ANGLING NOTES:ANGLERS ALWAYS rally in support of fundraising efforts towards worthwhile charities. Their monetary assistance at local and national level, whether by way of fundraising competitions or donations, is phenomenal, and is greatly appreciated by each respective organisation.
For the past five years I have participated in the “Charity”, a fly-fishing competition on Lough Lein in Killarney, Co Kerry. Now in its 19th year, this event has raised a staggering €150,000 for such diverse recipients as Multiple Sclerosis, Irish Wheelchair Association and Friends of Chernobyl.
While the assembly area for most of the 126 anglers is Ross Castle, my starting point is Sweeney’s Shore, near Fossa on the Killorglin Road, where a further 10 boats depart. I meet Seán Sweeney.
“I was born and reared here, and have seven boats for hire,” he says. Ironically, the area is named after him.
I am drawn with Shane O’Mahony, an enthusiastic and brilliant angler who knows the area extremely well.
Conditions are good with gusty winds and intermittent cloud cover as we explore Fossa Shore, the River Laune inflow and Sweeney’s shoreline.
The Bibio, Black Jungle Cock, Connemara Black and Orange Grouse are much in evidence and we meet plenty of fish, landing eight, of which my three are counters.
Late in the afternoon we are reawakened as a salmon grabs Shane’s Bibio fly and takes off at blistering speed around the boat and under the boat, all the time testing the 6lb (2.7kg) line to the full. All of 15 minutes pass before the fish is lifted into the boat.
A quick check tells us the 9lb (4kg) salmon is, in fact, a kelt (or slat) and it is hastily returned unharmed.
Back at Ross Castle, a total of 94 fish make the scales (all of which are donated to a local charity). Later, over dinner and presentation of prizes in the Dromhall Hotel, we learn the winner is Michael Twohig from Kanturk with seven fish.
Twohig is no stranger to the winner’s podium and came second in last year’s Munster Championships. He has also captained the TAFI Youth Team for the last three years and will again this year in the Czech Republic in July.
Results: 1, M Twohig (Kanturk), 7 fish; 2, T O’Connor (Killarney), 4f; 3, D O’Leary (Macroom), 3f. Heaviest fish: S Barrett (Dublin), 0.48kg.
This year’s competition brought in €8,000 towards the Samaritans (Kerry Branch).
* THE SPRING run is exceptionally good at Delphi. With 44 salmon taken in the first half of the month, it is already the second-best April in the history of this beautiful Mayo fishery. Although there are some unusually small springers about, some little more than 4lb (1.8kg), there are also some very good ones up to 16lb (7.3kg).
Among the lucky anglers were several who attended one of Peter O’Reilly’s tuition weekends at Delphi. Peter Mantle tells me there are still a few rods available over the coming weeks, as well as spaces on some of O’Reilly’s forthcoming courses. For further details, contact Delphi Lodge at 09542222. www.delphilodge.ie
* ON LOUGH Beltra in Newport, Co Mayo, a total of six fresh salmon with sea lice were caught and released in the week following Easter Monday, five of which are accredited to Jonathan Murray and Richard McDowell and one to John Gilbert.
Free spring salmon fishing is available on the Newport River until May 10th to guests staying at Newport Country House Hotel.
Tel: 098-41222 or e-mail info@newporthouse.ie for details
* MICHAEL FLANAGAN, eel fisher, member of Shannon Eel Fishers’ Association and board member of Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, takes issue with an article in last week’s Angling Notes detailing the Minister’s intention to close the Irish eel fishery for three years to allow recovery of the stock of European eel.
He says the Minister, while addressing the joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs “may not have said that the regulation required a reduction of 40 per cent in fishing effort by EU member states. Ireland has far exceeded this by introducing measures to totally close the fishery. It is the only EU state to do so.”
He continues: “Evidence does not support the notion that closing the fishery will correct the decline in elver recruitment to our shores. This is the main reason for the decline in mature eel stocks. Neither do the measures being introduced propose any suggestions for dealing with this decline in elver recruitment.
“Eel fishers would welcome any opportunity to have an informed debate on how to properly protect the species,” Flanagan concludes.
angling@irishtimes.com