Posts Tagged ‘Roach’

New Years Pike from the Barrow

Monday, January 2nd, 2017

Walking back up the tow path my gaze alighted on the now distant angler that I had passed and said hello to earlier on. Targeting pike in the slow water where a canal merged with the main channel his rod was in a noticeable hoop. Increasing my pace I reached the fisherman just in time to help him net the large jack pike. Only then exchanging greetings, there are priorities when fishing, I then offered to unhook the fish using a long nosed forceps while Pat gently held the pike within the landing net meshes. Quick photo and away.

A new years day 2017 River Barrow pike.

Watching the pike swim off we struck up a conversation about our collective fishing experiences on the river which established pike holding locations and possible reasons for their presence. Pat’s preferred methods are float ledgering and or sunk and drawn dead baits of which the fish pictured above was tempted by the latter approach. Wishing Pat well in 2017 I promised to forward him the photo, then turning I continued my walk back up the tow path…….

Coarse Fishing Tourism: Managed Access is the Key

Thursday, May 12th, 2016

Of all the tourism angling/fishing products Ireland has to offer coarse fishing has the greatest potential to provide a serious return on investment, primarily because Ireland’s coarse fishing species to include pike are not exploited commercially for food and are therefore in waters where they reside abundant and growing to a large average size. The downside to this major selling point is ease of access to Ireland’s best coarse fishing swims while carrying the amount of tackle and bait necessary to enjoy a productive match or pleasure fishing session.

Landing a hybrid while coarse fishing the River Barrow, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

The image above clearly shows the amount of gear an average coarse angler brings to the water, much more than can be carried without the aid of a pack horse. The best swims are never those that are immediately accessible from say car parks or bridges, most requiring a trudge along forest paths or over fields and ditches. Many out of the way prime swims though can be accessed by enabling managed vehicular access through upgrading/modifying existing rough tracks and walk ways.

A 3.5 lb River Barrow Hybrid and one happy coarse angler.

Thomas and I fished an out of the way section of the River Barrow yesterday and boy was access to the swim difficult and the return leg to my car a not looked forward to experience. Yes we caught some prime roach to a pound plus and hybrids to 3.5 lbs, however and we are fit, when the towpath was reached we set up shop, being too knackered to go any further.

Having co-authored and driven with Dick Caplice chairman of the Irish Anglers Development Alliance the hugely successful managed vehicular access coarse fishing infrastructure on Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan and presented an adapted plan to modify sections of towpath along the River Barrow for managed vehicular access back in 2014 to Tourism, Enterprise and Co. Council decision makers in Co. Carlow with zero response it begs the question. When it comes to developing an innovative and commercially viable tourism product has official Ireland employed the best people available………………….?

Bass Hat-Trick

Friday, October 2nd, 2015

My surf pole bounced in its stand as the rod top first hauled forward then immediately straightened in unison with the main line billowing. Instinctively grabbing the rod I ran backwards into the darkness while simultaneously reeling, my rod heels over, a thump thump contact is made and a good fish swims diagonally to my right. Now retracing my steps towards the water while keeping a tight line a fine bass appears in my headlight beam, all silver and spray as the fish head shakes in the surf line.

Bass fishing in County Wexford, Ireland.

My third bass of the evening all of which were like peas in a pod ranging three to four pound in weight, plump hard fighters in great condition. This fellow like the others had taken freshly dug black lugworm presented on a two hook paternoster fished at about 60 meters into what was a flat calm sea. Earlier a slight breeze wafting from the south east had manufactured mini wavelets however it died off as night fell to create a muggy, foggy, still evening. The strand now deserted of holiday makers was pitch black other than for the narrow swath of light cut by my head lamp beam. Apart from the swoosh of a single wave an eerie silence prevailed.

Beach fishing for bass in County Wexford, Ireland.

On only my second visit to this particular mark, I had always felt it would deliver on a big night tide, this being a four meter full in at 20.30 pm my hunch was proved correct. The first bite as dusk merged into dark had been just a tickle on the rod top, barely visible I thought it was a flat fish. The second had been a rod pulling rush out to sea, rod top bending over and staying down, the third a slack liner as described above. Three bass complimented by two flounder all condensed into a half hour blur of action, then it was over and the road home called…………

Barrow Bonanza Match, 22/08/2015, Day One Results

Sunday, August 23rd, 2015

The River Barrow up stream of Carlow Town flowed slow and clear, an odd dace could be seen topping and if one peered hard into the peat stained water fry could be seen flitting and darting amongst the weed beds. All the hard work in setting up the Barrow Bonanza coarse fishing match by the Naas & District Angling Club had most certainly paid off as 42 match anglers lined up on two stretches of the Barrow between Carlow Town and Athy, “Knockbeg and Maganey”, to compete for the guaranteed €1000.00 first prize.

