Fishery News & Reports

DELPHI LODGE AND FISHERY

Posted in May 2015

May Delivers Again

Once again May has proven to be an excellent month for spring salmon here at Delphi, with a total of sixty fish landed and of course there was also Tony Barrett-Jolley’s cracking fish of 20lbs11ozs. As I have mentioned before there have been good numbers of fish running since February. From my own observations if anything more fish seemed to run in May and even though catches were excellent there were times when salmo salar humbled and infuriated even the best anglers.

Water conditions throughout the month were generally good, with a total of 212mms (8.35”), but it must be noted that temperatures were well down. This was especially evident with people who were unaccustomed to lake fishing when they would look at me in total disbelief with the amount of clothing myself and the ghillies insisted they wear before venturing out on the water.

The first couple of days in May were quiet with temperatures both air and water having plummeted a few days previously. Fishing improved dramatically in week 19, with thirteen fish landed. The best of these was a fine fish of 12lbs12ozs taken by Jacob Tax from the Rock pool on a Willie Gunn. There was also great celebrations when Ben Duffy managed to land his first ever salmon, again from the Rock pool on a Willie Gunn and weighing in at 6lbs6ozs.

Week 20 saw the return of group of serious anglers, (but who also enjoy the social aspect of the week). There were a total of eleven fish landed for the week but the highlight without doubt was Tony Barrett-Jolley’s fish of 20lbs11ozs from the Rock Pool on a Gary Dog. Great celebrations followed and it is now the biggest fish of the modern era. I will post a blog specifically on this fish and I have also obtained a copy of the correct big salmon Delphi records.

Week 21 saw fourteen fish landed in difficult conditions with Doolough being unfishable on a number of days. It was also bitterly cold with some serious showers of hailstones also. Mikko Lofgren from Finland had an excellent week, landing five fish all bar one on a General Practitioner. Adrian Barry from Ballina had a morning to remember on the river, landing three fish including one beauty of 14lbs6ozs.

Week 22 was the most prolific of the month with twenty one fish landed. We had seven fish landed to my last update. David Plumpton had his second fish of the week off the Meadow pool on a Francis of 7lbs7ozs. Young Alexander O’Sulluvan had a nice sea liced fish of 4lbs8ozs on his last evening from the Deadmans on a Delphi Collie.

The 28th saw four landed with the Wymes family accounting for three of these. Two were from the Rock pool and one from Finlough. Bertrand Fenart also had one from the Whin pool on an Ally shrimp.

The 29th saw five landed. Not to be outdone by her husband Felicity Bartleet had a nice fish of approx. 6lbs at the Split Rock on Doolough. John and Angela Mitchell were evenly matched landing a fish each off the river. John’s was approx. 8lbs from the New Island pool on a Delphi Collie and Angela’s first ever was a fish of 8lbs5ozs from the Waterfall also on a Delphi Collie. Steve jones also landed one in the New Island on a Delphi Collie of 6lbs11ozs. Fish of the day and the week was Paul Wymes from the Deadman’s of 12lbs3ozs taken on a Red Francis.

Paul had another on the 30th of approx. 8.5lbs from the Quarry also on a red Francis. Husband and wife team of Martin and Barbara Ceillier were evenly matched with one each off Finlough of 8lbs15ozs and 8lbs2ozs respectively on a Willie Gunn and a Red Francis. Final fish of May was taken by John Bradley in the Whin pool on the McCormack fly weighing in at 5lbs11ozs.
That brought the total for the month to 60 and the year to date to 106.

D.McEvoy