Angling reports

Reports on the fresh and saltwater angling around the Mayo area

As I was working in the midlands, my angling reports were a bit sketchy over the past couple of years. My fishing news from the Mayo rivers and loughs will be both more frequent and detailed from now on though as I am back in Connaught full time.

8th May 2024

I am hearing good reports from Corrib (mid-lake areas) and Mask (north end best by the sounds of it). Mayfly are up and the fish are on them on both these loughs, the only caveat being the hatch is good one day but then sparse the next. Wet fly undoubtedly outfishing the dries right now.

Cullin good, but very few trout feeding on the surface. Conn slow yet but it will come good very soon I reckon.

Salmon fishing remains slow, EMEA averaging less than a dozen fish each week. The odd good fish being caught on the prawn at Pontoon Bridge if you like that sort of thing.

4th May 2024

Corrib is patchy with buzzers still producing but the fish just switching on to the mayfly now. We went from strong, cold easterly winds to much milder breezes and indeed the lough has been flat calm some days recently making for challenging conditions. Prospects look good for the coming days. Conn is now fishing well for the trout and salmon are being caught on the troll. Cullin keeping going too but I have not heard of any big trout yet.

26th April 2024

Better fishing across the region as we finally have some dry conditions. Water levels are beginning to drop and anglers are able to safely launch boats on Lough Conn so we should see a big uptick in catches. Cullin, which had been quiet seems to be picking up and I have heard of some steady days by local anglers, no big trout but plenty of half pounders.

The first mayfly have been spotted on Corrib and Mask.

Salmon are being caught on the Moy now, not in great numbers but there are a few springers around. For those with deep pockets, Delphi is fishing well.

Continued dry weather is forecast so the coming week should be good.

17th April 2024

It is still dreadfully slow regarding spring salmon fishing on the Moy. EMEA reported only 5 fish last week with two of them returned. The last couple of days have been showery rather than the deluge of previous weeks so we might see river levels drop a bit and (hopefully) a few salmon coming to the anglers lures. Staying with the Moy, we sadly lost one of the rivers great characters last week when Micksey Clarke passed away.

10th April 2024

I hear there has finally been a springer landed on the Moy. A nine pounder was caught and released yesterday on the East Mayo waters.

More rain again today and all rivers in the area are in flood. The ground is saturated, so the slightest precipitation just runs straight off and the rivers rise again.

6th April 2024

There were mixed fortunes for Mayo salmon anglers last week. The vast river Moy system has yet to record the first salmon of the year, a deeply worrying situation for anyone who is interested in the future of our salmon. I know there has been persistently high and dirty water but to be honest one or two fish would have been caught by now on the worm if nothing else. The collapse of the spring run has been expected of course, we anglers have been seeing fewer and fewer fish every year for twenty years or so, but it is very shocking when no fish are in the river.

To be more upbeat, Carrowmore Lake burst into life last week with close to twenty springers boated. Just when things were looking up we have been hit by another storm (Kathleen this time), meaning the lake will be churned for many days. Trying to be positive, I guess this gap in angling pressure should allow more salmon to get into the lake and remain unmolested for a few days.

The storms will mean trout angling is on hold for now as it is just too dangerous to venture out on the big loughs. Hopefully the olives will be hatching by the time Kathleen has moved off.

3rd April 2024

Mask continues to fish well with the lads who are trolling finding lots of fish, including some good ones. Despite the continued high water Corrib is also doing very well with boats seeing great action mainly to the buzzer when conditions are right. Conn is still slow but with mild temperatures forecast for this week it could waken up a bit from now on. I was out on Sunday past and had a couple of good trout on the troll and my boat partner landed a nice double figure pike. We found some trout rising over on the east side in sheltered bays too.

Salmon fishing is nothing short of calamitous, with no fish reported on the Moy system yet so far this year. Persistent high water has been a factor but to be honest it looks like the springers are just not there.

15th March 2024

I hear there have been 2 salmon caught on Carrowmore lake. with last season being little short of a disaster on that fishery it will be interesting to see how this spring shapes up. Beltra opens on 20th of March and angler please note that the lough is catch and release this season. I want to encourage those of you who have never fished Beltra to give it a go this season. Just being out on this beautiful lough is good for the soul. Catches were very low last season but then so was the angling effort.

Both Mask and Corrib continue to fish well to the lads who are trolling but fly anglers are reporting increasingly heavy duckfly hatches in the quieter bays.

Conn, as always, is very slow so far but give it a couple of weeks and it should start to pick up.

9th March 2024

A small number of springers have been caught on Delphi and the hope is the run will strengthen over the coming weeks. Other rivers in the area have yet to get going but water levels have been very high for many weeks. Any slight drop after a couple of dry days is soon wiped out when the next belt of rain rolls in across the western counties. The land is saturated so any precipitation simply goes straight into the rivers and up they go again.

Corrrib is fishing well for the lads who are trolling with some lovely trout boated. I hear it is the same story on the Mask.

15th February 2024

Opening day on some waters and quite a start for one angler on Corrib:

Afraid I don’t have any details of who the angler is or what he caught the monster brownie on. That is some way to start a new season though! Later – I see it weighed 16 pounds.

The very mild weather has encouraged great hatches of duckfly in the sheltered bays on Corrib and some good fishing is being had by the locals.

8th January 2024

The first salmon of 2024 was landed, and safely returned, from Watt’s pool on the Leanan. The fish took a pink flying C. Let’s hope this is a good omen for the rest of the year. The wet and windy weather which was a near constant for weeks at the end of last year and the beginning of this have abated and we are now seeing cold, calm and dry weather over the country. This will give the sodden land a chance to dry a bit and the the rivers to drop back slightly. No doubt there is more rain to come, perhaps as soon as the weekend according to some forecasters, but a short dry spell can only be a good thing. The consistently high water may have assisted some salmon kelts to drop back to the sea.

The list of systems open for salmon fishing during 2024 is now out, so make sure you check that of the Angling Ireland website https://fishinginireland.info/salmon/salmonregs My only surprise is how many are open, even on a catch and release basis for this coming year.

What hope for 2024?

The season just past was one to forget in the West of Ireland, especially for salmon anglers. Shockingly low numbers of spring salmon returned to the rivers and the hoped for grilse run was pathetically poor. Trout fishing ranged from dire (Carra) to not too bad in short spells (Mask in July).

2024 season starts on 1st January on a select few systems, the Drowes being hugely popular with anglers trying for the first Irish salmon of the season. Realistically, it is hard to see anything other than a difficult and often fishless year ahead. Nothing has been done to curb the factory ships off the coast as they hoover up everything, including the salmon.

