Photo: Michael Flanagan Angling Correspondent for the Sunday World and Westmeath Topic Newspapers landed a super Specimen Pike of 30lbs 6ozs on Lough Ennell in March 2004, this fish was verified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee

A picture says 1000 words, well this was certainly the case in 2004.  Overall it was another good year for Pikers, with lots of feedback and pictures received. Piking in recent years is becoming a very popular angling pursuit with more and more anglers both from at home and overseas coming to fish the regions pike fisheries. And what Pike fishing we had! Many specimens were produced and countless doubles were recorded, too many to report here. A total of 12 river caught specimens were verified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee in 2004, 10 of these were from the Shannon Fisheries Region, with most caught on two of the Boards Managed Fisheries, the River Suck and River Inny. These fisheries nationally are renowned for the quality of pike fishing they provide as will be seen - read on!  Three Lake specimens were verified nationally by the specimen fish committee, all of these were from the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board waters i.e. Lough Derravaragh and Lough Ennell.

 VIEW SPECIMEN PIKE AWARDS SHANNON REGION 2004

Let’s see how the year fared month by month!

Weatherwise January  was a mixed month, plenty of rain at times and a very cold snap towards the end of the month. The month kicked off well with the River Suck Valley featuring in the angling news with the first specimen pike of the season reported, a 31lb fish landed by a local angler. Hollygrove lake was especially mentioned as one of the hotspots with a number of pike caught into double figures. Lough Graney Co Clare produced a pike of nearly 25lbs in a local competition.  

February was a dry month, mild early on but ended on a very cold note indeed with local snow falls and biting northerly winds. This curtailed angling activity. Pike fishing was quite good. The River Suck and River Inny featured in the angling news with specimens and large double figure fish reported, including one 13lb fish on fly on the Inny. The River Shannon at O’Briensbridge produced a specimen pike of 27lbs. Meelick pumphouse and the Marina at Banagher provided plenty of pike action for local anglers. A German party did well on Atedaun Lake in Co Clare. Lough Glore produced good sized pike, including an 18 pounder in a local open competition hosted by the Castlepollard AC. 

Photo: Alan Nolan with his 27lb specimen pike caught on the lower River Shannon at O'Briensbridge on February 2nd, 2004  

Photo: Larry Kelly winner of the Lough Glore competition with this fine pike double of 18lbs 4oz, photo taken on Sunday February 1st courtesy of Mick Flanagan Angling Correspondent Sunday World and Westmeath Topic newspapers.

Photo: 20lb 2oz pike for Clyde Mc Elwaine on the River Suck in February, photo courtesy of the captor.

Our angling columnist and angling correspondent Michael Flanagan got the month of March off to a good start with a pike of a lifetime at 31lbs 6ozs caught on  Lough Ennell. The fish was verified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee.  Doon Lake, the Shannon at Shannonbridge , O’Briensbridge and Lough Ree all featured in the angling notes through out the month . An article Entitled “ No Fisherman Blues for Ace Alex Neilan” appeared in the local Roscommon Herald newspaper for Junior  angler Alex Neilan who caught several quality double figure pike over the month. 

Photo: Mick Flanagan Angling Correspondent for the Sunday World and Westmeath Topic Newspapers landed a super Specimen Pike of 30lbs 6ozs on Lough Ennell in March 2004

Photo: Giant Pike swims off to freedom to fight another day

 

We received these photos of Alex Neilan's Specimen Pike caught on the River Suck. In a week in March ’04 Alex had two specimens, one of 25lbs 4ozs (top pic) and the other 22lbs 8ozs (bottom pic). He had five other fish, including a  15 and 10 pounder.

April was a notable month for Pike angling. Numerous specimens were reported to the Angling Section of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board. Specimen Pike were caught in the Lough Key Angling Festival over Easter. 49 Pike many into double figures were caught in a pike fish in on Pallas lake organised by Pallas Angling Club which was facilitated by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board. All fish caught were successfully re-stocked into other suitable local waters. The Clare lakes don’t feature that frequently in our angling column but in April they did especially Doon Lake which produced a huge specimen of 32lbs for a local Limerick angler and a German and French party recorded several doubles here. The River Suck Valley always produces the goods and April proved no exception. Alex Neilan, a skilled junior angler  from Castlecoote scored again with two specimens into the 20’s and also several doubles.  

Photo: Mark Ryan from Kilcock with this fine specimen pike of 21lbs caught on the River Inny in April 2004 - photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent.

Weather conditions in early May hampered angling with very wet and windy conditions.  The Western shore of Lough Derg produced a specimen pike of 30lbs. A French party reported 16 Pike on the Eastern shores of the lake. Conditions did recover dramatically as the month advanced allowing much more comfortable conditions for anglers. There was a pike bonanza for a party of six French anglers in the River Suck Valley. The party led by Di Casey fished for 12 days and had 197 pike between them for the holiday, many into double figures, best over 10.5 kgs (23lbs). A Dutch party had lively action on Lough Derg landing 16 fish to one meter in length. A Polish angler caught 24 pike in the Suck Valley over two days later in the month.

There wasn’t much pike angling reported in June and July. Weather was warm and sultry and waters levels ran very low and clear as the month progressed. There was one unconfirmed report of a huge pike caught in the River Suck Valley. Our Midland lake and river fisheries did return some good pike at times, Derravaragh and Ennell were especially mentioned but was a quiet relatively quiet month overall.  

Photo: Glen Owel Cup winner Jimmy Murphy with his catch of the day 18lbs 8oz Pike from Lough Owel in June.  

In July we received good reports of Pike fishing on Lough Ennell with large doubles caught to the low 20’s. Other than this not much action was reported. 

