Angling Report

Week Ending 10th October 2004

Lough Conn

Fishing continued on Lough Conn until 10 October. John McNeeley, Knockmore and Pat Day, Headford, had a good day in which they accounted for 5 trout weighing 6 lbs. with the best weighing 1.25 lbs. At Murphy’s Boat Hire, Martin Foley, Dublin, had a trout of 1.5 lbs. and Mick Sweeney, also from Dublin, had two at 1 lb. and 1.5 lbs. Cecil Sheehy, Edenderry, had one at 1.75 lbs and Ned Tyrell had two at 1 lb. each. At Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Pam and Barry Gibson, UK, had 4 trout with the best coming at 1.75 lbs. and Ms. L. Bodkin, visiting from the USA, had two nice trout at 1.25 lbs. each. At Kelly’s Boat Hire, Michael Brown and John Williams, Cork, had 5 trout weighing 7 lbs. the best of which weighed 2 lbs. David Cramm, UK, had 2 trout weighing 1.75 lbs and 2.75 lbs.

Ballin Lough

On Ballin Lough, eleven rod days produced 45 rainbow trout of which 34 were released. Mr Frank Rigney had 9 trout on a Green Minkie. Mick Bourke had 12 trout on a Green Peter. Greg Perry had 9 trout also on a Minkie. Best fish 3.5lbs with plenty of fish in the 3 lb range being caught. Fishing continues on this lake until
31 October. To book, contact Mrs. Gill at 098-26128

Angling Report

Week Ending 4th October 2004

River Moy

The Moy produced a further 382 salmon during the final four days of the season bringing the season total to 9,274 which is the highest rod catch recorded on the river since 1996. The Ballina Salmon Anglers stretch continued to produce fish but the most productive water was Mount Falcon which yielded 67 fish of which 49 were released. John Kelly, Derry, had 19 fish for 3 days of which he released 16. Michael McCormack had 3 fish in 2 days of which he released 1. Mick Hayward and a party of 3 anglers had 18 salmon in 3 days of which 10 were released .On Gannon’s, Kevin Doyle had a 10 lbs. salmon on a spinner. Robert Orr had a 6 lbs. fish and Rhyss Jones, Wales, had one of 4 lbs. both on spinners. On the Foxford Fishery, Cliff Kenworth, England, had 5 salmon for 5 days while Mike Ashton and Richard Wright both had their first ever salmon. On Cloongee, R. A. Foster, England, had 2 salmon in 2 days on the fly. Alan Mulhall released one and S. Parker had one on a spinner. On East Mayo water, 12 salmon were reported of which 4 were released. Ian Jones had a 4 lbs. salmon n fly, V. Proir, France, had 2 in two day on fly (4 lbs. and 3 lbs.) . K. Sloan had one of 4 lbs on fly and T. O’Connor released one

As this is the last report from the Moy and from other salmon fisheries, for 2004, the Board wishes to thank sincerely all the fishery owners, ghillies, angling club personnel, tackle shops, hotels, Board staff and all who collected the information required to produce the weekly report. The report is very important for the promotion of angling n the area and your co-operation in compiling it is greatly appreciated.

Lough Conn

The Jackson Cup was fished on Lough Conn on Sunday with 34 boats accounting for 34 trout. The Cup, which is warded for the heaviest trout, was won by Joe Gannon with a trout weighing just over 2 lbs. Joe’s father, Austin, was a previous winner of the Cup. Second prize, for the heaviest bag, went to Liam Conroy, Tournakeady, who had 5 trout weighing 6.5 lbs. Gary Binley was third with trout. Elsewhere, Eamonn Mulligan had a good day with 5 trout averaging 1.5 lbs with one fine fish of 4 lbs.which took a Bibio. Dave Passmore had 3 trout averaging 1.5 lbs. all of which were released. At Healy’s Hotel, Michael McGuigan, Drogheda, had a good trout, weighing 3 lbs., on a Cock Robin. Michael Ryan, Drogheda, also had 2 trout at about 1 lb. each.

River Easkey

On the Easkey River, the Fortland Fishery produced 9 salmon over the last few days of the season of which 7 were released. Paul Wymes had 2 on fly of which he released 1. Rod Howell also had one on fly.

Ballin Lough

On Ballin Lough, 9 rods caught 16 trout of which 5 were released. Barry Kelly and partner, Co. Meath, had 3 trout, heaviest 3 lbs. all of which were released. Noel Behan and partner had 4 of which 2 were released, best fish 3 lbs. on a Bibio. Fishing was severely disrupted by strong winds later in the week. Fishing continues on Ballin Lough until 31 October so there is still a good chance of getting a fish in the 3 lbs range or bigger.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 26th September 2004

River Moy

The Moy enjoyed another week of excellent salmon fishing with a total of 542 fish reported bringing the season total to 8,892 with four days remaining in the season. The best fishing was on the Ballina Salmon Anglers water which produced 173 salmon for the week of which 60 were released. Mount Falcon also had a good week with 83 salmon recorded of which 57 were released. John Pember and Andrew Pearson had 8 fish for two days of which they release 4. Steve Varney and his friend had 22 for 4 days of which 16 were released. Armstrong’s Fishery recorded 35 salmon for the week and Gannon’s had 30. Rinnaney yielded 52 fish. S. Graham, N. Ireland, had a salmon of 8 lbs., M. Bother, Germany, had one of 9.5 lbs., P. Gustain, France, had two (6 lbs. and 4 lbs.) in two days. R. Horan, England, had one at 8 lbs. and A. Jones, Wales, had one at 6 lbs. Cloongee also enjoyed a good week with 33 salmon caught while the East Mayo water produced a further 31. At Cloongee, Frank Bosman, Holland, had a salmon and Paul and Jan Le Borge, France, had 9 for the week. On East Mayo, P Mortimer had a 6 lbs salmon on fly while P. Byrne, Isobel Gallagher, M. Clarke and Brun Lucien (France) each had a salmon on spinner.

Lough Conn

There were not many anglers on Conn this week and few trout were recorded. However, at Murphy’s Boat Hire, a group of 18 Belgium visitors had 18 trout for their week, including 3 over 2.5 lbs., and all were returned to the lake. At Healy’s Hotel, Derek Good and Jan Maynard, UK, had 10 trout for 4 days with the best weighing 1.5 lbs. A guest of Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Jim Deacy, had a trout of 1.25 lbs. Lawson Clements, Co. Sligo, and Michael Hayes, Knockmore, had 4 trout for a day, averaging 1 lb., all of which they returned. Ray Coleman had the biggest trout of the year on Conn, a huge fish weighing 8.5 lbs. which he caught while trolling a dead roach at Glass Island.

River Easkey

On the Easkey River, the Fortland Fishery produced 70 salmon for the week. Joe Cobley, England, had a massive week in which he caught 29 salmon over 7 days of which he returned 22. Of the total, 26 were caught on fly. David Cahill had 7 for the week, of which he returned 5, and Robert Hutchinson had a 7 lbs. trout on fly.

Newport River

A number of grilse and sea trout were taken on the Newport River this week. Sean Downes had 4 salmon over 3 days and John Rix had one. Eileen and David Magill had 8 sea trout varying from .75 lbs to 1.25 lbs. while Mr. Asgerie, Iceland, had a sea trout of 1 lb. All sea trout were returned in accordance with the law in that part of the region.

Glenamoy River

Just one salmon reported this week and it was caught by Michael Noone, Belmullet. Despite good conditions, several anglers failed to land fish but there were good reports of fish in the river.

Ballin Lough

Four rods reported 15 trout of which 13 were released. Martin Gannon and partner had 8 trout of which 6 were released with the best weighing 2.75 lbs. Bibios and Sooty Olives proved the most effective flies. Stephen McManus and partner reported 7 trout, all released, with the best weighing 3.25 lbs. For them, a Hopper and a Depphi were the best flies. Anglers should note that this popular rainbow trout fishery, which was stocked in recent weeks, remains open until 31 October

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Angling Report

Week Ending 19th September 2004

River Moy

There was a huge upsurge in angling activity on the Moy this week as a result of a flood which gave a major boost to salmon fishing following a few rather quite weeks. A total of 530 salmon were reported for the week but it is believed the total was, in fact, higher than that as some fish were unreported and some greedy anglers exceeded the bag limit of one fish per day. The Ballina Salmon Anglers water, immediately upstream of Ballina was the place to be with a big number of local and visiting anglers accounting for a reported 198 salmon for the week with the bulk of the fish taken spinning. On the Ridge Pool, Jim McCooey, Newry, Co. Down, caught a huge salmon of 17.7 lbs on worm. Ronald Kennedy, also from N. Ireland, had a fish of 5.28 lbs on a spinner and Brendan Sheppard, Co. Laois, had a salmon of 6.67 lbs. on a spinner. Gary Birtwell and Alan Chadwick, both from England, had salmon of 3.37 lbs and 3.53 lbs. respectively on worm.

The Moy Fishery Freshwater Beat fished well this week. Larry Ryder, Co. Laois, had two salmon, weighing 4 lbs. and 6 lbs., in two days, on a spinner. S. Pondarte, France, had a salmon of 6 lbs. which he released. On Mount Falcon, 68 salmon were reported for the week of which 32 were released. Phil Briscoe and a party of 7 anglers from England had 40 fish, over 4 days, of which 26 were released with the best fish weighing 10 lbs. On Gannons’ Fishery, Karl William Albreagh, Germany, two salmon at 5 lbs. and 6 lbs., over 2 days, and Pierkem Boucher, Switzerland, had one of 8 lbs. On Rinnaney, G. Hendrick, Germany, had had salmon weighing 5 lbs. and 9 lbs. while P. Bothar, also Germany, had two at 9 lbs. and 8 lbs. and G. Fontaine, France, had one at 6.5 lbs. On Cloongee, 60 salmon were reported for the week of which 12 were released. Karl Binder, Germany, had one of 6 lbs.on worm, Mark Schuab, Germany, had one of 7 lbs. on worm and Jan Leboague, France, had one of 5 lbs on a spinner. On East Mayo, R. Wilson had an 8 lbs. fish on the fly, D. Byrne had one of 6 lbs on a spinner and J. Buckley also had a 6 lbs. fish on the same method.

Lough Conn

There were very few anglers out on Conn due to the strong winds which prevailed for much of the week. However, two Dutch visitors, Rob Jagel and Jos de Vriend, staying at Pontoon Bridge Hotel, had 3 trout weighing 3.75 lbs. with the best weighing in at 1.75 lbs. Local ghillie, Jack Mellet, had two trout both around 1 lb. and both taken on a daddylonglegs which appears to have been the most effective fly in recent weeks.

River Easkey

There was excellent fishing on the Fortland Fishery this week with 161 salmon caught of which 100 were released. Frank Murphy, Co. Wicklow, had the best fish of the week, a fine salmon of 12.5 lbs. Joe Cobley, England, had 12 salmon, on the fly, over 2 days, of which he released 10. Howard Bayliss and a party of 4 had 56 salmon for their week of which they released 34.

Lough Arrow

Twenty-four anglers took part in the Collooney & Ballisodare Anglers boat competition on Arrow on Sunday. The competition was won by Brendan Henry and Bobby Chapman with one trout weighing 1.95 kgs. Second were Peter McKenna and Cecil Marshall with a trout of 1.49 kgs. Hillary Mitchell and Jim Mulcahy were 3rd with a trout at 1.075 kgs. and John Burke and Michael Monaghan were in 4tth place with a fish weighing .39kgs.

Lough Nasool

This rainbow trout fishery continued to produce trout during the week with the best fish, weighing 4 lbs., taken by Adrian Cullin from Sligo.