Sea trout numbers seem to have increased slightly so I hope to see that improvement continue next summer. As for the brownies, all we can do is offer up prayers that 2024 will be a good one. With all the pressures there are on our fish stocks it feels like a tall order!

16th September 2023

There is nothing much to report. Salmon are so few in number virtually every angler has given it up for the season. A couple of the local die-hards keep flogging the Moy but when East Mayo reports only 2 salmon for the last week you know we are in a crisis.

The malaise has spread to trout anglers by the looks of it because few are fishing the loughs. Conn and Mask are fishing quite well for those who do venture out with Daddies coming into their own.

2nd day of August, 2023

The angling has not been easy in the west this week but for those who know the rivers and Loughs there has been some grand sport. Salmon and grilse are running the river Moy, all be it in numbers much reduced from even a few years ago. The problem for anglers is water levels are yo-yo-ing, up one day down the next, only to rise again. This unsettles the fish and they can be very hard to catch. EMAA reported only twenty odd fish for last week and what is very telling is the list of names of the successful anglers featured an awful lot of highly skilled locals and regular visitors.

The spate rivers around here are yielding the odd salmon but in truth not too many. Beltra is still fishing well with the constant high winds helping that fishery.

Mask and Conn are fishing well I hear. It is World Cup weekend and the Mask will be buzzing. Best of luck to all anglers and boatmen!

26th July 2023

At last I can give some positive reports from the west of Ireland! The rains finally produced floods on all the local systems and migratory fish came in. The Moy saw reasonable if unspectacular runs of salmon and grilse with EMEA reporting over 90 fish for the last week. The fishing was patchy as the river rose then fell and I suspect this week could be similar. The Erriff reported good fishing. The Louisburg rivers failed to produce very much though and it is worrying times out west.

Carrowmore churned in the strong northerly wind but the river got a good run of grilse. I have not heard of anything from the Newport river but Lough Beltra came alive as a healthy run of sea trout kept anglers busy with Co-op boats averaging a dozen or so each day. These fish were generally smallish but the odd one made a couple of pounds. Salmon were seen and lost but Derek Woods boated a lovely ten pounder on a Bruiser Bumble (tied by my own fair hand no less).

On the trout front, Lough Conn is fishing well but you have to be prepared to keep moving until you find the fish. Green Peters are hatching now so there should be sport in the late evenings on all the lakes.

13th July 2023

The Moy picked up a bit at the end of last week with EMAA accounting for about 50 fish, most of them of the Friday and Saturday when the river rose. More rain promised on Saturday so early next week might be good.

9th of July 2023

Thundery downpours have been very localised so rivers have been rising in some parts of the area while others have barely lifted at all. The Moy came up about 0.6m through the week and a few small grilse ran up the river but catches were pretty poor. The Erriff got a good flood and salmon came in on the tides. Good catches were made from what I hear but I have no details. The Louisburg rivers also rose and conditions looked good but ony a few grilse were landed.

I have reliable reports that a heavy run of small sea trout ran the Newport river at the end of last week. Beltra might be worth a try now.

28th June 2023

Well the much hoped for rain was sporadic when it did come last week. A small rise in the Moy moved a few grilse into the system and the EMAA reported just under 30 salmon for the week, a very under whelming number for this time of the year. Grilse will run even in low water so they will continue to sneak in. We badly need a flood though to clean out the rivers.

Out west, a downpour on the hills brought fish into the Erriff and on the other side of the catchment the Bunowen and Carrownisky both saw good floods last weekend. One or two salmon were caught but again, nothing like you would expect. It is hard going this season!

18th June 2023

We have had some rain recently, thundery showers providing the ground with some much needed much needed moisture. The forecast is for showers over the coming week so I am hopeful we will get a small rise in the rivers and the grilse will start to run. There are some being caught in the lower reaches already (note that Ridge Pool has been closed to all angling due to the high temperatures).

5th of June 2023

The tropical weather of last week appears to be set to continue for most of this week. Needless to say the fishing has been very poor as a result of the blazing hot days. Light winds have left any anglers out on the loughs becalmed and anyone who managed to catch a trout must consider themselves very lucky indeed.

Forecasters seem to agree the weather will break next weekend and so the question is just how much rain will we get here in the west? Rivers are low and the ground parched so it is going to take a couple of days of heavy rain to push up levels and attract in some silver tourists. For now, make sure you are applying the sun screen and enjoying the non-fishing weather.

16th May 2023

Things are looking a lot better on the salmon front than they were a week ago. Springers are running the Moy and are being caught on most beats. East Mayo had over 40 last week for example. Mayfly are hatching on all the loughs and some good angling is to be had if you persevere.

8th May 2023

It is slowly starting to improve around here but many anglers would probably dispute that view! whether it was the colder than normal spring or other factors, the early part of the season for both trout and salmon has been very poor indeed. Cullin has produced the odd large trout to persistent anglers but you have to work hard for them. Mask is up one day then dreadfully slow the next. I hear Corrib is going well but I have not been down in that neck of the woods yet so I can’t verify that statement. Carra is poor but again, the occasional big trout is being caught on the fly. I have to temper all of the above with the note that lads trolling are catching a lot of trout on Rapalas, so the fish are there.

A major concern is the lack of fly life. Olives have not appeared at all in some of the usual places and even where they have hatched it has been on very low numbers. Mayfly are beginning to hatch now but it is still a bit early to say if they will come in big numbers.

The salmon are just not in it this spring. A handful of springers are all that there is to show for a lot of angling effort. Beltra had an 8 pounder today, the first for a while. Carrowmore is still slow and it is too early for the spate rivers.

Let’s hope thing pick up over the next couple of weeks.

Last day of April, 2023

The weather has been playing tricks on us with flat calm conditions lately meaning very poor fishing. I fished Cullin today in good conditions but the lake was very, very poor. A good turn out of experienced anglers had only a few undersized trout to show for their efforts. Fly life is very sparce. No sign of any improvment in the salmon fishing either so it is all a bit bleak at the moment!

23rd April 2023

It is all disappointingly quiet on the salmon fishing front around here. Water levels are good but there are very few fish around. This applies to all the river systems across the county. Usually if the beats higher up the river Moy are quiet the bottom of the river around Ballina is fishing well (and the other way around), but this year there are very few fish anywhere in the river. Carrowmore is struggling badly despite excellent conditions. I have spoken with some excellent local experts who normally winkle a fish out no matter how tough it is but not this year. Beltra is not yet in double figures despite steady angling pressure. Look, it could all switch on suddenly if a run of fish comes in but for now the salmon fishing is a wash out.

Mask is fishing well for trout. The first mayfly have been seen hatching but it is still duckfly which are interesting the fish.

