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Sun 11 May 08
10.30 am
grevenue pic coming up.
And another dry morning with very low water .
The bulk of the water at sion is not going down the lade which leave's the grevenue fishable , plus the odd fish showing .
The long stream's could hold a few fish , and the lower strabane /lifford water's are really the last few places left to fish.
My advice is to" NOT COME HERE"right now , because it's going to be a waste of your money and your time.
Im only being honest , and it's hurting my pocket.
Thing's would be completely different if the goverment's didn't fund the fisheries here .
But then the goverment's on both side of the border deserve everything they get really.
If they are that naive and don't know what's going on here , well all i can say is....roll on the payroll and let's have a party ourselve's .
Im just jealous because i can't get a slice of the big goverment iced cake before it melt's.
And i don't get paid if i change my vehicle every couple of year's ........There i go again ...im just a tant you know , but a truthful one at that .
The photo is of the grevenue on the mourne yesterday , and fish were showing , the lad at the upper section of the stream was nearly wet by a huge fish turning beside him.
Sat 10th May 08
7.pm
Only two angler's fishing fly down the grevenue this evening around 1.pm .
A good big slightly coloured fish just pounced out feet in front of the top angler as he fished it down the grevenue pool
, it actually frightened him slightly .
photo later of my position as they never even seen me ..
9.am
It's dry and calm and fishy for the tidal area of the upper foyle and lower finn , the only places that tourist's ..local's and visitor's from all over can fish with a chance of getting a fresh fish right now , but sadly the Fisheries of the foyle have closed it to all.
So what they are saying is " go somewhere else for your fishing trips instead of coming to the foyle"
But they are not all that bad into the bargain because they also point out that if you wait for a month or two , you can if you want go to the spawning bed's and get some nice coloured salmon for smoking , infact some will be that dark you'll not need to smoke them at all ...But listen here before you start running off to the S bend's on the upper finn , or petigo pool on the upper derg , or places like that , all's not going to be made easy for you guy's from this year on .....oh no .
From now on you who fish such pools with the notion of taking your daily quota home , will be asked to scrape up all the pink eggs that the hen salmon release's when she is hit over the head on the river bank......This is very important.
I personally think the world's gone mad
.
One angler said to me yesterday from the faughan . " do you notice the amount of car's at the fishery office everyday"
There must be at least 100 staff in there he Added.
Now their going to take kiddies for walk's in wood's with Bluebell's up to their arse's ,and the chief playing the Tin whistle like the Pied Piper of Hamlin in front of them..
I can picture it all as i write this piece
....holy god almighty .
What did Nero Do all those centuries ago ?........exactly
Fri 9th May 08
8.30pm
This is michael pettigrew with a nice fresh fish from guess what part of the mourne....last weekend though .
What rain we have today would only wet a very dry garden .
There will be no fresh water lad's ...sorry.. no none at all .
The water at sion is dry ...i seen no fish showing as i stood at the woodhole this evening , and sion club stayed open long enough for daily ticket's to be got .
I supose it's hard enough to keep everyone happy all the time in that area , and perhap's they need a break from knock's from people like me ...who knows.
Back in the morning.
12.20 pm
Its starting to brighten up .
I think i'll show you some photo's of the strabane and lifford angler's water's starting with this one of the soon becoming famous Doctor's.
9.20 am
The rain was pretty heavy there for an hour , but has eased off .
We need a fresh badly .....not a good time to come here right now .
7.30 am
The river's are in a bad state regarding level's.
The only place that fishe's is the tidal and lower mourne .
The foyle fishe's well , but they have that closed remember for no senseable
reason .
I don't want to attack our fisheries all the time , but they are so silly.
I have yet to meet someone that has something positive to say about them , Why are other fisheries in Ireland respected by their angler;s , and its the complete opposite
up here.
Anyway i don't want to bore you today.....It looks like the sky could burst up toward's the Finn Valley this morning , its very dark and thundery looking.......Sion waters are very low.
Thurs 8th may 08
8.30 pm
The writing was getting very slow so i had to delete alot of reports to make room.
We only seen one fish this morning , but i wasn't expecting to see really anything until after high water at lifford bridge this evening , but we had to go early .
Someone said there is a cure in the foyle water because one of the zimmer framer's was able to maneover a boat on his own up through lifford bridge at high water today all on his own .
He will sleep tonight alright...................again.
It look's like thunder this evening .
--------------------------------
Terry Smith was one of yesterday's hooker's with a fish at 10lb ..2nd this year .
There is fish showing at most sections of the lower mourne , and the tide was big this morning .
And the local sion lad's were telling me that 2 fish were caught at victoria at the weekend.
No fish caught this morning simply because theirs no good angler's fishing anywhere ..they must be away for the day....just a couple of polish guys sitting fishing the sion water., and no one on the strabane water at all.
9.30 am
Its another bright day , and you can think that the finn will fish if you want ,or the Derg ..or the Faughan ,but my money is on the lower mourne this week..
This by the way is in relation to people emailing me and Texting plus phoning about why is the finn not in order and why is there no rain over and up there in the northwest of Ireland.
Well I know i'm close to the Boy up above , but only through Prayer...And he call's all the shot's at the end of the day.
He's very angry at the minute with a fishery , and might just bring on a drought to highlight pollution problem's.
.oh dear . i think he's angry.
Mark Speake from sion had a fish from the Bears Burn ......its round time.
Sun 4th May 08
5.45pm
And here are the latest report's from the Mourne today.
A 13lb fresh springer caught at purgurtry
.
A 14lb fresh springer caught behind the upper section of the mill .
An 8lb fish caught near the woodhole.
A good fish played and lost at the long stream's by D. Patton......he's still the master though.
A 5lb fish caught at the burn.
And P Mc Guigan said that he seen fish moving through the strabane water's yesterday evening.
Remember these spring tide's ... It should be the best week of the year ...this coming week that is.
Its hot and dry...but the mourne is in good condition.
11.45 am
A fish caught at the Bears Burn at sion on the Mourne by Emmon from belfast.{5lb}
Other fish are getting caught around sion and the rest of the Mourne also , But of course anglers are not going to broadcast it to everyone around the country for every other Man Jack angler and bailiff to desend upon their little quiet fishing spot ...no chance.
So that is why you will only hear about one third of catches on the foyle system.
One such angler had 48 fish in his freezer last year.
And soon you will have to buy tag's .....I bet you that every angler will only have one fish per season when that come's into force ..if any at all .
I know for a fact that most anglers sent in a very low catch report last season , which makes the fisheries think that some rivers are well stocked altogether ..
Well we all know the Mourne run is not counted , its impossible because you all know as much as i do that the weir at sion mills is not a controled fish counter because fish run up along the side of it and not through it as some silly people are led to believe at time's..
Just think of the Millions and Millions of pounds that are wasted on this system ...but no matter what they do, the salmon run is getting worse on the like's of the owenkillew ....the glenelly ...the roe ...and the finn.
Is the message not getting through to them i wonder.....Too Many Cook's spoil the Broth ....Too many chief's not enough indian's .....That kind of stuff .
But they can't have people like me telling them their job can they..oh no ...But they had to copy me when i put a foylefishing sign on my vehicle , and they also had to follow me with fishing report's even though they have a long way to go for success in that department ..
All they have to do now is to put some kind of regulations on the spawning bed's and give the remainder of the commercial netsmen an offer before this summer , because im going down to film a good sweep of salmon and sea trout this year and put it on our video gallery ,plus im going to show photos and video's of pollution in our little stream's.......This will drive everyone crazy , thus pressure will then be applied on the fisheries.
They are getting away with nothing , and i mean nothing at all ...i have declared war on these so call managers of our river's .{hunter's Law has to be enforced}..This by the way is not aimed at the ordinary Foot soilder bailiff because they actually agree with me and think that most manager's are WAN---S....i'd better not say it.
Its just like our Health system here ...Plenty of Money ...But spent in the wrong direction .
Going to walk the river mourne today....coming.
SAT 3rd May 08
7.pm
Patrick Mc Guigan had a nice 12lb 1 oz fish from the mourne today...I'm not telling his catch location cos it would start a stampede ..covered in sea lice by the way ...and i heard this 4 hours ago but promised not to say until now.
And marty mclaughlin along with his side kick marty mc daid fished a trout farm near cookstown yesterday ...im not even going to tell you how they got on ..what a disaster.
This is young Cris Gallagher with his own catch along with his father's , caught by the way on one of the beats on the upper finn..
And a phone call just in telling me that a fish has just been lost at the bear's burn.on the Mourne.
Good water and fish showing...My advice is ....Get your ass to the River Mourne Now For This Coming Week , big tides on Mon.
9.30 am
This morning is blustery and sign's that there was rain during the night.
Every angler must be out this morning also.
And wait until you here this ....WHO do think forgot to build a slipway for putting protection boats in when a new fishery office was built beside the river....guess.
FRI 2ND MAY 08
9.30 pm
G. Hamilton had a nice 8lb fish from the strabane water today , plus another fish caught just above him at 11lbs.
Photos of finn springers also coming up...im rushing here
father and son get a fish each up the finn today
9.am
Very little cloud's in the sky this morning so i wouldn't be surprised if it rained after diner time...its to good to be true.
Dessie patton had a grilse of 3lb's yesterday i was told....so could we be getting an early grilse run like 4 years ago.
New Moon Tides building and the big one is on mon .
So my advice is to head for the mourne this weekend {anywhere}and you are in with a very good chance .
and if your not sure where to go ...I'll personally take you out to the location's that i think best....so get a booking now.
Thurs 1st May 08
9.15pm
I forgot to mention that 3 fresh fish were caught at cloghan yesterday , but the water is on the low side.
And a bear had a fish from the burn today also.
Plus.....The simply red squad were
fishing ballysadare river today in sligo{owenmore i think}but any road ...they had a nice fish on the shrimp...purple boy.....I think you are allowed to fish them down there ....but they are usually fly rod men which makes it strange.
Theres something else but i forget.
6.15pm
Fish showing nicely in the grevenue , i heard there was one got very early this morning by a local , so hush hush.
And when i was there this evening ,there was one lost and i seen about 4 turning .
The water is perfect and the gates are closed for two weeks.
And dessie patton had a good fish on tues past, or was it monday.
1.45 pm
This is the 2000/1 shot Marty Mc Laughlin with his first springer of the year hooked and landed just under an hour ago at christies stream in the middle of strabane town.
Plus i must add that Marty only took fly casting lessons this year from G.Mc Aleer a local instructor.
Before that you would have thought Marty was a Lion Tamer from some Circus
7.30am
Yes its MayDay MayDay ...And that include's the Month of the year as well as the Grave situation our river's are in here.
The Mourne and Faughan are the only good river's left.
An Emailer said that you should call the head Indian seal " Dark Cloud "
Why have we not got a restocking programe here says another.
If the fisheries are getting so much funding ..why are they failing
And i tried the fish test with the wife last night , and have now got the shape of a John West tin of salmon in my mouth like an native tribe member from South America with the stretched lips..
