The Complete Fisher Forum

[ChrisDickey]

Friday 24th April

I decided to fish this comp after chatting to Greg. Me, Cromie and Eddie Williams headed down to Lough Sheelin on Friday afternoon. After about 2 and half hours of travelling we arrived in Finea. We got settled into the B&B and hired a bout for a few hours. It was about 4pm by the time we got the boat ready and tackled up. After a quick phone call to Greg who said it was flat calm, I opted for buzzers and crunchers on the Snowbee Buzzer line

The River leading into Sheelin


Matt enjoying the Irish Air


The boat ready to go


We fished a few drifts with a wee pluck on the buzzers and Eddie having a nice pull on a Octopus on a sinking line.
With it getting dark and the rain setting in we decided to pack up and head back to the B&B, grab some tea in the Steakhouse Restaurant, Granard. Lasagne and chips mmmm. We then headed to Watty's Rock Pub for a few pints where we found Greg downing a pint. Here are a few pictures of the evening on Sheelin





Saturday 25th April

Woke up at 8am and had a look outside to see a wet and windy morning, which after hearing a forecast of 40mph winds didnt fill me with confidence. Once we got dressed we headed down for a proper Irish Fry, what a start to the day. We talked tactics and headed up to Kilnahard. Upon reaching here we signed in and got set up, I opted for the fast glass intermediate with 3 wet flies - Claret Bumble on Top Dropper, a Sooty Olive (my own tying) on the middle dropper and an Olive Flashtail on the point using 8lb fluorocarbon. Once I was set up I set out to find my boating partner but when i found him, he informed me that he didnt have a boat and he was non-boating like myself which posed quite a dilemma. I found Greg and explained the situation and after looking at the boat list I was paired up with Jack Spratt from Fermanagh. More drama in the form of a lost kill switch but a long gaff sorted that out and after introducing myself to Jack we set off once we heard the horn. We set off across the lough towards Corru Bay.

Corru Bay




We drifted most of the morning to no joy but just before we headed in for lunch Jack rose a fish and I missed a nice bite close to the boat. We headed in for a bite to eat with 2 other boats, my original boat partner Ronnie had caught a nice fish on an olive kilnkhammer in the calm water of the bay.



We headed back out and I changed my point fly to a clan chief and a green peter on the top dropper. After a few more drifts and missed fish we headed back around for another drift at 4pm. With more fish moving, Jack covered a rising trout and BANG he got it. After a good fight I netted the fish and it was a good 3lb. With it quickly dispatched we went for another drift at 4.30pm, whilst in the drift I hit into a fish, a very subtle take but a cracking fight. With it netted and just over the 15 inch limit it was dispatched and we fished on until around 5.15pm. There was a huge hatch of grey buzzers that where balling over the surface, if it had been flat calm the dries could have cleaned up. We headed to Lynch's Point and fished it for 10mins and packed away the rods and headed back to Kilnahard for the end of the competition at 6pm and the weigh in. We had to weave around the boats in Chambers Bay and we were the first boat in. We waited for the other boats to arrive. We weighed the fish in with Jacks tipping the scales at just under 3lb and mine just over 1lb 1/2.

With the weigh in complete it was revealed that only 15 ppl caught fish, meaning that me and Jack had qualified for the Ulster Team to fish in September and the National next year. There is still one place on the Ulster team to be picked from last years results and the other 14 places for the national will be drawn out of a hat. Im sure Greg will be able to put a list of names for Ulster team up as I cant remember everyone. So I am very happy having fished Sheelin for the first time ever and my first time fishing Lough Style and catching a nice fish.

This is my trout, was taken in my kitchen after 3 hours in the back of a van




Here are a few pictures of Sheelin





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[Chris]

Nice write up Chris, that's one hell of a tail on that brownie!
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[Invicta]

Nice report Chris and well done in qualifying
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