World Coarse Fishing Pairs Champion Phillip Jackson fishes the River Barrow, Co. Carlow.

Tubs of maggots dyed in various colours, sweetcorn, hemp, chopped worm, buckets of ground bait and an arsenal of ready to use fishing rods/reels, poles and whips surrounded each competitor as they settled down for the five hour competition first leg to commence at 12.30 pm with lines up at 17.30 pm. Tactics given the  conditions, overcast grey, muggy with little or no breeze appeared to be feed little and often utilising variations in casting length, bait type and presentation.

Padraig O'Riordan fishing the Barrow Bonanza 2015 Match with an average roach.

Those fishing the Knockbeg section to include World Pairs Champion Phillip Jackson and Irish Junior Champion Michael Kelly definitely worked hard for any success that they got. Small dace made up the bulk of anglers catches however on the lower pegs a few roach and hybrids bulked up competitor Padraig O’Riordan’s 2.28 kilogram haul while in mid section Andrius Simbelis concentrated on perch to record a 4.26 kilogram first day section win.

Match angler Gary Quayle displays a River Barrow dace.

Special mention must go to all the Naas & District Coarse Angling Club membership led by Paul McLaughlin and Padraig O’Riordan for their tremendous effort in planning and organising the Barrow Bonanza event, you would not believe the amount of work that is involved from canvassing sponsors to clearing bank side pegs. In so doing the club have showcased what is a wonderful and healthy riverine coarse fishery.

Today Sunday 23/08/2015 as I write the rain is teeming down and with little or no wind competitors will be settling down for another five hours concentrated fishing. Mark Leonard holds what could well be an unassailable lead however in match fishing you never know who could come up on the rails, so in short there is still a lot to play for on day two.

Competing at the Barrow Bonanza 2015 Coarse Angling Match, River Barrow, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

Top 10 weights posted on day one of the Barrow Bonanza 2015 Coarse Angling match fished on the Knockbeg and Maganey stretches between Carlow Town and Athy were as follows.

Mark Leonard 14.100 kg
Cathal Hughes 4.590
Andrius Simbelis 4.260
Kevin Hodson 4.080
Ollie Doyle 3.140
David Mc Neice 2.850
Christy Moore 2.770
Brendan Collins 2.710
Chris Moore 2.230
Padraig O’ Riordan 2.280

 

Bream Catcher

Saturday, May 30th, 2015

Compensating for the strong north west breeze I cast my forty gram feeder slightly to the right in order to have it splash land right in front of me two thirds of the way across what is a wide section of the River Barrow, Ireland’s second longest waterway after the mighty River Shannon. Targeting bream, a size 16 hook baited with four red maggot comprised the business end of a two foot long fluorocarbon tail. Feeding with a mix of crumb, Sensas red magic additive, sweetcorn, hemp seed and 10% horse mix, it was not long before dace accompanied by a few brown trout entered the swim.

Coarse fishing in Ireland for bream on the River Barrow, Co. Carlow.

Regular feeding kept the silvers interested on what was a sunny but chilly day. Bites were not constant instead coming in short five/ten minute bursts of activity with gaps of up to fifteen/twenty minutes in between. Only having four hours fishing time due to a previous arrangement, it was in the last half hour that things got interesting,  a heavier than normal double knock quickening the senses. Now waiting expectantly a second double knock was met with a firm upward sweep  resulting in a nicely curved rod and a heavy kicking sensation.

Playing a River Barrow bream, coarse fishing Co. Carlow, Ireland.

The bream used its broad flank to kite backwards and forwards across the current, however not known for their fighting abilities the fish was quickly brought to the net whence the reason why this species is sought after became apparent. Burnished bronze in colour its large scales reflecting the sunlight, even though weighing not more than 2.5 lbs the bream looked impressive resting in the landing net, a quick use of the disgorger and away.

Unhooking a bream, River Barrow, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

With time for a couple more casts only, no sooner had my feeder rig touched bottom then a further double knock resulted in a repeat performance. A more spirited fight ended with a heavier bream running 3.5 lbs slipping over the landing net rim, a great end to what had been a busy four hour session……..

