ANGLING NOTES:PETER MANTLE'S annual Delphi Fishery Newsletter is eagerly awaited by game anglers. His report provides a comprehensive account of the fishing season at Delphi and is always guaranteed to provide additional food for thought.
The season commenced with a terrific run of spring salmon; in fact, the first four months had record-breaking catches of 206 sea fish. With 404 salmon caught over the whole season, this was only the fourth time in 24 years that springers outshone grilse at Delphi.
Jonathan Smalley, from the Isle of Man, caught the heaviest wild salmon, on a copper and silver Toby lure, on Doo Lough in March. The fish weighed 7.5kg (16.56lb). Heinz Hoefler, from Germany, banked a beauty of 6.9kg (15.25lb), also in March, on a Willie Gunn fly from the Meadow Pool on the Bundorragha River.
The good early returns for 2009 confirmed the view that sea survival of the 2007 smolts may have been assisted by levels of sea lice in the local salmon farm, which were known to be very low in the spring of that year.
July and August, usually the most productive months, were very disappointing, with just 77 grilse recorded. Bad though it was, salmon stocks and angling tourism would have completely collapsed without the drift-net ban. For once, even the fishermen were grumpy! The total catch of wild salmon was 105 and, of these, all but nine were returned. While the fishery is proud of its stance on wild fish, the very existence of Delphi fishery depends on hatchery fish, which this season accounted for 75 per cent of the salmon caught.
One hardly dares say it, but there were signs of a recovery in sea trout runs at Delphi in 2009 and while far from complete, the recovery is dependent on a cessation of salmon aquaculture in Killary Harbour.
The willingness of funding agencies to throw money at this industry, and this site in particular, beggars belief. In the past 24 years, the Killary salmon farm has changed hands six times and gone bust four times, the newsletter says.
Of the 707 sea trout caught at Delphi, 420 weighed about 0.5kg; 26 at 1.5kg; six at 2kg – and one whopper, close to 3.6kg, was taken on the dap on Doo Lough by Somerset Moore from England.
On a more poignant note, the newsletter says, it is a matter of regret that the Minister for Energy, Communications and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, has been unable [or unwilling] to tackle the greatest single threat to Ireland’s valuable wild salmonid stocks.
His appointment to the Cabinet was greeted with delight by those who campaigned for proper regulation of the salmon farming industry. This was a cause he had vigorously campaigned for in parliamentary committee hearings before his elevation.
“Disappointing as previous ministers have been, this failure by Ryan is simply tragic, invertebrate and deeply disillusioning,” the newsletter concludes.
Details of a major international pike festival next year were announced last week in Athlone, Co Westmeath. The three-day event will take place from April 14th to 16th and consist of three competitions, with a choice of boat or bank fishing. Depending on water levels, fishing will be confined to Lough Ree and River Shannon or its tributaries.
Along with a collection of European angling journalists, I attended a four-day promotion event in Glasson Golf and Country Club to test the area’s pike fishing and hospitality facilities.
The evening included a full reception in the Athlone Civic Centre, attended by the town’s Mayor, Cllr Mark Cooney, and town councillors, followed by a splendid dinner in the nearby Prince of Wales Hotel.
Early next morning, after a short drive to Athlone slipway, we were part of a flotilla of 13 boats heading downriver. I partnered my good friend Danny Goldrick, and local boatman Johnny Greene.
Trolling bright lures along Wren Island, County Pylon, Halligan’s Field and Long Island, I managed to land six pike, heaviest about 1.5kg, and together we accounted for eight. Highlight of the day was the Irish stew that ex-army chef Johnny dished up. It was most welcome on an otherwise cold and wet day.
The pike festival has all the hallmarks of a wonderful occasion. For further details and entry form, contact Dave Houghton at Active Irish Angling, Crossway Cottage, Letterfine, Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim. Closing date is April 5th, 2010.
angling@irishtimes.com