Its a dry morning , and sion and strabane are the places to be today , but you could pick a fish up around newtownstewart....back later.
WED 30 th April 08
1.15 pm
I don't know what the anglers are complaining about at sion regarding gates and smolts .....everything seem's fine to me when i was up there 30 minute's ago.
And i don't see any visitor's up there today ,plus the shop closed at 12.30 pm ...i don't blame them one bit.
Only club members fishing the grevenue and one fish caught .
You dare not take a photo ...it could spark of a stampede of unwanted visitor's into the area .
But if you are close to being a pro , go to strabane/lifford anglers water
tomorrow , you could be in with a chance of a fish as well as a bit of peace and space.
Ticket's from Country Sport's 02871883021
12noon
A run to sion now to see what's stiring with the gates.
Fish lost at 9.50 am{mourne}news at bottom.
7.35am
Im not joking what im about to say.. but ...The river Finn Through Sheer Neglect on the Fisheries And upper management's part has finally died a painful death .
Andersdisease has finally destroyed what was once the best spring fish river in europe.
And all they had to do was to protect the spawning bed's .....But over the last few year's it has been shrimped out.. fished out ..poached out...Now the goose that lay's the golden egg is dead.
The Finn is Dead ...Long live The Mourne.
Put it like this ....I won't be back ..I had a visitor here yesterday , and between talking to angler's and watching pool's ..I never seen so much as a trout turn never talk about a salmon.
And the water was in good order also.
So you won't here me complain about any bann's on the lower end anymore ....The finn is not worth even walking along this year .
And it's not good for your mind when you stand there thinking about the way it used to be.
I thought Goverment's invested money in positive Project's .
They might aswell fill a dozen fertilizer bag's with £20 note's , then add some petrol , and set light to them all rather than fund the foyle's main Fishery....It even pain's me to mention their proper name...so im not.
Im going to call it SEAL Headquarter's because Seal's seem to know who's on their side as you can tell in the picture.
To be more honest , i think if you cut the face's of the inspector's at prehen main office , you will find that they aren't Human's at all but Alien Seal's
that have come through a vortex of Time to destroy the human race by cutting of all food source's
You must stop them before they destroy the Mourne Next......but who can you trust ....is my wife a Seal ?....Is yours?......Test them with a kipper tonight just before bed time....And if they jump up and clap their hand's ...Hit them over the head....and if they don't ....hit them over the head anyway.
I think the man at the top of the fisheries carries a dark shadow of bad luck over his head also, and if you go anywhere near him , you will also be contaminated ...stay clear.
Now then ...back to trying to keep stable.
One fish caught at cloghan yesterday...9lb....B..hutchinson.
And news just in at 9.50 am...Dee Mc Colgan has just lost a good fish at the mourne at strabane , he sounded shakey .
10.05 am ....A text....Marty Mc Daid ...an angler from strabane who drives an oil lorry during the day , has just filled the wrong oil tank
Yes we try to cater for all nutters here.
And this morning is damp but clearing..some big heavy shower's though....back later to fix the mis spelling.
Tues 29th April 08
4.pm
Im just back from liscooley for a flask of coffee.....one fish seen turning , and some anglers reckon the finn will close next year because its not good.
The water is in good order.
.
Smolts are going down through sion .....in a rush.
12.noon
The finn will fish well today ..hopefully your reports of catches later.
The mourne will fish tomorrow when it cleans out , but you will find that it will remain mirky .
Sand pits always take advantage of fresh water to dispose of wash.
An email regarding choped fish and closed gates at sion from a sion angler....i must find out what its all about.
9.30 am
The river Mourne has a brown fresh in it this morning , but the finn remain's clean and some fresh water..
Checking liscooley now.....the day is dry.
7.30 am
I will be crossing all the rivers in exactly 25 minutes if you need to know the latest water level's.
Mon 28th April 08
9.45 pm
I went up and checked the derg 15 minutes ago , and its clean and just above average ...the finn at clady is the same ....so the only way i can explain it to you is ......If i was a springer , i would have no problem what so ever moving up river.
8.20 pm
The way i see the water now is like this , but could change over night ...understand.
The rivers are up to their normal levels after last nights rain.
You could say that we have a ft of fresh water , and coloured to an extent .....but as i said ...its back up to normal level after been well below over the last two weeks.
Todays rain might still have to come down , because there was some serious showers during the day today.
I can check it early for you if you like.
4.02 pm
The sky is black up towards the finn valley at the minute , and its moving right across towards the derg .
Mourne is still creeping.
2.pm
Sorry about the wrong day on the date there .....i need a break big time , and i think a week in the sun is what the doctor ordered.
And yes ..i think we have a rise in our river's here ...the mourne seem's to be creeping
steady and turning colour....i'll keep an eye ...this is where the importance of this site comes into good use
1.30 pm
There has been some serious rain in the last hour here ...if only it had have kept up for another hour.
9.30 am
Only a couple of anglers out early this morning before work .
Has anyone got a good streamy photo of the river Roe ....i need it for the new site which im told is ready to go live ....i'll take a run down now and get one of the strabane water for the mourne , but if you have any good photos even of the faughan , i'd be greatfull ...the last faughan pictures were slightly blured..
7.30 am
We had very prolonged heavy rain during the night , but the ground will definitely take the most of it.
Sun 27th april 08
A gentleman came across this boy whilst out for a stroll early this morning at prehen.
And you may think it's a seal , but it's not ......It's an inspector trying to make it to the river for a drink....I wonder does he know about the pollution problems we're having.
I noticed douglas burn changing a bad colour today.
6.55pm
A phone message just in saying that ....the young Devine lad from raphoe has now got a second fish from lifford bridge for the day....that's two yesterday also remember.
As i said earlier .....these young bro's don't hang about.
2.25 pm
A visiting angler lost a fish below the arches just over an hour ago .
And those young lad's nailed a fish below lifford bridge around the same time .
It look's like a thundery sky....could it be ....could it possibly be heavy rain?..could it.....watch this space.
12 noon
A young lad from raphoe co . doneagal walked in below lifford bridge yesterday and hooked and landed two good fish ..bar's of silver.
At this minute there is about 6 car's at lifford bridge but all the angler's are sitting along the river talking , and at the same time these young anglers from raphoe have landed and are getting stuck in hard with their spinning rod's again ..no messing .
And i heard that one angler lost both his rod and fish during the week because he had no licence.
10.am
Karl Corry had this nice 8.10 lb fish from lifford bridge last night.
Karl also said that he seen about 6 or more good fish turning as they were moving through that section..
The day is dry again ...what a nice lesson.
And you would think that once a man goes to his bed at night , all thought's of fishing would leave his mind when he fall's asleep.
Well no such luck from this department...Believe this or not but my vivid dream was about the grevenue , and i seen two building's sitting up from the gravel side of where the old hut used to be .....one was a massive shelter and the other was an office made of some sort of fibre , plus it was solely managed by a sion mill's team for a bigger fishery.
There was alway's a good flow of water going through the grevenue itself , and angler's were happy with the rotation system .
Plus the whole area was protected by a perimeter fence over at the mill which was closed for some strange reason {south Africa came to mind}can't work that one out.
Anyway the strangest thing of all was that nobody could see me walking amoung them as they worked in the office, and as angler's fished all along the river side ....they still couldn't see me ...maybe they didn't want to {joke}
Scary or what though, or for who.
So the thought for this spring sunday morning is .
LET'S GO TO THE PUB FOR A SESSION OF DRINK , MUSIC AND WOMAN...cos it could be your last.
But the dream was true....i even know who's going to get the job in the office.
Sat 26th april 08
8.pm
Strabane and lifford water's are doing surperb this week.....young Paddy Devine had a 9.7lb fish yesterday at lifford bridge and a 7lb fish at the same spot the day before .
His brother had a 10lb fish also today , and more day tickets had to be left into Northwest country sports shop today as they are going like hot cakes.
An odd fish is still getting through to sion waters with Mark Speak getting a 10lb fish at the bears stream this morning.
The water is very low everywhere else ...best place ....strabane/lifford
Oh dear ....bullock's...........................What i mean is...it wasn't a heffer after all ..it was one of 5 bullock's .....so it's head's down for a serious dissapointment and off home .
the day is picking up after a dampish start.
9.15 am
M. Mc Laughlin said he lost a fish this morning below the arches in strabane ......yeh yeh yeh Marty...It got to the stage of Desperation now boy.
Fish are also showing well on all part's of the strabane /lifford water.
And a guy from dublin want's to know what time can you fish the strabane waters from in the morning and can you pre book ........I'll find out .
Fri 25th April 08
18.30 pm
The cow was rescued , and as you see on sean's face ...the elder's passed his personal approval test on his part .
but sweeno was disapointed , as he like's the
bigger and heavier model from the outback that provide's more heat and comfort for a man that lay's out all night.
1.10pm
This is one rare moment that our lough's agency Bailiff's are NOT praying for a rise .
This young Heffer cow decided to take more than a drink from the port on the river finn just 30 minute's ago and ended up to her neck in trouble, and as the tide started to rise fast , Donal and the Thunderbird Squad had to move fast and save the day.
It's just not all fishery protection we're involved with one of the bailiff's added
...and we definitely don't have any Beef with this girl near the river ...infact Sweeno And Sean Reckon's she looked kinda pertie and had a nice mouth., but they were not saying to much until they seen the elder's , and we're not talking about Mum and Dad here either.
9.10 am
No fresh water im afraid lad's, and i see the same angler's out this morning fishing lifford bridge and the arches at strabane ...alway's in with a chance though.
I can alway's tell how many of you office guy's log on to this site ......The little clock goes mad up until Tea Break..
It's alright for you lad's ...Warm and dry and looking out through a window.....Look at me ...i have to go now for a horrible walk along some river bank and mix in with wild animal's and fish plus insect's and nesting bird's........horrible.
The rain is steady but very light
7.30 am
It's a dry morning, but we had really heavy rain during the night.
Checking the small stream's now.
Thurs 24th April 08
9.30 pm
All calm around the lower finn , i thought i'd see a fish turn before dark , but Nothing at all.
Plenty of fry though.
Some stick's i set yesterday across quiet rugget path's have been broken , which indicate's that somebody
has walked that area.at sometime during the last 24 hour's.
Maybe not important , but what the heck .
And it wasn't animal's either , unless they were wearing hognail boot's
4.pm
I walked a nice deep area of an unspoiled river derg this morning , and for £10 a season , you can't go wrong .
And even though there's the odd stream , it's mostly deep and ideal for spinning or worming .
Put it like this ...thousand's of salmon have to go past it first to stock the upper reaches, and they won't be red either.
Some shower's around at the minute and heavy ....2 different angler's at lifford bridge now
.....one wearing grey socks with a hole in the big toe of the right foot.....grey body wader's with a patch on the left leg.......driving a DL 99 red Ford.
Taxed until June ...born 17/2/62....troubled child.
