Leinster Area Thread

niallon

In an effort to make information accessible as easily as possible ahead of (hopefully) better weather and some serious fishing starting in earnest, it has been decided to try out some area specific threads.

This thread is designed to hold discussion of Leinster waters be they lakes, canals, rivers etc. The aim is to have this thread, and the other area threads be the go to place for updated information on spots around the country.

Most won't want to share too much information about certain areas which is entirely understandable and what the aim of these threads will be is more so to provide practical information "Is this lake still fishable?","Have the access rights to this river changed?", "Any sign of X fly?". And so on.

Feel free to use these threads to post reports on recent trips to waters within the region too, the more pro tips the better .

Of course, usual forum charter rules apply.

niallon

Have been to Ennell twice and Lene and Derravaragh once this season so far myself.

Both trips to Ennell were on the fly for trout with Pike gear brought as a standby. Caught one Pike on the first trip (mid-late April) but lost him at the boat. Weather was just too good both days, too sunny for me and definitely too good for the fish. As mentioned in another thread, for anyone heading out on Ennell and leaving a car on the shore, be careful. Seemingly a lot of break ins going on and if at the Lilliput shore then park up at the Swift Centre, not in the isolated boat launch spot.

Lough Lene, the lake that will break me. I just can't seem to crack this lake, seems every time I go there the fish have changed their habits entirely. Stocked to the gills with decent Trout though and I saw a Pike of a nice size just toward the end of the trip, sitting at the surface with her head out of the water. Six trips since last summer and no fish, I don't think myself and Lene are meant to be.

Derravaragh was yesterday, my first time out on this lake for some reason. Spent the day trolling nearly the length of the lake, not so much as a sniff having gone through half the tackle box. Made one very important discovery for anyone that hasn't been out on Derravaragh before - the North/North East side of the lake can be tricky with any level of a wind brewing, got caught out yesterday and hit some very ropey water for a stretch with the wind building across the long surface of the lake, not for the faint hearted! Took one Pike right at the end of the day, after giving up the troll and resorting to spinning a Taz out of desperation for even a small Perch. Nice fish of 1-2 lbs and it will be a lot less time before I find my way onto Derravaragh again.

dodderangler

Tip for derevara.
Stick to the margins and weedbeds. Otherwise your pïssin into the wind.
Copper spoons are key on the lake for trawling but when your just castin I suggest any type of Mepps or taz and the pike will take.
Avoid south end during summer as you'll spend half the day taking weed off the rotar.
Trawl in between the reed beds and your bound to hit a fish eventually.
Also the area of north and south that meet into the river holds some nice pike and a floating dead bait is a great way of getting a double.
They tend to sit in the flow at the mouth of the river before it hits the lake. It's about 16 foot deep so it'll hold nice fish.

niallon

dodderangler wrote: »

Tip for derevara.
Stick to the margins and weedbeds. Otherwise your pïssin into the wind.
Copper spoons are key on the lake for trawling but when your just castin I suggest any type of Mepps or taz and the pike will take.
Avoid south end during summer as you'll spend half the day taking weed off the rotar.
Trawl in between the reed beds and your bound to hit a fish eventually.
Also the area of north and south that meet into the river holds some nice pike and a floating dead bait is a great way of getting a double.
They tend to sit in the flow at the mouth of the river before it hits the lake. It's about 16 foot deep so it'll hold nice fish.

Cheers, I'll definitely be back soon, hadn't bothered with the inland permits the last few years so we're making amends. Probably spent more time down the Crookedwood end than we should have, wind was coming from that end though so it was a lot less of a struggle than down the far end as the wind picked up across the lake. We were nearly back on the slip at the caravan park when I finally caught.

dodderangler

That area beside the caravan park is a hotspot for pike especially for jacks.
Before the Wooden pier collapsed in a storm I would fish from that pier and always caught jacks

niallon

dodderangler wrote: »

That area beside the caravan park is a hotspot for pike especially for jacks.
Before the Wooden pier collapsed in a storm I would fish from that pier and always caught jacks

Seems to be, makes travelling the length of the lake seem all the more redundant now (though the main plan was to explore the place having not been there so no harm)

Anyone on the Kildare stretches of the Liffey recently? Only got out in March and there didn't seem to be much on and had planned to get out this week but it looks like there's massive releases every day.

dodderangler

niallon wrote: »

Seems to be, makes travelling the length of the lake seem all the more redundant now (though the main plan was to explore the place having not been there so no harm)

Anyone on the Kildare stretches of the Liffey recently? Only got out in March and there didn't seem to be much on and had planned to get out this week but it looks like there's massive releases every day.

Lad in work fishes it quite a bit and isn't getting much but the odd jack and perch.
Plenty of fry about in it so they're been well fed now

niallon

Sorry meant to say I'd be after trout on the Liffey, tend to do most of my fly fishing there. Doesn't seem to be much sign of life yet though, admittedly the wildly changing weather hasn't helped in getting me out there.

ardinn

Smoothies have started on the east coast allready - I have seen a few reports now, the sea lads are salivating!

