Angling Report
- Sea fishing (updated 05/01/09)
- Pike fishing (updated 18/12/08)
- Coarse fishing (updated 05/12/08)
- Trout fishing (updated 20/12/08)
Pike Angling
18/12/08
Peadar goes Pike Crazy in Monaghan
Angling guide Peadar O’ Brien caught this 16lb 15oz Pike in a local lake within the last week. A fine fish by any standards and a good example of the quality of angling that is available in the lakes close to Peadar’s home town of Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.
You just cannot stop him, as the picture above shows. With temperatures still low but rising a little, Peadar took some eager clients out this week to sample the best of what Monaghan has to offer, and they were not disappointed. Anglers Derek Yeates and John Bent had a fine days fishing on Tuesday 16th December 2008, catching several Pike along with many more hook ups.
Derek shows the stamp of Pike that were caught that day. With Pike more accessible from a boat than the shore, give Peadar a ring and enjoy a fine day out for not much more then the cost of a game of golf. All equipment will be supplied, but you will have to catch the Pike yourself.
Peader O'Brien,
Tel: 087926 5867
05/12/08
Ice Fishing the North East
Bass angling guru Jim Hendrick has teamed up with Pike and coarse angling guru Peadar O’Brien to launch a Pike angling service in the north east counties of Cavan and Monaghan. Fishing will be with fly and lures, and there will be no shortage of action as the following images show.
In sub zero temperatures on the 1st and 2nd of December Jim, Peadar, and one guest landed 22 Pike all on fly. With water temperatures down to 3.2 degrees, sinking lines, and flies up to 25 centimetres in length, the fishing was tough but productive.
03 December 2008
Cold comfort at Blessington
While on a short visit to Dublin recently, well known angling columnist Nick Parry took some time out to fish Blessington lake, Co. Wicklow. He was rewarded with a 16lb Pike which took a popped up smelt. It was to prove the only fish caught on a bitter cold day during the cold snap of last week.
Coarse Angling
05 December 2008
Cavan Hybrids
Cavan produced the goods for Gary Robinson, a former youth fly fishing international who has turned his hand to coarse fishing with equal success. This week fishing an unnamed Cavan lake he landed a number of Hybrids to specimen size, along with skimmer Bream, Roach, and Perch.
Sea Angling
Christmas 2008
Surfcasting Counties Wicklow and Wexford
The Christmas holidays of 2008/2009 have been characterised by the anti cyclonic weather that has persisted since early November. Frost, low temperatures, and in the main clear skies, have been the dominant weather features during this period. The cold weather should have encouraged Codling to run the beaches, but other than isolated catches they have been conspicuous by their absence. Given how prolific Cod are as a species, and the poor catches of recent years, there is now real cause for concern as to their wellbeing.
A small highlight for Ashley Hayden, fishing a South Wexford beach was a Dab running 32 centimetres, an unusual catch in terms of size in this day and age of considerable overfishing.
With a south easterly 4 – 5 blowing on Monday the 29/12/2008 at least a dozen rods ventured out to Ennereilly, north of Arklow, in search of those elusive Codling. Small fish made up the bulk of catches, with Whiting, Flounder, and baby Bass falling to lugworm baited hooks, but alas no Codling.
December 7th 2008
Flounder Fun in the South East
The continued cold spell has drawn anglers to the south east in search of the elusive specimen Flounder. Small groups of anglers from Arklow and Greystones fishing Ballyteigue encountered slow fishing, but persevered to land some quality fish.
Michael Doyle of the Greystones Ridge Angling Club caught Flounder to 42 cm, average 1.5 lbs. Lugworm was the main bait used, and plenty were required due to the attention of bait robbing crabs. Traces festooned with beads and sequins were the order of the day, an extra addition being small floats to raise the baits out of reach of the local crab population.
A group of Arklow anglers fished Kilmore on the Saturday finding plenty of Pollack in the 5 – 6 lb bracket along with Wrasse, and on Sunday targeted Flounder, catching fish to 2.lbs. Lugworm was again the key Flounder bait.
03 December 2008
Floundering Around, Ballyteigue, Co. Wexford
The hard frosts of the last week were a real indication that winter is upon us. Hopefully the fall in temperature will be matched with a rise in the number of Codling on the beaches, still marked worryingly absent. However for those sea anglers prepared to scale down, there is great sport to be had Flounder fishing the creeks of Co. Wexford.
Crab is the optimum bait, whole or in sections. The recent frosts will have diminished the local crab population enough that lugworm will be a useful alternative. Tipping with mackerel or crab legs will also improve chances. Fish the channels and be prepared to move with the tide. A good tip is to incorporate beads and flashers in the trace, and twitch or move the bait every so often.
Flounder like the one above weighing 1.5 lbs are being landed from Kaats strand in Wexford Harbour, and the creeks in the Ballyteigue Bay area. Pick a suitable tide, ideally fish in daylight, and there is a real possibility of picking up a specimen between now and Christmas.
Regarding east coast beach venues, there appears to be a plague of immature Whiting from Wicklow to Wexford, with a few Coalfish thrown in, along with Dabs and small Flounder. School Bass are still present, although in decreasing numbers.
Trout Angling
20/12/08
Annamoe Trout Fisheries News
The Dargle Anglers Fishing Club from Bray Co. Wicklow had there annual Christmas Fly Fishing outing to Annamoe on Saturday 20th December. This was their first get together since they returned from their recent fishing trip to Vancouver , Canada. Twenty anglers turned out to test their skills at the fishery and some soon realised that catching in a stocked lake is not as easy as it might seem. After four hours fifty rainbows were landed, measured and returned safely by the sixteen experienced fly anglers that caught them. Tommy Butler was the winner with six fish and one of those weighed over 6 lbs. In second place was Gerry Heaslip with six trout and P J Doran was third with five. Trout were generally caught on orange, red and green lures fished on floating lines with sink tip leaders. The event was held in a nice , sociable and sporting atmosphere and enjoyed by all who took part. Steve Sutton Hon. Sec thanked Brian Nally owner/manager of the fishery for his assistance and help in organising the day out for his members.