Tony Kersley’s Irish Angle
With Irelands first festivals of the season just days away , now is the time to make those final preparations.A few hours spent in the evenings now will go a long way to making sure that every eventuality is covered and that no time has to be wasted on the river bank . There is nothing worse than turning up at your peg unprepared , fish unexpectedly topping on the pole line and no rigs made up, the first chuck with a full feeder that sees that old line part, we have all been there !
The incredibly mild weather has seen the water temperatures on many venues rise above 45 degrees , more than enough to see some quite substantial fish movement.
On recent trout fishing trips on my local water, Lough Erne in Fermanagh , on the fish finder there are large shoals of small fish showing up in relatively shallow water , almost two weeks earlier than usual. It is still too early for the big migrations of spawning fish but there could be some good catches on the cards if there isn’t any sting in winters tail.
Across Ireland there is very little pleasure angling for Coarse fish going on as yet so again I would point you to the match results as a guide to what is happening.
Fermanagh
The county has gone trout fishing mad! Everywhere you look there are anglers trolling , worming and fly fishing for trout. The season started on March 1st so that would explain a lot but just where are all the coarse anglers ?
Even the pike men are not as prevalent as the last couple of years, although this weekends Waterways Ireland Junior Pike Classic on the Erne will surely give this side of the sport a boost through youthfull enthusiasm. So far there are forty youngsters booked in and they are all as keen as punch , hopefully they will all have a great time and become future additions to our great sport.
The Erne is actually fishing quite well at present , there seems to be a bit of colour in the system despite no great amount of rain , maybe , just maybe the Zebra Mussels have thinned out a bit . Top match weight in the past couple of weeks went to John Potters in an Erne anglers Winter League match fished in horrendous conditions with storm force winds and rain.
John won the match with 44-1-8 of bream and a handfull of roach on the feeder at the Round ‘O’section of the Erne, we wont mention he was on the end peg.
The final match of what was a successful Bill Clarke Memorial League (Western Division) fished on the Woodford Canal again provided some interesting canal fishing on the pole with Ken Seddon winning with 11-7-12 of perch and some quality roach at Corraquill . Neil Mazurek and Mark Lictenberg both finished with three section wins , with Neil taking the league title by virtue of a better total weight.
Around the country
The Eastern Division of the Bill Clarke Memorial was just as close with Michael Cormican and Michael Black also both finishing with a perfect 18 point score, Belfasts Michael Cormican came out on top after the weight countback here. The final match on the Lower Bann at Portglenone was won by Brian Ashton with quite a low weight for this venue , 11-8-0 of roach caught close in on the tip. The Lower Bann at Newferry produced the top match weight in Ireland of the past few weeks with Lurgans Johnny Keefe fishing the pole to hand for 44-11-8 of roach in an East Belfast Winter League match, almost a throwback to the old glory days of the Bann , but not quite.
Match Results
Late February:
Bill Clarke Memorial East 3, Enagh Lough Caledon
1st M.Black 5-13-8,2nd J.Taggart 5-1-0,3rd M.Cormican 4-12-8
Skimmers on feeder /worm and roach on pole/maggot peg 18
Bill Clarke Memorial West 3, Woodford Canal
1st N.Mazurek 16-1-0,2nd B.Dodd 14-2-8,3rd J.Heys 12-14-8
Roach and perch on pole/caster maggot Harbour peg 4
Matchmans Cup Albert Lock Canal , Jamestown
1st A.Turton 6-6-8,2nd P.McGrievy 2-13-0,3rd = L.Jex and C.Ward 2-6-0
Small roach and perch on pole and whip
East Belfast , Lower Bann Newferry
1st J.Keefe 44-11-8,2nd G.Cummings 42-2-0,3rd J.Pollock 31-5-0
Roach on 7metre pole to hand with maggot by ramp.
Belturbet Garadice Lough
1st L.Simmonds 24-5-0,2nd S.Lear 16-12-0,3rd P.Adams 15-14-0.
Bream , roach and hybrids on feeder and maggot on Haughtons shore.