Newport River

There was some good fishing on the Newport River this week. Sean Downes had 3 grilse, over 2 days, all of which he released. Christy Loftus had 3 salmon, (3.5 lbs., 8 lbs. and 8 lbs.) of which 2 were released and a sea trout (released) for a day. Eamonn Kennedy had a 5 lbs salmon and 2 sea trout all of which were released. Stephen Lines had a 7 lbs. salmon which he released and David Fitz had a sea trout which he released. Dr. Kenneth Livingstone and his wife had two fresh fish of 5.5 lbs. and 6.5 lbs. for a day.

Burrishoole Fishery

Windy conditions kept anglers off the lake for most of the week and just one salmon was reported, a fish of 4 lbs. taken by David Connors. England.

Glenamoy River

This spate river in north west Mayo fished well this week with excellent sport to the fly when conditions were suitable. Reasonable bags of sea trout were taken, some up to 3 lbs. Colin and John White, Co. Carlow, had 15 sea trout (a number released) and 2 grilse for a day. Neville Thompson had a 4 lbs grilse and local angler, Michael Noone, had 2 grilse. Good sport can be expected over the final week of the season in suitable conditions. Anglers are reminded that creel census forms should be completed and returned to the day permit distributor or to the Fisheries Board’s Office in Bangor-Erris.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 12th September 2004

River Moy

Angling activity on the Moy slowed down considerably this week with very few anglers on most fisheries as a result of the bright, sunny conditions early in the week and gale force winds and rain at the weekend. Nonetheless, 97 salmon were recorded for the week bringing the season total, to date, to 7,820. On the Ridge Pool, Stephen Keenan, Dublin, had a salmon of 7.24 lbs. on the fly. Terry McDermott, N. Ireland, had one of 4 lbs. on fly, which he released, and Andrew Henry, N. Ireland had a 3 lbs. salmon on a spinner. On the Cathedral Beat, Ted Walsh, Kildare, Rosemary King, N. Ireland, and T. Harton, Co. Westmath, each had a salmon on fly with the best weighing 5.5 lbs. On the Ash Tree Pool, David Armes, England, had a 3 lbs. salmon on fly. Mount Falcon Fishery produced 11 salmon for the week of which 3 were released. Jim Newson, Blackburn, England, had 3 in 3 days with the best weighing 4 lbs. On the Foxford Fishery, David Joyce, Leeds, had 2 salmon for 2 days on a spinner. At Rinnaney, David Howley had 3 salmon all of which were released.. P. Bouchard, France, had a fine fish of 8 lbs. and J.Listeur had one at 9 lbs. P. Heath, England, had 2 salmon for 2 days, weighing 8.5 lbs and 6.5 lbs. Brian McGrath caught a fine 12 lbs. salmon which he released.

Lough Conn

Very few anglers out as result of bright sunshine on a number of days and gales at the weekend. The Healy’s Hotel sponsored Kingdom of Conn competition on Sunday attracted a small number of competitors who braved the gales and heavy rain. The competition was won, for the third successive year by local angler, John Walshe, who had a fine trout of 2.86 lbs. Second was Bryan Kennedy, NWRFB, with a trout of 1.1 lbs. Elsewhere, James Barlow, a guest of Healy’s Hotel, had 2 trout, one weighing 2lbs. and one at 1 lb.while at Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Phil Briscoe, from Worchester, England, had a trout of 1.5 lbs.

Bilberry Lough

The Kennedy Cup was fished on Bilberry with 17 rods taking 15 trout for 13.85 lbs. Pat Armstrong had the heaviest fish which weighed 1.31 lbs. Peter Byrne had the heaviest bag with 4 trout at 3.37 lbs. and John Walshe was next with 2 fish at 1.70 lbs.

River Easkey

Despite holding a good stock of fish, the Easkey produced just 4 for the week. J. Williams, Wales, had one on prawn, John Sceary had one on worm and Fishery Manager, Granville Nesbitt, had two on fly.

Ballin Lough

Eight rods caught 31 trout with 22 of these released. .Mr. Van Vaelon and partner, from Belgium, had 19 trout of which they released 16 with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. Mr Grieve and Mr. McFadden ad 8 trout of which they released 6.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 5th September 2004

River Moy

The Moy is continuing to produce salmon with a reported catch of 166 for the week bringing the season total, to date, to 7,714. The Moy Fishery, Ballina Salmon Anglers water, Mount Falcon and Rinnaney produced the bulk of the catch. On the Ridge Pool, Eoin Shanley, Dublin, had a fish of 4.59 lbs. on the fly. Jack Charlton and Peter O’Reilly both had salmon on the fly which they released. Ian Carroll, Co. Cork, had a fine fish of about 6.5 lbs. on the fly which he too released. On the Cathedral Beat, A. Senior, England, had a salmon on worm, G. Owston, Wales, had one on fly which he released, P. Corrigan had one of 3 lbs. on fly and Ian Carroll had one of 4 lbs. on a spinner. Doug Moore, England had two on fly which he released. On the Ash Tree Pool, Jerome Kiernan, Co. Meath, Peter O’Reilly and Cyril Conlon each had had a salmon on fly all of which were released. Brian Winterson, England, also had a fine fish of 7.5 lbs on the fly. On Mount Falcon, A. Senior and a party of 8 anglers, from England, had a total of 21 salmon over three days of which they released 18. The best fish weighed 11.5 lbs and was caught by Richard Clayton. On Rinnaney, Roland Jarna and his wife, France had 5 salmon for the week.

Lough Conn

There was an increased level of activity on Conn this week and fishing was reasonable when conditions were suitable. At Murphy’s Boat Hire, Massbrook, Mick Sweeney, Dublin, had 2 trout at 1.25 lbs. each. Martin O’Rourke had 2 at 1.5 lbs each and Martin Foley had 1 weighing I lb. Two Belgium anglers caught several trout of which they retained 4 with the best weighing 2 lbs. and the daddylonglegs being the most successful fly. Graham Williams, Pontoon, had 3 trout averaging 1.5 lbs. each. At Kelly’s Boat Hire, Seamus Dolan had 3 trout for a day and they weighed in at 2 lbs. At Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Pat Armagh had two trout at 1 lb. and 1.5 lbs., both on a Royal Woulfe. On Sunday, the Paddy McDonnell Cup was fished but calm, misty conditions militated against good fishing with the result that 31 rods caught only 7 fish. The competition was won by Bernard McGuiness who had 2 trout for 3.77lbs., 2nd was John O’Malley with 1 trout weighing 1.62 lbs. and 3rd. was Feichin McMorrow with 1 trout at 1.38 lbs.

River Easkey

The Fortland Fishery reported 24 salmon for the week of which 5 were released. Alex Brown and Charlie Dobbie, Scotland, had 17 salmon for their week. Fishery Manager, Granville Nesbitt, had 3 salmon on bubble and fly of which he released 2. Seven-year old Patrick Armstrong, Ballina, ably assisted by his 11-year old sister, Denise, landed his first salmon, a small fresh fish of 2.5 lbs., on bubble and fly.

Ballisodare Fishery

Fishing on the Ballisodare has wound down with just 4 salmon reported for the week..

Newport/Lough Beltra

Fishing on this system was very slow this week. Robert Meyers had a grilse of 4.5 lbs. from the river. No fish reported from the lough but it is believed to hold a reasonable stock of salmon.

Burrishoole Fishery

This system produced 7 salmon for the week with 5 of these being taken by father and son team, Sean and Michael Smyth from Yorkshire , England. The best fish was 13.5 lbs and there was a good sin of fresh fish entering the system.

Glenamoy River

No salmon reported this week but good signs of salmon in pools. This river should provide lively salmon and sea trout fishing, in suitable conditions, between now and the end of the month.

Ballin Lough

Eleven rods had 23 trout of which 6 were released. In a junior angling outing, on Saturday, Mike Farrell had a trout of 2.6 lbs. and Owen Hughes had one of 1.5 lbs.
This lake now holds a good stock of rainbow trout following recent restocking. To book, contact Mrs. Gill at 098-26128.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 29th August 2004

River Moy

Fishing on the Moy was quite good this week with a total of 304 salmon recorded for the week bringing the total for the season to date to 7,548. The Moy Fishery, the Ballina Salmon Anglers water and Mount Falcon produced the bulk of the catch. The Moy Fishery had 69 salmon for the week with 38 of these coming off the Ridge Pool. Alan Wallder had 1 salmon and 1 sea trout on fly. Dennis Wall, England, had two with one taken on a spinner and one on fly. T. Shreeve, England, had 3 on spinner. Jim Goodwin, England, had 2 on spinner, one weighing 6.74 lbs. and one at 3.35 lbs. On the Cathedral Beat, Gordan Sheedy had a 6 lbs. salmon on worm, P. Walls had a 5 lbs. fish on a spinner. On the Ash Tree Pool, Pat Kane, Donegal, had 2 weighing 3 lbs. and 5 lbs. on a spinner, Gary Fullerton and Ian McShane, both also from Donegal, had a 3 lbs. salmon each on spinners. The Moy Fishery Freshwater Beat produced 8 salmon for the week with the best fish, weighing 7.5 lbs. taken by Pearse Jackson who also had two others. David Malpas, England, also had 3 salmon on a spinner. Ballina Salmon Anglers water produced 72 salmon for the week of which a number were released. The bulk of the fish were caught spinning and worming but a number were taken on bubble and fly as the river cleared towards the end of the week. On Mount Falcon, 28 salmon were reported of which 9 were released. Juan Rico, Spain, had 5 salmon for three days with the best weighing 6 lbs. Derek Wright and son, Bruce, England, had 6 fish for two days with the best weighing 9.5 lbs. Ryan O’Loughlin (aged 8), Dublin, had 2 salmon with one weighing 7 lbs. On the Foxford Fishery, Mike Donnelly and 2 on worm and M. Azpitarte, France, had 1 on worm. On the East Mayo Anglers water, J. Knox had 2 salmon on a spinner, P. Kenny had 1 on worm and D. Doyle had I on fly

Lough Conn

Still only a few anglers fishing the lake but some trout were recorded. Derek Rooney, a guest of Healy’s Hotel, had a trout of 1.5 lbs.on a Daddylonglegs. Steve Brown, a guest at Pontoon Bridge Hotel had had a 2 lbs. trout on a dry fly. At Kelly’s Boat Hire, Padraic Rooney, Dublin, had 6 trout weighing 10 lbs.of which he kept 4 with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. Foxford Angling Club held a competition for the Chris Downey Cup in memory of the well known ghillie, based at Foxford, who sadly passed away in the past year. The competition was won by Michael Tiernan with a trout of 1.56 lbs which took a Raymond while John Gallagher was 2nd with a trout of 1.25 lbs. which he caught on a Grey Duster.

Ballisodare Fishery

Fishing on the Ballisodare slowed down this week but it still managed to produce 37 salmon with the best being 7 lbs.

River Bonet

The Bonet yielded at least 3 salmon for the week with one angler, Kevin O’Donnell, catching 3 and another, Paul Keenan, having 2. Local angler, Brendan Foley, had a nice 6lbs. salmon on worm.

Drumcliffe River

The Drumcliffe River produced 8 salmon for the week including a nice fish of 7 lbs. taken by well known local angler, Dermot Layden, on fly.

Lough Doon

An algal bloom which has persisted for some time on this small lake, near Dromahair, has been breaking up and the lake is again producing some trout. It should provide some good fishing between now and the end of the season as it holds a good stock of wild trout. Enquiries to Mrs. Martin at 071-9164989.