The other is baby faced with new rod , and new car 08
...pink underpants with spoted socks ..all expensive gear ..but no Tax...he must be on DLA.....just messing....its usually paid for.
12.45 afternoon
A fish caught at lifford bridge just over an hour ago ...5lb
Bailiff's there also
9.40 am
No fresh water if that's what you want to hear , the day has even got brighter.
Two anglers fishing fly on the strabane /lifford waters right now....F Elliott at lifford bridge and a visitor above the new bridge.....i can also see an angler further up at the doctor's but i think he's spinning.
7.35 am
The start to the day is bright . However ..there was rain during the night but i think that the ground has taken alot of it because of the new growth .
It does give more rain for tomorrow , but if thats not enough you may say bye bye to the spring fishing here which will give the perfect excuse for the fishery to close the finn next year , so then all you angler's can get a day or a weeks fishing on the Duke's water on the mourne -----well that seem's to be the plan anyway.
The Duke and the head of the fisheries are the best of buddies you see and i bet you 10p to a £1 that a grand fair will be held on the duke's land this year at the Tax payers expence......you think im joking .....watch this space.
Im off to do the rounds
Wed 23rd April 08
8.pm
The fish are where no anglers are allowed to fish , but if you hang a 4 into 11 of a 5 .7inch mesh net at 30 meshes deep with no cork's on it because of a third strand of plastic binder twine which acts as a good flooting rope anyway .....you have a good chance of snicking 7 or 8 good big springers every time the boat goes down ...or up the hill...whatever.
You see ...you can fish 50 yards of lifford bridge , but you can't fish either the upper side which is the tidal finn , or the lower side which is the foyle .
So the message is clearly sent out to the world by our fishery .......don't come to the foyle to catch silver sea liced salmon because we have closed it on you .
But we do invite you to fish for nice big red one's up at spawning ground's on all our tributaries here.
Is that ok for you sir ....thankyou.....that will be £2.500 plus vat
please.
I don't know if any of you heard of Hunter's Law from Scotland ....well ......im back
Lifford bridge is still the only chance ..early morning and late evening....the town also.
The sky looks a bit on the angry side as i gaze up finn vally....could be rain later.
7.20 am
Another dry and sunny morning , a few showers during the night though.
And theres a slot about salmon poaching on BBC 1 breakfast this morning
.
Lifford bridge is the only spot for the day.
Tues 22nd April 08
7.30pm
I have been around a good part of our system today with writer Richard owen ....We talked and walked and told true stories about different fisheries and their fault's .
Richard said ..please don't let your river's end up like his .
Richard added that conifirs have destroyed most of the spawning beds over where he hail's from plus negligence and neglect on river's like the wye
This man was honest and straight to the point and hit me hard and fast with a statement telling me that i was a thorn in our fisheries side here.
He added that i was a loose cannon in their eyes and when certain thing's
are going wrong , the last thing that they need is some nutter like me going around broadcasting it to the world {not in those words by the way}, and especially pollution problem's he said.
The fisheries he added ..are paid millions each year to contain such incident's , and people are employed to sort these thing's out without your help .
So there you go ...i'd better say nothing...oh and we seen one seal and a very panicy springer or two at york's corner on the finn .
Yes the seal's are cleaning up the lower finn because
theres no angler's about .
Writer ..Richard Owen's can confirm this point as he stood with his mouth opened as a seal chased springer's up and down the lower finn.
And to finish ....I hope you all learn a lesson
on this deed that was let happen on this suffering little river.
I don't know this but ...how many salmon does a seal need to eat per day....theres two more laying on the sand bank at the mouth of the finn.
Christy Kelly walked in on top of two laying back enjoying the morning sun....contact him ..fact
and an email saying that a net is on the finn below the port..........im sorry sir ...they won't beleive that....but i'll put it up anyroad.
No reports of fish caught ...but remember ...i was away.
7.30 am
I have received emails and texts in the past informing me that the guy from simply Green at cloghan got the lower finn closed , but last nights phone call from a fishery confirmed it.
Now due to the prolonged low water that no one predicted , poachers are rubbing their hand's and.saying that simply green is simply the best , and the only salmon you'll get in cloghan this year will be simply red.
Nobody is shocked anymore ...We don't even have a restocking program on the foyle ...I think their more interested in mussel's out near the coast..
Its a nice sunny morning , and still strabane for a fresh fish.
Mon 21st April 08
9.pm
Im just back from ballymongan up the derg , and only for the sharp eyed buzzards along with me i would never have seen A white hare running along with young lamb's down towards the river .
what a sight.
Oh and one more fish caught on the strabane waters and one lost.
1.35 pm
A correspondent from the river wye is at this second in time walking the grevenue , and will venture on down towards the strabane waters along the river bank.
Richard Owen is staying until wed and is
writing about our fishing areas here and fisheries, im meeting up with him later.
1.pm
Dee Mc Colgan has just landed a nice fish about 7lbs near the doctors on the mourne ..he returned her safely .
and now that im here on the site ...high water was exactly 11.30 am .
9.40 am
When i stoped along the water wall at lifford just under an hour ago , i seen 2 different fish splashing below the bridge....looking good...and now im off along the lower finn for a bit of tracking..
7.35 am
Strabane and lifford water's are the only place to fish now .
The tide's look like a bit of a fresh when it turns and high water should be around 11 am this morning.
Im sorry but all our suited waters on the tidal areas of the finn and upper foyle are closed to the public by the fishery except the strabane /lifford
angler's section .
But you are allowed to take fish out of the spawning bed's of the river finn. , that not a problem .
Good chances of a fish around strabane this week .
Sun 20th April 08
3.15 pm
plenty of young angler's out on both the sion and strabane water's today .
There was also 3 fish caught at the arche's yesterday , two by S.devine
from strabane town.
The weather is on the cold side but dry.
I also seen a couple of fish showing today .
Big tide tonight around 10.30 at lifford bridge.
11.45 am
It was great to see about 15 or more anglers fishing below lifford bridge yesterday .
These anglers were not strabane and lifford anglers but fishermen from all art's and part's of Ireland .
They just had to go somewhere because the club keep's a nice tight daily ticket restriction on the club's water's .
However ...If the nonsence below the bridge was sorted out , perhap's the club could cater for those angler's also .....at the minute ..if an angler fall's and break's his leg below the bridge , who is he insured by ......would it be The monk's of clonleigh who died about 200 years ago?.
We could all be fishing in peace like this visiting angler in a springer last tues .
The bush is his local club and they have the very odd rule , but nothing like what we have here.
The fisheries have alot to answer to.......here is one simple question i'd ask the
head of the fisheries .
Why are you trying to destroy our river's here like you did in the bush and bann.?
Anyway ...after watching all the angler's , i decided to call into the huge store Asda in strabane town yesterday afternoon ....Well i looked around and couldn't believe my eye's when i seen one of the inspector's hanging on to his wife's shopping trolly, just like the old pram day's when he wore short's .......sorry ...no change in that last statement .....still wears short's ...dib dib dib scout leader.
Sat 19th April 08
2.45 pm
19 angler's from dublin have crossed the border here after been charged nearly 1000 euros for fishing at cloghan on the finn in co donegal for a day.
Half have gone to strabane water's whilst the rest are fishing sion .
They seem nice lad's , and told me the accommodation they stayed in at the lodge was appalling .
They also added that they were led to believe that cloghan was full of salmon and the water was in perfect condition.
The lad's that are fishing down from behind the mill have seen about 6 or so fish turning out in front of them so far.
12noon
The wind has changed for the better , and the day is milder.
An email...goes like this.
Danny ..i was fishing the mourne this afternoon along side a young angler called james gallagher age 11 from strabane .
This young fella was giving a master class in fly fishing simply superb.
Young james hooked his first salmon which i saw many times as it exploded with great leaps and powerful run's over the grevenue .
unfortunately this big fish wasen't ready to be caught just yet , and after a 20 minute battle with young jame's , this beautiful doubled figuried 12-14lb bar of silver finally
broke free with one last power house run taking the cascade with it .
I spoke with young james and he told me his fly leader was only 10lb's .
I felt bad for this young angler after losing what was undoubtedly any anglers ultimate first salmon .At least young james has a tail to tell.
9.30 am .
A nice morning so far , but it's still a chilly north easterly wind , but don't worry ...it will heat up gradually in the near future {september}.
Big tide's this weekend.
Other new's ....angler's are that fed up with crazy made up rule's from the fishery , that they have just gone ahead and fished the tidal finn anyway .
We have a laughing stock of a fishery here , and now the goverments are going to give them more money to hire part time student's as river watchers so that they can go for boat trip's down around the foyle and call it cool. ....same student's probibly as last year ...but its handy money before they qualify and go on to be banker's and teacher,s ect.
There used to be 2 secretaries in the old fishery building ...now their's 50 secretaries ......even secretaries have secretaries now ....infact the secretaries secretaries have secretaries , and the inspector's don't want to leave the building at all because there's to many secretaries about ..One of the inspector's wife's applied for a job there as a secretary , but diden't get the post because it would upset the rest of the secretaries.
And there was more fish when there was only 2.secretaries
Fri 18th April 08
11pm
I had Darren Black a solicitor from devon out today , but it was bitterly cold and we only seen 4 different fish turning .
The man reckon's that the strabane water is surperb , and is shocked that the lower end of lifford bridge is not opened to anglers from our town.
A sign is important , and why is there not one up if it is closed to the public.
Darren has purchased a ticket for sunday ,and is looking forward to another day on our water's before he return's to england on monday .
Darren i must add was tempted to buy a selection of flies from country sports
......the same as tuesdays catch by Graham turner {photo}recommended by Martin Mc Daid ....his own special's ......can't say to much.
9.am
Its a good morning for the fly at either the lower Mourne or the faughan .
Some legal work has to be done now in regard's to the Derg water , that is why i took
yesterday s statement down temporarily.
A couple of new photo's coming up soon..
Im off now on a guiding mission today ..so back this evening
.
Thurs 17th April 08
7.30 am
Its a cloudy morning but dry.
Best area's to fish are doneloop on the lower finn .
Lifford ..strabane and sion mills section's from the foyle up to the weir on the mourne.
Im off this morning again to meet up with Mr Richard J Bass and party , and to point out his area's of rites, which i must add ..take's in Killeter Forest along the border and all the shooting rite's.
As i said ...anyone that is involved in present boundries for fishing ect in that area , can obtain a copy of these deed's and all documentation through myself..lough's agency included. .
Other derg club members were contacted yesterday evening , but they also refused to meet with the visiting party .
Local solictors will be informed in due course.
Oh i nearly forgot -------have a nice day
Wed 16th April 08
Graham turner and Chris Steele with the 10.7lb springer caught at lifford bridge .
12.10 pm.
Im just back from a meeting with a party of researchers in regard's to the shooting and fishing rights from 2 miles downstream from killeter up to lough derg .
A Mr Richard J Bass Has produced The legal Documentation of Deed's at our meeting , and is at this minute off to the Forrestry
commision .
