Game Angling News, Announcements & Reports: (Salmon & Trout Fishing)

Dated Tuesday April 8th, 2002

Five years old Denis Horgan of Listowel punches the air with delight. Having taken part in the proceedings when his Dad Jim (PRO North Kerry Anglers Association) played and landed a Spring Salmon of 11lbs in Listowel town waters on 25^th March, Denis is surely hooked on the sport.

Angling Highlights

Weather settled down well during the week but temperatures were very cool with easterly winds over the weekend. This upset fishing generally. At the time of writing conditions are getting a little warmer by day but night frosts are still having a somewhat negative effect.

• LOUGH OWEL poor angling conditions led to low catches last week, particularly over the weekend

• LOUGH ENNELL: duckfly emerging with a good rise of  trout observed!

• LOUGH REE: super trout fishing reported from the lake over the past 10 days including a specimen of over 11lbs

• ANGLING FOCUS: for the Midland rivers and lakes by Mick Flanagan fishing guide

• JIM HORGAN PRO North Kerry Anglers Association reports from the River Feale, Listowel this week

 Announcements: was launched on Wednesday March 27th for all those who host or run and wish to promote events in the Shannon Region and its FREE !.  Logon here

Upper Shannon

Only a few anglers fished Lough Sheelin  for trout over the week to weekending March 31st,. The weather was bright and sunny, with heavy showers from time to time. Fly fishing hasn't really commenced yet. Reported catches were:

Mr Andrew Wolsey, Drumore – 1 trout over 2lbs, which he returned alive.

 Mr Tony Cassidy, Belfast – 1 trout 2.5lbs.

Mid Shannon Area

Gerd Soellner   D-76534 Rastatt , Landseestrasse 14 Tel:   0722232385 a German visitor  Web Address:   http://www.testfischer.de Email Address: gerd-soellner@testfischer.de reports on his recent trip to  Lough Ree Athlone

" On Friday 22nd March on the Shannon Athlone I caught a wild brown trout 11.9 lbs. I was a guest at killinure challets in Glasson/Westmeath owned by Manfred Walesch. He took the weight and will contact you for specimen list. I want to have contact with you to send pictures of this fish that you can make advertising for this beautiful country. The German report of my adventure is since today online, please see my home-page and write me an e-mail back to make contact. auf wiedersehen irland!" We have since emailed Gerd and have received back his photo of the trout which is being presented to the Irish Specimen Fish Committee for verification.

Fishing on Lough Ree was generally very good with lots of trout landed to 3lbs plus over the past couple of weeks.

Westmeath Topic ANGLING FOCUS article featured by Mick Flanagan Angling Guide Mullingar Tel: 087 2797270: The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board picks up on the game fishing extracts from the story entitled EASTER RISING ON LOUGH OWEL!:

" Lough Ennell kick started  last week March 27th with the Annual General Meeting of the Association in the Greville Arms Hotel.

It was clear that the two main concerns of the anglers and members are pollution and power craft problems. Pollution as Lough Ennell anglers know from sad experience is something that must be prevented from occurring for the sake of everyone concerned with water activities. It was discussed at some length at the AGM last week and various complaints about the current situation were heard and suggestions made as to what might be done.

It was also clearly evident at the meeting that the Association members are not at all happy about the way speed boats and jet ski craft have been used on the lake, and they are now hopeful that  Westmeath Co Council will shortly regulate the situation satisfactorily. Lough Ennell is particularly vulnerable because it is a shallow lake and because there are so many access points.

BACK TO ANGLING: Lough Owel produced good trout fishing on Good Friday for those who were able to adapt to fishing in bright and calm conditions. Frank Egan and John O'Halloran Tullamore had no problem doing so, nor had my fishing partner, Ger Furlong from Wexford who had five nice trout. Sammy Smith formally of Smiths Tackle Shop and Colm Farrell from Mullingar were the only two 'townies' I met on Friday. "

More Recently: It was dry. sunny but cool on Lough Owel, and similar to conditions on  Lough Ennell didn’t provide the most ideal angling conditions.  On Tuesday April 2^nd Charles McGee Longwood, Co. Meath returned 4 trout averaging 1.5lbs. On  April 6^th   C. McGee had 2 trout best 2.5lbs.

Saturday 06/04/02

The Youths Qualifier for 2003 was held on the Lough Owel on Saturday. 28 anglers under the age of 18 fished from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Conditions were sunny, windy and very cold with an east wind and squally. A total of 8 trout where recorded by 24 anglers best bag was 3 trout for 3.25lbs. 

Sunday 07-04-02

ACE Cup.   29 anglers returned 22 trout (good) Best fish .660 kgs.

1st Place: Johnny Plunkett Mullingar 0.660 kgs

2nd Place: Phil McMahon Dublin (L. Owel chairman)

3rd Place: Chris McKeon Mullingar

Prospects are looking better and more activity is expected as the weather gets milder and is to remain settled to the weekend April 13th.

More recently: Conditions on Lough Ennell were dry but cool, not good fishing weather for the most part. Conditions improved over the weekend and fishing is expected to pick up over the coming week.  There were good hatches of Duck fly and a lot of fish were seen rising in mainly flat calm conditions best suited to nymph fishing. On Saturday April 6^th 1 trout of 1.5lbs was returned by S Cash Tullamore. He returned trout of 3lbs - 4lbs on Sunday, kept one,  all caught on Duck fly nymph off the shore at Belvedere Houses.

 Lower Shannon Area

North Kerry Anglers Association Waters

  Rivers Feale & Smearlagh

-Listowel Area-

 Jim Horgan PRO – Tel 068/23848 – Fax 068/21900 – Email: jahorgan@eircom.net  

 Week ending 7th April 2002

With low water levels continuing hopes of the usual good run of fish from the spring tides receded by the day. However Ballylongford angler Stephen Dowling on a break for Easter had a brace during his visit back home. On Easter Monday he bagged a Salmon of 8lbs at Larry's Pool on the Bunagaragh stretch and on Tuesday his luck continued when he accounted for a fish of 7lbs on the Kilmorna stretch. Both Stephen's fish fell to the Flying C and were fresh run which surely augurs well for the recently constructed fish pass and counting facility at Scartleigh Dam, which spans the river Feale 2miles downstream of Listowel town. No doubt the Marine Department, Central Fisheries Board, Shannon Regional Fisheries Board and indeed all anglers along the Feale will be pleased that the passage of Salmon has been enhanced by this joint endeavour.

Fished the region last week ! - Like to send us a fishing report for next weeks update!

If you have fished any of our fisheries over the past week and wish to send us in a  fishing report or angling event notice/announcement to feature on next week's update, please click here and complete our online form or simply send us an email with your contact particulars and catch details with a photo if you have one to info@shannon-fishery-board.ie
 

ARCHIVED REPORTS

Use the drop down menu to select a report.

YEAR 2002

YEAR 2001

YEAR 2000