Tony Kersley’s Irish Angle - 24th February 2007


The past fortnight has seen more settled weather across Ireland , most of the rivers and loughs are now back down to reasonable levels. Of course , with settled conditions at this time of the year there is going to be a certain amount of frost and temperatures have plummeted at night to a low of -9 degrees centigrade at their worst during the first week of February. If anything this had made the fish a bit harder to locate . The January floodwaters actually helped in a way by pushing fish into the sheltered marinas and back eddies . At this time of the year there is very little pleasure angling going on and it is left to the hardened match anglers to keep us up to date with how certain areas are fishing.Any one heading out could do worse than logging on every couple of weeks and checking out the all the Irish results , I’ll include the bad ones so you know where to avoid! Of course , pleasure angling and match angling are totally different and just because a venue doesn’t produce in a match , it doesn’t mean that it wont come up trumps for the pleasure man.



The calmer , frostier weather has helped the pike fishing , Fermanagh with lough Erne in particular has been throwing up a good number of twenties with one local lad , Gary McHugh landing two different twenty seven pounders on the same day on smelt .Other baits catching well are Bulldawgs and Herring. The pike are now at their premium weight and condition prior to spawning , February is definitely the best month for a chance of a real biggie.



Fermanagh



Very little pleasure angling going on yet , only a couple of matches on the Erne system , one at the Round ‘o’ Quay won with 17lb of bream and the other on Bellanaleck Marina won by Enniskillens David Bowles with 14lb of feeder caught roach. Bellanaleck is probably the Ernes best venue at present , but then again no one is trying any where else! The Woodford Canal is providing anglers fishing the Bill Clarke Memorial with some interesting if not spectacular fishing, just over double figures of bits fishing normal canal tactics of small rigs and fishing different lines has won both matches with anyone practising finding better sport. The Lower lough is at a perfect level with lower water levels exposing the shoreline allowing would be anglers the chance to fish in comfort , any one brave enough to give the deep water at Magho a couple of days intensive pre bait and fishing would almost certainly hit the Jackpot.



Around the country



The Lower Bann at Portglenone was in belting form when the river first levelled out , but the roach shoals now seemed to have dispersed a bit and are unpredictable in their whereabouts. Best recent match weight was a cracking 49lb3oz of whip caught roach by Belfasts Jimmy Douglas from permanent peg 45. Elsewhere Garadice Lough is producing low double figures of roach and hybrids to long range feeder fishing , The Grand Canal at Daingean in Offally was in good roach form with double figure pole catches but the recent newly formed Daingean club match was won with 7lb 6oz. The Belturbet area is fishing quite well for the time of the year with a near 40lb mixed catch reported from Tullyguide lake .



Match Results



Erne Anglers Winter League , R.Erne Enniskillen

1st.D.Bowles 14-7-4,2nd A.Scallon 14-1-0,3rd W.Fuller 11-7-4

Won with roach on the feeder and maggot fished into the flow at Bellanaleck



Bill Clarke Memorial West 1, Woodfod Canal

1st M.Lictenberg 10-10-0,2nd D.Mcguirk 7-8-8,3rd N.Mazureck 5-10-0

Peg 12 at Ball Connell , pole fished on three lines with worm / caster /maggot



Bill Clarke Memorial West 2 , Woodford Canal

1st T.Price 11-15-12, 2nd M.Lictenberg 8-10-4,3rd N.Mazureck 7-11-8

Won at Harbour peg 1 with perch on worm and roach on maggot/caster



East Belfast Winter League, Lower Bann Portglenone

1st J.Douglas 49-3-0,2nd A.Sharkey 34-0-12,3rd E.Campbell 33-1-0

Roach to 8oz on 4m whip on peg 45



Bill Clarke Memorial East , Enagh Lough

1st M.Cormican 4-4-12,2nd J.McCallister 3-14-0,3rd M.Black 3-8-12

Tiny roach on long pole, Peg 1



Bill Clarke Memorial East 2, Lower Bann Portglenone

1st M.Cormican 28-7-0,2nd J.Douglas 24-4-0,3rd E.Campbell 23-4-4

Roach on 7m whip on peg 48



Daingean Winter League 2 , Grand Canal

1st F.Larkin 13-5-0,2nd N.Harrison 11-12-0,3rd A.Larkin 11-0-0

Bream and Skimmers on caster /worm at Ballycommon Bridge peg 2



Daingean Winter League 2 , Grand Canal

1st N.Loughrey 7-6-0,2nd J.Ward 6-13-0,3rd P.Kelly 5-13-8

4 Skimmers and Roach , pole and maggot peg 3 below Daingean.



Fermanagh Lakeland Winter League , Erne Enniskillen

1st T.Kersley 17-3-4,2nd T.Maguire 11-0-4 3rd S.Smith 8-9-8

5 Bream on feeder /caster at Round ‘O’



Belturbet Winter League , Lough Garadice

1st I.Kitson 8-6-0,2nd L.Simmonds 7-6-0,3rd M.Brough 6-14-0

Roach/hybrids on long range feeder and maggot.



Matchmans Cup , Keshcarrigan Marina

1st T.Varo 7-6-0,2nd A.Foster 6-8-0,3rd M.Beasley 3-13-0

Small roach and perch on whip.


FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Junior Pike Competition on Lough Erne February 25th meet at Cloughbally Mill tackle shop , Enniskillen phone 02866 322008 for details.

Waterways Ireland pike Classic dates for 2007 , October 19th,20th and 21st. Don’t forget the Easter festivals coming up in just a few weeks!

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