Angling Notes: Big game fishing is Alan Granville's forte. In 2000, fishing out of Killybegs, Co Donegal, he caught the largest fish ever taken on rod and line in Irish waters, a bluefin tuna of 240 kg (529lb).
The capture dispelled myths of going to exotic destinations for big-game angling and sparked off a new lucrative angling resource along the Irish western seaboard. Tuna feed along the periphery of the Gulf Stream, a distance within reach from the Irish coastline.
In 2001, Adrian Molloy from Kilcar, Co Donegal set a new record with an enormous fish of 440kg (more than 1,000lb) caught in Donegal Bay. Last year, anglers accounted for scores of tuna, particularly out from Clifden, Roundstone and Cleggan, Co Galway and Donegal Bay.
Meanwhile, Granville has turned his attention to another member of the tuna family, the albacore. Much smaller, these fish are found in large numbers off the Kerry coast. Last Wednesday week, fishing from his vessel Treminou, south-west of Dingle, Co Kerry, three anglers caught five ranging from 8.5kg to 11kg. Two days earlier, renowned tuna angler Derek Noble, fishing in the same area, had seven with an average weight of 4kg. Unfortunately, as the specimen weight for albacore is 12kg, these fish will not be recorded.
Granville maintains the weight is set too high by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee and a more realistic specimen weight is 10kg. He cites the thousands of albacore weighed and measured by the Marine Institute during 2001 all showed an average weight of 7.5kg with only 2 per cent exceeding 12kg.
Sporadic rain throughout the week did little to dampen the rivers and lakes. Poaching remained rampant as fish "held up" in lower pools. According to Colin Folan, manager of Inagh and Derryclare Fishery, Co Galway, the loughs are experiencing the lowest water levels in years. Optimistically, he says September is usually a very productive month for salmon on the Inagh calendar.
A group of eight anglers from Antrim fished Inagh for two days and recorded 12 sea trout and 16 browns to wetfly. Over five days, the Williams party from Dublin caught and released 26 browns and 10 sea trout, all to the dap. Water levels remain low, however. For bookings, contact Folan at tel: 095-34706.
Only a few anglers fished the Galway Weir Fishery during the week, even though the river has plenty of salmon. Dave Smith and John Carrick, both from Galway, landed one salmon each, which they released.
The sniff of rain encouraged sea trout to move on the White Water, Kilteel, Co Down. Desmond Hudson and Brian Finn took advantage of this last Monday night to take a good trout of 5.5lb and a brace over 2.5lb.
Eight fully-registered angling charter boats now operate out of Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford. With the new marina, Kilmore Quay is becoming one of the largest angling venues in Ireland. Reef, wreck and clean-ground angling off the Saltee Islands produces a wide variety of fish. Details from Paul Bates at tel: 053-29831.
Charter skipper Des Mills, fishing out from Culdaff, Co Donegal, reported coalfish to 11lb, ling 14lb and pollock to 10lb. Mackerel continue in plenty supply, with some shoals averaging fish of 2lb. The appearance of scad last week may herald the arrival of the big tuna, according to Mills.