Yes, another roller coaster of a week on the angling scene as some huge Ferox trout and cracking pike came from Lough Ree. On Lene and the Whitelake some more cracking brown and rainbow trout came on line. News in from I.F.I. as they gear up for the season after the Covid -19 restrictions are lifted. Some of the pointers from Shane O’Reilly of I.F.I. might interest local businesses involved in promoting angling here in Westmeath.
ATHLONE TOP ANGLERS: Naturally we receive quite a bit of angling news and features from the Athlone area and there are some top anglers scattered across Athlone who know Lough Ree like the back of their hand. To be honest, it’s a huge span of fantastic waterways and you could spend a lifetime trying to check out all the bay’s and inner lakes on Ree. Plus the mighty River Shannon and the Inny River just to name a few flow into Ree. This makes it a Hot Spot for game and coarse anglers alike. Last week, Philip Cunningham and his son Dylan had a few super trout from Ree and Philips angling pal Steve Turner was also in the thick of the action landing more huge Ferox Trout which included a 12lbs 8oz fish and a monster of 15lbs 3oz. Dylan and his dad Philip had trout up on 8lbs . These are super looking trout and the lads will keep us posted on more exceptional fish they catch this summer.
LENE ANGLERS: Lough Lene will become a hive of angling activity come June 29th when travel restrictions are lifted. In the last few years I have seem to become an online and unpaid Angling Information Officer for the Midlands. The number of call and e-mails regarding angling in the Midlands is mind blowing some days. Where can I get a I.F.I. permit? Do I need day tickets? When is Mount Dalton opening? Where can I hire boats & engines etc. Anyway, back to the Lene anglers who were out in force last weekend and some cracking brown trout that were caught on the troll, fly and Lene is a popular lake for dapping crickets and hoppers which also worked. I have been asked to remind anglers traveling to Lene that the lake is controlled and stocked by Lough Lene Angling Association and if you are not a member you are obliged to take out a day ticket. Quite a number of anglers are launching at the cut and taking full advantage of the tireless work done by L.L.T.P.A. of stocking and maintaining such fantastic fishing on the lake. These anglers can travel the length and breadth of Ireland fishing and you can be sure they pay their due on others fisheries. Day tickets are available in Collinstown Village shop and are 25 euro. All proceeds from these tickets are pumped back into an on going stocking policy on Lene.
WHITELAKE ANGLERS: Another top North Westmeath club controlled fishery is the Whitelake, which is also a hive of activity these days. We feature the Whitelake and their club members regularly and they have a top Pro on board, Noel McCabe, who keeps us up to date on the angling scene on the Whitelake. They really are a fantastic working unit as local angling clubs go and are keen on promoting angling for the younger generation. This week we feature an up and coming top young lady angler Linda O’Connor and her dad Jason from Dunshaughlin. The deadly duo had super rainbows over 4lbs in weight.
PIKE ON THE MOVE: In recent days some nice pike have been caught by local anglers and from what I can see some pike were very late going to spawn this season. I had a lovely pike from Lene on the fly last week, and it had just spawned out and was quite lean. On Ennell Luke Condron was back in action and also caught pike with damage to its fins and tails as they returned back on the feed after spawning. On Ree, Bernie Newman of Lynn Cross and Johnny Molloy of Patrick Street had some lovely fish, including a few nice double figure pike all on the troll.
THAT’S IT: There you go, time to hit the lakes once again and we will get back to the I.F.I. information on angling after Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted on Monday June 29th. There will also be news of another Ferox, this time from the Corrib caught by Kinnegad angler Billy Shanley. It’s a beauty and Kevin Coyne sent in a brilliant pic. Also next week, news from the Glasson area as I met up with Jude Quigley of Shannon Outboards on the shores of Ree. Jude has a huge range of Outboard Engines for sale and also makes boats to order and has 2nd hand boats for sale. The day I dropped into Jude in his work shop I noticed quite a good selection of propellers for all makes of engines for sale and a must for anglers, lifejackets. Jude can be contacted on 086-8492118 and we will feature his range of lifejackets in the coming weeks. At the end of the day what price do you put on your safety on the waterways? Anyway, by law you must wear a lifejacket. Tight Lines until next week and safe angling.
Mick Flanagan
Mobile: 087-2797270
E mail mick@midlandangling.com
www.facebook.com/midlandangling