South Armagh ,Lough Ross
1st I.Henry 9-6-0,2nd M.White 8-4-0,3rd D.Dickinson 5-8-0.
All roach on feeder and maggot.
Erne Anglers, River Erne Dolans Ring
1st D,Bowles 12-12-8,2nd B.Dodd 8-9-8,3rd J.Brown 8-1-12
5 Bream on feeder,maggot and caster peg 10
Fermanagh Lakeland , River Erne , Bellanaleck
1st T.Maguire 18-2-12,2nd T.Kersley 11-13-0,3rd A.James 10-15-0
Roach and Bream on feeder and corn tight to boats in Marina.
5 Bream on feeder /caster at Round ‘O’
Daingean and District, Grand Canal Daingean
1st A.Larkin 13-13-0,2nd N.Harrison 11-6-0,3rd E.Hickey 10-12-0
2lb bream , small roach on pole with pinkie , peg 10 at ball common Lockkeepers.
Lower Bann , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st B.Glasgow 10-4-0, 2nd C.Elder 7-13-8,3rd W.Young 7-7-8
Roach on Feeder and maggot fished short.
First Two weeks in March:
Wednesday Belturbet Open,Lough Garadice.
1st N.Houldsworth 12-9-0,2nd P.Lee 12-5-8,3rd R.Pratt 9-0-8
Roach and hybrids on med range feeder and maggot Haughtons Shore.
Belturbet Open, Lough Garadice
1st R.Pratt 11-9-0,2nd F.Smith 10-8-0,3rd M.Brough 8-9-0
Roach and Hybrids on long range feeder and maggot Haughtons Shore
Bill Clarke Memorial East final match , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st B.Ashton 11-8-0,2nd M.Black 10-2-4,3rd M.Allcock 9-4-0
Final League 1st M.Cormican 18pts,2nd M.Black 18pts,3rd R.Harrison 16pts
All feeder caught roach on peg 46
Bill Clarke Memorial West final match,Woodford Canal
1st K.Seddon 11-7-12,2nd B.Sweeney 8-7-8,3rd N.Mazurek 7-2-8
Final league 1st N.Mazurek 18pts,2nd M.Lichtenberg 18pts, 3rd T.Price 16pts.
Roach and perch on pole and maggot from harbour peg 2.
Daingean and District Winter League , Grand canal
1st G.Walsh 16-11-0,2nd J.Daley 12-8-0,3rd J.Delaney 12-0-0
Tench, bream and roach on pole and caster at Town Stretch.
East Belfast CAC Winter league , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st M.Allcock 10-0-8,2nd J.Douglas 9-2-12,3rd V.Reffausse 8-13-0
Roach close in on tip and maggot peg 22.
Erne Anglers Winter League, River Erne Enniskillen
1st J.Potters 44-1-8,2nd D.Bowles 19-6-4,3rd A.Scallon 12-11-8
10 bream and a few roach on feeder and red maggot.
Matchmans Cup,Lough Garadice
1st B.Swift 15-10-8,2nd C.Ward 12-10-0,3rd R.Parker 10-13-0
Bream, roach and hybrids on tip and maggot Haughtons Shore.
South Armagh Winter League , Lough Muckno
1st D.Dickson 3-12-0,2nd M.White 3-10-0,3rd J.Riley 3-2-0
Small roach on feeder , White Island.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Regular Wednesday opens on River Erne Enniskillen, Draw Cloughbally Mill Angling Centre 9am,phone 02866 322008.Easter festivals at Enniskillen , Erne Easter7th-9th April and Cloughbally Mill 10th-13th April (02866 322008)and Cootehill Classic 7th-9th April (00353 495553412).
FESTIVAL UPDATE
The popular Mahons festival in Fermanagh from April 30th to May 4th is almost full , if you haven’t booked in yet do so soon! Contact Kevin Locke at Ireland Travel on 0845 2307717 or 07736129627.
The 2007 Bann Bonanza has been Scheduled for November 5th -9th ,this match fished its head off last year , contact Mark Lictenberg on 02866 322008 .
