Salmon and trout angling | Coarse angling
By Lindsey Clarke
Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th September 2007.
The Drowes was quiet once again this week despite fair water levels. The gauge on the Four Masters Bridge is reading around 4 at present and with the approaching spring tides, salmon should continue to enter the fishery. I have no reports of salmon caught during the week. There were few anglers fishing. 1 angler lost 6 salmon on the fly on Saturday. A frustrating day!
Lough Melvin was fairly quiet this week with few rods fishing over the week. Those that ventured out found the sonaghan responsive to various patterns of flies and this time of the season the fish are in the peak of health. The Lough Gill anglers held their annual Fly Fishing Competition in which 30 boats were competing. First prize was won by James Doherty and Peter McKenna with 7 trout. These were all sonaghan (Gillaroo are not counted in catches). Salmon fishing has been quiet with no real angling for the same.
The Eany ran at low levels for the greater part of the week. There was however an unexpected small flood of 0.65 meters on Wednesday which saw the gauge still reading 0.35 metres the following morning. The gauge average for the week read 0.30 metres. The fishery was understandably quiet with only 18 visiting rods fishing for the week. There were a number of salmon recorded caught during the middle of the week. On Wednesday P.J. Kelly Jnr recorded 2 grilse caught weighing 5 & 6lb caught on the spinner. I caught and released 2 grilse on the fly weighing 4 & 5lb from the Eanymore losing another. John O’Donnell caught an 8lb grilse and Charley Fury also accounted for a fish. On Thursday, Andrew Lennox recorded a 3lb grilse caught on a spinner from the Fish Counter Pools. George Friel accounted for an 8lb grilse caught on the worm from the Flag Pool.
At the time of writing the river is running at low summer levels. The forecast for the week is for patchy drizzle with little rainfall. However the hills which generate the Eanymore Fishery often receive whatever rainfall is around so we may get a fresh.
The Owenea River had fair levels from Monday to Thursday but the water then fell away to reach lowish levels by Sunday (0.18m). The gauge average for the week read 0.23 metres. The fishery was not particularly busy with 21 visiting rods fishing for the week spread over the whole week. There were a number of salmon recorded. On Monday Kevin O’Neill landed a 4lb grilse caught from The Gubbin on beat 5 on a fly. On Tuesday, Pat Crowley recorded an 8lb salmon caught from Ward’s Pool on beat 5 on the fly. On Thursday Kevin O’Neill recorded a further grilse of 5lb caught on the fly from Ward’s Pool on beat 5.
12/09/07
The annual Gowna 2007 fishing festival took place during the week ending Friday 31st. August. 103 anglers took part in the event and they fished four venues including Church Lake/Corfree, Leonards, Rosduff/Enaghan and Upper and Lower Gulladoo over five days. The following is a list of the overall winners:
1st. Neil Parkinson 77.670kgs
2nd. Tony Kersley 74.330kgs
3rd. Carl Rowley 73.220kgs
4th. Pete Emerson 71.280kgs
5th. Kevin Ashurst 67.470kgs
The annual Arva 2007 fishing festival also took place last week over four days. Rockfield/Corfree, Leonards, Rosduff and Gulladoo were fished by 109 anglers taking part in the competition. The following are a list of the overall winners:
1st. Jonathan Whincup 69.320kgs
2nd. Lindsey Naylor 53.760kgs.
3rd. Jon Jowett 67.480kgs.
4th. Kevin Johnston 52.670kgs
5th. Keith Greensmith 56.060kgs
6th. Bob Nudd 59.120kgs
7th. Steve Richardson 41.680kgs
A five day fishing competition took place in Belturbet recently. Thirty anglers took part. They fished Killykeen, Killygown and Tullyguide. The following if a list of the overall winners.
1st. Mike Brough 63.530kgs.
2nd. Ian Nicklethwaite 57.350kgs.
3rd. Jim Taylor 54.220kgs.
4th. Fergal Smith 53.980kgs.
5th. Paul Lee 52.730kgs.
6th. Phil McCaffrey 49.180kgs.
The Northern Regional Fisheries Board presents this web site as a useful guide to salmon, trout and coarse fishing in Donegal, Leitrim and Cavan.