Irish Fishing information and results

[Oneabung]

Subject: Tony Kersley’s Irish Angle

I'm here to keep you in touch with all that’s happening on the Irish Coarse angling scene. Every fortnight I will be updating recent Irish match results and previewing all the upcoming events including Opens and the Irish Festivals. Wether you are a pleasure or match angler , keep in touch with the water conditions and what’s going on at the venue you are heading for .

Recent weeks have seen some of the most unsettled winter conditions Ireland has seen for years with Low weather fronts continuously storming in from the Atlantic leaving the country battered and waterlogged. Not surprisingly , The rivers and loughs are swollen , but far from wrecking the fishing , some of those that are venturing out have found plenty of fish . With the storms come warm air , and the fish are feeding. Areas on the rivers where the flow slackens , Marinas and backwaters are the places to head for , and when the Loughs start to go down they should also start to produce well if the frost keeps away.



Fermanagh

Recent Club matches and Knock ups on Enniskillens Town Stretches have produced catches up to 33lb, that’s what it took for Ken Seddon to win the latest round of the Erne anglers winter league. Ken was fishing the feeder with worm and caster on the Round ’O’section and included roach to over 1lb 8oz and bream to 4lb in his catch. There are plenty of small roach at the police Jetty and Queen ‘E’ but 10lb of bits on the pole is a good weight. Nobody is venturing out much on the gale lashed Lower lough Erne , a couple of short evening sessions when the wind died saw pleasure anglers catching some lovely conditioned roach nearing 2lb at Rossigh Bay .

Around the country

The Lower Bann at Portglenone has suffered through the storms but is improving now with plenty of small roach on whips , Allan Sharkey’s 18lb 1oz catch won a recent Belfast open here.* Nicky Harrison won a two dayer on Garadice with 22lb 8oz ,that included a couple of feeder caught bream along with roach.*Dublins Allan Larkin set a new club record for Daingean AC with a terrific canal haul of 37lb14oz comprising of 12lb of roach and 25lb of bream caught on long pole with caster at the Daingean town stretch of the grand Canal.



Match Results

Erne Anglers Winter League , R.Erne Enniskillen

River very high , winner fished feeder with caster and worm on edge of flow for bream and roach

1st K.Seddon 33-11-12,2nd J.Potters 17-5-0,3rd J.Brown 15-0-0

Daingean AC Open , Grand canal , Daingean

Winner pole fished caster

1stA.Larkin 37-14-0,2nd A Vasa 19-1-0,3rd P.Bartley 9-0-0

East Belfast CAC Open , Lower Bann Portglenone

River high and rising, winner fished 6m whip with 10grm rig for 112 roach

1st A.Sharkey 18-1-0,2nd G.Cummings 14-1-12.3rd M.Cummings 12-9-0

Garadice 2 day, Haughtons Shore

Lough high ,gales winner fished feeder and maggot at range for bream and roach

1st N.Harrison 22-8-0,2nd F.McGoldrick 14-5-0,3rd C.Allen 13-7-0

Woodford Open , Coraquill lough Woodford Canal

Water Rising , Winner fished pole and pinkie close in for roach and perch

1st J.Balcombe 6-12-0,2nd T.Kersley 5-4-8,3rd J.Martin 4-15-0

Fitzpatricks Open , Lough Garadice

Gale lashed , high water, winner fished feeder for two bream and a few roach

1st B.Cassidy 12-12-8,2nd M.Brough 7-15-0,3rd C.Hughes 5-11-12

South Armagh And District Winter League, Lough Muckno

Lough high , winner feeder fished maggot for small roach

1st M.White 4-12-0,2nd J.Reilly 4-7-0,3rd G.Rooney 3-9-0

Matchmans Cup,Boyle Marina

Winner fished whip and maggot for small roach

1st T.Varo 4-8-0,2nd D.Oddy 4-3-0,3rd R.Carpenter 3-12-0



Forthcoming Events

With Easter coming earlier this year than last it is only a matter of a few weeks before the Festival season starts , this year the season is kicked off on the Erne in and around Enniskillen with the Cloughbally Mill Easter weekend and Weekday festivals . The first match is over three days from Saturday April 7th to Monday 9th inclusive , with the second event from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th, this is usually a feeder dominated event with plenty of quality roach starting to show , but as always with the Erne system , expect the unexpected! Water conditions will play a big part , it’s quite possible that with a little extra water and colour the bream could well show in some pegs. Contact Mark or Jack at Cloughbally Mill Angling Centre 02866 322008 to book in.

Cootehill also hosts an Easter event on its local Loughs although this match usually sells out fast.Contact Neil on 00353 495553412.