18th April 2023

Quiet enough on the salmon front around here. Water levels were dropping, then shot back up again and are dropping again now so maybe the few springers that are in the rivers will come on the take. The EMAA reported 4 fish last week and I know of a few others from the system.

Trout are being caught on all the big loughs now with Conn a bit slow still (it is usually the last of the loughs to waken up). Huge hatches of duckfly on Cullin with the trout feeding hard on the insects.

10th April 2023

Things are looking up on the salmon front with fresh fish in the Moy system now. Anglers are picking up the odd fish and water levels are good.

Fish are still hard to come by on Carrowmore and Beltra but the next couple of weeks should see an improvement on both lakes. A big brownie was boated on the troll on lough Mask this week. Video is doing the rounds here of the fish being released and we are all trying to put a weight on the mighty fish. The fish took a dead roach.

27th March 2023

Water levels, while still very high, are dropping a bit and fish are being caught. Carrowmore Lake has recorded its first of the season. From now on there should be a steady increase in the numbers of fish caught there.

Beltra, which was very high, is dropping back nicely and there were a couple of fresh fish boated today.

Patrick McHale had a nice 9 pounder on a Hairy Mary. Lovely fish there Pat!

Unsettled weather is promised this week and so there will be more salmon landed.

Best of luck to all competitors fishing the Burke competition out of Clonbur on Tuesday and Wednesday.

20th March 2023

As I forecast yesterday there were salmon caught on Lough Beltra on the opening day. Decent conditions greeted the hopeful anglers and the first fish was landed by Vincent McHugh down at Fahy’s point. The fresh springer of about 5 pounds took a small little size 10 Bann Special Shrimp.

19th March 2023

Beltra opens tomorrow and there is a good chance fish will be caught. The lough is high and there looks like some wind will help too.

Recent rain has lifted water levels across the area and I am confident salmon will be nosing into the Moy and the Owenduff. Delphi has recorded its first fish (below) and it is a safe bet a few others are in the system now.

5th February, 2023

First salmon landed and released on the Drowes. Water levels on all the local systems are high but not in flood. Hopefully this will assist any kelts to get safely downstream and back out to sea.

29th September 2022

Hearing reports of a huge wild trout caught on the fly on lough Mask today. 17 to 19 pounds thought to be the weight. The trout was released and swam off strongly. I will try to find out more…..

20th September 2022

The season is petering out to a quiet end here in Mayo with little angling pressure and few catches to report. Conn is throwing up the odd trout but very few boats are venturing out. Difficult conditions of late with no wind on many days has stopped any serious angling. Water levels across the area are very low and we need a lot of rain to lift the rivers to fishable heights. To give you an idea of how quiet it is the EMAA only reported 5 salmon for last week, a shockingly low return on the Moy for this time of year.

2nd September 2022

It has been very quiet lately due tot he weather. East Mayo Anglers only reported half a dozen salmon for the whole of last week. The Moy is terribly low, the Deel has dried out completely. That should mean lots of fish stuck in the Ridge Pool but they don’t seem to be there in any numbers.

A couple of recent days on lough Conn showed how tough the fishing has been with flat calm conditions and zero fly life. Some trout moving to tiny sedges in secluded bays but it has been unremittingly grim for weeks now.

Forecasters are saying we are in for a week of wind and rain. Showers this morning in the area so let’s hope this is the start of a wet spell. Withthe ground so dry it will take many days of rain to bring water levels up.

28th August 2022

While we have not suffered the drought that other parts of the British Isles have had to endure this summer the little rain we have had has done little to stir the salmon since May. Low water has prevailed and even any small rise has not produced any real sport for the long suffering salmon anglers.

Trout fishing has been poor enough of late but there are odd reports of good days on all of the loughs. Another warm and largely dry week is forecast up until next weekend but let’s hope we see some prolonged rainy spells after that to give us a good end to the season.

11th August 2022

The hot, dry weather which we have had lately is due to come to an end on Sunday or Monday and we will have a spell of low pressure bringing a bit of rain to the area. That will liven up the fishing no doubt and I expect a lively period up until the end of the month. Reports from around the county are generally quiet with anglers sunbathing instead of fishing.

1st August 2022

Heavy rain since early morning in Castlebar and more forecast for tomorrow. Expecting a good rise in river levels and hopefully some action with the salmon this week.

6th July 2022

Plenty of fish around after a rise in water levels last week. The Moy rose and the grilse ran. East Mayo reported 254 salmon for the week with over 50 on the best day. A lot of smallish fish around this year, maybe a sign of poor feeding at sea.

Sea Trout in the Newport river/ Beltra system and in Carrowmore have provided some good sport.

25th June 2022

Some rain across Mayo on Friday morning was followed by a day of downpours on Saturday. With fish in the tidal reaches of the Moy we can expect good fishing on the river next week.

20th June 2022

The Owenmore got a small lift last week which brought is a run of salmon and grilse. The local rods made hay and landed some fine fish as the level dropped.

I hear Corrib is fishing well but have not managed to sneak down there to find out for myself. Salmon being boated on Conn with the fish now distributed all over the lake. Trout fishing is holding up too with some good catches when you find the feeding fish but they can be lively in one part of a bay but nowhere else.

11th June 2022

Some rain but not enough for a flood, I guess that is the story of last week. Salmon are running the Moy and catches are slowly improving with the grilse starting to come in. The Ridge Pool is reporting good catches with up to 14 fish in one session. Lough Conn saw some fresh salmon come to trolled baits with one boat landing 5 one day last week. Worryingly the word from the netsmen is they are having a lean time of it out at sea, so it sounds like the salmon are few and far between this year.

With the mayfly past it has become quiet for trout on the loughs but grilse are now showing up. Cullin continues to fish well but weeds will become an issue from now on.

8th June 2022

We all had high hopes for a good shot of rain today in Mayo but after a wet start it dried up in the afternoon so there wont be any great rise in water levels after all. The forecast is for a showery week so we might get a small lift.

I spoke with Seamus today and he told me they had some good sea trout off Carrowmore over the past few days but the winds had picked up so the lake might churn again.

28th May 2022

The strong winds have abated somewhat over the past two days and relatively calm conditions are forecast for the coming week. Book a boat on Carrowmore if you can!!!!!

Some good fish being boated on Cullin this week, mainly on dries. Conn seeing good hatches of mayfly on the western shore with the trout responding well for the first time this season. Trollers getting the occasional salmon on the lough but they are not there in any great numbers.

Toby Gibbons had a lovely trout off Carra last week. Fishing is still very tough on the lake but one or two are being caught.

Still just hearing of small trout on Conn and Cullin. Mask fishing well in certain areas but quiet elsewhere so you need to keep an ear to the ground locally to find out where is best.

