First wild salmon of the year caught in Co Cork

The first wild salmon of the year has been caught on the Munster Blackwater river in Co Cork.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) confirmed that the 7lb fish was landed on February 1st by angler Ronan O'Connor.

Mr O'Connor caught the fish on the banks of the Blackwater in Fermoy.

The river was high, with about two feet of visibility, at the time of the catch.

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IFI chief executive Ciaran Byrne said that, with more than 273,600 domestic anglers in Ireland, Mr O'Connor had done "extremely well" to secure the first catch.

Mr Byrne noted that the catch was “slightly later than usual compared to recent years”, but this may be due to a variety of factors, such as water conditions and temperature.

Last year, the first salmon of the year was caught on January 17th on Co Kerry’s Lough Currane by local angler and angling guide Neil O’Shea.