Also bass are running well, plenty caught in mid wexford shores the last 2 weeks - My first included

If only I didnt have to work - ever!

niallon

Finally got back out to the Liffey in Clane this evening, and of course Accuweather lied profusely to me. For the small time I was able to fish between horrendous wind and manky May rain I was encouraged enough to see a few smallies rising. Caught nothing with so little fishable time though.

One or two Mayfly knocking around, didn't see any being taken though. River is about the same level as normal but a lot quicker and the bed seems to have been rightly disturbed, a lot more holes along the stretch than I encountered last season.

niallon

Hit the Liffey in Straffan for an hour or two after work today and caught two Brownies on a small brown Klinkhammer. The curse is lifted! Definitely still fairly quiet on the river, some Mayfly about but no real interest in them from the Trout yet as far as I could see.

jack01986

I've been doing ok on the Dodder with olive dry fly patterns the last few days.

macscoob

Any suggestion what to use trolling for pike on Derravagh in the summer months?

dodderangler

macscoob wrote: »

Any suggestion what to use trolling for pike on Derravagh in the summer months?

Copper spoons but be prepared to be snagged....... A lot!
Gets really weedy during summer but troll around the reed beds and your guaranteed a fish. Maynot be big but you'll get a pike

weatherbyfoxer

macscoob wrote: »

Any suggestion what to use trolling for pike on Derravagh in the summer months?

Bulldawgs, line thru trout and fox replcants..bigger the better...trawl these 40-50m behind the boat and trawl slowly to start but try different speeds till you get a take...flooat trawling deads can be deadly too

niallon

Three very mixed days fishing since Sunday. Fished Lough Lene in Mullingar for a DTAA competition, 22 anglers and 15 fish weighed in, none caught by myself of course. I think fly fishing on the lakes is just not my thing!

Hit the Liffey Monday and Tuesday evening, very string hatch of Mayfly both evenings, got fish both evenings but it was only Tuesday they were coming to the May, still a bit cold I think.

dodderangler

From my experience on lakes fly fishing is only worth it if you know the lake very well. Otherwise your best off trolling or spinning and hope for the best

Mr Bumble

It's a fair point dodderangler. I did Corrib and Sheelin for years catching very little and not really understanding why. Did my head in. Went through a spell where I only fished rivers because of it.
It turned for me when I got in a boat with someone who did understand it and showed me what i was doing wrong and what i was doing right. But you're right, you do have to learn a lake as you would learn a river and as much as any river, it's about timing, conditions and presentation. Even if you get all of that right you can still blank. Sit on Currane for a week without seeing a fish and you know the meaning of frustration.
That said, a good day on a lake is very hard to beat and the only way to learn a lake is to fish it, ideally with someone else who does know it.

niallon

Yeah think I'll have to make a decision this season. I'd know Ennell fairly well and it's a nice day trip even without fish caught, but Lene is killing me. Seven trips since last June and no fish, meanwhile nearly every angler every time comes in with fish! A good hatch if Mayfly on a good day can change all that of course though, maybe the lakes will win out again ☺

Liffey is still going well though, did three hours last night up to eleven, caught one on the May, two more on G&H later and can't count how many I missed (combination of not being able to see in the low light and over eager strikes!)

dodderangler

Mr Bumble wrote: »

It's a fair point dodderangler. I did Corrib and Sheelin for years catching very little and not really understanding why. Did my head in. Went through a spell where I only fished rivers because of it.
It turned for me when I got in a boat with someone who did understand it and showed me what i was doing wrong and what i was doing right. But you're right, you do have to learn a lake as you would learn a river and as much as any river, it's about timing, conditions and presentation. Even if you get all of that right you can still blank. Sit on Currane for a week without seeing a fish and you know the meaning of frustration.
That said, a good day on a lake is very hard to beat and the only way to learn a lake is to fish it, ideally with someone else who does know it.

That's true. You won't find out about the lake by going once a year. Need to out in the time. Also learning about fish behaviour and the areas they're most likely going to be hanging around.
For pike I would normally hit the reed beds or 10-15 foot of water that has a healthy growth of weed.
For trout I would be looking for rocky type areas and behind islands and look for the water that breaks the surface but then flows into a flat area. Like fast flowing water that ends in calm waters.
And it's done me good. Trout in a lake don't act much different to trout in a river.

niallon

dodderangler wrote: »

That's true. You won't find out about the lake by going once a year. Need to out in the time. Also learning about fish behaviour and the areas they're most likely going to be hanging around.
For pike I would normally hit the reed beds or 10-15 foot of water that has a healthy growth of weed.
For trout I would be looking for rocky type areas and behind islands and look for the water that breaks the surface but then flows into a flat area. Like fast flowing water that ends in calm waters.
And it's done me good. Trout in a lake don't act much different to trout in a river.

Had hoped to get out and apply this advice on the lake but the river is well and truly in action.

Seven fish on the Liffey last night, all kicking off at 9pm. Been a good few days with black klinkhammers from about 7 - 9 but there's great late evening fishing to be got now. Until the weed takes over of course!