Feeding the Barrow

Sunday, April 19th, 2015

Last Friday 17th April while feeder fishing the River Barrow at St Mullins I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing alongside a kindred spirit, his name Thomas Cosgrave, like myself  born in England of Irish emigrants who traveled over in the 1950′s, Thomas had recently taken early retirement and decided to move lock stock and barrel back to the old sod.

Thomas Cosgrave feeder fishing the River Barrow at St Mullins.

A competent angler Thomas surprisingly stated that although he has no regrets about retiring to Ireland he does miss the coarse fishing that he enjoyed in England citing that his coarse fishing experience on the River Barrow does not match up to the Irish fisheries board marketing blurb. With historical experience of fishing the river during holiday visits he categorically states that the bream/hybrid fishing has seriously declined with one very visible cause, predation emanating from within the eastern European community.

Playing a roach on feeder gear at St Mullins, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

That said, we had a fine afternoon casting into a rising tide catching dace, a few plump roach and an odd trout tempted by four red maggot. Fishing eased over the top of the tide as is my experience and we called it a day round about six bells. The large bream and hybrids were marked absent which should not be given the time of year, the mild winter and the fact that Irish people do not eat coarse fish.

On the positive side Thomas and I exchanged numbers and we will definitely fish together again very soon, the local tench population had better watch out.

Pike on a Foggy Morning

Friday, November 21st, 2014

An evening phone call from David needed no second thoughts in the response, “Are you interested in going pike fishing tomorrow on a new water that I have become aware of? “Yes of course, thanks for asking”. “Be outside the gaff for 08.00 am then and we will go in my car”. Up and about at six bells, why is it so easy to get up when the motivation is fishing? Breakfasted, gear stowed and I was on the road by seven. Dark, damp and seriously foggy, visibility down to about twenty meters on occasions, conditions which persisted all day, the one saving grace was a constant temperature of about 9 – 10 degrees and no wind, in terms of piking it does not get any better.

A cracking double figure Irish pike for David Murphy.

Opting to float ledger into a very reedy swim we set up three rods baited respectively with frozen smelt, mackerel and roach, fanning out the offerings across three separate locations within thirty meters of our fishing station. Setting our bait runners and bite alarms David poured both of us a welcome cup of coffee and the vigil commenced. An hour in line started peeling off one of David’s reels, without further ado rod in hand David leaned into the fast disappearing pike as it bolted further into the reeds. Having turned the fish a degree of bullying ensued to get old esox into open water, from that point after a couple of short runs the well conditioned pike slipped easily into the net.

Nearly there, a double figure Irish pike is ready for the net.

Beautifully conditioned and running 11 or 12 pound, laid carefully on the de-hooking mat, forceps a couple of photos and back in the water to kick strongly away. David’s second double figure pike within a week from that swim and the only fish of yesterdays session, three more dropped runs confirming a healthy population of bottle green predators. Evidence for a revisit? Most definitely……..

Further posts on pike fishing: Pike Hatrick in Co. Cavan.

Andrew goes Wild

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

Irish anglers are lucky, having access to a plethora of venues where wild fish across a variety of species can still be caught. It was with great pleasure that, following a request for angling information, I introduced David Woods and his brother Andrew, who requires special needs assistance, to the wonderful River Barrow. Across from the UK on a short break, Andrew loves to fish and with their chosen accommodation close to St Mullins, one would be hard pressed to find a better wild fishery for an early summer coarse angling session.

UK coarse angler Andrew Woods with a fine River Barrow hybrid.

Possessing a great memory, very aware and capable but limited regarding mobility, Andrew needed help in particular with tackling and baiting up. Assessing the risks and applying a sensible approach it was decided to have a crack after the bream which frequent the fishery at this time of year. Feeder fishing the rising tide utilising red and white maggot along with castors for bait it wasn’t long before Andrew connected with a fine hybrid. A succession of beautiful red spotted trout followed accompanied by some large dace, a run of fish that prompted a return visit the following day.

Coarse fishing at St Mullins, Co. Carlow, baiting up.

Picking a more accessible swim on this occasion it wasn’t long before Andrew’s quiver tip commenced hopping, the culprits being dace and those beautifully marked trout. Other species to feature were roach and a few squirmy, slippery eels. St Mullins donned its best suit of clothes, the sun shone, Emer and Martin O ‘Brien’s Mullichain Cafe satisfied rumbling tummies and Andrew by his own admission had a great time with fish steadily coming to his rod.

