Dated Wednesday April 2nd, 2008

Photo:  Wheelchair anglers competition over a cold Easter weekend at our 'access for all' fishery on the River Suck at Donamon. 

COARSE FISHING HAMPERED AGAIN BY THE INCLEMENT WEATHER

Part of the regions waterways suffered flooding following a deluge on Sunday evening and night, mainly in the south Leinster area. Elsewhere it wasn't as bad with less severe conditions. Thankfully at time of writing weather is more settled and milder than of late with a hint of spring in the air. Angling is expected to increase over the coming weeks and we expect more feedback as the month advances. Paul Waghorn a regular to Lanesboro is back on holiday this week and we are reporting on his coarse fishing diary over the week at Lanesboro. The Shannon at Banagher has risen with a very strong pull on the water as we write and consequently little activity reported. Local anglers had some good Bream fishing again at Tom Foxes on the lower Inny.     TIGHT LINES!

SEE COARSE ANGLING HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2007

COARSE ANGLING COMPETITION FIXTURES 2008                                                       

• ANGLERS WORLD AUTUMN & SPRING FESTIVALS 2008 PORTUMNA : Full details can be downloaded See ANGLING FESTIVALS 2008 or Contact  Dave Houghton 071 9642743

• THE BANAGHER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS 2008:  Full details can be downloaded See ANGLING FESTIVALS 2008 - further info contact Ray Duthie The Old Forge, West End, Banagher, Co Offaly  Tel: 057 91 51504. SEE WEBPAGE ADVERTISEMENT

UPPER SHANNON

COARSE FISHING ON THE SHANNON AT LANESBORO...

Paul Waghorn a regular to Lanesboro is back on holiday this week and we are reporting on his coarse fishing diary over the week at Lanesboro. Paul has also recently published a dedicated website on  fishing in the area which can be viewed at http://www.lanesboroughangling.ie/ This will be a useful resource for visiting anglers with lots of background and archived reports and photos etc.  

Friday March 28th 2008,- I have arrived at last despite the very long overnight journey from Ipswich. The water level is not as high as I expected with most of the lower level of the hot water stretch exposed. No one fishing of course, but I'm sure there are fish present. It rained for most of the day. Fingers crossed for a good season.

Saturday March 29th,- Lots of very heavy showers today, the river level rose marginally overnight, and not surprisingly not many shop visitors. I had a look over the bridge to see one angler on the gusher fence peg. If it wasn't raining, I would have ventured up to have a closer look. A customer informed me that he blanked !

Sunday March 30th,- A busier day in the shop resulting in more anglers on the bank. A youngster came in to inform me a large Pike had been caught by a Hungarian. I closed up for ten minutes to supervise the safe return of a 8.10Kg specimen which I think is about 17lb 2oz in old money. At 5pm I embarked upon my first session of the campaign albeit travelling very light with the bare minimum for stick float fishing. I had 14 Roach to 3oz and a Perch in 90 minutes just above the "gap". A small confrontation was avoided when one of the Hungarians caught a Hybrid well above the permissible size for retaining as bait.

Monday March 31st,- For a while I was starting to believe spring had arrived as the sun shone and the temperature was touching 13C. Bt the time I shut the shop at 5.30 pm the weather had deteriorated somewhat. I had intended to use the feeder on the gusher fence peg but after 90 minutes of nothing and barely an hour of daylight remaining, I decided to go and get the float rod. Strange how a change of tactics improved sport. I was rewarded with a handful of Rudd of 2oz and two Roach of 4oz and 12oz. The river has risen to show only about twenty foot of the lower level visible by Ryan's gate.

Tuesday April 1st,- Cold, wet and miserable,- that sums up not just me but how today started. I was hoping for a Pike feeding before breakfast but alas could not tempt one. On the float I caught 14 Rudd, 11 Roach and 2 Perch with nothing over 4oz. Some of the fish were tiny. Back in the shop to open for the 9 a.m rush!!

Brian Bohan   CHAFLYNNS COTTAGE & GUIDING SERVICE  MOHILL reports on angling in the upper Shannon region around MOHILL and CARRICK ON SHANNON

No report received.

Kevin Lyons, MELVIEW LODGE GUESTHOUSE, Drumlish Road, Clonrollagh, Co Longford Tel : 003534345061 Mob: Email:  info@melviewlodge.com Web: http://www.melviewlodge.com  covering fisheries in the LONGFORD AREA and the STROKESTOWN LAKES

We will be returning to our coarse fishing reports next week - Join us then.

MID SHANNON AREA

ShRFB reports for  INNY BAY B&B -  fishing at TOM FOXES ANGLING STRETCH and lower RIVER INNY  Tommy Foxe Mob: 087 9960173 for enquiries and boat hire

Local anglers had some good Bream fishing again at Tom Foxes. Some heavy rain over recent days has risen water levels and there is a presently a strong pull on the Inny River. 

Dermot Killeen Shannonbridge Tel 090 96 74112 Email: derry.killeen@gmail.com reports for SHANNONBRIDGE area.

No coarse fishing reports this period.

Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent for the Westmeath Topic and Sunday World Newspaper Tel: 087 2797270: mick@midlandangling.com reports on Midland Lakes & Rivers.

No coarse angling reports this period.

LOWER SHANNON AREA