Newport/Lough Beltra

A rise in water levels provided a boost to fishing on the river which produced 6 grilse for the week. Sean Downes had 2 weighing 4 lb. each, Robert Meyers had 3 on 3 consecutive days, weighing 5 lbs., 3 lbs. and 4.75 lbs. and Eamonn Kennedy had one of 5.5 lbs..The Newport is a “fly only “ fishery. The lake yielded no fish even though it appears to hold a reasonable stock.

Glenamoy River

One angler had 2 salmon for a day and another had 3 sea trout for a few hours fishing.

Ballin Lough

The recent stocking of this lake has provided a major boost to fishing and 22 rods reported 45 trout for the week. Cathal Hoban had 3 trout, including a brown trout of 2 lbs., and a rainbow of 3 lbs. Vincent Roche also had a rainbow of 3.1 lbs. Two rods had 9 trout for a day with the best weighing 2 lbs. Best flies appeared to be the Bibio and the Green Peter. To book, contact Mrs. Gill at 098-26128.

New Salmon Angling Regulations

Salmon anglers are reminded that, with effect from 1 September, 2004, a bag limit of one salmon (or one sea trout over 40cms.) per day is in force.

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25th August 2004

Press Release

Juvenile Angling Day at Ballisodare

The North Western Regional Fisheries Board and Ballisodare Fishing Club held a Juvenile Angling Day on the Ballisodare River, Co. Sligo, on 18 August, 2004. Heavy rain, which fell throughout the afternoon, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the twenty young anglers that turned up to fish the event which took place from 2 pm to 6.30 pm. Despite the difficult conditions, they managed to land five salmon for the afternoon, an excellent achievement for the youngsters.

Fishing was slow to start and only one fish was caught in the first two hours. However, when the tide started to fill, the numbers of salmon moving increased and another four fish were taken during this time with at least three others hooked and lost. The majority of the young anglers were using worm but some fished the fly and the heaviest fish caught during the day fell to the fly. Floats, hooks and bait etc. were provided to ensure that all were kitted out to catch fish. On the competitive side, the winner of the event was Luke O Connell, aged 12, a local angler who caught his 5.8 lbs salmon on the fly. He was presented with a spinning rod, reel and baits, sponsored by Macs Tackle Shop, Ballisodare. Keith Mc Commack, Carraroe, was second with a 5 lbs.salmon and he was presented with a fly rod, reel and line, sponsored by The North Western regional Fisheries Board. Third place went to Karl Quigley for his 4lb fish and he won a spinning reel, also sponsored by the Fisheries Board. Jamie Conlon from Drumahair finished forth with a 3.5 lbs fish and fifth place went to Daniel Kilcawley who had a fish of 1.5 lbs. A spinning rod sponsored by the Ballisodare club was presented to the best lady angler, Megan Devany, Dromahair. Prizes were presented to all who participated in the event which was regarded as a great success.

The Board wishes to thank Ballisodare Fishing Club for making the fishery available for this event. Special thanks to Dermott Glennon, Fechin Mc Morrow, Gerry Mc Hugh for their help and to Lisa in the fishery office for taking the bookings. The Board also wishes to thank club members and the Board staff who helped supervise the event and provided advice and assistance to the youngsters when needed.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 22nd August 2004

River Moy

The Moy produced 292 salmon for the week bringing the total for the season, to date, to well over 7,000 which will result in one of the best annual catches on the river for several years despite the poor run of salmon to the coast. The bulk of the fish in the past week were taken on the Moy Fishery, at Ballina, which produced a total of 130 while the upstream, Ballina Salmon Anglers stretch accounted for a further 64 with the vast bulk of these taken over the weekend. On the Ridge Pool, Brendan McCusker, Co. Armagh, had had his bag limit of 3 salmon with 2 taken on worm and 1 on fly. John Griffin also had his bag limit of 3 salmon, 2 spinning and 2 on worm. William Stewart also had 3 for his day, 2 on worm and 1 spinning. On the Cathedral Beat, P. Maguire, N. Ireland, had a salmon of 3.5 lbs on fly and Mr. A. Smith, Scotland, had 2 on fly weighing 5 lbs. and 3.5 lbs. Vincent Verchere, France had had one of 4 lbs. on a spinner while Jacques Verchere, France, had salmon of 6 lbs. and 3.5 lbs. while spinning. On the Freshwater Beat, Gordan Sheedy had two salmon, weighing 5 lbs. and 3 lbs. on spinner and Denis Gallagher also had two which weighed in at 5.5 lbs. and 5 lbs. with both taken on spinners. At Mount Falcon, Ronan Whelan had 2 salmon and Steve Holbrook & Friend, from England, had 6 salmon over two days. On Gannons, Rita Tolan, Dublin, had a salmon of 3.5 lbs. on worm and John Conneely, Clifden, had a nice salmon of 7 lbs. on worm.

On the Moy Estuary, there was little angling activity due to mainly inclement weather conditions. However, Ray Baily and his son, from England, had 6 trout and Anthony McHale, Ballina, had four for his day while Declan Hennigan had two.

Lough Conn

Few anglers fished Conn during the week due to the inclement weather with thunder in the air and frequent heavy showers. However, some did venture out and manage to catch fish. Ken Deacey, a guest of Pontoon Bridge Hotel, had a trout of 1.25 lbs. on the buzzer. Liam Gavin, staying at Healy’s Hotel, had two nice trout weighing 1.5 lbs. and 1.25 lbs. Padraic Traynor, Crossmolina, and his brother, Eric, visiting from Australia, had three trout with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. They also returned a number of small fish

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare produced 76 salmon for the week. Matt Glennan, Longford, had three fish for a day including a nice fish of 6 lbs. Local angler, Sean Gallagher, also had three fish which averaged 5 lbs. A juvenile angling day was held at the fishery on Wednesday, 18 August, sponsored by the fishery owners and the Fisheries Board. The day was a great success with 20 young anglers taking part despite very inclement weather conditions. Five salmon were caught by the youngsters with the best fish, weighing 5.8 lbs. being taken by 12-year old Luke O’Connell on the fly. The event was one of several sponsored by the Board this year to encourage more young people to enjoy angling.

River Bonet

Kelvin Gilmore, a salmon angler fishing the Bonet, had a pleasant surprise when a massive brown trout took his Flying C . The trout, a river specimen, weighed in at 9 lbs. 10 ozs!

Drumcliffe River

The Drumcliffe River produced a number of salmon during the week including one which fell to local angler, Johnny Loughney.

Lough Doon

An algal bloom which has persisted for some time on this small lake, near Dromahair, appears to be breaking up and the lake should provide some good fishing between now and the end of the season as it holds a good stock of wild trout. Enquiries to Mrs. Martin at 071-9164989.

Burrishoole Fishery

Burrishoole holds a good stock of fish but they are proving difficult to catch due to the lack of fresh water entering the system in recent weeks though the present wetter conditions should provide a boost to fishing. Local angler, Joe Donnellan, and UK visitor, Mike Murphy, both had fish weighing 4.5 lbs

Newport/Lough Beltra

A few salmon and sea trout were caught during the week but this fishery is also in need of a good injection of fresh water to encourage fish to move.

Glenamoy River

The most recent flood saw a number of fresh grilse and sea trout enter the system. Father and son, Leslie and Colin White, Co. Carlow, both caught salmon weighing 5.5 lbs. on the same day. Several other grilse have also been caught in recent floods and good fishing can be expected from now to the end of the season in suitable conditions. Day tickets are available from the Anglers’ Rest pub, adjacent to the river and anglers are asked to co-operate with the creel census which is in operation in order to assist with management of this fishery which has undergone considerable development in recent years.

Ballin Lough

The recent stocking of this lake has provided a major boost to fishing with some excellent catches over the past week. For example, Robert Pinman caught 8 trout (a number released) up to 2.5 lbs. and Frank Rigney had 12 (most were released) with the best weighing 3 lbs. The lake should continue to fish well from now to the end of the season on 31 October following the release of 700 trout recently. To book, contact Mrs. Gill at 098-26128.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 15th August 2004

River Moy

Salmon angling on the Moy slowed down significantly in the past week Despite a small rise in water levels, towards the end of the week, few fresh fish have been seen up river.
The total reported catch for the week was just 140 salmon, which is the lowest recorded since early in the season. The Moy Fishery, at Ballina fared best with 54 salmon caught for the week, mainly on the Ridge Pool and Cathedral Beats. Mount Falcon also fished quite well with 36 salmon recorded for the week. On the Ridge Pool, Pierre Vanappelghem, France, had a nice grilse of 5 lbs and lost two others. Declan and Garrett Dooley (father & son) each had fish of 4 lb. and Kevin Clayton had two on the Weir Pool. Small tube flies appeared to be most effective. On the Cathedral Beat, Tony McGall, Belfast, had a 4 lbs salmon and David Browne, Dublin and Ballina, had one weighing 3.5 lbs. On Polnamonagh, Brian Hazelton had a nice fish of 6 lbs on worm and on the Spring Wells, Pat Smyth, Cavan, had one of 5 lbs. on.fly. On the Ash Tree Pool, Matt Russell, Co. Down, had a salmon on fly and the Point yielded one to local angler, Tom Rafter, also on the fly. On Mount Falcon, a Spanish group had 10 grilse over 2 days, all on worm while another group of young anglers had 3 fish. On Byrne’s Fishery, Dan Murphy, Wexford, had a 4 lbs. salmon on worm. On Gannon’s Fishery, John Ralph had a 4 lbs fish while Karl-Martin Ott, Germany, had one of 3 lbs., both on worm. Foxford Salmon Anglers (NWRFB) fishery, upstream of Foxford, produced 15 salmon for the week with most taken on the prawn in the Corrigeen area. A group visiting from the UK had 5 salmon over two days.

Sea Trout Fishing on the Moy Estuary was quite slow with little angling activity taking place. However, Foxford man, JJ O’Hara and family had 5 trout of which 2 were retained and 3 released. John Deemer, USA, had 6 trout of which 1 was retained and Tom Jordan, with a party of 3 anglers, had 18 trout of which 7 were retained. D.O’Connor, Dublin, had 7 good trout of which he kept 6.

Easkey River

Despite low water conditions, the Easkey produced approx. 30 salmon for the week with bulk of the catch being taken on the Fortland Fishery

Lough Conn

While Lough Conn is still going through its traditional quite period, anglers that ventured out on the lake caught trout. Ian Wyse had 3 trout averaging about 1 lb. Graham Williams and a guest had 2 trout around 1lb. each. Walter Byrne had 5 trout, weighing 9 lbs. over three days and returned a number of others. Seamus Kelly, Cloghans, had 2 weighing 3.5lbs. Padraic Kelly, fishing with Dutch visitor, Jan Van Veen, had 3 weighing approx. 1 lb. each. Mr. Diggelmann, a guest of Pontoon Bridge Hotel, had a trout weighing1.5 lbs.

Ballisodare Fishery

Despite low water levels, Ballisodare produced a total of 50 salmon for the week, mostly to visiting anglers. Local angler, Alfie Mahon, had 2 fish weighing 4 lbs. each.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 8 August 2004

River Moy

Due to continuing low water levels coupled with very heavy and thundery weather angling conditions were poor for most of the week. As such, catches were down on previous weeks with 200 salmon being reported for the week, 83 of which were caught on the Moy Fishery tidal beats at Ballina.

