Kylemore Abbey Fishery.Overall Season Report and Monthly Breakdown 2009.

Salmon.

Salmon were clearly visible from early on in the season. In fact, two early runners travelling from the Rock Pool on the 9th January sent resident mending kelts in the Boat Pool, positively ballistic as they moved through their territory. However it was not until April that we did witness reasonable and consistent numbers filter into the river. Twenty two fish were visibly seen to enter during the last two weeks of the month with the 1st and 2nd Salmon of the season taken on the 12th April by Ciarán Brady and Hugh Hartnett at 9 and 8.5lbs accordingly both on Green Highlanders. One further fish for month fell to fishery guide John Irwin at 9lbs by means of the ever productive Kylemore Killer. Average weight of fish for the month was 8.83lb.

From the 1st week of May, the number of fish that were visually seen to enter the system was astounding. Ninety nine to be precise and the number that were not seen could only have been greater. This was a great Spring run... Possibly the remainder of our grilse that did not seem to appear in great numbers in 2008. The largest fish for the month was a stray Delphi hatchery fish caught by John Irwin on the Lower River from ’Siddies Pool’ on a Collie Dog. A fourteen pound beauty. In all, ten Salmon were landed for the month with an average weight of 7.35lb, five of which were fin-clipped hatchery fish. Not bad for 23.5 rod days of effort. We were looking forward to June.

We were looking forward to June... What a disaster, just three fish for the month. June was dry... Very, very dry for the most part and it was not until rain overnight on the 16th that some meat was put onto the rivers bones, and, as a consequence, the first fish of the month was landed the following day from the Rock Pool at 8.25lb. The last two fish were taken at the end of the month after a small fresh of water. The average weight of the June fish was 4.66lb.
The dry spell did give the hard working Western Regional Fisheries Board staff the opportunity to install the new fish counter, which was executed in record time and with the least amount of disturbance to man or beast or, indeed fish. I did have my reservations about the water levels passing over the counter but when it became apparent that sea-liced fish of 5-6lb were being spotted in various up-river pools my doubts and frustrations were waived. At the driest point of the month only 1.5 inches of water passed over the counter crump but, backs out of the water... They did enter.

A good flood on the 3rd July started the ball rolling for the month. In fact the summer was pretty much gone with regard to good ‘tourist’ weather for the rest of the year and water levels remained good to sometimes too high for the remainder of July. This was to our advantage as the total of fish for the month at 26 with a 30% decrease in angling effort (68.5 rod days) did put us on the map as the best performing Connemara fishery. The largest fish of the month was 6lb and the smallest 1.75lb bringing our average July weight at 3.93lb.
The fish counter was switched on at 1.00pm 07.07.09 and by the 22.07 09, the first opportunity I got all summer to establish the runs, 207 Salmon had made their way into the Dawros river. My own visual count during this period was only 31, some 14.89% of the counter’s tally. This is by no means an accurate way of counting but over a few years, some sort of average differential and conclusion can be established. From the switch on of the counter, I have been informed, until the end of the season, some 1100 Salmon passed over the crump. Given that only half of the possible entry point of the river is covered and a percentage of fish run the other channel, with some degree of inaccuracy either way, we hope to have maintained a healthy run of fish.

It carried on raining into August and did not stop until mid September by when, we were glad to see the end of it. Again we were proud to boast better catches than any other of the local fisheries with forty six fish landed for the month and again, a major drop off with regard to angling effort. Is was so consistent throughout August that only six days did not provide us with some entry into the fish register. It was a month of anglers catching multiple fish and for very little effort. Regular angler Geoffrey Fitzjohn managed four fish for one day, three on his next visit and two for a further half day. Valentine Flynn with five fish for five half days, Ger Henehan three for one half day and two for each of three half days and Edward Persse three for one half day. The best fish of the month at 10.25lbs fell to Tim McCormick with the joint smallest to Tim’s nephew Rory Keatinge at 1.5lb. (Somebody has to get the smallest)! This gave us an average weight of 4.34lb and with only 89 Rod Days, an average rod-day > fish ratio of 0.516 of a salmon to each angler! Can’t complain about this one!

Early September remained wet until the plug was pulled on the 10th of the month whereby we relished in the respite of some sun and drier weather. Just 12 fish for the month for 30 Rod Days did us no great favours but the last day of the season did give us the 0ne Hundredth fish and final fish of the year. Caught by Paddy Joe Lydon one of our Lake guides, his first ever salmon being predominately a Trout angler. I was hoping for 101 as 100 sounds a contrived number but this was not the case. The average weight of salmon in was September 4.58lb.

Salmon Facts 2009.

Average weight ’09. 4.58lb. ‘08. 4.32lb. ‘07. 4.26lb.
First Fish. 12th April.
Best Fish. 14lb.
Smallest Fish 1.5lb
Rod > Salmon Ration 0.457 Salmon/Rod/Day.
Fin-Clipped Salmon. 14/14%
Salmon Returned. 52/52%
Lower River. 37%
Middle River 20%
Upper River 21%
Rock/Boat 18%
Lakes 4%
Most productive Connemara fishery 2009.
Most Productive Fly:
1st Place. Kylemore Killer. (21)
2nd Place. Thunder Shrimp. (12)
3rd Place. Cascade. (9)

Sea Trout 2009.

Sea trout runs were reasonable but not as good as previous years. One major improvement was the size with many fish well over the two pound and a few of three pound plus. Sea Trout anglers were few and far between with most of our anglers concentrating on river in pursuit of salmon. Most trout anglers confine themselves to the lakes which usually fish very well. Unfortunately this year, for the most part, the lakes were far too high and/or winds were rarely settled enough to give us any remarkable catches. However, neighbouring Delphi fishery fared better as can often be the case with migrant Sea Trout. If feeding at the time the Sea Trout are ready to re-enter fresh water happens to be better in any one area than another, the fish will start to enter the nearest system. They are not as river specific as Salmon. In 2004 we experienced the same phenomenon where all other fisheries had poor returns and Kylemore as a whole returned over 1200 fish for the year. It could be us next year?
Our total for the year ended with just 239 against 441 in 2008.

Catch reports 2006

Catch reports 2005

Bookings for next season can be made from our bookings page.

Some successful flies.