Castlederg Angler's Rep R.Harron refuse's to Meet with this party saying that it belongs to lord caladon
, but according to the official drawn up plains and maps shown , Lord Caladons estate begin's on the north bank of killeter , and runs down one side for 2 miles , then and only then does it take both sides of the river down towards castlederg.
Mr R .J. BASS beleive's that nothing can move forward without the farmer's consent and believes that everyone can benifit through an enhancing program set about to help local's and tourist's alike to enjoy the freedom of our country sport's activities .
Mr Bass did produce the nessasary documents if anyone would like to have a look at .
Another meeting is going to be set up , and farmers and local's will be invited to attend .
Waterway's through that forrest will be secured without contest , and Mr bass wants to share it with the people of both our country and tourist's alike.
Mr Bass 's Family orginally came from the killeter area in the 50's
.and his father was well known.
Sorry about the writing , but there you go .....A light at the end of one tunnel.
And im just thinking ...if this is legal and above board .....and it look's like it is ...doesn't that make most of the club water's documentation signed by farmer's around killeter and above ...VOID.
7.30 am
The morning is bright so far , and i forgot to mention that we seen about a dozen fish yesterday heading for the finn ...don't ask me how i know they were heading for that river for god sake.
The area above us and below us are closed to angling because of ..because of ..because of.
Ask the loughs agency ....But what i do know is that ..by doing so ..its wide open to poachers.
A documentry will have a field day here , wait until you see ....watch this space ......and even if they do open it ...they are looking to turn it ,, yet again into another seperate fishery .
I hope we are standing on top of lifford bridge soon explaining to reporters why we are in this mess .....we don't even have to move ...no ...just point .
Back later....have a nice day.
TUES 15th April 08
11.pm
Im going to make a small meal out of this so im doing three stage's of photo's .
This is Consultant Graham Turner from Altnagelvin Hospital getting a 10.7lb springer landed by myself at lifford bridge today .
This is graham 's first springer in 10 year's and his first from the foyle system.
Don't worry Chris { second consultant} your photo's coming up also.
7.30 am
Ding Ding ..Round 90 .
And here we go again for another round against a failed fishery .
And an emailer from last night said " i hope you take milk if you have to use water from the stream at ballymagorry ".
There you are ...and i thought it was the slow shutter speed of my camera that made the picture milky.
Its not a bad morning , and im guiding the strabane waters today , the only place i can think of for a springer at the minute.
The commercial netsmen that diden't get compo want to know why ....and want to know why a local fish buyer got 70 odd thousands
pounds for not fishing his boat but received 200 tags a week for fish that he caught .
The bailiffs checked his boat every night , and new it wasn't fishing .
Theres going to be a storm soon.....back in the evening.
Oh and .....have a nice day.
MON 14th April.08
This angler called dessie patton from sion mill's is without a doubt ..the most honest straight fishermen i have ever encountered in my life ....and if you loose a fish in front of him ...he will buckle with laughter .
9.30 pm
Some great new's ...it look's like we got our Documentry ....but im still biting my lip , and slightly panicy because i never thought i'd do it {UK }.
The unpaid commercial net's men have contacted me also .
And if you have a complaint ...please get in touch soon as i have a meeting in two day's .
Thing's are going to happen , and we must simply tell the truth between the Fisheries ...DCAL ...COMMERCIAL ...Irish Society ect .
Thank God ...but i'll say nothing untill the main crew .get involved......i never build my hope's up to much anymore , but what will happen will happen.
As long as they gather the fact's up first ...then they can go to the white house.
I will not put anymore photo's up of polluted stream's as i am told to keep them untill a proper time .
4.pm
A bit of a boat show at strabane bridge today .
And the bailiff's are out in force.
The mourne is in good order , and anglers are out in force also.
And the next polluted stream run's from Artigarvin down to ballymagorry beside an inspectors home ..photo later.
1.40 pm
This is the stream below the blackstone, and i have 7 more call's to go to for to take different photo's of different stream's .
This My friend's is what the Goverment's are funding .....Better not say it yet.
A fish caught near glenmore , plus they are doing their own seasonal count of spring fish up there ..
They said that 86 passed through the killygordon counter on the first day , never talk about 60 for the season so far .
11 springers were caught there last week alone ...They think the fisheries want the finn closed up to june next season .
I have yet to hear anyone say anything good about our fisheries , except about the New Man John .
Not only is he trying to sort all our problem's out along the river , he has to ward off all the aproaching knives within.
And i don't help him one bit at this minute in time , but im trying to knock all the leaches of his back, and i hope he understand's this
.....This man is good for our fishery.....he need's to be at the helm .....if anyone else need's to play Golf or go scouting , or tractor racing , or whatever ...away they go ...and don't come back.
As i said ...A good Big DOCUMENTRY to solve all our fishing problem's out .....Amen for now .
7.30 am
Another Beautiful Morning , and the best places for a chance of a fish this morning are killygordon ..liscooley on the finn , and the lower Mourne ..plus the faughan..
Can't do better than that unless i collect you and leave you there myself.
It look's like the New Site has taken a set back due to the let down of a fund from the fishery , but don't worry , i don't let simple thing's like that bother me , we will move on with the report's which in my mind are the most important topic's of the site anyway .
But i will get a proper laptop to take to the river with a broadband conector this season to get you up to the second report's .
As i said before ...it's not a problem when you love it ....back soon
Full moon on the 20th .
Sun 13th April 08
9.30 pm
A net has just been taken of bessies dam on the faughan , luckley there was nothing in it.
The loughs agency were called
7.pm
Sorry , but i should mention that the stream just below the blackstone is polluted with pig slurry running directly into the river Mourne...photo taken ...i'll see what way the photo come's out first.
3.pm
After walking all the way from sion to lifford today , i never seen so much as a trout .
The water has played a big part in this as it has risen a ft and it's on the mirky side .
And im glad that the club in sion were laughing about my report of the chased bears over at the burn being put up so fast on the site ...even brian from Omagh coulden't beleive it could be on so fast as he looked at it in the shop......after all , he was the ref that produced the yellow card after blowing the whistle and crying fowl.
{the crack's Mighty}
No fish on my travel's today , and i did talk to everyone all the way down .
Infact ....some anglers diden't even know that there was fresh water in the river as they fished it .
I said there's two good sign's you will notice when there's fresh water.
one is .....It changes colour to brown .
The second is ....If you stand on that grevel bed for an hour or so , you have a choice of coming out , or going for a swim..
Well i never seen an angler move as hard.
DCAL were also mentioned on the way down stream , and why is there no proper path's and bush control.
I replied ....well i'm fighting a battle at the minute .................with the wife ........then it's the Fisheries turn .......Then Its the Privite Club's turn ........
Then its the lack of accommodation for tourism slot .
Then its The farmers turn.
Can I put DCAL down
for --say ----August .....09
I finished by saying that once the Main National Media groups start asking MLA's Question's ....Then and only then , will thing's be sorted out .
It's like a bad bend in a road ....nothing will ever be done to it until a tragedy , then Main Media organisations
and TV's aim their sight's in the direction and Minister's skip and jump like why did nobody tell us this before.............That's life .
NICE EVENING....Oh and fish showing at liscooley this morning ....a bit of water ...and not alot of anglers.
.
11.30 am
Another nice morning and not as frosty...we had alot of heavy hail showers last night.
I have never ever known the river finn to be this quiet at this time of the year .
I'm beginning to think that the river is finished altogether .....God know's whats going to happen there
in the next few year's.
It's bad when poacher's tell you that it's imposible to make any sort of money at all out of it and just use the odd catch as gift's.
They blame over fishing in the spawning bed's, as i do.
If only J Mc Cartney's hand's weren't tied ...i would bet the bed's would be closed and area's of the foyle would be opened for angling for all.
And i have had a few letter's in relation to a documentry here on the foyle .
Its like this folk's .....Its going to happen , weather it's through me or someone else , but it need's to happen to get this system right straight and managed honestly.
I know an ex inspector who was taken down to a hotel in letterkenny and given a huge redundency package because the fishery coulden't get the proof that he was getting back hander's and making a fortune.
And it will only take one simple little documentry to ask question's to the people in comand .
The first question i would ask is ? "how many salmon and sea trout go over the weir at sion in a season after spending million's on a counter program sir"
I would ask about protection and why are spawning bed's a free for all.
I would also take my camera crew to visit most club's to ask question's .plus i must add , questions to all our MLA's ....all but one of those would say " I diden't think we had a problem"
Well im telling you now on a bright Sunday Morning .HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM , A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
If you all only knew what was really going on here , or perhap's you would like to be like Gail in Coronation St " my son is a good boy" whilst he run's the knife along her left side of her neck.
-------Have a good morning ...its Church time---
yes we will gather at the river , the beautiful the beautiful river ...my favourite Hymm.
And a report as we speak...A human bear has been chased from the burn...he contacted me just now....something about a yellow ticket.
SAT 12th APRIL 08
10 pm
A 10lb fish caught at the woodhole today by CC. ..caught on the fly.
7.30 pm
A fantastic bit of news this evening ....Most of the disputed river derg is going to be opened for my tourist anglers and locals this season.
A new spokesman from that area and guest house owner is in discussion
with land owners and i was contacted this evening .
Tourist's will be able to fish whilst staying in our new guest house in that area..
Thankgod ....because its my childhood fishing ground and i know every stone in it...and every lay.
It will still remain closed however for other parties
that claimed privite waters .
Light at the end of the tunnel i hope at last.
4.30 pm
A 5lb kelt caught from the dam at sion .
And there was nothing caught when i was there earlier
.
There is the odd fish showing , and the water is in very good condition .
One of The line's have moved by the way on a section of the finn.
And i had a long chat with local netsmen this morning as we leaned over the rails on the lifford side of the foyle .......at least these men are up front and straight to the point .
They reckon the toffee nosed big shot anglers that fish up at all the privite waters are bigger poacher's than they'll ever be ........Your right what you said Hunter because we seen two different big shots at different time's slip fish up to their boot of their cars without putting tag's on and then come back down again for more, and there crying about us all the time....Bast..ds they added .
And all we do is go out for a few fish for ourselves .....not to sell ....but mostly just for ourselves , and to give a few to the odd farmer so we can shoot the land in the winter time.
These men have bad feeling toward's the fisheries , and know for a fact that their two county top bailiff's { Donal and Sweeno } will never make inspectors no mater how hard they run because they are from Donegal and would be an embarrassment to the fishery .
They would stand out like two Victor MacLagan's in a nursery if they were invited to a 4x4 collection fund for northern inspector's .
Anyway the crack was good , and i laughed all the way to the car....so don't take it to serious , it was just a true story made into a laugh.
----
Whoop's he did it again ....Dee Mc Colgan With a 10.5 lb fish
from the lower Mourne last night , even though according to the date , it hasn't been caught yet .
A frosty but nice morning.
This angler has left everyone else behind this season , and its not as if he has plenty of time on his hand's .....Dee manages Subway cafe in Strabane .
So if you ever need a few tip's , Dee's
The Man.
