30th June 2012
Favorable water conditions prevailed on the Erriff for most of the week with water levels staying above 0.8 meters on the Aasleagh Gauge. Levels were recorded at 1.5 meters on the 24th. The river fell gradually to 0.8 meters by the 27th. There were a further 3 small spates during the week with a big one of 1.6 meters on the last day of the month. The run of salmon and grilse continued on every spate. Sea trout also continued to return both in good numbers and also in excellent condition. However the sea trout did not feature to any great extent in the rod catches as the size of flies being fished were overall too large to attract the sea trout.
David Gaffney, Dublin, caught a good grilse of 6lbs in the School House on a Shrimp Fly. Jim Wilson, Mount Falcon, caught a grilse at The Hill on Beat 5. Colin Edwards, U.K. released a grilse taken in the Garden Pool on a Cascade and lost another in the Bridge Pool also on Beat 9. Fishing the Erriff for the first time, Sue Clarke from London caught her first Irish Salmon in the Falls Pool on Beat 9 on a Cascade. Tight lines continued for the following 2 days for Sue with 2 other good grilse of 5lbs from the Garden Pool on Beat 9 and from Joyce’s Sand Hill on Beat 5 – all 3 fish were sportingly released.
Raphael Amat, France, also fishing the Erriff for the first time, caught and released grilse estimated at 5lbs and 7 lbs on Beat 9 and also returned 2 sea trout. David Kirk, Dublin caught a grilse of 4.5lbs in the Bridge Pool, and released 2 good sea trout of 1.5lbs each. Alistair Thorley, U.K., on an annual visit to the Erriff, caught 5 fish - with 3 in one day -Alistair retained one of 9.5lbs taken in the Colonels Pool on Beat 6 and released the other two - all 3 fish were taken on a Pot Bellied Shrimp. Mark Helmore, Clare, caught a grilse of 5lbs on a Shrimp pattern in The Straight on Beat 5. Jim Barry, Dublin, caught a grilse in the Gauge Pool on Beat 9 and lost another two at the net – Jim’s son Kenneth, on a brief visit from London was unlucky to lose a good salmon in the Gauge Pool on his first visit to the Erriff. Overall angling pressure was light on the fishery for most of the week with a total catch of 16 salmon and 8 sea trout.
The overall catch for the month was 57 salmon and 30 sea trout which again was a big increase on the combined rod catch for previous 2 years.
If the runs of salmon and sea trout which have as yet to peak continues it looks like being another very good season on the Erriff.
Raphael Amat releasing a nice grilse.