25/5/2022

Mask fishing well, Devenish/Shintillas. Carrowmore still out of order. Lads working very hard for the odd salmon on the Moy.

18th May 2022

The river Moy had a better week last week and with a bit more rain yesterday that trend should continue. The wind has churned Carrowmore lake for many days now so there has been no fishing but the word is salmon are there in good numbers so a couple of calm days are all we need to herald good sport. Lough Beltra is picking away with one or two salmon every week but sport is not hectic. Trout fishing is steady with reasonable catches on all the local loughs now the mayfly are hatching in numbers. Conn doing well but mainly smaller trout so far with only the odd fish between 1 and 2 pounds. High winds have meant most fish are coming to wets.

12th May 2022

It has been a windy and wet week here in Mayo with the rivers receiving some fresh water and encouraging the salmon to run. A couple of fresh fish landed on Beltra but no great numbers so far this year. Carrowmore has been unfishable all week due to the high winds which have churned the lake. The forecast is for continuing high winds into early next week so the counties premier salmon lough will be out of order over the coming weekend. The Moy is seeing more catches as the head of fish builds up.

The odd trout coming off Conn now but it has been a slow spring so far on that lough. Mask has seen a lot of angling pressure but not too much in the way of catches with ones and twos to even the most experienced rods. I heard of one boat on Lough Carra who met some nice trout on wets which is encouraging. Mayfly are hatching on all the loughs now.

9th May 2022

I know this is turning into a weather forecast page rather than angling reports but at this time of the year rain and wind are what matters so you need to know this. Heavy rain and strong winds over the county last night an again today. Carrownmore lake has churned and is not fishable for the next couple of days. The Owenmore river is rising fast so should see a run of salmon this week. Moy getting a lift too. I crossed the river Deel earlier today and it is in spate so that should move some fish in that system. Blustery and showery for the next couple of days.

8th May 2022

Small rise in water levels but that is quickly running off now. More rain forecast for Monday. Fish are running the Moy, should be a good week to come. Steady number of salmon coming off Carrowmore but wind due to increase on Monday so a danger the lake might churn. Trout fishing was slow last week but mayfly now hatching so hopefully there will be a big improvement this week on mask and Conn.

6th May 2022

Heavy rain last night and for this morning here in Mayo, should be enough to give a small life in river levels and bring in some fresh fish.

30th April 2022

With very little rain and light winds the salmon fishing has been ticking over on Carrowmore Lake and on the Moy. Numbers of fish are slowly building in both systems. Trout fishing has been hampered by the conditions but Mask is still providing sport to anglers who persevere. Conn and Cullin have yet to ‘switch on’ properly.

25th April 2022

Carrowmore Lake continues to fish well with some impressive catches over past couple of weeks.

21st April 2022

Depending on who you talk to the trout fishing was brilliant or rubbish over the past few days. A huge brownie was boated on Mask by visiting angler Jorg Kulhmann, a regular in these parts. 76cm in length the fish was safely returned.

Other anglers have struggled to find fish though so it pays to move until you find feeders.

Salmon are running the Owenduff and a few are coming to rods who are fishing smallish flies in the low water. Salmon have been seen running the Newport River and fish are being caught on Beltra with 3 boated on 21st. Numbers of salmon are building up in the Moy too with EMAA reporting 16 fish up to 14 pounds last week.

17th April 2022

Heavy rain in Mayo lads, there will be salmon to be caught this coming week!

The odd springer still being boated on Beltra, the latest a nice fish of 7.5 pounds to the rod of local angler Vincent McHugh. The coming rise in the Newport River should pull in a few more salmon.

Carrowmore has taken off after a slow start with excellent catches over this weekend.

13th April 2022

Lovely conditions today and an increase in temperatures saw more action for anglers. The river Moy is coming good with salmon numbers increasing and fish up to 14 pounds landed. Lough Beltra saw two fish around 9 pounds landed today.

11th April 2022

Big improvement over the past few days as the trout are feeding on duckfly and olives. Mask and Corrib both fishing very well. Not so much angling activity on Conn and Cullin but at least one 3 pound plus trout boated on Cullin. Sandy Bay, Brackawansha and Bog bay all fishing on Conn. Salmon numbers increasing in the Moy and I have heard reports of 15 salmon landed so far at Pontoon. Have not seen any myself but I am told the first mayfly are hatching. 9 pound salmon released on Beltra yesterday by Jim Ruane.

7th April 2022

The weather has not been very find so far this week with gale force winds keeping a lot of anglers off the water. During the gaps between the gales those who have ventured out on Lough Conn are catching trout in reasonable numbers with fish up to 2.5 pounds reported. Duckfly are patchy but it sounds like the eastern bays are seeing some hatches.

Some salmon now being landed on the Moy after a dreadfully slow start to the season. Delphi too is producing a few springers, the best I have heard of was three in one day this week. Forecast is for good conditions on Saturday but another weather system is going to hit Ireland on Sunday, so a bit of a mixed bag ahead of us.

5th April 2022

A nice 8 pound springer for Castlebar’s Vincent McHugh from lough Beltra today. The Moy is still very slow with no fish at all reported for last week of the EMAA waters.

30th March 2022

The weather has turned much colder here with a sharp frost this evening. Kevin Beirne had a nice spring salmon off lough Beltra today. The ten pounder was caught near the yellow house on the Coop side of the lough.

On the local coarse fishing front I saw some nice bream were landed on Clare Lake in Claremorris lately.

29th March 2022

Reports of fish coming in thick and fast now as the recent warm weather has brought a bit of life to the area. 2 springers so far off the Moy, both good fish of 10.5 and 11 pounds from the EMAA waters. Also heard of a couple of salmon landed at Pontoon bridge. Toby Gibbons had a nice fish off Carrowmore and knew of 4 others the same day. There have been a steady trickle of salmon caught on the lake so far.

Light winds have spelt disappointment for anglers on Beltra who need a good wind.

Lough Mask is fishing it’s socks off! Good hatches of duckfly and olives with feeding fish coming well to the fly. Big competition out of Clonbur this week and I expect to hear of big bags of fish. It was certainly busy out there today. Photos below by Mike Farrell who took 4 nice trout today – well done big fella!

22/3/2022

That’s Beltra off the mark! Rocky Moran has a fresh springer today and lost another fish soon after so there are a few fish around. Still not heard of anything off Carrowmore but I am sure there will be one at least this week in the calm conditions.

Mask beginning to fish well with some good baskets on dabblers.

20/3/2022

Lough Beltra opened today but I have not heard of any fish being caught. The wind was not right for the Co-op side but the Newport House beat should have fished. I am confident there are a smattering of springers in the lough after recent high water so it is just a matter of time before the first on e is boated.