Anglers fishing the Ridge Pool had 33 salmon for the week with several anglers taking more than 1 fish. Anglers who fished small tube flies enjoyed the most success. Belgian angler, Roland Capouillez had 2 salmon which weighed in at 4.31lbs & 5.15lbs, both on the fly. Nathan Davies aged just 10 from Wales had a small fish on the worm. Roger Powell, England also had 2 salmon to the fly. Lars Friebertshauser, Germany had 2 salmon and his father Klaus Wolf Friebertshauser also had a salmon of 5.74lbs, all of which were taken on the fly. Gary Birtwell, England had 1 salmon on fly and Fergal O’Hagan, Donegal had his bag limit of 3 salmon. Chris Ryan, Sportfish UK caught an excellent salmon of 12.25lbs on a size 12 Cascade, the best fish of the week. The Cathedral Beat produced 40 salmon for the week with several anglers catching more than 1 fish. Tom Cogan, Monaghan and John Rowan N.I. both had two to the fly and Thomas Gibson & A. Hooper, England had a fish each also on the fly. The lower beats were particularly affected by the unfavourable conditions and only a few fish were caught. On the Spring Wells M. Stenberg had a 5.3 lbs salmon on the fly. The Ash Tree Pool fished a little better. Anglers who enjoyed success with the fly included a Eamon and Niall Tonge who each had a salmon weighing in at 5.5lbs and 4lbs respectively.

Ballina Salmon Anglers reported 10 small salmon which were caught by anglers mainly fishing the worm and bubble and fly. The Wilson family had an excellent days fishing on Mount Falcon, Jim Wilson had 5 salmon on fly, 2 of which he released and his brother David had 2 salmon, 1 on spinner and 1 on bubble and fly. Jim’s son Michael also had 2 salmon on spinner. On Armstrong’s Fishery, Tony Nelson and two friends from England had 8 salmon for the week. John Ralph fishing Gannon’s had a salmon of 5lbs on worm. East Mayo Anglers reported15 salmon for the week, 13 of which were caught on the fly.

On the Moy Estuary, an estimated 120 sea trout were caught. Judd Ruane reported 71 trout for the week, 33 of which were released. Ian Moffatt, Scotland had 10 trout, 7 to the fly which he released and 3 on mackerel strip which he retained. Roger Powell and friend from England had 20 trout on mackerel strip, 8 of which were released. 12 year old David McLoughlin had a fine trout of 2.50lbs and 15 year old Philip Thornton had 5 trout for 8lbs on white bait.

Easkey River

The Fortland Fishery reported 12 salmon for the week.

Lough Conn

Humid and thundery weather conditions coupled with light winds prevailed throughout the week. Despite the poor angling conditions a good number of anglers fished the lake with some success. Most successful flies included bumble, olives and sedge patterns. Michael Healy, Dublin fishing out of Cloghans had three nice trout, the heaviest weighing in at 3.5lbs. Willy Cox had three ranging in weight from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. Fishing out of Massbrook, Michael Colvey, England and Fred Merry, USA each had a fish and Graham Williams had three the best of which was 1.75 lbs. Annie Norton, Enniskillen was fortunate enough to catch a small salmon and a fine 3lbs trout. Martin Foley reported 6 all of which were released. Visiting anglers fishing out of Pontoon Bridge had some small trout. Padraig Traynor, evening fishing, had two fish averaging 1lbs both of which he returned.

Lough Arrow

A reasonable number of anglers fished the lake and, encouragingly, reported that good numbers of fish were observed. However, given the conditions which were similar to L Conn, the number of trout taken was small. As in recent weeks, the most successful flies were Murrough and Peter patterns fished in the late evening. Heaviest trout of the week was taken by Joseph Gray and weighed in at 4.5lbs. Other anglers who reported fish included David Gray and Thomas Walsh, who had 4 averaging 3lbs.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

G Mallon fishing a spinner had a nice trout on L Bo. Lough Nasool was more productive and several anglers had good sport. Thomas Higgins had two rainbows for 6.5lbs the heaviest weighing in at 4.5lbs. Fergal Quinlan also had two small rainbows one to the worm and the other on the fly. Two other anglers took 4 nice rainbows for a total weight of 9.5 lbs.

Ballisodare Fishery

102 salmon were reported for the week mostly to the worm and included some good fish which is typical of fish running late to the Ballisodare system. Angling was concentrated in the “Butt” area and, due to low water, there was no fishing upstream of the falls. The fishery still holds a reasonable head of fish. Best fish of the week went to Pat Coleman, Carrick on Shannon who caught a nice 10lbs salmon fishing the worm.

Drumcliffe and Bonet Rivers

Low water levels have restricted the level of fishing on these rivers, particularly on the Bonet River. However, good numbers of sea trout have been observed in the sea pools on the Drumcliffe and a local angler, Mr Davenport, caught a nice 8lbs salmon on the river during the week.

Newport/Beltra, Burrishoole & Owenmore Fisheries

Due to low water there was no fishing on the Newport system. Angling on Lough Furnace was slow for the week due to the unfavourable weather conditions across the region. A small number of anglers fished with some success. Local angler, Martin Hughes had a 5 lbs grilse and Scottish angler, Mr Paterson also had a 4.5 lbs fish. On the Owenmore conditions were not favourable except towards the weekend when three salmon were caught following heavy rain which brought a flood into the river.

Ballinlough

Weather conditions on the lake were far from ideal with bright calm days giving way to heavy rain and thunder. Despite the adverse conditions, some anglers enjoyed excellent sport. Scottish angler, Ian McArthur had 4 rainbows, 3 of which were returned and the heaviest weighing 3 lbs. Two of his fish were taken on Kate McLaren. Robert and Richard Reilly also had a good day catching a total of 14 rainbows and sportingly returned 8. Their best fish weighed in at 3.5lbs and best flies were Silver Dabbler and Claret.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 1 August 2004

River Moy

Despite hot sultry conditions which mitigated against good angling, anglers reported 336 salmon from the Moy over the past week. Due to the low water levels, the Moy Fishery continued to produce the most fish with 137 salmon caught for the week. The total reported rod catch from the Moy to date has now exceeded 6,500 salmon.

On the Ridge Pool, Sean Keenan and Sean Downes had good fishing and both had the bag limit of 3 salmon each to the fly. Robert Logue, Northern Ireland enjoyed excellent sport and landed 4 salmon on the fly 2 of which were released. W. Doolan, Scotland also had 2 salmon to the fly.

Anglers fishing the Cathedral Beat had some good catches, Kevin Clayton caught and released 2 salmon, both taken on the fly. A party of visiting German anglers enjoyed good fly fishing - Lars Frieberschauser had 3 salmon, Rene Geringer had a 4.5 lbs fish and Klaus Frieberschauser had a nice 6 lbs salmon on an Orange & Gold Shrimp Fly.

On the Spring Wells, Fintan Keenan had 3 salmon all to the fly. Derek Doyle also had his bag limit of 3 salmon fishing an Ally’s Cascade.. James Donnelly had his first ever salmon while spinning. Edward Kelly fishing the Ash Tree Pool had 2 salmon on the fly. Bill Graham N.I. had 1 salmon on a spinner and Jim Entwistle took a 5.5 lbs fish also on a Cascade.

Ballina Salmon Anglers reported13 fish for the week. At Mount Falcon, Dutch angler Martin Van Seemus had 3 salmon. Kevin Loughney and Danny Carroll had 3 salmon and Welsh angler, Phil Davis had 6 fish. Tom Fleming had a very fine salmon on the spinner at Coolcronan which weighed in at 13 lbs. Gilles Boudier, France had 7 salmon for the week on Armstrongs Fishery. On Gannons, Erwin Dewalt had two salmon on the fly one of which was released. On the Foxford Fishery, Jim Welsh N.I. had 2 salmon to the fly and Bridget Payton, England had 1 salmon on spinner. At Rinanny, a young angler Julian Duiblain aged 9 had his first salmon. On East Mayo waters 21 fish were reported Derek Doyle had two to the fly and L Maber had two on the worm.

On the Moy Estuary very high tides restricted sea trout fishing at the end of the week. However, Judd Ruane reported 83 trout for the week 40 of which were released. Roger Powel and friend from England had 15 trout 6 of which were released.

Lough Conn

Conditions were not ideal on Lough Conn and fishing was slow. However, anglers who did venture out enjoyed some success. An angler from Dundalk fishing out of Pontoon had two trout on a Grey Wulf.

The main event of the week was the Youth International Flyfishing Championship which was fished on Wednesday 28 July with practice days on the 26th and 27th. Congratulations are due to the young Irish team, captained by Adam McCart, which won the championship followed closely by England with Wales and Scotland in third and fourth place respectively. Garry Mullarky, Scotland took the prize for heaviest fish with a 2.04lbs trout. Best basket went to James Hunt, England with two trout which weighed in at 3.02 lbs. While angling conditions on the lake were far from ideal, competitors reported that dry patterns, in particular, sedges and hoppers were the most productive. Also, the number of fish that weighed in well under 2 lbs and the good show of small fish reported on the practice days were very encouraging signs for the future.

Bilberry/Lannagh

The Castlebar lakes were the venue for the Islandeady GAA Centenary Celebrations 1904 – 2004 Angling Competition on Saturday last. The competition was a fly only boat competition and was won by Billy McDonnell and Ciaran Doherty who weighed in 5 trout for 4.3 lbs. Second place went to Peter Byrne and Sean Coyne with 3 trout for 2.95 lbs and in third place were Tommy Carroll and Liam Joyce with 2 fish for 1.15 lbs. The prize for the heaviest fish went to John Walsh. Anglers reported Alexandras, Green Peters and Muddlers being the most successful patterns on the day.

Lough Arrow

As with Lough Conn, angling at Lough Arrow was also slow last week given the time of year and weather conditions which were not conducive to good angling. Similar to recent weeks anglers who fished Green Peter patterns in the late evening enjoyed some success and some good fish were reported. The heaviest trout for the week was a fine 4 lbs fish taken by Josie Gray. Bobby Chapman and David Gray each had a nice fish both of which weighed in at 3 lbs. Other anglers to report fish during the week were Paul Cullen and Carl Clinton.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

At Lough Bo, Thomas Higgins had 9 trout for a total weight of 20 lbs, the heaviest weighing in at 4.25 lbs. Pat Cawley also had a nice 3 lbs trout. On Nasool, Thomas Higgins also had 2 good rainbows both of which were over 3lbs.

Ballisodare Fishery

The Ballisodare Fishery returned 173 salmon for the week. Anglers reported good numbers of small grilse showing but no big fish. Those who fished the fly had reasonable success, but most fish were taken on the worm below the falls. Water levels were low upstream of the falls and this section was not fished to any significant extent. The heaviest salmon for the week was 7 lbs with most weighing in at between 4 and 5 lbs. Vincent Brady, Cavan had 3 salmon fishing the worm.

Drumcliffe and Bonet Rivers

Due to low water levels, fishing has been very quiet over the past week on both the Drumcliff and Bonet Rivers. However, the angling pools on the Drumcliff River continue to provide good sport.

Newport/Beltra & Burrishoole Fisheries

Anglers reported 4 sea trout form the Newport River and 11 from Lough Beltra. All 15 sea trout were returned alive and averaged 1 lbs in weight. Despite bright and calm weather which made angling conditions difficult, anglers on the Burrishoole Fishery had 6 salmon and 6 sea trout which were released. The fishery continues to hold a good number of fresh fish.

Ballinlough

Weather conditions here also mitigated against good angling. However there were some notable catches for the week. David Tantry had 8 rainbows up 2.5lbs on a Damsel Fly. A party of three anglers also reported 8 rainbows taken on a Black Gnat.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 25 July 2004

River Moy

Water levels continued to stay relatively low during the week, with 459 salmon reported caught. The Moy Fishery, at Ballina again reported the highest catch with 161 salmon for the week. The total reported angler catch for the Moy to date has now reached 6276 salmon of which 974 fish were taken on Moy Fishery beats.