FRI 11th APRIL 08
7.pm
I noticed two anglers cars parked at the doctors , but nobody seem's to be fishing .
And nobody fishing all the way up to the blackstone either.
The water is very good now for the lower end and the first part of the morning could be the perfect time tomorrow
.
The strabane fire chief is taking lessons with a double hander fly rod i hear , perhaps that's the reason the river is quiet this evening ........say's Marty
The line is still not touched across the lower finn and the middle finn ....no boat patrols at all ...im going down to the mourne for an hour now.
Im also invited down to the foyle this season with some of the commercial nets to video a catch for you all to see ....they must have a reason for this or is it just me .
-----
A text saying that a dead farm animal is floating in the waters behind the mill.
And a fish landed further down towards strabane ..details later.
7.40 am
A frosty start but its going to be a nice day.
The only place to fish is Sion Mills and Strabane on the river Mourne this week ....The lower the better for these places.
More Added News Below
WE NEED A DOCUMENTRY MADE ABOUT THIS SYSTEM AND THE MESS ITS IN .
CAN YOU HELP .....IF YOU HAVE ANY INFLUENCE WITH TV OR MAJOR MEDIA GROUPS ...PLEASE HELP US TO HAVE A MORE HONEST AND HELPFUL FISHERY.
IF ANY OF YOU 30.000 ANGLERS OUT THERE IN NORTHERN WILL ANSWER THIS SIMPLE QUESTION TRUTHFULLY , I WILL ABANDON THIS PROTEST .
WHAT IS THE NAME OF OUR FOYLE INSPECTOR ?
Even the inspector himself can take part in this ....if he know's.
I have a busy day in front of me {a talk with an MLA This morning to start with }
And I have a great True story about a fishery officer who thought there was turtles in the foyle .
His men came back after a hard nights patrol on the upper foyle .And when asked by the inspector did they get anything .
A broad Speaking Bailiff replied " Just a couple of Tartles sir
"
Turtles Said the inspector " Do we have turtles in the foyle" as he looked around to a more senior officer.
The Men looked at each other and walked off.
A tartle by the way ..is a rag or a torn length of fabric....in this case ...A length of torn mashing net .
Can that help explain the fish count to you worried angler's or any other concern.
763191232...info@foylefishing.com
The loughs agency have contacted me to say that rather than help other websites with the funding , they are going to keep it for themselves .
Now Why am i not shocked .....well i was warned ...and a documentry could be on the way here to highlight all topic's in regard's to the way fisheries are run here..
We will open the ugly can of worm's before
long ...and im going to keep fighting on , until we have a more honest and fair fishery for all .
There is some serious things i can't say on this site ...but i will highlight it to the proper Media.....Just think how many rich men this 22 million for angling for northern ireland will make ....I think the worlds gone fruitcake.
It says that every angler spends nearly 2 thousand a year here ....who the bloody hell are these guys ....ah well ....more 4x4's i think jeeve's ....drive on
Oh ....i nearly forgot , Dee Mc Colgan ran straight bang into a seal near the Blackstone today.
11.25 am
Oh Dear --------I think i'll start with the pink hat , it look's like a sweet desert.
10.30 am
im off now to check my lines ...will i be eating my hats...or won't i .
And now the count for the finn is 60 for the season so far , counted on the counter at killygordon ....but 80 have been caught above it .....should i go back to school or what.
The faughan is not a spring fish river , and it counts at 215 so far .
Its a disgrace the amount of the Tax payers money that has been spent on these unworkable counters.
So as i say ..please phone or contact ..national news papers , or television networks .....please help our fishing here , and STOP CORRUPTION .
And the Man that lost his tackle ......Did lose his tackle , irespective of what some sion mills anglers are spreading about him finding it again in his boot .
J. patton told all the anglers at the grevenue yesterday when i was there that ....the stupid F....r found it in his boot , and after the police were called .
The poor man is devastated when i wrote him last night .
Jealousy is a dangerious disease Folk's
...and i will keep fighting and inform you all of the tails of the river bank.
YES FOLKS ....COME TO NORTHERN IRELAND .
WELL ITS BETTER THAT BASRA IN IRAQ
-------
its exactly 9.10 am ..and at this exact minute in time ..a poacher is on his way down the river bank to pull a net of at the mouth of the mourne .
Now ...am i fast ...or am i fast.
7.30 am .
A very sunny morning so far , but like my childhood
hero's when i was young [ poachers and my fishery inspector ect}...don't trust it .
Did i tell you the story about the backhanders my fishery inspector used to get when i was his young driver , driving him from one place to another.
Well ...i'll tell this story later , plus others .
I feel that ...even at this time in the morning ...that i should tell the full story .
The water in the mourne by the way is ..perfecto
Wed 9th April 08
4.00
2 fish caught today ...more info needed ...unclear text .
But another man tell's me that there was 4 hooked yesterday at sion ...2 lost in the grevenue and 2 landed at the bears burn.
My boat detectors are now set by the way , its only to prove to you that the boat does it every single night ......ill start eating my hat's if im wrong.....i also seen some strange activity down there this evening .....ill even set a line above and below killygordon to prove to you that its also patroled every night.
..
7.40 am
We are going to do a boat patrol detector program from tonight on .
All it consist's of is a fine line tossed to the far banking of the finn beside me here ...with a small weight on the end , so if the boat does it ....it will have moved .....this report will be put on every morning.
Its so simple .......I don;t need laser beams and infra red cameras ...no .......just a string.
Nice Morning .....fish will definitely be hooked today ...without a doubt.
Tues 8th April 08
------
where have all the finn salmon gone ? ....A phone caller reckon's there all out in lough Ash , because the watch out there is tremendous .
two young lads had
5 trout in a bag on good friday , and were aproached by 4 bailiff's looking for float's .
5.45pm
Steve Marriott has just landed her at the burn ...covered in sea lice ....11lb 5 oz
I personally think that you only need the ordinary bailiff's along with the new man john to run the foyle system .
The Goverment's could save over 3 million £s every year by letting this man just do his job properly , and pay everyone else off .
Its like me employing 50 musician's to build a wall .when it only take's a few brickie's .
I worked for a firm once ....and every quarter of the year , they received £250.000 from the goverment to spend on insulation for most homes.
And if you diden't spend it , you diden't get it the next quarter .....it would have been cut down big time.
Well ..talk about buying materals and tool's , holy God ..it was like the aladdin's cave ......and i was finding it hard to give it away on doing job's for the unemployed .
So what im saying is ........If two goverment's give me 3 million a year for doing nothing , why would i even
dream of rocking the boat and distroying the custom im used to ....and what's angling .....who ....what ....whats that.
Im just jealous i think .......but seriously if the two silly goverments are that stupid to give money away for nothing ... well they deserve it
......silly people .
Giving us money for nothing to look after a simple river ....lord O? whats the world coming to....its like teaching an infant NOT to learn to walk.
all those rivers over in scotland ..england ..wales and the republic of Ireland must get some huge funding every year also .
My wife had to scrub 14 times today because there wasn't enough staff in theatre to help save someone sight....no fund's you see.
1.pm
Two email's just in ....one about pollution at the faughan and one about poachers that have left their mark at kelly's sand bed on the finn....ropes , pegg's and stonebag's ....later.
--------
I noticed a polluted stream running directly into the mourne from the middle of the woodhole at sion mills.{can't be good}
10.15am
I have received news that cloghan was poached over the weekend .
Phone calls and email's tell me that 2 van's were involved.
they also say that it's not watched at all by the fishery.
And poacher's are buying up 2 week licences to aquire the tag's for poached salmon on the lower end .
They have a free for all because of no angler's about .
The New man can't expect to do all this himself.
The zimmer frame 5 should get out for a bit of exercise now ..
Support is nil.
We will be keeping an eye on the fish kill at the back of the mill this year , plus much more .
The water at the minute is slightly coloured ,and anglers are still able to fish the grevenue ...no catches this morning .
If you have any complaint's regarding this system , please feel free to contact us .
This website now receives up to 1000 hits per day , more and more are tuned into it because of the reality of what goes on here regarding fishing of all sort's .
And i was finding that i was drifting away from certain truth's .
But thank God im Back ...and i feel as if a black cloud has lifted.
9.15am
Fresh but clean water in the mourne this morning , the finn seem's to have a couple of inche's just.....sunny
7.30 am
A nice morning so far , and it look's very fishy
.
Mon 7th April 08
9.pm
A superb box of assorted salmon flies have been given to me tonight to give to the angler that lost his bag last week .
5 local angler's here want to remain anonymous.
Picture of the flies coming up.
Assorted Trout flies will also be sent off.
-----
There is still plenty of water going over the weir on the mourne ....up a couple of inches i would say.
only one local fishing the grevenue during the early part of the evening .
The water seemed grumbley also .....your missing nothing , so don't panic.
11.45 am
A couple of strabane and lifford anglers have donated a selection of salmon flies for the Ballyclare angler who lost his tackle at the sion mill's angling club waters .
Some heavy wintery shower's have passed this way over the last couple of hour's .
Just a couple of straggler angler's at sion , plus no big water .
9.30 am.
Maybe a slight bit of fresh water in the mourne , i should know properly around 11am.
But definitely nothing in the finn....Dee mc Colgan has just phoned from cloghan ...No catches , and no fresh water , infact he is now heading for the mourne .
And a text telling that something has happened the leap up there .....not a clear message .
7.30am
It seem's clear looking up toward's finn valley at the minute . I would also expect some sort of rise in the water level's this morning....back after the rounds
Sun 6th April 08
9.pm
Im just after getting a report regarding The lost fishing gear.
Two lad's fitting the description , were fishing watt's pool today in rathmelton co donegal ....white transit ...state reg....ww maybe .
This river is closed at the minute to help increase stock's , but these guys have had salmon nearly every evening during this week..
Plus i was also told that watts pool is stuffed with fish and not watched at all.
They most likely had no permit for sion also.
8.30 pm
Not a nice night out there ..snow ...hail ....and very cold .
The only thing angler's seen today ,were two otter's going over the weir at sion , and the odd fish showing at the blackstone .
I think i mentioned that one angler from the faughan has now got two springer's from that river.
2.30 pm
All's quiet
in the western front here , and im putting it down to the temperature ....fish are showing im told , but not taking....they probabley know that most of you lad's can only fish at the weekend.
Wait to you here the crack tomorrow when your all back.
The Morning is not bad , and the little bit of snow we had during the night has melted away.
It's on the breezy side and a little cold.
Big tides tonight ...and sion and strabane , plus liscooley are the best area's for a good chance of a catch.
Sat 5tt april 08
No reported catches just yet ... but its early ...plus it was on the cold side today.
The water is good in the mourne today .
The Finn is ....well the Finn is nothing to write home about compared to the Mourne yet .
Im now off for the night .
-----
M. Mc Laughlin lost an 18.7lb fish at the Doctors yesterday { yes he's got her down to the last ounce}....He said that the knot slipped at the fly.
Well Marty ....your right ....something slipped alright ...and it wasn't the fly ------your now 2000/1
.
