Angling Notes: The big bluefin tuna are on the move along the western coastline. Reports to hand confirm that a 463-pounder was caught last Tuesday, four miles off the Donegal coast out from Downings, writes Derek Evans
The lucky captor was Brian Stapleton, fishing aboard Bonito, which belongs to Hector McElwaine.
This is the second tuna to be landed at Downings this year, with an additional five electronically tagged and released in the region, according to Stapleton.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday last, Arne Olsson from Sweden landed a magnificent bluefin of 640 pounds aboard John Brittain's Clifden-based charter boat Blue Water. Olsson, himself a charter skipper and presently on a busman's holiday with five other skippers, battled with the tuna, baited on a squid spreader bar, for more than an hour.
Mike Stokesbury from Stanford University in the US was on hand to fit a satellite pop-up tag and to release the fish unscathed.
On a recent outing from Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, charter skipper Mark Gannon reported more than 20 specimens, including ling of up to 39 pounds, coalfish of 26.5 pounds, garfish, pouting and pollock. Numerous blue shark also made up catches, the heaviest weighing 130 pounds - there was also a common skate of approximately 200 pounds - all of which were tagged and released.
The Lough Inagh and Derryclare Fishery reports for 2003 make for mixed reading. According to fisheries manager Colin Folan, notwithstanding the dry spell during August and September and the downturn in rod effort (40 per cent), it was a good year for salmon, with 39 landed, compared with 51 in 2002.
The Derryclare Butts produced 17 salmon, while Inagh accounted for 16, four of which weighed more than 10 pounds. In April, 35,000 salmon fry were released, and more are planned for next year.
Sea-trout catches, on the other hand, were disappointing, with 265 fish, compared with 255 in 2002.
The disappointment relates to two factors. Firstly, they were generally very small - too small, in fact, to spawn. Secondly, although salmon farms continue to operate in Bertraghboy Bay, Folan alleges that lice levels may result in another sea-trout collapse.
Thankfully, brown-trout fishing was superb on Inagh. In all, 233 were reported, including a six-pounder and an eight-pounder (happily released by their captors).
Achill Island, in Co Mayo, hosted the recent All-Ireland Master Angler Shore Championships. Held under the auspices of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers, the two-day event attracted 93 top shore anglers and produced 292 fish over three angling sessions.
The results were: 1, J. O'Brien (Tramore/Waterford); 2, C. Denvir (Raheny); 3, R. Lannigan (Waterford Crystal); 4, T. O'Mahony (Bannow Bay); 5, A. Shefzig (Lisdoonvarna-Fanore).
These five anglers will represent Ireland in next year's World Shore Championships.
Due to late cancellation, a rare opportunity has arisen to travel to Alphonse Island, in the Seychelles. Frontiers International is offering a heavily discounted, one-week package for six rods for the week, from December 13th.
St François Lagoon in the Seychelles is regarded as the world's finest bonefishing resort.
The area also offers a mixed fishery of trevally, triggerfish, barracuda and the chance of a milkfish.
The cost is $3,350 per angler, based on double occupancy, shared guide and boat. For a full itinerary, e-mail peter.mcleod@frontiers trvl.co.uk or visit www.frontierstrvl.com.
Results of Airflo Winter League (heat one) at Annamoe Trout Fishery: 1, J. Boullier (Wicklow), four fish, 216 centimetres; 2, R. Scott (Wicklow), four fish, 203 centimetres; 3, P. Phillpot (Wexford), four fish, 202 centimetres.
E-mail: angling@irish-times.ie