Record year for specimen catches revealed at annual awards outing

ONCE referred to as ‘two a penny’ and still enjoyed today as ‘rollmops’, the small and fragile herring (Clupea harengus) remains the most abundant fish species on earth, often gathering in schools of several billion fish.

The Irish Sea also gets its share of the bonanza. Summer anglers often report catches of herring intermingling amongst mackerel shoals. This is certainly the case in Dublin Bay and especially off Howth Head. A set of tiny Sabiki shrimp lures is recommended.

However, it was further north in Red Bay, Co Antrim that Hamish Currie established, for the second successive time, a new Irish record herring. The fish weighed 0.48kg and surpassed his previous record by 0.03kg, again in Red Bay in 2008.

The second new record fell to Bryan Robinson for his bream of 6.07kg (13.38lb) from Ballywillan Lough, Co Down, in June. The previous record of 5.528kg (12.3lb) had stood for 15 years from Bolganard Lake, Co Leitrim.

Following the recent annual specimen awards day in Bewley’s Hotel, general comments relating to specimen returns revealed a record year for claims with 640 ratified, 25 rejected and a further 59 requiring further details.

The first length-based specimen was claimed for a tope landed off Wicklow by charter skipper Kit Dunne (qualifying length is 160cm) and, from 2014, spurdog will be placed on the length-based list.

Smooth hound numbers were at record levels while dab specimens continued to improve. For conservation reasons, porbeagle shark have been suspended from listings.

The committee announced that a specimen fish atlas, dating from 1955 to 2010, will be published this year detailing all relevant information regarding captures, baits and locations within this timeframe.

Photographs of those presented with awards are now posted on the ISFC website.

Raising funds

Southern County Fishing Resort in Garryhill, Co Carlow, proved the ideal venue for last Sunday’s fundraising competition to raise funds for the ITFFA team to travel to Bewel Water in England to compete in the home international fly-fishing championships in May 2013.

The 27 competitors, including eight Irish team members, enjoyed their day with plenty of rainbow trout coming fast and furious to keep the adrenaline flowing on a brisk and sharp day.

Over lunch, fly-tyer and top notch angler Noel Shields had caught more than 30 fish to 1kg on his favourite boobie lure. Glen McCrave lead the field for most of the day, however in the last hour John O’Neill, from Enfield, brought in a cracker of 56cm to win the competition.

Southern County is one of the finest fisheries in the country, with three lakes stocked with rainbow trout that are reared on-site. The hatchery at present has “approx. 1.5 million fingerlings”, according to proprietor Tom Foley.

But the resort offers a lot more than fishing. “It’s more a family day out that includes a 3km nature walk, pet farm, extended playground, volleyball, barbecue and train ride for tour of hatchery,” he says.

Gerry Heaslip, team captain and organiser of the event, was high in praise for the generosity expressed by Southern County for use of their facility free of charge and to all who sponsored prizes and took part in the competition.

By the book

In the latest edition of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine, Malcolm Greenhalgh puts forward his selection of 39 major influences and game-changers as far as European fly-fishers are concerned. In making his choice, Greenhalgh chooses mainly written contributions, in articles and books.

At number 24, and in no particularly order, is our own Peter O’Reilly. Of Peter, he says his two volumes Trout and Salmon Loughs of Ireland (first edition, 1987) and Rivers of Ireland (first edition, 1991) are modern versions of the classic, Hi-Regan, and major contributions to fly fishing.

Peter O'Reilly is an APGAI and FFF master fly-casting instructor and is available for casting tuition at peter@oreillyflyfishing.com, oreillyflyfishing.comor tel: 046-902 8210.

angling@irishtimes.com