10.30.am
Not a bad morning ...a bit cold ...the odd hail shower but that's not a problem .
My plan's are made out for the day anyway .
It start's by picking
4 outsider's in the National at £4 E/W on each .
Then a long walk from Victoria to Lifford with the camera after getting droped off.
Then its into Bannigan's in Lifford for a few pint's of stout ....then up to the house with a film ...get the diner ..put the film on
....and fall asleep....simple .
Now a text ...".8 rod's at clabber yard's , no catches yet ....tides in." .should have turned in the past 20 or more minutes actually..
Fri 4th April 08
This is Raymond Alexander's 16.9lb springer caught at sion on wed this week..
405pm
Fish are showing as i said around strabane , but the local lads are saying " they are looking at nothing "
You really have a chance anywhere on the river mourne tomorrow , but the further you go up the less chance you have ...simple as that .
There will be no fresh water by the way.
12 noon.
Its raining pretty heavy at the minute , with no sign of clearing .....but i don't know about fresh water.{ its very bright }
A fish caught in the grevenue this morning after i left.
And a pile of springer's going through strabane water this morning early .
....one came clean out in front of martin mc Daid and almost hit his line .
{ maybe they sence a fresh ..who knows}
Tony Duffy had a small fish yesterday also .
The spring fishing is that good here at the minute im going out for a throw myself.
10.am
Im just back from both derry and then to sion and now here, and here is the latest report.
Big tides in the foyle , steming the mourne ..New moon on the 6th ..these are big spring tides and very powerful.
This in my experience of spring fishing , is the main producer of the spring run.
.
Anglers are out in a nicely spaced formation above the old bridge in strabane town ...fly fishing ...what a sight for sore eye's .
No fish caught at sion this morning , i met all the local men coming up together about 9.30 am , and no one had anything ....one stranger left in the grevenue they said , so i turned along with them .
Dessie patton is down at the woodhole ....no good}
Two anglers at the blackstone.
Best place to fish this weekend is lower sion and strabane .
But strabane have a nicely
controled small day ticket program.
The lower the water , the better it fishes.
And an angler from the roe said that .....there is no spring fish in that river at all " your man must be seeing things he added"
We only get a run of about 50 or so springers every year , and i walk it everyday , and i see nothing ...not even a kelt.
7.30 am
Another spring morning and a few email's .
{later}
If your fishing today or this weekend ...for god's sake " don't leave your gear behind you "
Thurs 3rd April 08
----------NOTICE ------------
Would the lads that i spoke to at the grevenue this evening . please leave another angler's bag in the tackle shop at sion .
The bag contain's a canon camera plus items of personal value ..plus tackle
The white Van reg was taken , plus you are on film.{herdmans}.....its not worth it lad's ....plain green jacket..20 ...22 years old ....leave it back.
these lad's are not local lads by the way ...and we must protect our visitors here .
These lads spent the complete day in the grevenue , so everyone seen them..
9.pm
An angler from the Roe has emailed me and said " the roe river is also alive here you know "
He say's that fish have been seen in the carrick and green lane areas.
And im sorry about the photo not being put up earlier ....i was rushing ..and i didn't push the large and small conection's ...just the report's ...sorry .
But what a start to the mourne ....20 odd springer's ....yes.----------NO
my wife has her old home house
beside casey's fishmonger's in strabane , and as i was collecting letter's that have been laying for days there today , I noticed different car's coming with springer's ,.not reported catches i mean , but still legal rod catches.
so what im saying is ....is it 20 odd ...or 40 odd for yesterday and today on the mourne .
4.15 pm
There was three fish caught before 8 am at sion this morning .
And this photo is of Robert Logan from ballyclare with a fish touching 10lb caught in the grevenue a couple of hours ago .
Im saving yesterday's fish for the new site.
1.25 pm
Another reported fish caught near the blackstone 11lb......does not want name put up .
And bailiff's are on their way up the river towards sion ...at the gardens at the minute on the liskey road.
I had to put that up because its funny the way people know exactly what's going on here .
That came from a man driving past in a car just now ..
And they must have been at lifford bridge first because a phone call from another driver said the same blue wagon was there a short time ago.
Its brilliant
.....its just fantastic the way things go on here...great crack altogether .
Neighbourhood watch could'nt hold a candle
to this place .
keep it up men.
10.35 am
Sion mill's take's the front with David Houlker landing a 10lb fish from the bottom of the woodhole this morning.
10.23 am
News just in .........3 fish caught in the faughan since tues.
And net poacher's made their first attempt to put net's on the lower finn last night
, but John Mc Cartney and his men were waiting and siezed all the net,s before any damage could be done .
9.13 am
A 10lb fish was caught by Ciaran cairns late yesterday evening at the blackstone.
I think the score is now neck and neck ..6 each .
Is sion going to move in front of strabane ........himmm....we'll see.
07.15 am
A good morning so far ....The Finn is on the low side just now , but the main attention is definitely on the River Mourne , from sion down to strabane .
Every day tell's a different story ...and today is no exception .
We will be standing by at HQ here waiting for casualty report's and moving arrow's all over the table plan to confirm lose's and gain's in the fight for fishing position's.
back later
WEd 2nd April 08
------WHAT A SUPERB RIVER----------
8.10pm
river mourne 2nd day .......This will be the most famous salmon river in the UK and IRELAND soon .
So expect alot more media from around the world ..
A 16lb plus fish caught in the grevenue this evening by R. Alexander .
and two more caught at strabane ...one 6lb ..the other unknown..................photo of 16lb fish up soon ............total for today 11 fish in a small area from the weir to the doctors.
That must be the big fish i was talking about yesterday ...im just a day ahead thats all .
Oh and ..fish moving through the doctor's this evening also .
5.20 pm
All the favorites are getting in early this season ...this is Dee just over an hour ago with a fish between 9 and 10lb.
Nearly all the Top men from here have got their fish this season so far , like .
Martin Mc Daid
Dessie Patton ...ect .
Now it's Dee Mc Colgan's turn .
These men where alway's odd's on favorite's anyway , but you could get a good eachway bet on an up and coming contender like Marty Mc Laughlin
at 500/1 ....chancy though.
And i heard another fish caught , but im not sure if it's sion or strabane .....8 genuine springer's for the early part of the day ....not bad.
It could be 4 each to the two club's today altogether...depending on the last catch.
4.pm
Dee Mc Colgan is only after getting her ...10lb ...im just of to get a photo ....can't say where.......mourne but.
1.30 pm
There has been 6 good springer's caught on the lower mourne this morning.
2 from the grevenue .
1 from the bears burn .
1 from the bottom of the woodhole ..Dessie patton..
2 from strabane water .
all averaging 9...10lb s.
The water is in good order ...cleaning for fly .
9.45 am
An angler from strabane fished a section of the finn really Hard on sun past , infact he spent the whole day flogging it out with the spinner.
But in the evening , two angler's from omagh walked down to kelly's on the far bank and hooked one each in the space of minute's ...each around the 10lb mark .....I seen this happen before by the way.
SHIT HAPPEN'S .
And a good email from an angler fishing sion yesterday ......it say's " Hi Dan ..Hooked 4 andy patton springer's in the Dam yesterday ...all returned safe "
ooOOOAHH
.....sore one Andrew Bud.....very very sore .
I know a kipper Hyines from sion , but i never heard tell of a kipper .........im off. ...the phone's ringing..
7.30 am
All the rivers are in good shape.
The mourne has droped 16 inches since 11pm last night .
For getting you all the info you need when coming to fish here ...all i ask is reports of all catches and incident's of any sort when you are here ...plus photo's if you can .
Even if its unusuall wildlife activities .
The morning is very grey with a light mizzel at times also.
tue 1st March 08
7.40pm
The water in the mourne has now started to drop slightly over the last 30 minutes .
6.pm
it seems that the mourne is still rising .
1.30 pm
I had to go to sion to see what all the fracis was about , and the story goes like this .
The huge fish was a 9lb springer ....the 8lb was actually a 5lb kelt ...and the 5lb fish was actually a rainbow trout at 3lb.
The water is dirty in the mourne but leveled of .....go to the finn , if your going anywhere today.
12.25
another catch report ...must go and see ....it also says 5lb
M. mc Daid is having peace and quiet at the clean finn .{at Taylors}
12.06
water staiblizing ...another fish from grevenue 5 minutes ago{5lb}
11.40am
another fish caught {8lb}lade
9.40am
Mourne is rising fast ..but a huge fish caught in the grevenue 10 minutes ago .
caught by the way ..on the flying C ...{visitors}
The water is getting dirtier .
I got a text from a disbeleiving thomas saying " who do you think your talking to ..7 or 8 fish in one day."....where do you think you are ....or word's to that effect.
She must be refering to one of my latest report's .
Did you know that ..... and this is a well know fact .
An angler from the strabane water hooked 22 grilse at the doctors in one evening and took 2 home with him.
And i have had 7 fish a day in the past , and still can if i want ....at the right time that is .
I seen a guy hooking 7 above liskey wood one evening....plus plenty more stories the same .
So im sorry dear {and you must be a Dear ...an old dear
, and never to get out and about in the real world }..sad
Ok ...this is not the Blackwater or the tweed ....oh no ! ....This is actually 4 times better .
So get a life .
And i find that ..all the cryer's and whinger's of this fishing game are usually hen pecked husbands who only get out of the house in the spring , and then they go mad like a jack russell dog after a 6 months lock up period .
Either that or they are mummy's boy's that don't like to wonder to far incase its time for Tea.
And I bet you type have never camped out all night ...and im not talking with the comfort's of a tent .
Silly boy's ......its in their nature just to cry about every mistake i make also ....well supose they have to try to tell folk's that they exist .
WEll listen to this whinger's ..I DON'T CARE ....read my lip's .. ..I.........DON'T ..........CARE
I must go now ...its time for TEA.
Did you here about the fish hooked at Mc ginty's on the upper finn at the start of march.
IT never showed for the 25 minutes the angler was playing her , and then took him up to the run in and broke him.
The one's that get away
are alway's the biggest .
Ronnie Kincaid had a 7lb fish from glenmore yesterday .{finn}
7.am
Its not a very nice morning ....wet and blustry , and i know what the river is going to do before i even go out the door , so ill leave it till 9.am just to make sure.
Last year i put up a water level at 630 am , and said it was fine .
So angler's got into their cars and came all the way down here , or up or what ever
, but only to find a flood in it at 9 am.
back in just over an hour .
Mon 31st March 07
10 pm
Its still raining men ....just don't build up your hope's just yet for the mourne tomorrow.
ill take a run down in the morning to see what the water is like ..early.
7.pm
Martin mc Daid from country sports in strabane is the first man known to me to return a springer back into the Finn with a 10lb fish yesterday at liscooley.
Plenty of reported fish running through liscooley on up .
The mourne is perfect at the minute for fishing , so if it only hold's for tomorrow .
Wind and rain has just started.
Sorry about the simple problem
.