The Ridge Pool returned 87 salmon for the week. Peter Taylor, England and David Dumican, Northern Ireland each had their bag limit of three fish to the fly. P Taylor returned one of his three. James Clerkin, Cavan had his first salmon on a fly and Peter and Ann Anker, England had 2 salmon each on the worm. On the Cathedral Beat, David Dumican had a second successful days fishing with 2 salmon, one for 5 lbs to the fly and the other for 4 lbs on a spinner. On the Spring Wells, Jerome Kiernan had a salmon of 5lbs and Paddy McDonnell had 2 salmon all fish were taken on the fly. On the Ash Tree Pool, Tom Waldron had 2 salmon and a sea trout of 3 lbs all to the fly. George Featherstone, England had a fine salmon of 8 lbs on fly. On Mount Falcon reported 75 fish for the week with Alan Sullivan and party of 5 anglers reporting15 salmon for 2 days. Peter Moore and Mick Cassan had 10 salmon, 6 of which were released. On Coolcronan, 11 year old Emily Monk from England had 2 salmon, 1 of 4 lbs and a fine fish of 10 lbs to the prawn. On the Foxford Fishery J. Pierre, and party of 5 anglers from France had 13 salmon for the week 6 of which they released. On Clongee, Christian Tankle from Germany had 2 salmon on spinner best fish 8.5 lbs. On East Mayo W. McAndrew had 2 fish of 5 lbs and a fine10.5 lbs fish, both to the fly.

On the Moy Estuary Judd Ruane reported 93 sea trout for the week, 62 of which were released. Steve Hazeldine from England and Judd had 53 trout on fly for 2 days, 37 of which were released.

Young Anglers enjoy another great day’s salmon fishing on the Moy

The North Western Regional Fisheries Board hosted their second annual Juvenile anglers day on the Moy Fishery’s Cathedral Beat last Monday 19 July. This special event is one of several held throughout the region as part of the Board’s policy to promote angling amongst young people as set out in its 5 year development plan.

The day proved to be another huge success with 58 youngsters from 6 to 16 years of age attending to fish. The Board’s staff provided coaching, advice and some fishing tackle for the aspiring anglers. Extra instruction and support was provided by Recreational Angling Ireland who also promoted the event at national level. Gary Piggott, Ridge Pool tackle shop and Michael Swartz, Ballina Angling Centre were both extremely generous in sponsoring an array of quality fishing gear. Each of the 58 boys and girls who attended the Juvenile Angling day went home with a substantial prize.

The competition was won by Owen O’Boyle (age 13) with 2 salmon including a nice fresh salmon of 5.31 lbs. David Mcloughlin (age 14) came second with a fine fresh salmon of 6.46 lbs which was also the best fish of day. Third place went to Joseph McAllister from Manchester who took one salmon for 3.45 lbs. In fourth place was Edward Thornton, (age 12) who took his first salmon which weighed in at 2.93 lbs.5th Mark O’Malley (age 16) took fifth place with another small fish.

Lough Conn

Last week was again very quiet on the lake as is the norm for July on Conn. While fishing conditions were not great the anglers who did venture out enjoyed good sport on the eastern side of the lake from Cloghans down to Friarstown, with yellow stimulator patterns proving most effective. Notable catches included John Sherman who had 6 trout for 9 lbs the best of which weighed in at 3 lbs. M Sheridan had 4 trout for 8 lbs and Aidan Heffernan, Dublin also had 4 trout for 7 lbs. In both cases the best fish was 3 lbs. M Hull took a very nice 7.75 lbs trout off Cloghans. Other anglers who reported fish included Seamus Kelly who had 2 for 4.5 lbs and Stephen Browne who had 4 off Brackwansha for 6 lbs. Joe Quinn, Ballina reported rising 17 trout and took 5 for 8 lbs.

Bilberry/Lannagh Youth Competition

The Bilberry/Lannagh Angling Club held a very successful youth event on Bilberry Lough on Sunday last 25 July. Despite very poor weather, thirty juvenile anglers participated. In the under 10 category first place went to Aaron Jennings with a winning weight of 2.05 lbs, second place was taken by Kevin Joyce with a catch weighing in at 0.99 lbs and third went to a young lady, Yvonne O’Brien who landed 0.92 lbs. In the over 10 category, the competition was won by David Joyce with a catch of 5.23 lbs, second was taken with 4.11 lbs and, as in the under 10s, third place was taken by the girls when Jacinta Walsh landed a catch of 2.11 lbs. The prize for the heaviest fish went to Kevin Stewart with a trout of 1.05 lbs. The fly casting section was won by Joseph O’Neill with 1.24 lbs and in second place was Danny Jennings with 1.03 lbs.

Lough Arrow

As with Lough Conn, angling was quiet last week on Arrow with few anglers out on the lake. However, 23 trout were reported, 21 of which were taken in late evening to the on dry Murrough and Green Peter patterns. Two trout were taken on wet fly. Noel Fairbanks had an excellent catch of 4 trout for 14.75 lbs with the heaviest at 4.75 lbs. Thomas Walsh also had 4 for 12.5 lbs with the heaviest at 4lbs.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

There was very little activity on these lakes over the week. However, 10 trout were taken on Lough Bo, four of which were returned. Feargal Cullen had five browns from L. Bo. Two rainbows were taken on L. Nasool.

Ballisodare Fishery

The fishery enjoyed a good run of small grilse and returned 275 fish for the week. The worm proved the most effective method, though fish were also taken on the fly.

Drumcliffe and Bonet Rivers

Anglers have reported good numbers of sea trout in the angling pools on the Drumcliffe River. Local angler took a nice 5 lbs salmon on the Drumcliffe. Salmon were also taken on the Bonet River where another local angler, Pat Devaney, had a nice 7 lbs fish.

Burrishoole Fishery

There was a good run of fresh fish into the fishery in the last week with 17 fish taken including 13 ranched and 4 wild (returned). David Nevin had the best fish at 7.6 lbs. Best bag for the week went to Tim Aldis, England with 5 fish. Niall Casey, Dublin had 3 fish and Jim Mapher had his first ever fish during the week. Ten sea trout averaging 0.75 to 1.25 lbs were taken and all were returned.

Newport/Lough Beltra

Sean Downes had a grilse of 4lbs on the Newport River and 14 sea trout were reported from L Beltra ranging in weight from 1 to 1.5 lbs all of which were returned

Owenmore System

With the arrival of fresh water, anglers enjoyed good sport on the Owenmore System with many fish being returned. Best fish for the week was 9.5 lbs

Ballinlough

A small number of rods were fished on the lake over the week and 6 rainbows were taken. Mr Saunders, Foxford, had 3 fish with an average weight of 2.5lbs.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 18 July 2004

River Moy

While the very high catches of the past number of weeks were not achieved, the Moy again produced good fishing with a total of 550 salmon recorded for the week. The total rod catch for the Moy has now surpassed 5,800 salmon. Due to the relatively low water the Moy Fishery, at Ballina, again produced the biggest catch with 129 salmon for the week. On the Ridge Pool, Jason Lewis and Adam Akhurst from England had 2 salmon each. Peter Hannon and Shirley Russell from Northern Ireland both achieved the bag limit of 3 salmon each. Andrew Wilson and Peter Wilson from Dublin had 2 salmon each. Pat Cleare also Dublin had his bag limit of 3 salmon. All were caught on the fly. On the Cathedral Beat, Raymond Stewart N.I. had a 4 lbs fish to the fly. Peter Taylor England had 2 nice fish also on the fly for a total 10.75 lbs. On the Spring Wells, George Dawson N.I. had 3 salmon and Keith Hudson, England also took a 4.5 lbs fish all taken on the fly. On the Ash Tree Pool, David Wills and Andrew Shaw England had a fish each.

On Armstrongs Fishery, Gilles Boudier, France had a 6 lbs salmon on the prawn. On the Foxford Fishery, Alan White from Devon had 9 salmon to the fly for 4 days, his best fish weighing in at 5 lbs. R. Banks from London had 4 salmon for 2 days, the best of which weighed 5 lbs, again caught on the fly. Ronnie McMorris N.I. had an excellent 15 lbs salmon to the prawn. On Rinanney, A. Grey N.I. had 2 salmon of 6 & 8Lbs. P. Morgan and C. Wilson had 1 salmon each which weighed in at 7 lbs and 9 lbs respectively. On Cloongee, David Black N.I. had a fine fish of 12 lbs on a spinner. On East Mayo, J. Little N.I. had 2 salmon on the fly and M. Warren had 3 salmon on the worm.

On the Moy Estuary, an estimated 200 sea trout were caught over the week and well over 50% of these were returned alive. Peter Hannon, Shirley Russell, Sean McManamon and Sean O’Toole had 33 trout for their day of which 13 were released. Best fish was 3lbs plus and was landed by Shirley Russell. Judd Ruane, Duncan McKinsey and friend had 61 trout for 2 days of which 31 were released with the best fish weighing in at 3 lbs. Vincent Roche and family had 19 trout for their day, releasing 12.

On the upper Glore, an important tributary of the Moy, local angler Michael Gibbs, Kiltimagh had an exceptional trout on the worm which weighed in at 6.28 lbs.

McConville Cup – Castlebar Lakes

Bilberry/Lannagh Angling Club hosted their annual McConville Cup competition which was fished on Bilberry lake over Friday to Sunday of last week. A total of 187 trout were caught over the three competition days. In the Friday heat, 64 anglers took 100 trout with first place going to B McDonnell, Castlebar who had 5 fish for 5.52 lbs. Second place went to M Higgins Castlebar who had 6 fish for 5.35 lbs and in third place was R Burns, Castlerea with 5 fish for 4.81 lbs. Thirty nine trout were caught during the Saturday heat which was won by James McGuire, Sligo with 3 fish for 3.26 lbs. Second place went to Hugh McArdle, Athenry who had 3 fish for 2.93 lbs and third place went to David Dinsmore, Laherdaun with 2 fish for 2.67 lbs. Seventy four anglers qualified for Sunday’s final and 48 trout were caught. The overall winner of the McConville cup, which was presented by Mrs. McConville, was Philip Creshan, Castlebar with 4 fish for 3.54 lbs. Second place went to David Dinsmore with 3 for 3.47 lbs and P Traynor, Crossmolina took third place overall with 4 trout for 3.13 lbs. C Doherty, Bilberry/Lannagh Club took the prize for best junior angler and best club member went to Matt Higgins, Castlebar who had 7 fish for 6.35 lbs. Best Northern angler was Tim Crotters who had 5 trout for 5.96 lbs.

Lough Conn

As was the case in the previous week, there was very little fishing activity on the lake over the last week. This coincides with the annual lull period on the lake when trout are feeding on perch fry and daphnia. However, some anglers were out on the lake and those who fished out of Cloghans had some success. Bernie Scott and Denis Michael had 3 trout for 4.5 lbs and an angler from County Meath, Mr O’Brin also had three trout. Off Chain Island Joe McBride had 4 trout for 5.5 lbs.

Newport River/Lough Beltra/Owenmore/Glenamoy

Due to very low water coupled with a late grilse run, catches have been low over the last week on the above fisheries. However, the promise of rainfall should see a return to reasonable catches over the next period.

