Temperatures have been incredibly low for the time of year with day time values struggling to get into double figures. Added to this we have had NE winds most of the week.

However for all the doom and gloom on the weather we are still catching fish. We have had 3 since my last update, 2 on Tuesday and 1 Wednesday.

On Tuesday Paul Smyth finally got his Delphi fishing career back on track when he landed a 6lbs12ozs fish off the Turn Pool on a Shrimp fly. The fish was however seal damaged, the theory being that these fish are easier to catch; so before he’s really back on form he’ll have to catch a healthy fish!!

This was not the case for 16 year old Eoin Dunne who managed land his first ever on the fly. The fish was caught in the Turn Pool on a Cascade, weighed in at approx. 5lbs8ozs and was sea liced. The attached photo was taken by Paul Smyth before the fish was released.

On Wednesday Bernd Bieber managed to land a fish in the Whin Pool of 9lbs4ozs on a Collie Dog. The river at this stage was 5.

Yesterday we drew a blank even though there were fish risen and seen, so hopefully today we’ll get back to catching fish.

Total for the year now stands at 62, which given the conditions is not bad.

D.McEvoy

Michael Wade

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The fish was relatively fresh, less than a month and needless to say John was a very happy man. He is pictured here with Andrea who was also trying to catch her first salmon.

On the score sheet again was Alan Molloy who had another sea liced fish from the Whin Pool, yesterday. It was taken on a Cascade and weighed in at approx. 6lbs. The river at this stage was at -3.

We got some rain last night and this morning 24.2mm and the river peaked at 15 and is now at 12.

Having said that it didn’t make any difference to Jens Kober on his first visit to Delphi, who within 15 minutes of starting landed a sea liced fish of 6lbs and half an ounce on a Collie Dog from the Whin Pool. The fish was netted by Heribert Konvalin who having fished all last week and still hasn’t  got off the mark, did well not to knock the fish off and throw Jens in the river.

Hopefully we will get a bit more rain this week as there seems to be a good number of fish on the way.

D.McEvoy

From the point of view of all the staff at Delphi Lodge it is important to let you know that we really enjoy hosting weddings. They represent for us, not being a mainstream hotel, very special occasions on which the whole Delphi team gets fully involved and gives his upmost to make this special occasion for you the very best it can possibly be.

Michael Wade
General Manager

Bearing in mind the skill and expertise of the anglers who had fished this week and the river  being at 0 it was two anglers from Dublinwho stole the limelight this week. Yesterday morning David Dunne and Alan Mulloy much to everybody’s surprise including my own came up from having spent an hour and a half on the river after landing three fish.

Incredibly two of these fish were sea liced and the other very fresh. David Dunne had two, one of 5lbs1oz in the Turn Pool and the second of approx.7lbs in the Whin. Both fish were taken on a Cascade. Alan Molloy also had his in the Turn Pool. It weighed in at 7lbs13ozs and was also taken on a Cascade.

One would almost think that the fish would have to be dropped in from the sky at this level. But as one of our great regulars always says “You’ll never know the minute” and it also helps when the flies are in the water.

These fish certainly brought renewed enthusiasm to the place but I’m afraid as yet the feat has not been repeated.

It looks like there is definitely some rain coming this week so it will be interesting to see what happens.

D.McEvoy

Water levels have dropped steadily all week and the river is now at 8.

I thought we were going to get flooded out with all the rain that was forecast but of course when Met Eireann give out warnings like this it generally means it’s going to rain in Dublin and we should get the sun hats out.

Since the bad weather in Dublin we have only had 15mms of rain. So all I can say is that I wish we had some of the rain here.

Despite the gloomy fishing weather we did manage to land 3 sea liced fish.

Heidi Hoefler had a fine sea liced fish of approx. 9.5lbs in the Whin pool on Wednesday on a Silver Stoat.

Michael Pettigrew also had a sea liced fish of approx. 9.5lbs in the Rock pool on a Willie Gunn tube on Thursday. Then both Michael and his son Tim managed to break in a fish each which was a pity. Needles to say I reminded them of this fact.

Michael Pettigrew was top rod for the week and on Friday he managed to land a sea liced fish of 6lbs2ozs on a size 4 Cascade single in the Meadow pool.

We have some of Delphi’s top rods here this coming week so they will be severely tested as regards their piscatorial abilities.
D.McEvoy

Robert landed a lovely 6lbs fish at Paddy’s Point on Doolough on a Galway Stinger, got some pictures and  then released the fish back from whence it came. He was a happy man at the close of play.

The river is now at 17 so hopefully we will get some of this rain that is forecast tonight and tomorrow. Having said that there are still fish to be seen so as one of our great stalwarts always says; “you’d never know the minute.”

Besides that this morning is breathtakingly beautiful and picture perfect.
D.McEvoy

Jimmy Keogh landed a 7lbs12ozs fish on Friday afternoon off Finlough on a Cascade.

Niall Tonge was in the limelight on Saturday landing 2 fish. He had a lovely fish of approx. 8lbs off the Rock pool on a Willie Gunn in the morning and he managed to land another off Finlough in the afternoon of 9lbs6ozs on a Collie Dog.

For the week we ended up with 13 fish which given the conditions was quite good.

On a more humorous note a number of anglers pointed out to me that Laurence Lock who normally appears on this blog for catching fish actually spent 4 days with us, rose and hooked numerous fish but managed to land none. Needless to say they said that I should highlight this fact.

I must also thank all of you who wrote to Minister Fergus O’Dowd concerning the proposed extension to the draft net season because there was a press release from his office on the 27^th March 2012 and part if it read as follows:

“Minister for Natural Resources, Fergus O’Dowd, has confirmed that there is no proposal for the extension of the salmon draft netting season.”

“Recent reports that the commercial season will be extended in certain rivers are untrue and I can confirm that for the 2012 season, the commercial fishing season remains as it was in all areas.”

So that is some good news on the angling front. Thank you again to those of you who took the time to write.
D.McEvoy

Conditions on Tuesday were excellent.

Angus Sutherland had a lovely sea liced fish of approx. 9lbs from the Deadmans on a Collie Dog.

Michael Righton had a fish of 10lbs12ozs from the Rock pool on a Cascade.

We had three fish on Wednesday. William Beattie had 2 in the morning, one of 6lbs9ozs from the Whin and one of 12lbs approx from the Turn Pool. Both fish were taken on a Willie Gunn.

Angus Sutherland had another fish of approx. 5lbs off Fin on a Silver Wilkinson.

We had 3 fish yesterday. Bob Hadden had one of 8lbs12ozs from Cooleens on a John Anthony Shrimp and Mike Shortt had one of 6lbs7ozs in the Holly pool on a Willie Gunn tube.

Terry Johnson had one of 6lbs14ozs from Heneghans on a Shrimp fly tube. It must be said that both Bob and Terry don’t catch a huge number of fish so needless to say everyone was delighted.

Dominic Cox had a fish this morning of 8lbs approx on a Willie Gunn tube off Doolough.

With the water holding up nicely at 30, I would expect the recent catches to continue over the next couple of days.
D.McEvoy