ANGLING NOTES:AT TIMES I have the privilege of visiting some of the top angling venues in the country – and last week was a good example. How does Inagh, Kylemore and Ballynahinch sound to the game-angling connoisseur? Top notch, I bet!
My stay was the wonderful Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel, between the Twelve Bens and Maumturk Mountains in Recess, Connemara, Co Galway. The hotel overlooks a 7km lake, which is renowned for its run of quality sea-trout and salmon, and resident brown trout.
Originally a fishing lodge of the Berridge family and now a member of the Great Fishing Houses of Ireland, the hotel oozes charm and offers all the comforts of a modern hotel in an olde worlde atmosphere.
The hotel specialises in traditional menus, with seafood and wild game dishes specialities of the house and complemented by an excellent wine list.
I was in the company of Colin Folan, fishery manager and guide who ensures guests receive all the help they need to catch fish.
“After breakfast, we’ll try the Derryclare Butts,” he says. The Butts is a favourite location in Connemara at the point where the Inagh River enters the lake and the salmon “hold-up” before ascending the fish pass.
“Put up a Munro Killer and try a few casts starting at the outflow. If a fish is there it’s bound to take the fly.” No takers, and within 15 minutes we’re on our way to meet fishery manager, Nigel Rush at Kylemore Abbey in Letterfrack.
I couldn’t wait to return to the Dawros River that runs through the grounds before entering Ballynakill Harbour. On my previous visit I was bowled over with fish activity, particularly in the Rock Pool.
Little had changed. The pool was alive with salmon and sea-trout freely rising throughout our one-hour stay. I turned several salmon on an Orange and Gold Shrimp and switching to a Gold Butcher, attracted the attention of numerous sea-trout.
“What we need is an influx of anglers to avail of this bonanza,” says Nigel. For bookings, e-mail nigelrush@eircom.net.
After lunch we met Simon Ashe, fishery manager at Ballynahinch Castle. Simon is also involved with Salmon Watch Ireland, which monitors Irish wild salmon stocks.
“If you would like to cast a line, Beats four, five and seven are available,” he said. To the uninformed, these three beats are primary areas and highly regarded by anglers from around the world.
We fished each of the beats down without stirring a salmon, however, we did manage five fresh sea trout, each about 0.5lb. It was a wonderful experience and given the right conditions (it was 85°F on Tuesday), one could see the true potential of the beats.
Next morning, a fair wind and cloud looked promising as we pushed out from the boat house on Inagh. “We’ll fish Black Rock Bay and I will guarantee fish in these conditions,” says Colin.
How right he was. In a two-hour stint we rose fish on almost every second cast, brownies up 0.75lb and a few sea-trout. Perhaps with more time we could have boated a salmon or two.
However, it was time to depart and say farewell to Inagh and Connemara. My thanks to Maire, proprietor of Inagh Lodge Hotel, and Dominic, Thomas and especially Colin for the hospitality. E-mail: inagh@iol.ie. Tel: 095-34706.
A groupfrom The Irish Timesenjoyed a day's fishing out from Ballyhack in Co Wexford last Saturday week. Fishing in slack calm waters off Dunmore East and Hook Head aboard charter boat Orinoco, the group encountered a good variety of fish including codling, pollack, coalfish, pouting, ling and about 50 mackerel.
The 40-foot Orinoco is licensed for 12 anglers and equipped with 600hp Caterpillar engine, bathroom, lifejackets and fishing gear. Contact 087-2437148 or walterfoley@gmail.com.
Some members of the group stayed overnight in nearby Fort Conan Hotel in Duncannon and found facilities more than adequate including a hearty breakfast and packed lunch, all at modest prices. Contact 051-389163 or helenetobin404@eircom.net.
KillybegsSea Angling Club will host its 48th Two-Day International Festival at Killybegs, Co Donegal, next weekend. Great fishing is anticipated from this popular venue.
Subscription is €55 for adults and €30 juniors. Prizegiving on Sunday evening in Bay View Hotel will include main sponsor Solidpack. To enter, contact Brian McGilloway at 087-2200982 or 074-9731137.
angling@irishtimes.com