Ballin Lough

A total of 40 rainbows were recorded for the week of which 20 were released.
Frank Cunningham and partner had 14 trout the best of which was 2.25lbs and 6 were released. Ed Moore and partner had 4 trout, best 2lbs, all released. J Price had 4 trout, best 2lbs, with 3 released. Successful flies included Bumbles and Peters.

Ballisodare Fishery

Bag limits of three fish were caught daily by anglers who reported a lot of fish at the “Butt” and good numbers were also noted above the “Butt” at the back of the village. A total of 215 salmon were taken for the week and catches are expected to improve with fish starting to take following the arrival of fresh water at the weekend

Drumcliffe

Anglers reported salmon and sea trout in the pools with good numbers being caught

Lough Arrow

A small number of anglers fished Lough Arrow and mostly in the late evening. Noel Fairbanks had 4 trout for 15.5 lbs with the heaviest fish weighing in at 5 lbs. Josie Gray had 3 for 10.5 lbs. As with last week, the most successful fly was the Murrough fished in the late evening.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

Angling on Loughs Bo and Nasool was quiet with 8 trout reported from L. Bo for 16 lbs with the best fish weighing in at 2.5 lbs. Two rainbows were taken on Nasool with an average weight of 2 lbs.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 11 July 2004

River Moy

The good fishing continued on the Moy this week with all fisheries producing salmon and a total of 791 recorded for the week. The Moy has already passed the 5,000 mark for the season to date. The Moy Fishery, at Ballina, again produced the biggest haul with 120 salmon for the week. On the Ridge Pool, Virginia Webb, England, had a fine salmon of 12.59 lbs on a spinner. Ian Adamson, England had 2 salmon on the Ridge and another on the Cathedral Beat, all on fly. John Elfed Jones,Wales, had 3 on the Ridge Pool, all on fly. Sean Murphy, Kildare, also had 3 on the fly. Gerry Quinn, Newry, had a salmon on a spinner and his 11 year old son, Conor, had his first salmon, a nice fish of 6.29 lbs. also on a spinner. On the Ballina Salmon Anglers water, a juvenile angling competition, held in conjunction with Ballina Street Festival, was won by Niall O’Boyle who had a 3lbs. salmon. Second was Chris Cunningham with a 1.25 lbs trout. Owen O’Boyle was 3rd with a trout of 1 lb and Garreth Conlon was 4th with a trout of .75 lbs.

On Knockmore Club water, Eddie Thomas, England, had 2 salmon on worm and Martin O’Hare, England, had 3 on worm. On Coolcronan, Albert Whitnal, Wales, had 13 salmon for his week. On Byrne’s Fishery, G. McKay had 2 salmon, at 5 lbs and 6 lbs. on prawn. On the Foxford Fishery, Peter Deegan, Wicklow, had a nice 8 lbs fish on worm and the Fred Morris party of 5 anglers had an excellent return of 45 salmon for the week. On Rinnaney, J. Fontaine, France, had 2 salmon of 7 lbs. and 6 lbs. On Cloongee, Thiery Colm, France, had 3 salmon on spinner. On East Mayo Anglers water, J. Hegarty had 3 salmon on spinner and J. McHugh and 2 weighing 11 lbs. on fly with a German visitor also having 2 for 11 lbs. on fly.

Sea Trout fishing on the Moy Estuary was good. Ballina’s most famous, adopted son, Jack Charlton and friend , Ray Bailey, had 9 trout of which 5 were released. Robert Page and son had 12 trout of which 8 were released. James Little, Scotland, had 24 trout of which 20 were released and Duncan Livingstone, Scotland, had 11 of which 10 were released. The best trout reported for the week was 3.5 lbs.

Lough Conn

There was little fishing activity on Lough Conn during the week due to northerly and changeable winds which make angling difficult. However, some trout were recorded by those who persevered. Graham Williams, Pontoon, had trout weighing about 1 lb each and Padraic Kelly, Cloghans, had three fine trout weighing 2.5 lbs., 1.5 lbs. and 12.5 lbs. Aidan Heffernan, Dublin, had 2 which weighed in at 1.5 lbs. each. A number of salmon were taken by anglers who were trolling.

Newport River/Lough Beltra

Four salmon were reported from the lake and a number of sea trout were caught and returned in accordance with the law in that area. Jackie Deffely had a grilse of 4.5 lbs., Declan Dooley had one weighing 5 lbs., Rory Murray had one of 3 lbs. and Eamonn Kennedy had one of 55 lbs. Meanwhile, Dave Tucker had a small grilse on the out flowing Newport River.

Ballin Lough

Northerly and changeable winds made angling conditions somewhat difficult but 19 rods reported 18 trout for the week. Joe Gibbons and Seamus O’ Malley had 3 fish with the best at 3.5 lbs. Pat and Denis Murphy had 2 with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. With milder conditions on the way, fishing should improve as the lake was restocked in recent weeks.

Owenmore River

The Bangor club water reported 11 salmon/grilse for the week with a good number of small sea trout also being caught and released. The best fish was a 9.5 lbs. salmon and grilse were generally in the 3 – 4 lbs. bracket.

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare Fishery reported 222 salmon for the week with about 25 % of the catch taken on fly. Most of the fish were taken below the falls but a good number have moved upstream which should result n some reasonable angling up river in suitable conditions.

Lough Arrow

A small number of trout were reported from Lough Arrow. Josie Gray had 4 good trout weighing 12 lbs. and Paul Cullen had a fine trout of 4.5 lbs. Most fish were taken in the late evening on Murroughs.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

Just seven trout were reported from Lough Bo with the best weighing 3 lbs.taken by Thomas Higgins. Lough Nasool produced 5 with the best coming in at 2 lbs.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 4 July 2004

River Moy

Anglers enjoyed another great week of fishing on the Moy with a total catch of 1,122 salmon reported for the week. Once again, fish were caught right throughout the system from Ballina up to the East Mayo Anglers Association water and, also, in Lough Conn and the River Deel. Water levels fluctuated continuously on the Moy Fishery during the week making angling conditions difficult and unsuitable for the fly much of the time. Nonetheless, the fishery accounted for 91 salmon for the week with the bulk of these again caught on the Ridge Pool on fly, worm and spinner. Gary Perks, England, had 5 salmon on fly of which 2 were released. Stuart Price, England, had 3 on the worm, all in the 3-4 lbs. bracket. Paddy Marren had 2 salmon at 3.92 lbs. and 4.41 lbs. while spinning and Margaret Downes had one of 4.57 lbs., also spinning. Jim Goodwin, England had 3 salmon from 2.5 lbs. to 4.49 lbs while spinning.

On Mount Falcon Fishery, the Holbrook party from England (4 adults and a 12-year old who caught his first 2 salmon) had 14 salmon over just two days with the best weighing 13.5 lbs. The McGrath party (3 anglers) had 9 salmon with the best weighing 6 lbs. and the Casey party (4 anglers) had 22 salmon for the week of which 10 were released. On Gannon’s water, Marcel Struder , Switzerland, and Jean Pierre Morel, France, each had a 4 lbs. salmon on worm. On the Foxford Fishery, Howard Bayless, Wales, had 5 salmon for his week while Gordon Brown, England, had 3 for the week. Colin O’ Neill, N. Ireland, had his first ever salmon during the week. On Rinnanney, M. Hughes, England, had 6 salmon for the week including a fine fish of 13.5 lbs. On the East Mayo Anglers water, Tom Kavanagh had a 20 lbs. salmon on worm, a German visitor had one of 12 lbs. on fly and Bert McGovern, Kiltimagh, also had a fine salmon of 12.25 lbs on the fly.

Lough Conn

There were not many trout anglers on Conn during the week but quite a few were out trolling for salmon and at least 10 salmon were caught with 5 being reported by Murphy Boat Hire. However, anglers staying at Healy’s Hotel reported 5 trout for the week. At Pontoon Bridge Hotel, a Welsh party succeeded in landing both salmon and trout . At Kelly’s Boat Hire, Brendan Levins had 3 trout weighing 4.5 lbs. and Alistair McKay had 2 weighing 3.5 lbs and 1.25 lbs.

Newport River/Lough Beltra

Six salmon were reported from the Newport River including a fine fish of 14.5 lbs. caught and returned to the water by Kieran Thompson jnr. Mr. Tim Ferguson had a grilse of 4.5 lbs. on 1 June and another of 5.25 lbs. the following day. On Lough Beltra, the Glenisland side of the lake fished best with 2 spring salmon and 3 grilse reported. Mervin Conway had a salmon of 10.5 lbs. and Rory Murray had another of 10 lbs.which he returned to the lake. Bernard Koolhaas had 2 fish weighing 4 lbs. and 3.5 lbs. and David Howley had one which weighed in at 5 lbs. There appears to be a reasonable stock of fish in Lough Beltra at present and, with some fresh grilse running, the prospects for the coming weeks look quite good. All sea trout caught must be released and both Lough Beltra and the Newport River are “fly only” fishery.

Ballin Lough

Windy conditions made fishing difficult but 24 rods reported 12 trout for the week of which 2 were released. The lake was restocked during the week and this should provide a boost to angling.

Owenmore River

The Owenmore enjoyed its best week of the season, so far, with 17 salmon and grilse reported from the Bangor Angling club water. With peat harvesting having ceased in the catchment, there was a noticeable improvement in water clarity in the Owenmore
during the recent floods compared with previous years.

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare Fishery reported 350 fish for the week. Most of the fish were taken below the falls by local anglers.

Drumcliffe River

Just 2 salmon were reported from the Drumcliffe River though a number of sea trout were also caught on the fly pools below Drumcliffe Bridge

Lough Arrow

Lough Arrow has started to provide some good trout to Murroughs in the late evening. David Gray had 2 trout weighing 3 lbs. and 4 lbs and Josie Gray had a fine trout of 6 lbs. I oz.- all on Murroughs.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

Ten trout were reported from Lough Bo with the best weighing 2.75 lbs. and 6 were reported from Nasool with the best coming in at 2 lbs.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 28 June 2004

River Moy

The Moy enjoyed its best week of the season, so far, with a huge haul of 1,252 salmon taken by anglers over the week. There was heavy rain on Tuesday and Tuesday night followed by a flood with coloured water on Wednesday. The bulk of the fish were caught on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as the water cleared. The Moy Fishery produced 156 fish for the week with 99 taken on the Ridge Pool. Anthony Mapledoram, England, caught 4 of which one was released. Peter Reintjens, Holland, had 3 and Alister McQuaid, Belfast, had 2 including a fine salmon of 13.27 lbs taken on a spinner when the pool was in flood. Stuart Price, England, had three fish including one weighing 9.87 on the worm.

On the Carhedral Beat, Tristan Bayard, France, had 2 grilse on the fly (3 lbs and 6 lbs) and one on worm (5.71 lbs) and Simon Dutton, Isle of Man, had 3 fish weighing 2 lbs., 4 lbs. and 6 lbs, on a spinner. The Ballina Salmon Anglers water produced 81 fish for the week with most caught on worm immediately upstream of the weir in Ballina. On Byrne’s Fishery, Adam Lake, Wales, had 4 salmon over 4 days including one of 11 lbs. while Dave Lewis, Wales, had 2 weighing 4 lbs and 6 lbs. Armstrong’s Fishery produced 96 fish for the week including one of 15 lbs. taken on worm. On Gannon’s Fishery, Stephen Moates, N Ireland, had a fine salmon of 16 lbs. on the prawn and Mr. Leheman, Germany, had one of 13 lbs.