Fri 28th March 08
6.am
Im very sorry but i couldn't get the reports up this morning due to tech difficulties..
A big brown flood in the finn this morning.
And this fish is a last years springer at the leap.
Thurs 27th March 08
sorry ...this is C. gallaher's fish caught near glenmore .
7.pm
The fish at liscooley was 11lb this morning.
.
Whilst browsing through the internet this evening i came accross different angling web-sites offering package deal's throughout Ireland .
Some of the prices range from £600 to £1500 for a week's fishing plus shared accommodation .
Those prices do not include Guillie/guide fee's , and do not include licences.
Salmon must all be returned to the river or lake , and taged fish killed and given to the fishery for research .
And here we are up here arguing and fighting with each other and not showing a good example to our children..
The Salmon fishing is second to none , and on a good day in the high season , one could hook and land 8 or 9 good fish with a take home limit .
And living here cost me £26 for the licence and club ticket per season .
Beat that if you can .....plus strabane and lifford anglers get the first crack at any fish coming of the tide.
I.ve now deleted all the negitive story's , and hopefully try to stay on a path with a positive view in mind .
Even though it's gona be hard , i'll try ......so now im taking the first jump , and i don't want to see anyone still standing on the same bank when i get to the far side.
Tues
The water is falling away here now , and i walked the lower finn , and found no mark's to suggest any illegal fishing going on .
J. Mc Cartney and his men from the loughs agency are out every night
making sure the salmon path is well clear just in case .
He also say's that poaching with net's have decreased on the foyle system due to his prolonged patrol's ..........You have to hand it to this guy ...no messing., and his heart is in it .
Plenty of angler's were out on the strabane and lifford water today , but i never heard of any catches....A mild day with the odd heavy shower.
------
Angler's fishing the upper finn this morning have contacted me and said " nothing doing ,water is very low"
And here is a strange email ...." The lough's agency Should be privitised " It goes on "We are able to make a Substantial profit every year with a very small fishery over here , just think what you all could do on the foyle River in Ireland.
But im sure it's only a matter of time before they do just that .
" Every individual here has his or her own responsibility ". Thus accountability.
Fish in lower end now ...the mourne open's tues next .
And i'll prove to you that the river mourne is a better river for springer's ...The photo's will tell the tail.
Im going now to lifford bridge , and then out to urney {york's} to walk for sign's and to see what's about.
Mon 24th March 08
7.20 pm
.
.Full steam ahead now for the coming run's of salmon and grilse , and hopefully alot more Sea trout .
I think the clock change's at the weekend , so that will be another obstacle out of the way , and it will get warmer over the next 3 or 4 week's .
You need the long miserable winter to appreciate the month's of May and June when they come around .
Now .....Today is showery , and the sun is at this minute shinning up along finn valley ....but that could be a hail storm in 15 minute's time , you know what i mean.
This is the best side of the tide's for incoming fresh fish , and should last until thursday of this week.
The same process for the next new moon tide's .
So ...if any patrol's have to be done ....now's the time.
Sun 23rd March 08
2.pm
Another angler with a nice fish from let's just say " above ballybofey"
I know this man very well , and he is definitely an adventurist when it come's to travelling and seeking out little hideaway's unknown to most other fishermen.
You would think this was alaska , until you click on the photo.
I also walked the Mourne today , and the water is in great nick altogether.....from sion to strabane was an early treat .
And i only seen two Morrison's at liscooley today ....All the married men are off with their families for a day out to build up more Brownie point's , either that or watching United getting beat by liverpool .
All that is left is what i call " A few Human kelt's " Men that are on their way back down again
in life .
Im still in the spawning bed's by the way.
You know im just messing .
11.am
The odd squally shower this morning .
And we have sighting's of plenty of springer's in the mourne this week .
A visitor to this area was out for a walk yesterday , and noticed fish at the doctor's .
And we have had two fish hooked near the blackstone area ......one was lost....7lb landed.
A fish definitley got behind the mill at the bottom of the long stream.{12lb]...tues past.....telescopic.
And John Murry had his fish yesterday on the fly at liscooley .
I need a new photo now.
Sat 22nd March 08
Cormorant's are on the increase here and take up to 4lb's of smolts each and everyday here on the foyle's tributaries.....Brian say's ...cull the B's
10pm
an angler would like to know "why is the mourne not open from the 1st of March "
Report's are coming in all week , and even the last few week's of fish being caught on different section's of the mid mourne and sion area's .
Well ...i did do a bit in the herald Newspaper 4 year's ago saying that the mourne river was over taking the finn in regard's to spring fish , and it's true ...and it's only a matter of time before it is opened.
Im only guessing but , would there be a 11 or 12 so far with 6 angler's this season .....sorry " year"
.....
John Murry does it again at liscooley on the finn with another 10lb fresh salmon .
This guy definitely deserves the extra attention , cos he's one of the straightest angler's on the block
...fair play to him ....i know him all my life, and he is one of those few likeable guy's that we rarely encounter .
He is also a teacher ...but we won't go into that grey area .
All water's are down .....weather is showery....fish are in the lower finn and MOURNE .
............
Its dry so far this morning , but theres alot of cloud moving in .
A nice walk along the finn today will freshen things up a bit.
Fri 21st March 08
sorry for taking so long , but somethings can't be helped .
The water in the mourne is well up .....the finn also got a slight touch .
It is also very very cold but only the odd hail shower.
Definitely fish in the mourne ...definitely .
Sion mills club are having their meeting in the recreation club on monday night .{bank holiday?}
.
The mourne river will alway's produce between 15 and 20 thousand salmon a season because more and more angler's are returning fish , especially coloured one's .....i see it all the time .
Infact ive seen hundered's go back on that system
Sorry maybe 30.000 salmon .....no one know's exactly because there is no counter on the derg , plus the sion count is imposible and salmon spawn everywhere , even below sion mill's in their hundered's .
We had a crowd on top of strabane bridge a couple of year's ago watching the salmon spawning on Christmas week.just below the bridge itself.
So really it's not worth spending million's on counter's when the eye can do a much better job........plus it keep's you fit , and bailiff's still have to walk the upper river's anyway counting redd's
.
Thurs 20th March 08
6.30 pm
I nearly forgot to mention this , but i heard last night that the commercial netsmen that had licences but never recieved compensation last year , are heading for the circuit court and possibly to Dublin high court .
They have united and hired a barrister to fight the case .
NOW ....For god's sake...im just the reporter.
4.45 pm
im told the seal's are back again for another year ....below lifford bridge today.
11.20 am
The morning is not bad , and the tides are getting stronger .
I can personally assure you that there will be fish in the other side of these tides with a full moon tomorrow night 21st .
Don't listen to what other people say......The main spring run of good salmon on this system are this full moon and the next new moon
...its simpley simple , and the hawthorn bud's are starting to open .
That is the sign of the right time .
Lifford bridge is the next hot spot for the main fishing
.
Web 19th March 08
Reminder ....closing date for applications for the development fund closes at 4pm on the 27th March .
Contact the lough's agency .
4.40 pm
Its good to see our own local anglers getting in to fish the meetings of the rivers at lifford bridge now that the water has dropped.
10.30 am
This is the previous mugshot ......such a small river , but what an impact for tourisim to that area .
Please feel free to take a leaf out of their book.
7.30 am
Here we go again ...ready for battle for another day .
I received a phone call from an angler from essex last night telling me that " Did you know danny , that it cost £45 a tag in some river's over here for salmon fishing".
And he added that some angler's end up poaching their own beat's" .
Everyone tries to keep these thing's hush hush ,{management} but you seem to tell everything the way it is .
Fair play to you he added , because some people are starting to follow in your footsteps over here .
It's about time.
The day is not bad , a touch of frost earlier, but clearing.
The water has dropped on the upper finn ......now it's the turn of your's truely.
And no ......do not take sunny jim to visit the landord's fishing hut's .........you would then be just as bad as them.
Some crazy people out there
.
Tues 18th March 08
Yes ...it take's an angler all the way from Cumbria to show us how to release a Springer .
This is a 12lb fish from the Drowes at the weekend .
They are so proud of their catches up there they even let you take a photo without the threat of a lawsuit.
Nothing to hide you see.
And the answer to the question about the so called kelt.
It looked fresh to me , maybe slightly thin , but i never really stopped with the guy
, the photo did nothing for it also.....so .
----------------
I got a text telling me to buy the derry journal ...its in relation to dumping along the river mourne ...ill get it tomorrow .
5.pm
Take a really good look at this fish ......see what happen's next at around 8.30 pm
some of you will call it cruel.
What a busy day.
4.00pm
I got a phone call from a guy claiming to be the person that asked the belfast lad's for their licence's .
He said " i don't have a warrent card , but i had the right to ask them for their licence's because they were fishing syndicate water , plus they were fishing float."
He also added that " i shouldn't have been walking in the wood opposite the area where his brother caught the fish on sunday either ", and should not have taken photo's of his backside plus his brother wearing dark sun glasses.
There you are folk's ....it's started again ....the landlord's are back
.
It's a good job im 20 step's ahead of these guy's ...you have to be .
They don't want anyone around to know how many fish they are catching .
I am going to bring this up at a meeting im having very soon.
-----------------
Gerry. Quinn from the faughan
Say's " every member was obliged to send back the return's , But they sent them to the lough's agency instead .
So the
fisheries dumped them .
We have spent £80000 on spawning bed's ect last year, and this season we will spend £70000 on stile's ect .
11.am
Im going to finish on the faughan subject now . with a letter from A mr Mc Cormmick saying " it was just a slip that had to be filled in and sent back to the club along with your permit...simple job ...simple process ....but we just have some simple members .
And for a whole river ...£100 is nothing ...its £80 for small clubs in the finn....what do these people want for nothing ...free ticket's?
.............................
A couple of changes in yesterday's report.
And an angler inform's me in the rites including sporting rite's .
Now im only saying that theres different law's on the foyle system .
The North of the border is different.
P. Harkin }said to poacher's once.
" If we catch you with a net in your car or think you are using your car for the purpose of catching salmon Illegaly , we can cease the car" In The North only he added .
The south is completely different he said ....we can't touch the car.
The point im making is .....law's are different along this border ,especially when two different goverment's control the same river system that's all.
9.30 am
The frost is gone , and the lower end is in good shape for a throw now ....light rain has just started.
And A Mr Angler {keith} from the faughan say's " everyone was well warned in how to return their catch report and tag's
and why .....It's just that some folk's think the tag system is some kind of catch 22, and the angler is going to get caught in some way or another.
PLus this man say's the fish in the photo , caught at killygordon is a Kelt .
Hey Hey Hey Hey ...Take is easy there mr Keith angler ...What are you trying to say here.
We're not used to people coming straight out with statement's as short as that here.
They usually go on for 15 minute's
so it can be diggested without retaliation of any sort..
Now if it was me , id say " Nice fish " What did you catch it on .....is it fresh .......Did it play hard ......Then talk about the weather for a while , and then " it look's kind of skinny " ...Does the gill's look ok , thus the story can be told .