Photo: Visiting angler in a Belgian Party on Hillstreet Lakes - in photo Wilfried Govaerts with a pike of 92cms

In August summer piking reaped rewards for a Belgian party on the River Shannon at O’Briensbridge, about mid month There was also a large specimen pike of over 33lbs reported from Lough Glore near Mullingar. Another Belgian party, angling guests of Millbank House and Angling Centre Murroe Limerick had very good pike fishing on the East Clare lakes.

Photo: Charles Miles from Blanchardstown in Dublin with a Pike of 33lbs 7oz caught on Lough Glore near Mullingar in August 2004 - photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan Angling Correspondent

In September a London party had very good pike fishing from the bank pegs on the Shannon at Rogers Island at Portumna, including a number of doubles to nearly 16lbs.  The River Suck also featured in the angling news over the month. Shannonbridge on the Shannon is always a good bet for a few large pike and this September was no exception. The Maver Junior All Ireland Pike Fishing Championship 2004 was fished in Co. Cavan. This event saw 53 young anglers land 33 Pike in very difficult fishing conditions. The North - Longford A.C. swept the boards taking first place in the U-13 & U-18 section. In the team event, 1st was North - Longford A team with 7 pike 20.12lbs.  Further south 74 anglers from Europe and Ireland took part in the Annual European Pike Angling Challenge fished out of Killaloe.  Eagle Lowrance were the main sponsors. The winner was Portumna angler Jason Molloy who received a Sylvan Boat, sponsored by Sylvan boats, Holland, a mercury outboard engine sponsored by mercury, Holland and a trailer sponsored by Mill Hickey boats, Clonlara, Co. Clare. He also received the Kingfisher Reisen Trophy, Germany. Fishing was fairly good and a lot of big pike were hooked and lost during the competition which added to the excitement of the event. The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board provided a daily and overall results service as is the case each year for this event. 

Photo: Jason Molloy Portumna Co Galway overall winner of the Euro Pike Angling Challenge fished out of Killaloe in September Left to right Jason Molloy, Jim Robinson competition co-ordinator and Bill Hickey. Organiser and chairman of the competition

In October cracking pike got the winter piking season off to an early start  despite inclement weather. There were a few noted hot spots and some lively action was reported both by pleasure anglers and in local competitions. A Belgian party of five  from St Marie Pike Association reported catching 86 pike in 6 days between October 3rd and 8th inclusive on the River Suck and River Shannon around Shannonbridge, best fish 22lbs. Lanesboro Angling Club held their pike  " boat "  competition on Sunday 17th Oct on the Shannon at Lanesboro. There were some fantastic fish caught, first three placed in the prizes had fish over 20lbs, best 24.5lbs. The Lough Ennell Perpetual Cup Pike Competition was also held on Sunday 17th Oct. Best fish was over 14lbs. Lough Glore hosted the P.J. Brophy trophies the same day. This competition produced super fish. The top three rods were all from Dublin, best fish 16lbs 8oz. On Sunday 24th October Lough Derravaragh Angling Club hosted the Murtagh Cup competition. Conditions were favourable and some great pike were caught, best fish 22lbs and 19lbs 4ozs.   

Photo: L/R Peter Smith (Steward  Lanesboro A.C.) J.J. Flanagan Mullingar with Pike weighing 13lbs 9oz and Tommy Molloy (Steward Lanesboro A.C.) - photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent Mullingar. 

Photo: Nigel Holmes from Cambridge, a member of the International Pike Competition party landed this  beautiful fish of over 21lbs pleasure fishing on the River Suck after the competition - photo courtesy of John Ryan ShRFB  Assistant Fisheries Inspector Ballinlough.

In November the Christmas Pike competition and the Johnny Owens Perpetual Cup, both fished on Lough Derravaragh produced several quality doubles, with a number of 20’s featuring in the top rods. A local Meath angler landed a specimen fish of 32lbs, pleasure fishing on Derravaragh. Also in the angling news was Lough Glore which produced large doubles to over 22lbs in local competitions. Visiting anglers did well on Lough na Blaithi and a French party recorded fish to over 20lbs on Lough Derg and East Clare lakes.  

Photo: Jeff Anderson  Bewdley, Worcs during their trip to Lough na Blaithi, photo courtesy of the captor

Photo: Anthony Scally from Robinstown Mullingar with a fine pike of 19lbs 4oz caught in the Murtagh Cup pike competition on Lough Derravaragh on Sunday October 24th - photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent Mullingar. 

Photo: Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent, Mullingar with a super Lough Glore pike of 20lbs 4oz which came second place in the Larry Kelly competition in November - photo courtesy of the captor. 

Photo: Lough Glore cracker for Charlie Maples -  this pike weighed 22lbs 8oz which won the Larry Kelly sponsored Competition  held in November - photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent Mullingar. 

Photo: Eric, friend of  French visiting angler Didier Simon winter piking on the lower Shannon Region, photo courtesy of the captor.  

Photo: Larry Kelly with winning pike of 24lbs 8oz, and brother Eric 3rd (18lbs 7oz pike) in the Derravaragh Christmas pike competition.  

Photo: Larry Kelly from Athboy Co Meath with his Derravaragh pike weighing 32lbs 4ozs, the fish was the heaviest  pike verified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee in 2004 - Photo courtesy of Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent, Mullingar.

“Lough Derravaragh Still in Form with some Cracking Pike Caught to Specimen Size” was the headline of our December report. Weather was calm and still with mild temperatures for the time of year. There has been little rainfall and water . 

Photo: 17lb Lough Derravaragh Pike for 9 year old April, daughter of our regular columnist Mick Flanagan, Angling Correspondent, Mullingar  Photo courtesy of the captor