There was very good fishing on Rinnaney with 200 reported for the week. James Stuart, N. Ireland, had one weighing 11.5 lbs while P. Dench, England had 2 weighing 8 lbs and 9.5 lbs. On Cloongee Fishery, Silverio De Lorenzo, Italy, had a salmon of 10 lbs. and John Walsh had 3 with the best weighing in at 12 lbs. His son also had his first two salmon. The East Mayo Anglers water provided 56 salmon for the week. F. Thompson had 3 on the fly and M. Price had one of 8 lbs on a spinner while a visitor from Belgium had a nice 9 lb. salmon on fly.

Lough Conn

Approximately 100 trout were reported for the week from Conn. A group from Longford, fishing with Murphy boat Hire, had ten trout averaging 1 to 1.25 lbs. A guest of Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Mr. Nick Rejaert, Belgium, had 3 nice trout weighing 1.75, 3.5 and 4 lbs of which 2 were taken on mayfly and one on a dry sedge. At Kelly’s Boat Hire, Dermot Dunne had 4 trout with the best weighing 3 lbs. Paul Smith , London, had 6 trout for 2 days, up to 2 lbs. Tom Murphy, Cork, had 4 trout weighing 6 lbs. Seamus Kelly and Bill O’Connell had 30 trout for a week most of which were returned. The best fish weighed 3.25 lbs. Joe and Kay McBride, Dublin, had 10 trout for 2 days, averaging 1.25 lbs. Several Salmon were also caught on Conn during the week

Bilberry Lough

This stocked lake, between Castlebar and Westport, reported 29 trout for the week averaging around 1 lb. The most effective flies were the Green Peter and the Alexandra. In a junior competition, organised by Billberry and Lannagh Angling Club, fished on Saturday, 26 June, 15 trout were landed. The under-10 section of the competition was won by Darina Gibbons with 2 trout weighing 1.54 lbs. Dean Carney was second with a trout of 1.43. The over-10 section was won by Brian Byrne with six trout weighing 5.86 lbs while his brother, Thomas, had 2 trout weighing 1.85 lbs.

Newport River/Lough Beltra

Anglers concentrated mostly on the river during the week due to the rise in water levels. Sean Downes had a 4 lbs salmon and Robert Meyers had 2 salmon weighing 10 lbs. and 5 lbs. On Lough Beltra, Peadar Vickers had a grilse of 3 lbs.

Ballin Lough

Just 9 trout reported this week by 9 rods. The best, weighing 3.5 lbs., was taken by Dutch angler, J. Piekoar.

Owenmore River

There was a considerable improvement in fishing on the river following a rise in water levels. Salmon varied in size from 4 to 11 lbs and a number of sea trout were also caught with many undersize trout being returned.

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare Fishery reported 219 fish for the week. While the catch consisted mainly of grilse, Sean Maye had a fine salmon of 13 lbs on the fly below the falls. The river also experienced a good run of fish through the fish counter last week.

Loughs Bo and Nasool

These small loughs continued to produce trout during the week. On Bo, Fergal Cullin caught one while his brother, Adrian, had 2. Sonia Nootebos, Netherlands, also had 2 trout on Bo. On Nasool, 9 trout were3 reported including one of 4 lbs. taken by Thomas Higgins.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 20 June 2004

River Moy

While the main grilse run has not arrived, the Moy provided good fishing again this week with a total of 273 fish recorded despite very difficult conditions due to low water and bright sunny weather for much of the week. With rain on the way, and the main run of grilse expected any day, prospects for the coming weeks look good. The Moy fishery, at Ballina, produced most of the fish with 81 recorded on the Ridge Pool, 8 on the Weir Pool, 30 on the Cathedral Beat, 2 on the Spring Wells and 1 each on the Ash Tree Pool and the Point. On the Ridge, Killian Garvey had the bag limit of 3 fish which weighed in at 4.69, 4.47 and 2.73 lbs. respectively. Peter O’Reilly had a fine fish of 9.09 lbs and David Allcutt had two weighing 5.49 and 3.82 lbs. On the Cathedral Beat, G. McShane , Scotland, had a fine salmon of 11 lbs. and G. Townley, England, had one of 10 lbs. All above were caught on fly. Despite the low water, most of the upstream fisheries produced some fish with Armstrongs, Gannons, the Foxford Fishery, Rinnanney, Foxford club water, Cloongee and East Mayo all reporting fish. On the Foxford Fishery, Richard Gough, Isle of Man, had 5 grilse for the week while Dr. G. Hey, England, had a fine salmon of 13.75 lbs and a grilse of 4.5 lbs. Makus Elsenburg, Germany, had 3 grilse for the week. On the east Mayo water, Claude Grosjean, had 3 grilse for the week weighing 5 lbs., 7 lbs .and 4 lbs. while Mr. Lefere, France, had a 5 lbs. fish.

Sea Trout Fishing on the Moy Estuary was hampered by north winds which made angling difficult resulting in poor returns. However, some good trout were caught. The Williams party, from Wales, had 6 trout with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. Trout weighing 4 lbs. and 3.25 lbs. were also recorded.

Lough Conn

Not many anglers fished the lake during the week but many of those who did venture out reported reasonable fishing. Murphy’s Boat Hire, Massbrook, reported 50 trout for the week with most in the 1.5 to 3 lbs. category. Sean Reddington, Cloghans, had a party of anglers out and they caught 5 trout averaging 1.5 lbs. including a fine trout of 6.25 lbs. A German angler, fishing with Padraic Kelly, Cloghans, had a fine trout of 5.2 lbs. and 3 others averaging 1.25 lbs. Seamus Kelly, Cloghans, had 5 trout for a day of which he retained just one weighing 2.5 lbs. At Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Mr. Briscoe had four trout averaging 1 lb. The same angler had two grilse off the Moy. The best trout fishing appeared to be on grey Murroughs though at least one trout took a may fly.

Lough Beltra

Jackie Deffely, Glenisland, had a salmon weighing 8.5 lbs on the Glenisland side while a number of grilse were reported hooked and lost on the Newport House side.

Ballin Lough

This popular rainbow trout fishery reported 54 trout for 34 rods of which 16 fish were returned to the water. Mr. B. Amber and partner had 8 trout of which 5 were released and Joe Gibbons had 7 trout of which 4 were released. The Kate McLaren and Daddy appeared to work well. During the previous week, 43 rods had 64 trout of which 20 were released. Brian hope and partner had 10 fish while Jim Flanagan and partner had 8 fish averaving 1.5 lbs.

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare Fishery reported 145 fish for the week. The catch comprised mainly pf grilse but a few large fish were also caught including a fine salmon of 12 lbs. taken by local angler, John Scanlon. Two others weighing 10 lbs. and 9 lbs. were also caught. Almost all fish were caught below the falls in Ballisodare village.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 14 June 2004

River Moy

Despite unfavourable conditions, with very low water accompanied for much of the week by bright sunshine, the Moy produced 226 salmon for the week. While the main grilse run has still to arrive, the catch was, nonetheless dominated by grilse though some fine spring salmon continued to be caught, including some fresh run fish. While salmon were caught throughout the river, the low water level really began to show on the tidal Moy Fishery waters which produced 88 fish for the week with the Ridge Pool, Cathedral Beat, Spring Wells and Ash Tree Pool all yielding results. On the Ridge Pool, Barry Hutton, N. Ireland, had a salmon of 10.77 lbs. Raymond Stewart, also from N.Ireland, had three fish, one weighing 6.33 lbs. and two others released. John Glover, England, also had three salmon which weighed in at 4.05 lbs., 4.3 lbs.and 4.35 lbs. William Glover, England, had a fine salmon of 12.79 lbs on the Ridge. All were caught on fly. On the Mount Falcon fishery, Doug Palmer, Canada, had a salmon 8.75 lbs. which he caught while spinning. On the Foxford Fishery, Papan Francois, Switzerland, had two grilse, Geoff Morrow, Isle of Man, also has two grilse while Terry Baldwin, England,
had a good fish of 9.75 lbs. Some good salmon continued to be taken on Rinnanney with M. Elsenburg catching a fine 15 lbs. salmon and Owen Bishop, UK, having one of 12 lbs. . Reg. Bishop, also UK, had two good fish weighing 8 lbs. and 9.5 lbs.

Sea Trout Fishing on the Moy Estuary was again very productive with 178 trout reported for the week. For example, on Monday, sixteen rods landed 42 trout averaging 1.75 lbs. with the best weighing 2.75 lbs. Judd Ruane reported 78 fish for the week of which 42 were released with 36 retained the best of which weighed 2.75 lbs.

Lough Conn

Unsuitable weather conditions made lake angling difficult and an algal bloom also disrupted fishing. However, Healy’s Hotel reported 22 trout, weighing33.5 lbs., for the week with the best weighing 4 lbs 10 ozs. Pontoon Bridge Hotel reported 24 trout for the week with fish taken on spent gnat, Royal Woulfe, Green Peter, Green Olive and dapping which is only rarely practiced on Conn despite its popularity on other lakes

Ballisodare Fishery

Ballisodare produced a total of 107 salmon for the week consisting mostly of grilse although one 10 lbs salmon was taken. Most of the catch was taken below the falls at Ballisodare Village but a number were also caught upstream.

Lough Doon- Juvenile Angling

Lough Doon, near Dromahair, Co. Leitrim, was the venue for a juvenile angling day sponsored by the Board. Twenty- eight boys and girls, ranging from 7 to 15 years of age, participated in the event which was managed by the local Board staff and members of Dromahair Angling club with good support from local businesses. All the youngsters got an opportunity to fish either from the shore or boat and a number of trout were caught. The best trout was caught by Sean Foley who won the Blue Devon Perpetual Cup. Second was Ann Marie Kelly and Dean McGoldrick was third.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 6 June 2004

River Moy

The grilse run has commenced on the Moy and, while the main run has yet to get underway, many of this week’s catch of 198 fish consisted of grilse though some excellent spring salmon were also taken. With the arrival of the grilse and water levels continuing to fall, the Moy Fishery produced an increased proportion of the catch this week with a total of 51 recorded for the week. On the Ridge Pool, Sam Andrews from Northern Ireland had a good day with three fish, one weighing 3.78 lbs., one at 4.63 lbs. and one at 9 lbs. Paul McGrory, Co. Louth, had a fine salmon of 12.22lbs. and Sean Maye had one weighing 11.17 lbs. All were caught on fly. On the Cathedral Beat, Danny Brennan, N. Ireland, had a fine fish of 11 lbs. on the fly. Armstrong’s Fishery produced 18 fish for the week with the best weighing 10 lbs while Gannon’s has 15 with the best one, weighing 14 lbs. taken on bubble and fly. Rinnaney produced 22 fish including salmon weighing 14.5 lbs, 12 lbs and 11 lbs.

Sea Trout fishing on the Moy Estuary was very good during the past week with some fine bags of fish taken and many trout returned. A party of one Irish and three German anglers, fishing with Judd Ruane, had 19 trout for their day. Another party had fourteen of which six were released. Enda Coyne, fishing with guests, reported 15 trout for twelve rod days while Geoffrey Thornton had 3 trout and Phillip Thornton had one, for a day, with the four averaging 1.75 lbs.