Why say something in 5 word's when you can say it in 200 word's a minute.
Mr Keith also sent me a photo of a fish being returned at the drowe's ....he add's a statment {later though }
I have to hoover and wash the dishes first so that i can get the brownie point's to get to the river.
7.30 am
Frosty start to the day .
back later.
Mon 17th March 08
sorry a couple of change's ......fishery staff can not force a rod of you .....but you will be then be charged on two count's
9.pm
These are phone call's and email's today ...so don't shoot the messenger
.please.
A complaint came in from anglers from belfast saying " we tried to fish below killygordon bridge yesterday , but some crazey guy came running down in his bare feet shouting and screaming " get off , get off "
Well we had to laugh when he said that the farmer would shoot us if we even fished the opposite side, And he even asked us for our lough's agency licence's with a make shift warrent card of some sort.
We were then aproached by the angler that was fishing downstream that phoned the bootless guy in the first place...and he said " you can fish for free if you go down to clady bridge on the lower finn .
Now the question i got " What is the true Law over there in the Nortwest , or do any of you know anything at all
about rule's and regulation's.
Well ...I was told by Ronnie Kerrigan ...an inspector in the foylefisheries year's ago about these simple law's , and if they ever got known , what a mess it could be.
He said " Angler's can fish where ever they like on this system
Danny ....all they need is the fishery licence and permission from the local farmer to cross his land .
But if you travel along the river bank without crossing the land ..permission is not required as everyone has rightaway along a waterway ." seven yards i think he said"
Ministry water is the same ....your paying to use the flood banking's.
No one can take you to court over this ....if they do ...they will lose
, and end up paying heavy cost's for the both side's which could run into £20.000 or more ......".that was then i must add."
Ronnie also told me that " we can't even take a rod of an angler forcefully if he has not got a fishery licence , but we can do him for obstruction if he or she refuse's to hand it over on request .... if he give's us his real name that is.
Rite's are crossing of land's ..{some where bought up year's ago}.river's are free . fishery charge {licence } is for management i was told also.
If i had water taken .....i can only ask you to leave that's all .
NOW THE FAUGHAN..
A mr Appleby that has fished the faughan for 45 year's want,s question's answered .
He said that he was turned down for membership this season because he diden't return catches ..tag's ect to the faughan angler's instead of the lough's agency.
He also mention's the fee of £100 this season , and how much it add's up to for 170 angler's per season .
Overgrowth ...no stiles ect are a topic here also .
Maybe i shouldn't mention to much to soon , cos some of these email's are very hard hitting and lethal to a point .....and im a bit on the tired side.
The fish in the photo is the other catch at the carry at killygordon yesterday ....slightly slim.
And i heard that another fish was caught at the bridge at the cross yesterday
also .
The carry's doing better than cloghan lodge ever done for springer's at this time .....what a throw ...i think thats 10 so far this season .
Anyway ..im off now for the night ....more laying in bushes tomorrow looking for snap's
2.15 pm
No joy around liscooley this morning , most are packing up for the day.
However....C. Kelly had a 11.7lb fish from Baites yesterday , not far
from liscooley bridge.
Glebe water.
9.40am
A real spring morning with the sun shinning and the bird's are in full tune.
Has to be the odd fish caught this morning .
You could say that 50 or more springer's have been caught and taged from above the Counter at Killygordon in the last two week's because "remember " You only get to hear two third's of what really get's caught in these here part's ....and that's naturally understandable .
If i get a fish every couple of morning's in a little secluded spot up in the hill's , im certainly not going to broadcast it to the world for it to be stampeded the next day .
And you alway's send any inquisitive guy's in another direction if they happen to come accross you walking home with her , or if your bumming about it in the pub later.
You want to see greed in action at sion mill's .
An english angler hooked two fish above the swinging bridge last season in the space of 10 minute's .
He was immediately overun with angler;s like seagul's after a fishing trawler during a catch.
Another photo later by the way......im not sure if as many angler's will be out today , as alot of them used up their brownie point's yesterday.
Sun March 16th 08
9.45 pm
A 9lb fish caught at glenmore pool today also
7.15pm
The angler's were out in force today at liscooley .
And Im not sure what the result was at the end of the day down there , but i catpured 40 different stage's of this catch at the carry at killygordon looking accross from the new glenmore water
on my camera's .........the video also i must add.
But i can't show that without permission.
I wasn't speaking to these angler's , but i would put the fish down to around 13 or 14lb
I think all the bushes are coming down on the little island and a foot bridge installed to facilitate the angler's that will fish from the glenmore side.
And after this catch , i walked about 150 yard's up river , were i came accross another angler with a smaller fish on the finn angler's side...maybe 6lb's ...it looked slightly on the skinney side , but what the heck ...it was a catch .
The angler did not want his photo taken ...fair enough , but he diden't object when i took a photo of the fish.
A couple of fish seen above blackburn's ...one man fishing blackburn's bend , and a couple of angler's fishing between that and kane's pool.
Only one man at kane's pool itself...and one at glenmore bridge.
More photo's later.
Oh ...and i seen Subway's van parked in a we sneeky place also....Dee Dee..Dee ..Dee.
And Marty Mc Laughlin is going to do big thing's this year , according to McElroy's oil tanker driver's .M Mc daid and friend.
Yeh yeh yeh......heard it all before ....Kipper Mc Laughlin , that should be his name .
Year's ago ....anyone that couldn't catch a fish in a season was called a morrison.
I see he still live's here by the way {whisker's}
Sat March 15th 08
16.55
There was 4 fish caught at killygordon alone yesterday.
The water might seem big at the lower end of the finn , but this is what the water look's like at the upper end.
Even though this section of the finn is club water , not alot of existing member's seem to fish it .
But i used to get my springer's out of it every year ..plus grilse .
The evening is poor ..weather relating .
There is plenty of silver at kane's pool this evening , but in the form of Car's .......silver must be the colour of 08.
And i was told that the amount of springer's caught on the finn so far this season is 35 .
Not bad for two week's .
And i heard that a protest is in operation regarding the lower finn .
Another experienced angler reckon's above the ivy bridge and above the leap at cloghan should be closed completely to ensure the conservation stock's in the river Finn .
And another angler said that ..i can't understand why the tidal end is closed ..because only a dozen fish are caught there every season anyway.
Plus we do the job of the bailiff's by just being there....now it's an open shop to every tom dick and poacher .
Another young angler said ...all top end tributaries should be closed
altogether because the fish in these section's will take anything put accross their nose's.
Plus they are full of spawn.......and you don't need a degree to work that one out he added
......so why all the scientific exploration and thermometor's and ruler's and time ....which equal M C triangle..
-------
Its another grey day im afraid ...plenty of angler's are out today according to phone messages .
Remember .....don't loan anyone your tag's .
An Elderly angler was prosecuted and fined £200 before christmas for lending a snatcher 2 tag's to put on fish he snatched below the turbine at sion .
But the culprit himself got off scot free , and even though the elderly angler was breaking the law by helping the snatcher , there should have been no difference in the two.
I must find how he wangled out of that one .
The message this send's out is ! If your going Snatching - please bring your own tag's ...or else
Back soon.
This is looking accross to mc laughlin's killygordon by the way.
Frank Moore ..an English fly tier , had his complete box of flies stolen at the show last weekend .
The two leaf design box contained 80 flies on salar double's , nitro shrimp's ,pearl shrimp's ect.
Could the person that took the box of flies,please return them to the lough's agency
.....or give me a ring and i'll collect them ....07763191232.
THURS MARCH 13TH 08
7.45 pm
This area is called bell's , and even though some anglers strike it lucky now and then in good water , I have found that in the lowest
of water , it gather's salmon that have fallen back from hunderd's of yards up river , and also fish that slip up from Mc Laughlin's Straight's and Blackburn's .
1.15 pm
From the time i left to walk the finn " until the time i got back into the car near killygordon ..It poured down .
Now we have a brown flood on the way down.
And i only seen one angler fishing the glebe water when i was walking to kane's pool from the cross.
He dissapeared into a hut when he seen me coming .
I don't take photo's all the time you know.
There was 3 fishing kane's area , but only one of them was on the back road side {Denis Mc Kinney from Maghera.}
Denis told me that there was 4 caught on the first Day at Kane's area....What a nice person to talk to .
There was 6 or 7 fishing liscooley , but have since gone home.
I took a few snaps of different areas.....This is Kane's pool.
It is a nice evening now _ its bright looking up the finn .
But you know the story just as much as i .
It could be pouring it down in 15 minutes again.
Full moon on the 21st ....tomorrow is dead nep's or is that neep's ..........................whatever.
9.30am
still some showers about .
this is L/derry city at 9. am this morning ...its very overcast .
Now im of to get better photos of hopefully fish up the finn.
7.30 am
IT looks fine up along finn valley this morning so far .
Its overcast , but not with rain clouds.
Back after this run out......Im going to walk the finn today....later
WED MARCH 12TH 08
7.30 pm
J. Murry had a 10lb fish from liscooley this evening .
Nice water.....The weather is settling .
12.40
You won't believe this " But " There is no one fishing around Liscooley ...Killygordon , or even the blue bridge at glenmore .
Only one fishing down the back road from glenmore ....finn water.
The water is perfect up there , and ballybofey water looks good plus clean .
Liscooley water is cleaning fast ...no one at bates....no one anywhere really
9.52 am
Yes the water is back up again , and some river's are still rising .
Upper finn look's best......Tickets from Caprey
House Glenmore...or Mc ElhennysStore Ballybofey.
--------Sponsorship for new site----------
We have Decided that " Instead of to much advertising on the new site ! We are going to look for Sponsor's for each Page .. eg ...The River Mourne " Picture - Information on it , and Sponsored By Mc Beth's Men's wear or whatever .......A logo will be provided , plus all your info.
And then your logo will be put in the directory also " for local Businesses.
This will only cost for one year " the same as what you would normally pay for one issue and one Page in a small local Paper .
Plus this is also a world information site with no less than 10.000 hits per week ...4.000 alone for the front page ...and getting better.
The new Foylefishing site will be 6 time's more superior than the present one when we are finished .
But it will be up soon , even though events and more information will still
always be added to it .
Infact a web-site like this will never be completely finished , because we plan to use your video's along with our own to keep it fresh at all time's.
So irrespective of who or what type of business you have ....get sponsoring your river page NOW!
Even the new forum page will be available.
Your Business and logo will go on site 4 weeks before payment .
You can't get fairer than that.
Email
- info@foylefishing.com
or 028.71383666 - 07763191232.......{Danny}
7.am
Well i don't have to tell you how big the river's are this morning .
Tree's are also down ...what a night.
Tues 11th March 08
9.pm
Do you remember the storm that we were expecting on sunday .."Well " ...He's here now , knocking at the front door .
12.45pm
This is Digitech {dublin based}doing a survey on the river mourne 10 minutes ago , or should i say just about to start .
They wanted advice on the depth of the river from us .
This is for the foundations for the |