Angling Notes/Derek Evans:Having missed the recent revived fly-fishing competition organised by Pontoon Bridge Hotel, I was delighted to accept the invitation from Castlebar Anglers' Association to participate in their Jackson Cup and Prendergast Cup fly-fishing competition on Lough Conn Sunday week.
As one who has fished in nearly all of the better-known loughs, lakes and rivers in Ireland, I must admit that Conn, for some reason, had eluded me all this time. Yet, through anecdotal feedback from anglers and weekly reports, I always felt I "knew" the lake quite well.
My stay at the four-star Pontoon Bridge Hotel was a pleasure. The hotel, owned by the Geary family for more than 40 years, offers fine cuisine, and the fishing theme runs through every nook and cranny of the newly refurbished and extended building. A fishing academy, drying room with lockers, tackle shop and private harbour with direct access to Conn, offer all the comforts and angler might need.
On competition day, along with my boatman Michael Connolly (rated top boatman on Conn), we drove down the road to Healy's Hotel for check-in at 9.30am. There I met proprietor John Dever and committee members Matt Bateman, Hughie McDonnell and Eamonn Miliffe, all busy taking entries for the competition.
Soon it was down to business. "Put up a Bibio on the point, Green Peter with red tail on the middle dropper and Claret Dabbler on the top dropper," Michael said. In direct contrast he adopted a dry-fly pattern of Murrough Sedge and Goddard Sedge. "It's going to be tough out there today, the bright sunshine and calm conditions are not conducive to fly-fishing", he said.
How right he was. Apart from four or five rises in the first half of the day along Glass Island, we failed to catch, or indeed rise, another fish for the rest of the day. The trout were not interested in our presentations as we tested the "hot spots" of Cliff Island, Poteen Island and Point of Ring (to name a few).
I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of Lough Conn, with the Nephin and Crook Mile mountain ranges in the background, and crystal clear water quality. And Glass Island, now uninhabited, has attracted numerous world celebrities for possible purchase over the years. Of course, Conn prides itself in the fact that it is entirely a wild brown trout and salmon lough.
There was great excitement back at Healys for the weigh-in as the 48 anglers gathered for the prizegiving. I was surprised to see so many fish - 16 altogether and all over 300mm. Ben Baynes from Castlebar emerged a clear winner with two good fish weighing 1.8kg. (Two years ago he won the same competition with a trout of 3.8kg!)
• Lough Inagh in Recess, Co Galway, finished on a high note with its best salmon season for 25 years, according to angling manager Colin Folan. The tally for the year reached 68 fish, of which 27 were released. Undoubtedly the high water in July and August helped the great run combined with the drift net ban.
However, Folan expressed concern at the lack of double-figure salmon - only two for the season. "This proves that the next issue to be addressed is the lack of sustainable food at sea."
Sea trout numbers were down on the previous two seasons, yet out of 323 fish recorded, many exceeded 0.68kg.
"It's 20 years since we witnessed this," he said. A dozen sea trout reached 1.4kg. On the brown trout front, the fishery recorded 375 fish with six weighing 3.6-4.5kg and returned.
• Second heat of the Scierra fly-fishing winter league takes place this Saturday at Annamoe Trout Fishery in Co Wicklow. Entry fee is €24 and fishing times 10.30am until 2.30pm. Top four in each heat qualify for final on December 8th. Competition is catch and release, single fly and barbless hook (indicators not permitted). Places are assured to pre-paid entrants. For booking details, contact Brian Nally at 086-259 8563.
• The Heritage Council is hosting a seminar on October 24th in the Radisson Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath. The seminar will focus on the impact of boat wash in Ireland's Inland Waterways.
To reserve a place, contact Oonagh Duggan, The Heritage Council, Rothe House, Kilkenny. Contact 056-7770777 or Beatrice@heritagecouncil.com.