19th March 2022

Still quiet on the salmon front here in Mayo. No fish reported so far off Carrowmore. The lake is high and strong winds have churned it on a few occasions so angling effort has been light. I fully expect the first fish to be caught once the lake clears.

Nothing to report from the river Moy either with very high water preventing anglers from wetting a line. normally the first fish are caught at the back of the boxes in Ballina but the huge spates have stopped anyone fishing there to date. This week looks like it will be dry and water levels should start to drop slowly as the land is drenched.

I hear the Deplphi produced some salmon over the past couple of days and the Owenduff also fished well but I don’t have exact numbers from either fishery on hand.

All the loughs are reporting catches of brown trout and the duckfly are starting to hatch now. Warm temperatures this week will encourage bigger hatches and hopefully some better sport. Trout are alss now being caught on the Robe and Castlebar rivers with olives and needles bringing the fish on the feed.

11th March 2022

More of the same here in the west with high winds and rain keeping anglers tucked up at home most of the time. Corrib and Mask still producing a few very large trout to those lads who are trolling. Reports of the first trout coming to the troll on Conn too and even one or two on the fly. Lures fished hard on the bottom are your best bet right now. Duckfly due to start any day now so sport will pick up rapidly from now on.

I have not heard of any salmon off the river Moy yet but I’m expecting there will be one soon once the water drops a bit.

27th February 2022

It has been quiet around the area for the past week due to continued high winds and rain which have kept most anglers away from the lake or river. Corrib continues to produce good trout for those trolling. With the rivers all but unfishable due to floods I have heard of no salmon but I expect some fish will be trickling in.

I spoke to one of the experienced coarse fishers yesterday over in Leitrim and he told me they are sneaking out whenever there is a lull in the weather and are putting together good bags of roach and bream on the Shannon around Carrick-on-Shannon with 50 – 60 pounds being possible.

23rd February 2022

Little angling being done so far this week due to the continued high winds and heavy rain. All river and lough systems are very high and it will take time for levels to drop. Those hardy souls who are fishing the troll on the Corrib are finding a few trout. High water will be allowing a small number of very early salmon to get upstream, expect early action on Beltra when it opens on 20th March.

20th February 2022

Hi again everyone, the 2022 season is upon us so let’s kick off with what is happening since 1st February.

Anglers were out in force on lough Corrib from the first day and some excellent trout have been caught. Most of the fish are being taken on the troll with brickeen and small plugs doing most of the damage. Social media is full of photos already of impressive trout so the season is off to a positive start already. Mask has not been fished so much but I have heard of a few trout boated on the wet fly. Fishing has been curtailed due to the storms which started last week and have continued pretty much unabated since and are forecast to last most of this week.

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I have not been posting any report recently simply because the heatwave halted pretty much all angling in the area. The weather finally broke yesterday with some welcome clouds and rain. The rain was patchy so had little effect on river levels but some more persistent rainfall occurred here overnight which will hopefully lift the rivers an inch or two. The forecast is for showers for thew rest of this week. If you are thinking about coming to Mayo for some angling next weekend should see things pick up a bit.

4th July

Happy Independence Day to my USA readers! Not so much an angling report as a local weather report today. We have had localised heavy rain across the county over the past two day with more rain forecast for the upcoming week. With good stocks of grilse lying in the lower Moy you can expect them to be on the move and taking flies early this week. If you can, drop everything and head for the Moy!

The Burrishool fishery has opened but I have yet to hear of any salmon being caught.

Carrowmore has been picking away with a few grilse and sea trout. No reports of any fish from Beltra but the fresh water will entice a few in from the tide this week. Conn is very quiet but Mask is doing OK.

29th June 2021

Grilse are running the river Moy in reasonable numbers now despite very low water. I am hearing that there are also some grilse in the Owenmore but it is desperately low with no signs of any rain to come in the near future. Sea trout now in Carrowmore in good numbers. Lough Mask continues to fish well but Conn has gone very quiet. We need rain!!

22nd June 2021

I have been away for a few days so am only catching up now on the angling in Mayo.

Salmon are coming into the river Moy but low water levels have meant they are generally lying in the lower reaches witha good stock now in the Ridge pool in Ballina. EMAA waters are picking away but it has been a poor season so far. A few salmon have made it into Lough Conn with the odd one being caught by anglers.

With the mayfly now over for another year trout anglers are finding a bit tough but Mask is still producing a few to wet and dry fly.

31st May 2021

Hard to believe it is the last day of May already! Trout fishing was impacted by poor angling conditions over the past week with bright sunshine and flat calm on many days. Lough Mask is fishing well considering the conditions and lough Conn is picking up. Peter Gray had a nice fresh grilse while trolling on Conn on Friday last. Some fresh salmon are nosing their way into the Moy system with the odd one being caught.

18th May 2021

A bit of a mixed bag really with some good trout fishing but poor returns for salmon anglers. Pat McHale had a salmon on the troll on lough Conn last week, Rocky Moran had a nice 11 pounder from Beltra and Carrowmore is still giving up one or two salmon per day. The river Moy is very quiet though with just the odd fish being taken despite lots of good anglers trying their luck. I was in Ballina today and there were no anglers at the back of the boxes, one on the ridge and nobody fishing the cathedral, so that tells you there are not many fish around!

Mask is fishing well with good hatches of mayfly in some locations but no signs of fly in others, so move to find the fish. Corrib is continuing to fish well and some huge trout are being boated, mainly by the dappers. Conn is just coming on now and I heard that Cullin is also fishing well.

Sea anglers are reporting small flats and dogs but the saltwater should begin to improve soon.

10th May 2021

Grab your rods and head over to the west! Recent fresh water has brought runs of salmon into the north Mayo rivers and something like 20 were landed on the Owenmore over the weekend.

On the trout front I hear the Corrib is ‘fishing its socks off’ at the moment. Mask is also producing a few trout. Conn remains quiet but I imagine it will pick up over the coming days.

4th May 2021

Well, the weather has taken a turn for the worse with a very cold airstream over the country. The unseasonably cold climate has put the dampers on the fishing here in Mayo for now and there has been very little action to report. Heavy rain on Monday was very localised with some catchments seeing flood conditions while others barely lifted at all. The Moy came up a little today and this should encourage a few more salmon to run. Carrowmore is seeing roughly two fish per day. The Owenmore river is still quiet.

Lough Conn has seen a few trout come to anglers using sinking lines while Lough Mask has seen better catches with a few trout to 3 pounds being taken.

The forecast is for more unsettled weather with rain next weekend. At this rate it will be the middle of the month before we can think of mayfly fishing in earnest.

26th April 2021

The weather has warmed up and the angling has improved too here in Mayo.