Here are the Festival Details for this year -


IRISH FESTIVALS 2007
Compiled by Tony Kersley


DATE MATCH VENUE CONTACT
APRIL
7th-9th ERNE EASTER ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH 02866 322008
7th-9th COOTEHILL EASTER CLASSIC COOTEHILL LOUGHS NEIL 00353 495553412
10th-13th CLOUGHBALLY MILL ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH 02866 322008
16th-20th BT FESTIVAL ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH (CLOSED)
23rd-29th FIRE BRIGADE FESTIVAL ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH (CLOSED)
23rd-27th PORTUMNA SPRING CLASSIC 1 R.SHANNON/PORTUMNA AWH
30th-4th MAHONS ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH 02866 322008
30th-4th BANAGHER SPRING R.SHANNON,BANAGHER AWH
MAY
7th-11th CAROLINE BOSWELL MEMORIAL ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH KEITH 02866 323886
14th-18th WATERWAYS IRELAND CLASSIC ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH 02866 323110
14th-18th LEITRIM SENIOR CLASSIC BALLINAMORE AWH
21st-25th GOLD CUP ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH
21st-25th FERMOY R.BLACKWATER/FERMOY GAYE 00353 2532689
27th-29th INNISCARRA INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
28th-31st ALL IRELAND SENIOR CLASSIC ARVA LOUGHS IRVINE 00353 494335580
28th-1st JuneLAST CHANCE WEEK ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH 02866 322008
28th-1st JuneROOSKY CLASSIC LAKELAND FISHERIES DEREK 00353 719638463
30th-1st JuneCOACHFORD INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
JUNE
3rd-7th PROSPEROUS GRAND CANAL,KILDARE 00353 45868955
4th-8th SOLO GUINNESS EDENDERRY GRAND CANAL,EDENDERRY.PAURIC 00353 469732071
4th-8th STENNA CHALLENGE ARVA AWH
11th-15th DROMORE BALLYBAY LAKES ANDY 00353 429741565
JULY
2nd-6th MUCKNO FESTIVAL LOUGH MUCKNO AWH
14th-15th CONNAUCHT 2 DAY LOUGH ALLEN/SCUR PAULINE 00353 719641512
21st-22nd JOE MOONEY MEMORIAL LOUGH ALLEN/SCUR PAULINE 00353 719641512
28th-29th FERMOY R.BLACKWATER,FERMOY GAYE 00353 2532689
30th-2nd AugBELTURBET BELTURBET LAKES MARK 00353 499524042
AUGUST
3rd-6th CLONES CLONES LAKES DONAL 00353 868371169
23rd-26th GUINNESS RAMOR LOUGH RAMOR DONAL OO353 868371169
27th-31st GOWNA GOWNA LOUGHS AWH
SEPTEMBER
1st-3rd OTTEWILL TROPHY INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
3rd-7th ARVA ARVA LOUGHS AWH
3rd-7th BELTURBET BELTURBET LOUGHS MARK 00353 499524042
5th-7th VINTNERS CUP INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
7th-9th AUGHNACLOY CLASSIC BLACKWATER CATCHMENT 02838 892900
10th-14th HACKETT CUP INNISCARRA LAKE,CORK AWH
10th-14th BANAGHER R.SHANNON,BANAGHER AWH
10th-14th KING OF CLUBS CAVAN LOUGHS 08705171717
16th-18th SEPTEMBER OPEN INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
17th-21st CARRICK ON SHANNON CARRICK LOUGHS CHARLOTTE 00353 719620313
17th-21st MONAGHAN PAIRS LOUGH MUCKNO AWH
19th-21st GUINNESS CUP INNISCARRA,CORK AWH
10th-14th ERNE AUTUMN GRAND SLAM ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH KEITH 02866 323886
15th-16th BOZZIES WEEKEND OPEN ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH KEITH 02866 323886
17th-20th WILLIE RAMBLERS ERNE,CO.FERMANAGH MAL 01606 46060
24th-28th COOTEHILL COOTEHILL LOUGHS MARY 00353 429660266
24th-28th UPPER SHANNON CARRICK LOUGHS TERRY 00353 719663184
30th-5thOctCARRIGALLEN CARRIGALLEN LOUGHS TONY 00353 494339074
OCTOBER
1st-5th FERMOY R.BLACKWATER,FERMOY GAYE 00353 2532689
INDEX
AWH ANGLERS WORLD HOLIDAYS, MARTIN FOUNDS 01246 221717

[Oneabung]

I was hoping that this article would wet a few whistles for a trip to the emerald isle to fish the festivals!

[andy222]

Great report Simon. I havn't been over to Ireland for years I think the lifting of the close season ban put pay to that. I had a great time when I was there but I feel the fishing has gone downhill in recent years.

[Oneabung]

We have Tony Kersley to thank for the report, he will hopefully be keeping us up to date through the season.

Your right Andy the fishing isnt as good as it was.... when you get 400+ on a festival there is always some crap in - stands to reason. I think the classic is best when there is about 230-250 then the section sizes are a bit smaller and everyone gets a few fish, that said we dont go just for the fishing - its the best crack anywhere!

[tallman]

nice read simon and the dates are handy .

[Big cup]

Why are you going back in time tallman??

[Abramis Brama]

Simon are you still in touch with Tony, any chance of a similar report for this years festivals!.

I Was next peg to Tony last year at Dolans - of course he did me for the section. Friendly banter with him throughout the match............great attitude, real genuine guy. Unfortunately he drew the same section again on Wednesday - Classic over!.

Looking forward to your "Guess my Weight" or did this fun challenge fade out, because I don't recall seeing it last year.

If you are reading this and haven't yet been to Enniskillen, you don't know what you are missing. I introduced a friend a few years ago to the Waterway's Classic, now he's a regular and going it alone this year with 3 other friends...............that's what this event does to you, once you've been you are hooked. There's still time to get on-board - contact Anglers World they offer a full package deal.

Roy

[tallman]

what a loverly place it is mate iv fished every section over the years but killyevlin, its not in now but the place they call boa island which is past kesh fished well every time they put it in, i hope this year i can make it but it will be in september.iv mist ireland for 5 years due to illness, ill go back even if its not for fishing just to see me old mates and a pint of guinness

[Abramis Brama]

Hi Tallman - Boa Island has been a section in the classic for the last couple of years and it has fished really well with weights of between 20 and 30 Kg common. Simon (Oneabung) was lucky enough to draw this section last year, but unlucky to be just 2 pegs off a huge shoal of bream. Most likely cost him winning the Classic for the second time.

Hope you manage to return this year - 5 years is too long to miss such a wonderful place.

Roy