Andrew Woods having a cracking time at St Mullins, Co. Carlow.

Having fished for smooth hounds off Bournemouth pier and caught sea trout on the Hampshire Avon, Andrew gives the nod towards wild as against managed venues every time. Yes there is a tad more planning and effort involved for the carers, but the returns, well they were palpable. I would like to thank David for getting in touch with me, enabling Andrew to experience wild Irish fishing was a joy. Tight lines to you both until we meet again……….

Small Water Pike

Saturday, November 2nd, 2013

The popped up roach floating just above the weed bed caught the predators attention, weak or injured a handy breakfast. The mottled green zeppelin double flicked its tail turning sharply while in the same movement opening its shovel like mouth. Seizing the roach broadside old esox turned and made a beeline for its layer, meanwhile hidden behind a clump of bullrushes on the shoreline not twenty meters away David Murphy crouched ready, line peeling off his baitrunner reel.

15.lb pike for angler David Murphy,, caught while fishing a small water.

Leaning into the pike Davids rod took on a healthy curve and the fish turned. Swimming in easy, as the pike entered the shallows it kicked hard and shot clear of the water gill rakers flared and fins erect. Hanging motionless for a split second, body slightly arched, the vision became real in a welter of spray and a lunge transmitted through Davids rod as the now very angry pike headed post haste for the centre of the lake.

15.lb Irish pike caught and released.

With Davids baitrunner reluctantly feeding line old esox turned under the pressure, now swimming left then right parallel with the bank, after a short fight David eased the great fish into his cavernous net. Weighed on a certified scales at just over 15.lb then released back gently to the water, a good start to the winter season.

Poaching Still Rife on Lower River Barrow

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Sadly, and with great frustration I have to report that illegal poaching of coarse fish is occurring yet again on the lower River Barrow. Maybe the practice never went away, with the perpetrators adjusting their action plans under pressure from water keepers and Fisheries staff to become more covert and discrete.  Who knows, one thing is certain however they are back and the evidence was very clear to yours truly yesterday evening while putting in a spot of feeder fishing at a favourite Co. Carlow venue. To make matters worse they couldn’t have been more brazen and their actions spoiled for this writer a very enjoyable and relaxing evening.

Feeder fishing on the lower River Barrow, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

Timing my arrival to fish a rising tide into dusk with bream and hybrids in mind, I set up a 40 gram feeder with a meter long tail to a size 14 kamazan. Baiting with four red maggot cast thirty meters into a still fast flowing river, letting the feeder settle then retrieving and refilling plugged with maggots every sixty seconds, by the forth cast bites commenced. First off a nice plump hybrid followed by a couple of equally plump roach. Large dace entered the swim for a while accompanied by an odd trout and as it got dark small flounder. Make no mistake this is some fishery which makes the latter part of this post all the more annoying.

A fine River Barrow dace.

Chatting to a lady walking the tow path she pointed to a passing car while asking, “does catch and release apply here“? Relative to species bye laws, I replied, but that most responsible anglers do tend to put fish back, especially the coarse fish. “Well I observed the occupants of that car fishing yesterday evening, she said, they were clearly filling a bucket with small silver fish”. Asking, were they Eastern European, the lady answered in the affirmative.

Not fifty meters up from me two more of our Eastern European brethren were setting up, a keep net nowhere to be seen, which is always a likely sign in my experience that fish will be kept. Finishing my session and all packed up around ten pm, it now black dark, I sauntered over towards the lads interested in how they were doing. “Are you catching guys?” “Small trout” came the dour monosyllabic response, the two blokes keeping their backs to me, not turning to engage. Flicking on my head lamp, right in the beam lying on the bank a big plump, full of spawn, dead roach. “So what’s that then?”

Of course you all know what follows, the usual excuses; we didn’t know, cannot speak English, etc, etc. Pointing out that circa 2013 I’d heard it all before and what they were uttering was garbage, that they well knew the rules, and given they were driving a 06 Wexford reg’ beamer, it was quite obvious that they had been in Ireland a while, so cut the crap. A few more expletives and home truths were proffered before I made my exit letting them know I had their reg and was going to forward it to the fisheries board.

A sad end to a grand day. The implications though for the fishery in question are serious and IFI and Waterways Ireland really need to get their act together on this sinister development, lack of funding and staff shortages being no excuse for real action. A good start would be to contact the local community and set up an education programme while also empowering local water keepers. Please get on the case and feel free to contact this soldier too, I’m happy to put my two pence halfpenny in the mix…….