With Irelands first festivals of the season just days away , now is the time to make those final preparations.A few hours spent in the evenings now will go a long way to making sure that every eventuality is covered and that no time has to be wasted on the river bank . There is nothing worse than turning up at your peg unprepared , fish unexpectedly topping on the pole line and no rigs made up, the first chuck with a full feeder that sees that old line part, we have all been there !
The incredibly mild weather has seen the water temperatures on many venues rise above 45 degrees , more than enough to see some quite substantial fish movement.
On recent trout fishing trips on my local water, Lough Erne in Fermanagh , on the fish finder there are large shoals of small fish showing up in relatively shallow water , almost two weeks earlier than usual. It is still too early for the big migrations of spawning fish but there could be some good catches on the cards if there isn’t any sting in winters tail.
Across Ireland there is very little pleasure angling for Coarse fish going on as yet so again I would point you to the match results as a guide to what is happening.
Fermanagh
The county has gone trout fishing mad! Everywhere you look there are anglers trolling , worming and fly fishing for trout. The season started on March 1st so that would explain a lot but just where are all the coarse anglers ?
Even the pike men are not as prevalent as the last couple of years, although this weekends Waterways Ireland Junior Pike Classic on the Erne will surely give this side of the sport a boost through youthfull enthusiasm. So far there are forty youngsters booked in and they are all as keen as punch , hopefully they will all have a great time and become future additions to our great sport.
The Erne is actually fishing quite well at present , there seems to be a bit of colour in the system despite no great amount of rain , maybe , just maybe the Zebra Mussels have thinned out a bit . Top match weight in the past couple of weeks went to John Potters in an Erne anglers Winter League match fished in horrendous conditions with storm force winds and rain.
John won the match with 44-1-8 of bream and a handfull of roach on the feeder at the Round ‘O’section of the Erne, we wont mention he was on the end peg.
The final match of what was a successful Bill Clarke Memorial League (Western Division) fished on the Woodford Canal again provided some interesting canal fishing on the pole with Ken Seddon winning with 11-7-12 of perch and some quality roach at Corraquill . Neil Mazurek and Mark Lictenberg both finished with three section wins , with Neil taking the league title by virtue of a better total weight.
Around the country
The Eastern Division of the Bill Clarke Memorial was just as close with Michael Cormican and Michael Black also both finishing with a perfect 18 point score, Belfasts Michael Cormican came out on top after the weight countback here. The final match on the Lower Bann at Portglenone was won by Brian Ashton with quite a low weight for this venue , 11-8-0 of roach caught close in on the tip. The Lower Bann at Newferry produced the top match weight in Ireland of the past few weeks with Lurgans Johnny Keefe fishing the pole to hand for 44-11-8 of roach in an East Belfast Winter League match, almost a throwback to the old glory days of the Bann , but not quite.
Match Results
Late February:
Bill Clarke Memorial East 3, Enagh Lough Caledon
1st M.Black 5-13-8,2nd J.Taggart 5-1-0,3rd M.Cormican 4-12-8
Skimmers on feeder /worm and roach on pole/maggot peg 18
Bill Clarke Memorial West 3, Woodford Canal
1st N.Mazurek 16-1-0,2nd B.Dodd 14-2-8,3rd J.Heys 12-14-8
Roach and perch on pole/caster maggot Harbour peg 4
Matchmans Cup Albert Lock Canal , Jamestown
1st A.Turton 6-6-8,2nd P.McGrievy 2-13-0,3rd = L.Jex and C.Ward 2-6-0
Small roach and perch on pole and whip
East Belfast , Lower Bann Newferry
1st J.Keefe 44-11-8,2nd G.Cummings 42-2-0,3rd J.Pollock 31-5-0
Roach on 7metre pole to hand with maggot by ramp.
Belturbet Garadice Lough
1st L.Simmonds 24-5-0,2nd S.Lear 16-12-0,3rd P.Adams 15-14-0.
Bream , roach and hybrids on feeder and maggot on Haughtons shore.
