ANGLING NOTES:BRESSIE and his team from RTÉ's The Voice of Ireland may have had a fun day on Lough Owel a few days earlier but it was down to business for myself and Mick Flanagan from the Sunday World as we set out for our day on the lake last week.
We met fisheries officer Martin Moffatt at Tullaghan Boat Quay who pointed to CCTV cameras now installed overlooking the car park. Similar cameras are installed at Mullaly’s, he said. This is good news because in recent years cars had been vandalised.
Conditions were favourable with a steady breeze and overcast skies. Our first drift close to Lady’s Island yielded the two best fish of the day. On intermediate line and two Dabblers up, I caught a good trout of 0.8kg (1.75lb).
However, it was left to my boat partner to land an absolute cracker of 1.6kg (3.5lb) on a Hackled Golden Olive that took all of five minutes to play. Easily one of the biggest fish I have seen from Owel. Throughout the day we tried Kilpatrick and Brabazon Points and increased our tally to 10. It is noteworthy that trout were feeding extensively on buzzers in the shallows along the two shorelines but quite difficult to catch. Dense hatches of duckfly and olives also occurred intermittently along with the odd Daddy and Mayfly.
I must commend Lough Owel Angling Club and the fisheries board on the quality of fish and outstanding water clarity of the lake. Can’t wait to have another try.
* The youthcommittee of Irish Trout Fly Fishing Association will hold a fundraising competition at Tullaghan next Sunday from 11am until 5pm. Entry fee is €50 and the event is open to all anglers. The winner will receive a 19ft Anglers' Fancy Boat and prizes include an electric engine for the heaviest fish landed.
Registration will be on the morning and boat hire is available from Jack Doolan on 044-9342085.
Contact joekeena@eircom.net or 086-8722449.
* Owel featuredagain last Sunday as the Trout Angling Federation of Ireland held its Leinster lake championship to select the top 20 anglers to represent the province in an inter-provincial competition in September 2012.
Top three anglers: 1, A Delaney (Wicklow), 3 trout, 2.250kg; 2, M Campbell (Dundalk), 3f, 2.190kg; 3, M McShane (Dundalk), 3f, 2.025kg. Largest fish: Julie Gerry, 0.9kg.
* Work colleagueGeorge Partridge (pictured) and friend Peter Moylen enjoyed two days pike angling on Lough Key in Co Roscommon with Bodo Funke last weekend aboard his new 14-foot Microcraft Aggressor.
Eight fish were caught on a mixture of fly and lures ranging from jack pike to a respectable 11-pounder. The highlight of the weekend was on Saturday afternoon when George managed, using a large swim bait lure, to catch a 25-pounder.
After an exciting 10-minute struggle, the fish, deep bodied and in beautiful condition, was brought aboard, weighed, photographed and returned unharmed. Bodo provided excellent advice to the two relative novices and ensured that an excellent weekend was enjoyed by all.
For information on guided angling trips, contact Bodo on info@anglingservicesireland.com or 086-601878.
* The firstsalmon of the season at Kylemore Fishery was landed last Tuesday at Tullywee Bridge at 7.20am. Angling guide John Irwin took the fish on a Pot Bellied Black Shrimp. "The weight was disappointing at just 2.2kg (4.75lb). Over the past 10 years the average weight for our first fish was 3.8kg (8.3lb)," fisheries manager, Nigel Rush said. Contact Nigel at nigelrush@eircom.net.
angling@irishtimes.com