Mourne/Derg report week ending 16 June 2012
Posted by admin on June 17th, 2012 - Comments Off on Mourne/Derg report week ending 16 June 2012
Mourne Difficult is the best way to describe the week. One or two days at the start of the week looked promising only to be spoiled by heavy overnight rain pushing the river up. From Wednesday, 13 June the river has been in a dirty flood dropping occasionally to offer hope only to rise again due to heavy showers in the Sperrins. As I write Sunday, 17 June, there is hope with the rotten rock about to break at Victoria Bridge signalling the start of any serious angling effort. Catches were largely confined to the Sion Mills area in the early part of the week with some landed in the private beats above Victoria Bridge and as far as the Snaa. Plenty of fish seen dipping at the weir and Gravenue. It was encouraging to see the emergence, all be it small, of June running grilse. The high water should ensure these welcome visitors escape well up the system.
Sunday, 10 June: McCrea 1 fish Sion; T Cassells, 11lb Gravenue; C Kelly 14lb Sion; G Patton 7lb Sion; E Boyle 3.5lb & 4.5lb Sion; F Finley 2 fish Sion.
Monday, 11 June: F Finley 15lb, 13lb, 9lb, 7lb (two returned) Sion; G Robinson 5lb Sion; C Black 8lb Sion; J Connors 10lb Gravenue; T Quinn 6lb Sion; B Hutchinson 7lb Sion.
Tuesday, 12 June: J Winters 3 fish (2 returned) Sion; B Garland 1 fish Sion; A Norby 10lb Sion; G McClure 10lb & 7lb Back of the Mill.
Derg The river was in good nick for most of the week and it was good to report some fish, mostly springers, being landed around Castlederg town. One angler told me he seen bars of silver – grilse – for the first time in a few years and it made his day although he could not connect with any. Around Ardstraw there has been increased angling effort as news of a sprinkling of grilse on the move spread like wildfire. The outlook is that it will become warmer over the course of the coming week but still unsettled with the chance of heavy rain any day. Plan your visits well and get as much local knowledge as you can about the conditions before travelling. Grilse numbers should begin to build up steadily from now on.
Good to see the Finn and Derg getting some June grilse again which was the norm up until the last few years. Traditionally, the Mourne main run would be a week or so behind the Finn run. The Drowse also got a good run of fish.
Mark Gough, NM Tackle, Sion Mills Tel: +44 (0)28 8165 9501
Web: www.nmtackle.com Email:
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