Carrowmore continues to fish well. Toby Gibbons, that fine angler from Westport, had a couple of fresh springers of 6 and 7 pounds last Saturday. He returned on Sunday afternoon in even better conditions but the salmon were not playing. He told me he saw other fish being caught though. Despite the bright conditions it seems to have been darker patterns that were pulling the fish with Green Peter, Claret Bumble and Bruiser all taking a few fish.

Mike Farrell had a good day on lough Mask, boating 5 good trout. Good to see things improving on the Mask at last.

Turning to the river Moy and there are a trickle of salmon being caught. EMAA saw 4 fish landed last week for instance, 3 of those falling to the rod of Aidan Connolly on the worm. The river dropped again after a small rise on Tuesday.

Sea angling has begun for the year with lesser spotted dogfish being caught in increasing numbers from the shore in Clew Bay. I have heard of some postage stamp sized flounder, dabs and turbot too but the bigger lads are yet to appear.

The settled conditions are set to last for the early part of this week before a change for the weekend.

17th April 2021

As the travel restrictions have eased this past week so anglers have been able to start casting a line again. Lough Conn remains quiet with Pat McHale losing a fresh fish on the troll the only action I know of.

Carrowmore is producing  steady trickle of fish, or rather it has been- a strong wind today will have churned the lake. Vincent McHugh landed his first salmon on the fly last Thursday morning, a fine fish of well over 10 pounds. Ben Baynes had a nine pounder the next day and his boat partner, Christy Murphy had a similar sized fish late in the day. A couple of other fresh salmon have been boated too.

13th April 2021

Spring salmon beginning to be caught now. A couple of fish from Carrowmore I hear so they are off the mark in north Mayo.  Both sides of Beltra fishing well, one boat on the Newport House side turned 4 fish one day, landing one of them. On the Glenisland side Aiden Beirne landed a fine fish of over 14 pounds, netted by his dad, Phil. Ben Baynes had a nice 8.5 pounder too.

11th April 2021

Another very quiet week here with little in the way of angling effort due to the lockdown. That will change this coming week as Mayo anglers will be allowed to travel within the county from Monday. Very cold weather has not helped the trout anglers and high water is compounding their problems but a few trout are being boated on Mask and Conn. Fresh salmon are running the Newport river and the locals are catching a few in Beltra. Strangely, it is very quiet down on Delphi and II have heard of only one recent salmon there.

2nd April 2021

Still not much to report as the 5km rule continues to prevent anglers from getting out. A few locals have been trying their luck on Lough Beltra since it opened on 20th March. Connor Deffley has been doing well with two springers so far, one of 7 pounds and the other a cracker of 14 pounds. Well done big fella!

I heard of two spring salmon caught on the troll on Lough Conn as well.

All river systems are still at very high levels and the water is cold as you would expect at this time of year. Some arctic weather is promised for w/c 5th April which will not help us but after that the angling should quickly improve.

27th March 2021

Rods have been fishing Lough Beltra since it opened on 20th of this month but no salmon reported yet. There is a rumor that one angler hooked a fresh springer but it came off. Water levels are good but with more rain expected over this weekend that could change.

I know a couple of rods have tried Lough Conn but they didn’t meet any fish. Conditions were harsh with cold winds and heavy showers so maybe the forecast high pressure by the middle of next week will bring in some warmer weather.

March 24th 2021

Very few anglers lucky enough to live within 5km of the water so hardly any fishing done locally so far. Heard of a couple of nice trout caught in Cloghans Bay on Lough Conn (I presume by some of the Kelly lads). Also some nice trout off of Mask boated by anglers using green humungous lures on fast sinking lines.

March 2nd, 2021

No fish reported so far off the East Mayo Anglers waters. A few hardy locals have been out but without any success as yet. The club are offering 3 day permits for the price of 2 for the 2021 season. Book 2 day permits and get the 3rd day free. Permits must be booked and paid for in advance. The offer is available throughout the season from March through September. Normal travel restrictions and Covid 19 travel regulations apply. It is the responsibility of the angler to ensure they are following the government guidelines at time of booking. Contact East Mayo Anglers Association or any of the normal ticket outlets to avail of this great offer. Normal terms and conditions of the fishery apply.

Also, a reminder about the Swinford 250 Catch & Release Cup and the chance to share in €600 worth of prizes

February 28th, 2021

A quick round up as there is very little angling taking place due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions. Trout fishing is due to open in most places tomorrow and I am sure some lucky anglers who live on the banks of a river or lough will be out to try their luck. The weather has settled down and has been spring-like some days this past week so there is every chance of an early trout. The Corrib of course has been open all month and I hear there have been some good trout caught on the trolled brickeen. Us normal mortals are too terrified of the cops to risk breaking lockdown and launching our boats so it is hard to judge how good or bad the fishing actually is with so few rods out.

Salmon are being caught on the Drowes and Delphi including a very large springer reportedly weighing 25 pounds landed from the sea pool on the Drowes on a black flying C. I have heard nothing for the local sea anglers so far and even the pike lads appear to be sitting at home.

Covid travel restrictions are unlikely to be eased before May so unless I hear of anything it will be late April before I update here.

Stay safe boys and girls!

2020

October 2020 – Afraid to say that travel is back to being restricted to no further than 5km from your home address. Little fishing has been taken part and this will continue for at least 6 weeks. Realistically, it will be spring 2021 before anything approaching normality returns to Irish angling so there will be no more reports form me until then.

All angling in the Republic of Ireland was banned as part of the Covid-19 lockdown. Gradually, things will get back to some kind of normality and the fishing has started to resume. Travel restrictions mean there is only a small amount of fishing being done by locals.

31st May 2020

Local anglers are seeing some sport on Lough Mask but the sunny conditions are making it hard. The same goes for Lough Conn where the mayfly is petering out now. There seems to be a good head of smaller trout in the lake this year though. I have only heard of a couple of salmon boated.

Occasional salmon are nosing into the river Moy and the local experts are managing to catch the odd fish but the river is dreadfully low and there is no significant rain forecast.

17th May

Asking around my contacts there appear to be a few salmon in Lough Conn as the locals are seeing some pitching over the usual shallows. The lucky few local anglers who live next to Lough Mask are getting some good fishing too. The water is too low for successful angling on Lough Beltra and we urgently need a good shot of rain but there does not appear to be any coming our way this week.

6th May

Despite the lockdown a small number of anglers have been fishing locally if they are lucky enough to live within 2km of the water. The floods of February and early March gave way to unseasonably dry weather and the river systems are at very low levels now. The low water should have favoured the bottom beats of the river Moy in Ballina but the locals are finding very few salmon so far. I m hearing of no fish from Lough Beltra despite the occasional rod being out and again, this is a fishery which needs high water. No news from Conn/Cullin but if they are not getting fish at Ballina there will be very few in Conn. I heard yesterday that there is a good head of fish in Carrowmore but it is not being fished. The extension of the restricted movement area to 5km will encourage a few more anglers out but we badly need a lot of rain to stir the fish.

