maggot together – worm and a piece of sweet corn – or even sweet corn and maggot or you can try single baits just put worm on or just corn try different combinations until you find which works best for you when unhooking your fish see if it is regurgitating anything this will tell you what they are feeding on at this time, We've found when using flake maize they seem to regurgitate this and we straight away change to sweet corn as our main hook bait if that's what they want get on it quick.

Tackle

Rods what is needed for the rod is something that is sensitive enough to show the bites at the tip end but also strong enough in the middle and bottom sections to cast out 30 to 60 yards in some cases, these will be to suit your needs not mine but I use the Shimano Medium twin power feeder 12 ft like I said before on occasions I've needed something a bit heavier to get that little more distance or so, I do not like to push the rod to get the distance, Because some of the ledges we are trying to fish to can be a fair distance out,
Some days you will find they take the rod round just like carp but remember on other days it can be the slightest touch and you've mist them.

Reels and Line this once again is to your preference but the line you will find needs to be 5 or 6 lb main line and perhaps 3 to 4lbs hook length and always take extra line with you has if you are constantly coming over a ledge your line will need changing from rubbing up and down the ledge.
Here perhaps to alleviate some of this as soon as you have struck into your fish hold your rod up has high has you can until you've brought them over the top of the ledge then when its safe lower your rod.

Hooks I've found that hooks from size 12 to 8 have done me well to date but you will find that a hook with a bigger bend in helps to hold and seat your worm and sweet corn a lot better on the hook to and for presentation also to get the bait on easy.

Feeders there are so many out there on the market now but so long has it s an open ended feeder that's all that's required you just want the bait to come out quickly, Here it will also pay to take plenty with you because you can loss a lot of them on some of the ledges
Hints that may help when fishing in some of the deep swims when you've cast out don't snap the bail arm over straight away give the feeder time to reach the bottom first because if for instance you are casting out about 30 yards lets say and you have a depth of 20 ft if you slap the bail arm over as soon has it hits the water your feeder will be falling short of where you have prebaited the night before so let it hit the bottom first before engaging the bail arm.

How long do you fish a selected peg you have chosen well we normally plan on fishing a peg for at least three days to accumulate some bait with in the swim and hopefully some fish to with a bit of luck, But in saying that if for two days we did not catch any thing at all we would find another place to try but would come back one evening for about an hour to see if they had turned up knowing we had put a fair amount of bait in.
Has a rule we fish three days but if the catch increases each day we would not leave unless the weights started to decrease then we could go to another peg for three days and then when that started to decrease we could go back?
So don't expect to fish a peg for one day and get those BIG BAGS you need to work at it and you never leave feeding fish just keep working and if they are there they will come you don't go over and just catch 200 lb bags like that from one peg to another we found on occasions they need a rest just like we do.
Also if you intend to go over following years you are accumulating more knowledge of places to try next time you visit this area. As this is so vast and the choices are end less

Special Notice 

1. Use official ISFC (Irish Specimen Fish Committee) claim form and complete all relevant sections fully

2. Print your name, address (including country) and telephone number in block capitals in Section 2.

3. Weighing: Fish must be weighed (on land) on certified club scales etc or alternatively, on a shop scales. If in doubt, use a shop scales. Fish must not be weighed on board a boat.

4. Scales must be certified annually by a competent independent authority and a certificate of accuracy must be current at time of weighing. Certificate must accompany each claim.

5. Fish scales, actual bodies or photographs of some species are required ( See section 4 of rules for details).see Specimen Fish Awards - Rules

6. You must sign and date Section 6 of the Claim Form. Ensure witnesses sign the Claim Form.

Bream: 7.5 lbs ;2.268 kilos

Carp: 12 lbs; 5.455 kilos

Eel: 3lbs;1.361 kilo

Pike Lake: 30 lbs;13.608 kilos

Pike River : 20 lbs; 9.072 kilos

Rudd/Bream Hybrid : 3 lbs; 1.361 kilos

Rudd: 2.25lbs

Roach: 2 lbs; 0.907 kilos

Roach/Bream Hybrid: 3 lbs; 1.361 kilos

Tench: 6 lbs; 2.721 kilos

Perch: 3 lbs; 1.361 kilos

 

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