South Armagh ,Lough Ross
1st I.Henry 9-6-0,2nd M.White 8-4-0,3rd D.Dickinson 5-8-0.
All roach on feeder and maggot.
Erne Anglers, River Erne Dolans Ring
1st D,Bowles 12-12-8,2nd B.Dodd 8-9-8,3rd J.Brown 8-1-12
5 Bream on feeder,maggot and caster peg 10
Fermanagh Lakeland , River Erne , Bellanaleck
1st T.Maguire 18-2-12,2nd T.Kersley 11-13-0,3rd A.James 10-15-0
Roach and Bream on feeder and corn tight to boats in Marina.
5 Bream on feeder /caster at Round ‘O’
Daingean and District, Grand Canal Daingean
1st A.Larkin 13-13-0,2nd N.Harrison 11-6-0,3rd E.Hickey 10-12-0
2lb bream , small roach on pole with pinkie , peg 10 at ball common Lockkeepers.
Lower Bann , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st B.Glasgow 10-4-0, 2nd C.Elder 7-13-8,3rd W.Young 7-7-8
Roach on Feeder and maggot fished short.
First Two weeks in March:
Wednesday Belturbet Open,Lough Garadice.
1st N.Houldsworth 12-9-0,2nd P.Lee 12-5-8,3rd R.Pratt 9-0-8
Roach and hybrids on med range feeder and maggot Haughtons Shore.
Belturbet Open, Lough Garadice
1st R.Pratt 11-9-0,2nd F.Smith 10-8-0,3rd M.Brough 8-9-0
Roach and Hybrids on long range feeder and maggot Haughtons Shore
Bill Clarke Memorial East final match , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st B.Ashton 11-8-0,2nd M.Black 10-2-4,3rd M.Allcock 9-4-0
Final League 1st M.Cormican 18pts,2nd M.Black 18pts,3rd R.Harrison 16pts
All feeder caught roach on peg 46
Bill Clarke Memorial West final match,Woodford Canal
1st K.Seddon 11-7-12,2nd B.Sweeney 8-7-8,3rd N.Mazurek 7-2-8
Final league 1st N.Mazurek 18pts,2nd M.Lichtenberg 18pts, 3rd T.Price 16pts.
Roach and perch on pole and maggot from harbour peg 2.
Daingean and District Winter League , Grand canal
1st G.Walsh 16-11-0,2nd J.Daley 12-8-0,3rd J.Delaney 12-0-0
Tench, bream and roach on pole and caster at Town Stretch.
East Belfast CAC Winter league , Lower Bann Portglenone
1st M.Allcock 10-0-8,2nd J.Douglas 9-2-12,3rd V.Reffausse 8-13-0
Roach close in on tip and maggot peg 22.
Erne Anglers Winter League, River Erne Enniskillen
1st J.Potters 44-1-8,2nd D.Bowles 19-6-4,3rd A.Scallon 12-11-8
10 bream and a few roach on feeder and red maggot.
Matchmans Cup,Lough Garadice
1st B.Swift 15-10-8,2nd C.Ward 12-10-0,3rd R.Parker 10-13-0
Bream, roach and hybrids on tip and maggot Haughtons Shore.
South Armagh Winter League , Lough Muckno
1st D.Dickson 3-12-0,2nd M.White 3-10-0,3rd J.Riley 3-2-0
Small roach on feeder , White Island.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Regular Wednesday opens on River Erne Enniskillen, Draw Cloughbally Mill Angling Centre 9am,phone 02866 322008.Easter festivals at Enniskillen , Erne Easter7th-9th April and Cloughbally Mill 10th-13th April (02866 322008)and Cootehill Classic 7th-9th April (00353 495553412).
FESTIVAL UPDATE
The popular Mahons festival in Fermanagh from April 30th to May 4th is almost full , if you haven’t booked in yet do so soon! Contact Kevin Locke at Ireland Travel on 0845 2307717 or 07736129627.
The 2007 Bann Bonanza has been Scheduled for November 5th -9th ,this match fished its head off last year , contact Mark Lictenberg on 02866 322008 .