24th March

Rocky Moran gets the first fish on Beltra, a beauty of around 15 pounds on a red shrimp fly

20th March

Opening day on Lough Beltra saw poor angling conditions with only very light, variable winds. I heard of two kelts boated during the day.

10th March 2020

18th March

Heard that some trout are being caught on the troll on Lough Conn. Fishing up on the north west side of the lake two Castlebar boats had good sport trolling Salmos and Rapalas with trout to 2.5 pounds and pike to 8 pounds. Some fly fishing attempted but it was always going to be hard work with fast sinking lines in the very high water. I think that peter Gray and his partner had a couple of trout on the fly though up to one pound ten ounces.

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Three fresh salmon caught on Delphi recently, 12, 16 and 17 pounds.

First salmon caught on Lough Melvin. One good point of all this high water is any early running salmon have had a good chance to get well up the river systems. Hopefully a few are now hunkered down somewhere safe. More wind and rain across the west of Ireland this week and water levels remain very high. Strong winds are making conditions very challenging for anglers.

Lough Melvin gets its first salmon of the season

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4th March.

I have never fished Currane but it is a lough I would love to try. Maybe this season?

From the fishing ireland site:

Currane gets its first salmon of the season, and its second

With yet more rain today and an unsettled forecast for the first part of the week it will be sometime before the Lake is fishable.

Another fish, estimated at around 11lbs caught and released from the Meadow this morning on spinner. Water has risen slightly overnight but should start to drop again as the week ahead is forecast much drier. Current level 1.085 metres. pic.twitter.com/7s8FNwzlvX

— Drowes Fishery (@DrowesFishery) March 1, 2020

Feb 20th

I was talking to one of the fisheries officers and he tells me that a few salmon have been sneaking into Carrowmore lake up in Bangor so there will be a few there for anglers early in the season. these are always very difficult fish to catch but some local angler spent a lot of time and effort trying to catch that elusive first fish there.

Delphi had some action when it opened but is has gone quiet again there now. https://fishinginireland.info/2020/salmon-reports/three-salmon-so-far-at-delphi-despite-gales-and-high-water/

The weather remains wet and windy with most rivers at maximum height and frequently over topping the banks. No sign of any real improvement in the weather yet with heavy rain again on 25th.

The season has opened on the Corrib, Not many fish around due to the horrid conditions but at least one good one was landed on the troll. See report here: https://fishinginireland.info/2020/trout-reports/storm-dennis-fails-to-dampen-spirits-on-corribs-opening-weekend/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

2019

19th September 2019

The weather has been mixed with showers but a period of warm, dry weather has settled over the country for this week. River levels are dropping fast after floods two weeks ago. That got some stale salmon moving and a few were caught throughout the length of Moy system. Not much signs of fresh fish though.

Sea trout being caught on Beltra but nothing of any great size. Brownies moving in good numbers at the North end of Lough Conn, but all seem to be small fish. The bottom part of the lough remains extremely quiet. Mask is fishing well when you get the conditions.

Shore angling has been confined to doggies, mainly in the dark. Very few Mackerel around for shore rods.

August 2019

It has been a month since I last posted and that is with good reason, the fishing in Mayo has been absolutely dire for all of that time. With the World Cup starting this week the good news is that lough Mask is probably the one fishery which is still producing some sport. Trout are being caught both in the deeps and in shallow water.

The river Moy is producing a steady trickle of fish but many of them are highly coloured by now.

I have not fished it for years but I heard through the grapevine that the Owenmore gave up a few grilse at the last spate. All were returned of course.

The charter boats in Clew Bay are picking up Pollock and Mackerel but the fish are well scattered in the deeper water. Shore angling is only producing LSD’s, mainly after dark.

30th June 2019

Local rivers have returned to normal summer levels again after a dry week here in Mayo. Grilse continue to run the river Moy and they are now scattered throughout the whole system. The beats immediately above Ballina are providing the best catches but you can encounter fresh fish just about anywhere on the main river or its tributaries.

Beltra is giving up both salmon and sea trout when conditions are favourable.

Sea fishing is picking up in Clew Bay as the water warms up. The mackerel are small and are still hugging the deeper water but they should come closer in over the next few weeks.

Sunday, 9th June 2019

The weather has remained unsettled with frequent heavy showers keeping the rivers topped up. A steady stream of fish coming off Beltra when conditions allow including the first grilse of the season. Catches on the Moy have not been spectacular considering the huge angling effort over the past two weeks. A mix of springers and grilse are being landed but you need to brave the crowds on the river banks!

lough Conn is very quiet with very few salmon around and mainly small trout coming to the fly. Lough Mask is probably the best bet right now if you are visiting the area.

Saturday, 1st June 2019

Apologies, I’m not so good at writing angling reports! Here is a quick update. There was rain most days this past week so the river systems in mayo all got a good rise in water levels. this has allowed the salmon to run and the first serious numbers of grilse are now making their way up the rivers and streams. Angling pressure is huge with many rods out now there is a chance of a fish. Worming is the order of the day where it is allowed.

On the lakes the mask is fishing very well indeed and it is by far the best bet if it is the spotted lads you want to fish for. Lough Conn is producing large numbers of trout but the vast majority of them are very small. try dry fly tactics to target bigger fish. Cullin is weeded up and not worth bothering with now.

In summary, the next week should provide us with good fishing so if you can get here quickly Mayo is the place to be.

Thursday, 11th April

A trickle of salmon are entering the Moy with one or two being caught as far up as Ballylaken bridge.

Carrowmore has seen 5 boated so far after a slow start. Beltra needs better winds but there are some fish in the lake.

Trout fishing on Mask and Conn remains good

Monday, 1st April 2019

At last! The first fish was boated on Carrowmore lake by Brian Hope. Well done Brian on your 7 pounder.

Toby Gibbons had a fine basket of 18 trout from Clogher lake over the weekend.

Wednesday 27th March

Your’s truely landed a ten pound springer from just below Ballylacken bridge on the Moy today.

Tuesday, 26th March

Another salmon was boated on Beltra today but I don’t have any details. Micksie Clarke landed a sea-liced springer at Ballylacken bridge on the Moy and there seems to be a trickle of salmon nosing their way up the river.

Monday, 25th March

I heard that Rocky Moran had a nine pounder on Beltra today, the first of the season there. There was one fish caught last week on the East Mayo Anglers water on the Moy. I believe that fish weighed around 8.5 pounds.

