Mourne/Derg report week ending 19 May 2012
Posted by admin on May 21st, 2012 - Comments Off on Mourne/Derg report week ending 19 May 2012
Mourne Too high on Tuesday 15 May, otherwise a good week for both Mourne and Derg with excellent sustained water levels all week. Fly fishing was the order for most of the week but occasionally the spinners got in on the act and produced a few fish as well.
It was a good week on the Mourne with fresh fish moving in all week, mostly springers but also a few early grilse. Last Sunday was a red letter day around Sion Mills with about 11 fish landed and several more lost. There were about 30 landed for the week with the Gravenue figuring highly, a few fish above the weir were also landed. Best fish of the week fell to Strabane’s Christy Kelly with a fresh 12lb fish landed from the Gravenue on Wednesday 16 May.There are also reports of an angler landing a bigger fish from the Woodhole but to date I have no name.
Sunday 13May J McAleer 9lb, Blackstone; Alister Scott 5lb, Gravenue; J Brennan 7lb, Gravenue (returned); D Gallagher 11lb Gravenue; K McGurk7.5lb Gravenue; Eamon Boyle 6lb Gravenue; M Stewart 6lb; J Tinney 9lb
Monday 14 May A Norby 10lb Gravenue; T Farrell 11lb Gravenue (returned); E McLoughlin 6lb Gravenue; A Murphy 10lb Woodhole; P Martin 8lb Strabane.
Tuesday 15 May A Norby 9lb Gravenue; D Patton 10lb Gravenue; J Winters 5lb (returned);
Thursday 17 May A Norby 7lb Gravenue
Friday 18 May E McLoughlin 6lb Gravenue; BHutchinson9lb Gravenue.
Saturday 19 May D Hanna 10lb Bigh
There were about half a dozen other fish landed but names and sizes are sketchy.
Derg Good water all week might encourage an odd early springer to enter the river. To date, I have no reports of any fish seen or landed.
Water levels are good at the moment and should hold for most of next week. Milder weather forecast for the first half of the week should ensure good fishing conditions.
An angler recited an interesting tale to me this week about a visit to the Blackstone. While deep wading the run over the pool he saw what he described as pig entering the pool through the streams. A large back just broke the surface below followed by a parting of the waves like a mini tsunami. With his heart thumping at the thought of hooking a leviathan (!) he put out a perfect cast and watched and waited breathless as his fly swung around. The feeling was short lived, and his heart sank when he saw the tell-tale bubbles of an otter swimming deep and coming ever closer in his direction. About four feet in front of him the bubbles stopped and a large head appeared with a cheeky look on its face. Close your knees tightly was the first thought, followed by where is my wading stick?! The otter showed no fear and was having none of it! He dived and like a ballistic torpedo rammed him in the mid ships, just below the water line. The by now speechless and shocked angler told me it was like having your middle stump uprooted, bails and all! Lovely little otter was the immediate after-thought when he ran up the bank!
My advice to anglers thinking of casting a line around the Blackstone any time soon is “BEWARE”: you have been warned.
Mark Gough, NM Tackle, Sion Mills Tel: +44 (0)28 8165 9501
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