Loughs Conn & Cullin

Fishing on Conn was again very mixed during the week with some anglers doing well but, overall, fishing did not appear to be as lively as in previous weeks. The Lough Conn and Cullin Angling Association had their annual competition over the Bank Holiday weekend. A total of 100 trout, weighing 120 lbs., were caught in 216 rod days. The competition was won by Noel Shields, Dublin, who had six trout over the two days, weighing 9.13 lbs. Second was Ger Kenny, Ennis, with six trout weighing7.25 lbs. while Cyril Murray, Galway, was third with 5 trout which weighed in at 6.5 lbs. Meanwhile, Jim Flanagan, Bangor, Co. Down, had an excellent week in which he recorded 40 trout all of which were returned alive including a massive trout of 7.75 lbs. taken on a Royal Woulfe and another fine trout which weighed 3.5 lbs. B. McKee and Jack Mellet, fishing from Pontoon Bride Hotel, had 4 trout for a day weighing 4.25 lbs. From the same venue, Andy and Ann Ferguson had 5 trout over two days, John Lyons had 2 for 4.25 lbs and 14-year old Patrick McManus had his first trout ever, a fine fish weighing 2.5 lbs. Fishing with Murphy Boat hire, the Coosan Anglers, Athlone, recorded 17 trout for a day (best 2 lbs.) and also took six grilse on trout flies. Dave Passemore and three colleagues, from the UK, had 9 trout over two days and returned a number of other fish while Dr. Tom Madden, Roscommon and UK, had 4 trout while dapping which is seldom practised on Lough Conn. Mick Sweeney had two trout, each weighing 3 lbs., in Cornakillew. Anglers fishing with Kelly Boat Hire, Cloghans, recorded 70 trout for 14 anglers over the week with the bulk of the fish returned. Don Lear and partner, Lisduvogue House, had 32 trout for the week, weighing 40 lbs. with the best weighing 3.5 lbs.

Lough Beltra

This fishery has experienced its best run of salmon for a number of years and there appears to be a good stock of fish in the lough at present. In the past week, the Glenisland Fishery has produced a number of salmon. Bernard Koolhaaf, had a 10lbs salmon while Franz Kaiser, Germany, also had a 10 lbs. fish as did local angler, Cormac Deffely , who has been having an excellent season. Jackie Deffely had a salmon of 9 lbs and Brian Clayton had one of 7 lbs. On The Newport House side of the lough, a salmon of 10 lbs. was taken by Professor Allison. All Beltra salmon were caught on fly.

Ballin Lough

This rainbow trout fishery produced 139 trout for 37 rod days with 80 being returned. Peter McCarton and Andy Young had 24, best 2.25 lbs. E. Katz and partner had 11 trout for a day and PJ Nally and partner also had 11 for a day of which 6 were released.

Ballisodare River

This fishery recorded 24 fish for the week with the best, weighing 10 lbs. taken by Anthony McCann.

Garavogue River

Five salmon were reported caught over the past week.

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Angling Report

Week Ending 30 May 2004

River Moy

The Moy enjoyed yet another good week of Spring salmon fishing with 155 fish reported for the week. Salmon were again caught throughout the system from the Moy Fishery, at Ballina, which produced 29 fish, to the East Mayo water which accounted for just three following big catches earlier in the season. The Ridge Pool yielded 15 salmon for the week. Robert Logue had a fish of 9.9 lbs., Robin Gibson had one at 10.8 lbs., Joe Hutton had one weighing 11.97 lbs. and local Fishery Officer, Conor Dennedy, had a fine salmon which weighed in at 13.66 lbs. All were caught on fly. Armstrongs Fishery produced 25 for the week while 6 were taken on Gannon’s Jan Bouoncheare, France had fish weighing 8 lbs. and 10 lbs on shrimp. The Foxford Fishery had another good week with 23 salmon recorded. Jim Brown from Carlow had his first ever Moy salmon, weighing 4.5 lbs., on fly and Tony Southerton had one which weighed in at 9.5 lbs. Rinnaney had 24 fish for the week with R. Horst having three, weighing 13.5 lbs., 10 lbs. and 9 lbs. and A. Baily having one of 14 lbs, all taken on worn or spinner. Cloongee also had a good week with 22 fish reported. D. Geslin, france had two salmon, one of 6 lbs. and one of 12 lbs. with both taken on fly.

On the Moy Estuary, sea trout fishing was difficult during the week due to changeable weather conditions but two Scottish anglers, Angus Craig and M. Egan, fishing with Judd Ruane, had 18 trout for a day of which 11 were returned to the water.

Loughs Conn & Cullin

There were mixed reports from Loughs Conn and Cullin with some anglers taking good bags of fish while others had less success. Bright sunshine and slack winds made conditions very difficult at times but most anglers were encountering trout and many commented on the large numbers of small trout which are evident in both lakes this year. Walter and Susan Byrne had a great week of fishing on Conn and reported a total catch of 80 trout for the week of which most were returned alive. Larry Kelly and John Jack had 50 for the week. Michael Monaghan and John Griffin had 20 for a day of which 10 were of keepable size but 18 were returned alive. Gerry Hoey and Will Finn from Cork had 40 for the week. The Western and North Western Regional Fisheries had the first leg of their annual competition on Conn on Tuesday, 25 May. Despite very difficult conditions, with bright sunshine all day and slack wind for much of the day, 40 anglers caught 17 trout weighing 21 lbs. Approximately 400 trout were reported from Lough Conn for the week.

Lough Arrow

Fishing was again slow on Lough Arrow but anglers who persevered managed to catch trout. Local angler, David Gray, had 6 trout for the week with the best weighing 2.5 lbs. while Noel Fairbanks also had a fine trout of 2.75 lbs.

Newport River/ Lough Beltra

Low water levels meant that there was little or no fishing carried out on the river but the lough appears to hold a good stock of salmon and anglers have enjoyed good sport. On the Glenisland side of the lough, Brian Clayton had a salmon of 10 lbs. while Eamonn Kennedy had two in a week, one weighing 11 lbs. and one coming in at 10lbs. On the Newport House side, Michael Dolan had a fine salmon of 10 lbs.

Ballin Lough

This rainbow trout fishery, near Westport, has continued to fish well and is highly popular with local and visiting anglers. Over a week when conditions were poor for much of the time, 30 rod days produced 117 fish, mostly ranging from 1 lb. to 2 lbs. with 66 of these released. The Board sponsored a ladies day on the lough when some members of the Irish Ladies Trout Fly Fishing Team practiced their skills in advance of their forthcoming international on Lake Montieth in Scotland. The ladies had a very enjoyable day with approximately 20 trout and the majority of these returned to the water. On another day, Michael Quinn and his partner caught 20 trout of which they released 12, while John and David Qiunn had eight trout for a day of which 7 were released.

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Angling Report

Week-Ending 9th May 2004

River Moy
The Moy provided another week of excellent fishing with an exceptionally good return of 230 salmon for the week. This brings the total for the season, so far, to 766 salmon which reflects the best season for spring salmon on the Moy for many years. Salmon were again caught throughout the system with the majority taken on worm and spinning due to the high water conditions which prevailed. On the Ballina Salmon Anglers water, Monika Heide, Germany, had 3 salmon for the week, all spinning. On Byrne’s Fishery, Martin van Seemus, Holland, had a fish of 12 lbs on worm. On the Foxford Fishery, Ken Tucker, Carlow, had a fish weighing 13.5 lbs taken spinning while Pam Thornton, England, had one weighing 11.5 lbs on worm. On Rinnaney, E. Gould had a salmon of 10 lbs and Donal McGurtan had two, one weighing 7 lbs and one weighing 12.5lbs. Cloongee Fishery had an excellent week with 41 fish recorded. Joel La Beuze, France, had a salmon weighing 14.5 lbs while Brono Harne, also from France, also had one weighing 11 lbs. both taken on worm. On East Mayo Anglers water, Billy McGhee had a salmon weighing 9 lbs while spinning and a visitor from Austria also had a salmon weighing 15 lbs on worm.

Lough Conn
Severe gales early on in the week meant that there were no anglers out until Thursday when many boats went out practising for the Connaught Cup on Saturday. The mild overcast weather on Thursday and Friday resulted in excellent fishing. However it all changed on Saturday when bright sunshine and no wind made it very difficult to catch fish.
On Saturday in the Connaught Cup:
60 anglers caught 23 trout weighing 28.26lbs.
Winner: Andrew Boyd Galway with 3 fish weighing 4.06lbs.
Second: Joe Quinn Ballina with 2 fish weighing 2.64lbs.
Third: Mike Keady Galway with 1 fish weighing 2.49lbs.

5 salmon were reported.
Pat Dunning, Athlone, had heaviest fish weighing 12lbs.

Lough Cullin
Good fishing reported in the latter half of the week with good hatches of olives and mayflies all over the lake. All boats also returned, weighing 2.5lbs.
The Albert Berry party of 58 anglers held a competition over two days and they caught 84 trout weighing 94lbs.
Winners: Oliver McCaul and Kieran Costelloe with 8 trout.
Second: Mick Fitzpatrick and Vinnie McEntee also with 8 trout.
The outlook is good on this water for the next few weeks with the mayfly hatch just starting.

Newport River/ Lough Beltra
Two salmon were taken on the river and two on the east side of the loug. Sean Downes had one weighing 10.5 lbs on the river and the Rev. Thomas Stoney also had one weighing 9 lbs – both taken on fly. Rockey Moran had a salmon (8lbs.) on the lough while Cormac Deffely recorded his fourth salmon of the season on Beltra.

Carrowmore Lough/Owenmore River
This lough suffered form the stormy weather last week but still produced a few salmon
despite the difficult conditions. The adjoining Owenmore River also started to produce
fish with five recorded for the week.

Ballin Lough
This highly popular rainbow trout fishery continued to fish well despite the mixed
conditions experienced during the week. A total of 94 trout were recorded for 20 rod
days with 58 of these returned to the lough. The best trout weighed 2.75 lbs

Lough Arrow
Few anglers out all week and as a result few trout were reported.
David Gray had heaviest fish weighing 5.25lbs. on a Buzzer.
Gerry Martin and David Frazer also had one fish each.

Lough Bo
A number of anglers fished this lake. Thomas Higgins had 9 trout for the week weighing 14lbs. heaviest fish 2lbs.

Lough Gill
This lough is still fishing quite well with seven salmon reported for the week. Paddy Carthy, Dougie Kenna and Ronnie Gordan each had one.woth all taken trolling.

River Bonet
The Bonet produced four salmon for the week averaging 8 lbs.

Drumcliffe River/Glencar Lough
The Glencar Lough fished quite well with Ken Henry, Sligo, having four salmon for the week while Paul Mulligan had one on the outflowing Drumcliffe River.

Ballisodare River
A total of 56 salmon were recorded on this fishery in the first nine days of the season which opened on 1 May.

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First Moy Salmon Of The Season Caught

The first salmon of the 2004 season on the famous River Moy was caught last Tuesday, 17 February, at the weir in Ballina. The fish, a beautiful spring salmon, weighing 9lbs, was caught by local angler Martin Conroy, who also caught the first Moy salmon of the Millennium four years ago. Although angling conditions have been far from ideal since the season commenced on 1 February, the recent spell of fine weather allowed water levels to drop and salmon are now starting to lie in their traditional spots, making for an increasingly good outlook for angling prospects on the Moy.

Mr. Declan Cooke, River Moy Manager, said that the 2004 angling season was now under way on the Moy and he hoped that the good work carried out by the Board in protecting and developing the river would ensure that it continued to enjoy good runs of salmon. However, Mr. Cooke said the Board had concerns about the poor level of spawning in some parts of the Moy catchment last year and stressed the need for conservation measures by anglers and fishery managers.

Meanwhile, Carrowmore Lake, in West Mayo, has also produced its first salmon of the season, a fish weighing 8.5 lbs., which was taken by local angler and Fishery Manager, Seamus Henry. There has also been a big improvement in salmon fishing in the Sligo area with Lough Gill having produced four fish in the past week and the Garavogue River and the River Bonet yielding one each.

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