Lough mask continues to fish well for those who are willing to give it a try.

The Burke competition fished out of Clonbur was cancelled this year due to the sad loss of Sean Moloney a few days ago. May Sean rest in peace.

With water levels dropping back nicely and a lift in air temperature we should see more action this week.

Friday, 1st March

Hurray! the trout season opens today on some of the waters i like to fish so I will try to sneak out this weekend for a few casts.

First salmon of the season was taken on the worm from the East Mayo Anglers waters on the Moy. A 10 pounder fresh fish.

Mask and Corrib are both fishing well I hear.

Thursday, 21st February

I hear the early fishing has been good on Lough Corrib with some nice trout being caught. Mask is producing a few good trout in the Ballygary area. The weather has been kind with mild temperatures (unlike this time last year).

On the salmon front there don’t seem to be many fish around yet. Delphi is seeing the odd clean fish but that is about all.

We have had a fair bit of rain lately so water levels are good. If the weather remains like this we could see a steady improvement in catches as we head into March.

2018

Monday, 4th July

I heat some grilse have finally turned up in Lough Conn and that some trout are beginning to be caught too. Mask continues to fish the best of all the local waters. We badly need some rain here – the rest of the country has suffered flash flooding due to thunder storms but we remain unusually dry

Sunday, 27th May

Castlebar angers had a competition on Lough Conn today but they struggled in very difficult conditions. Only one trout weighed in by the 20 anglers. Lots of undersize fish caught apparently. Reasonable hatch of mayfly on the water.

A rise in water levels on the Moy last week encouraged a small run of grilse to enter the river. One or two of these seem to have sneaked up into Lough Conn.

Calm, warm weather forecast for the coming week – Carrowmore should be worth a cast (I am away on business so I will have to leave to you guys!)

4th May

OK, so it is some time since I updated this page but the fishing has been ‘patchy’ in the area. This is disappointing as we should normally see good angling around this time of the year. I have some positive news now though………….

• River Moy – good numbers of both grilse and salmon are in the river now. Catches will rise over the next week………….
• Lough Conn – fresh springers seen on the usual lies. Some trout being caught by visitors too
• Lough Mask. Good trout fishing being reported from the west shoreline.
• Beltra – I heard of three fish yesterday!
• Lough Carra- no reports of any trout yet but this lake should start to fish this coming week

Time to get the rods out lads, there are fish around!

w/c 23rd April

• Salmon being caught in increasing numbers along the length of the Moy system now with fish up to the mid-teens landed recently
• Salmon also showing in lough Conn over the weekend. No reports of any caught so far though
• Delphi fishing well
• Carrowmore is quiet as the continuing strong winds have made the lake unfishable. It should fish well once we get a spell of settled weather
• Beltra doing well

week commencing 16th April

The season has taken off at last with fish finally being caught across the county.

• Springers are nosing into the Moy system and are being caught on most beats. Nothing too hectic for now, just the occasional fish but at least there are a few around.
• Beltra has a small stock of fresh salmon in it after the recent rain. Pat McHale had a couple this past week.
• Carrowmore was fishing well until strong winds churned the lake early in the week. I suspect it may have settled enough for it to fish today (Sunday) but more wind is forecast for later today.
• I hear the Corrib is fishing well with the duckfly

Beltra: A 13lb fish today for Dave McCloon at Tommy’s Wall on a Silver Badger.

Beltra

A big rawner caught on the lough.

27th March

Heard a second fresh salmon was caught on Lough Beltra yesterday.

24th March

I saw a fine springer (10 – 12 pounds) running the Garavogue river in the heart of Sligo this morning, despite low water.

The Cong Canal is still fishing well with some large ferox being caught on dead baits.

The Glenisland Coop competition was held today. 19 anglers fished but the only salmon boated was a fish of 9 pounds taken by Frank Dooley. Good man Frank!

The high water at the start of the salmon season was followed by snow in February and early March. This disrupted the beginning of the season and it is only now (start of the second week in March) that the fishing is picking up.

River Moy: I have heard of 4 salmon so far, Cloongee picked up one fine fish of around 15 pounds and 3 have been landed at Ballina. I would expect East Mayo Anglers to start to fish this week.

Conn and Cullin: no reports of any salmon so far

Delphi; Picking away with a few fresh fish

Carrowmore: Seamus Henry reports that Gerry Carolan boated the first salmon of the season off the lake yesterday, a silvery fish of 8 pounds

11th June 2017

I have been working in Dublin all week so this is just the info I have gathered over the phone to my contacts in the west.

Rain at last! While it has been a period of showers and sunshine for the past couple of weeks we finally had more prolonged rain this week, bringing water levels up and encouraging migratory fish to access the rivers. The Moy is fishing well with salmon and grilse coming to all methods. Highlight must be the 6 fish that willy old fox Aidan Connelly landed on the East Mayo Anglers water during the week. Salmon have finally appeared in Lough Conn in numbers and are being caught by those who target them and concentrate on the known lies.

The local spate rivers all saw a good rise but I have no reports of any catches so far.

Beltra and the Newport river have seen fresh fish and both are very definitely worth fish this coming week.

4 salmon off the Coop side of Beltra yesterday ranging from 6 to 11 pounds.

Thursday, 30th March

Bangor Erris are reporting the first two fish off Carrowmore, and good sized fish they are too! The first was a 14 pounder  for Mervyn Corway. That was followed by an excellent fish of 12.5 pounds boated by Stephen Corr. With some settled weather the chances of more shining spring fish are excellent.

Saturday, 25th March 2017

I have heard of 3 salmon so far off the Glenisland side of Lough Beltra.

The first salmon off the East Mayo Anglers water on the Moy has just been landed. It was caught and released by Ian Guegan, Callow. The 8lb sea liced salmon  was landed from Ryan’s pool on a Flying C. With the high water there should be a few more lurking up there. Foxford got off the mark to with this fish –

Lots of duckfly hatching on the Corrib now and Mask is fishing very well. Water levels across the area are dropping back now.

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More action on Beltra today and a fine fish for Edwin Oxlade. It took a Beltra Badger off of Clark’s point.

20.3.2017. Beltra is off the mark with a fresh springer for Frank Dooley on opening day.

20.3.2017 Nothing to report form Carrowmore so far. The lake is badly churned after a period of strong winds.

Only heard of one fish so far from the Moy. It was taken at the back of the boxes in Ballina. Photos in the local press look like it was around 7 pounds or so. The Moy is dropping back now after a sustained period of very high water. High hopes that some early springers have run the river. East Mayo should be worth a cast next week if there is no more rain.

Reports locally of great fishing with small Rapalas and the Brikeen on the Corrib. These are the kind of lures which are working now.