Salmon and trout angling | Coarse angling
Monday 14th to Sunday 20th July 2008.
The Drowes rose gradually over the week and at present is reading 5 on the gauge at the Four Masters Bridge. Though by no means a big flood, there is plenty of water for fish to run and conditions are good for the fly. Grilse continued to enter the fishery in good numbers over the week and there were some 40 plus fish caught this week by various methods with most fish weighing around the 3lb mark. We are awaiting details of many catches but given here are a sample of the same. On Monday, Tommy Carson recorded 2 grilse caught on the fly from Lennox’s Bridge. Nigel Stevens accounted for a grilse caught from the Blackwater on fly. On Friday, John Anthony recorded 3 grilse caught on the fly and Urs Frei accounted for 2 grilse caught on worm. The forecast for the coming week is for mainly dry, warm humid weather with the chance of thundery showers toward the latter half of the week. The Drowes will hold its levels week over the week though rain will be welcome.
There are good numbers of fresh grilse in the Lough and fish are showing all over the lough. There seemed to be very little angling for salmon however and most of the fishing was for trout. Most trout anglers are fishing over the deeps for sonaghan and the fishing was very variable from day to day. Some days were good (one angler caught 14 good sonaghan one day) and on other days it was very hard to catch a fish! Little is being caught over the shallower water and the sonaghan seem to be located only over the deeps.
The Owenea ran at low levels from Monday to Wednesday but we received good floods on Thursday, Friday and Saturday which gave some nice water levels through to Sunday. There was a good gauge average for the week reading 0.27 metres. The fishery was busier with 45 rods fishing for the week, all but 6 fishing over Friday, Saturday & Sunday. With the floods came fair numbers of salmon and the fishery is beginning to fish well. Friday in particular was a good day with some 20 salmon caught. We await details of a number of catches but given here are some of the successful anglers. On Wednesday, Tommy Irvine recorded a 6lb grilse caught on the spinner and lost 2 further fish. On Thursday, Gordon Young accounted for a fine 12lb salmon caught on the spinner from beat 8. John Boyle caught and released a 9lb salmon on the fly from beat 3 and William Marshall landed a fine 13¼lb salmon on a spinner from the Battery on beat 6. On Friday, Stuart Gracy caught and released a 7lb fish on the fly from beat 5. Paul Brennan accounted for a 4lb grilse caught from beat 8 on the spinner. Gordon Young landed a 4lb grilse caught from beat 8 on the spinner. Damien Doherty recorded a 4½lb grilse caught on the fly from McGill’s Long Pool on beat 8. John Northridge recorded a 9¼lb salmon caught on the fly from Gavigan’s Pool on beat 8. The following day he also landed a 10¼lb fish on the fly from the Ash Bush pool on beat 4.
The forecast for the coming week is for mainly dry, warm humid weather with the chance of thundery showers toward the latter half of the week. At the time of writing the fishery is at low levels so hopefully some of the showers will fall in the headwaters.
The Eany ran at low levels from Monday to Wednesday but as with the Owenea, we received good floods on Thursday, Friday and Saturday which gave some nice water levels through to Saturday evening. 20 visiting rods fished for the week with most of these fishing on Thursday and Saturday. The salmon seemed unforthcoming however. Except for a couple of small grilse caught, I have yet to hear of any catches. The forecast for the week is the same as the Owenea. Hopefully we will receive some good rain towards the end of the week.
23 July 2007
Some English anglers who fished the Arva/Gowna area reported good bags of fish. D. Hawkes from Northhampton recorded 92lb on Leonards while Mr. Clutterbuck recorded bags of 62lb, 42lb and 116lb. Mr. Rushby, Liverpool, fished the same waters and recorded bags of 61lb and 74lb. Mr. Thompson also from England recorded bags of 78lb and 111lb.
The Lough Allen Open took place on Saturday 19th. and Sunday 20th. July. Ten competitors fished Lough Scur. The winners are as follows:
1st. Mike Brough, Cavan 13.680kg.
2nd. Fergal Smith, Cavan 11.340kg.
3rd. John Balcombe, Enniskillen 8.120kg.
Derryvoney is giving good bags of fish with 3/4lb Bream also being caught. Pike fishing in this region is also quite good.
Good Tench up to 5lb and Bream 6/7lb are being caught on Drumlona. Plenty of nice Trout have been caught on the Dromore River at Ashfield.
Fishing on the river at Belturbet is excellent at the moment with bags of Roach up to 40lb. Tirliffin Lake produced bags in excess of 100lbs, the biggest bag weighing in at 150lb mostly Bream and Tench.