Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has secured convictions against three men in two separate cases of illegal angling on Lough Sheelin.

Jason Bennett of Blue Ball, Co Offaly and Thomas McCarthy of Tullamore, Co Offaly were prosecuted for trolling — where a fishing line is drawn through the water behind a boat — outside of the permitted season.

Separately, Marius Sarauskas of Navan, Co Meath was prosecuted for obstructing IFI officers while they were attempting to issue him with a fixed-charge penalty notice (FCPN), or fine, of €150 for illegal trolling on Lough Sheelin.

Lough Sheelin, bordering counties Cavan, Meath, and Westmeath, attracts anglers nationwide and internationally and is a famed wild brown trout lake.

It is illegal to troll on Lough Sheelin between 1 March and 16 June, a ban introduced to help conserve fish stocks.

Mullingar District Court heard how Bennett and McCarthy were offered the opportunity to pay a fine of €150 — issued in lieu of court proceedings — for the alleged offences at Clareisland, Co Westmeath but did not do so.

Both men failed to have a midland permit required to fish on Lough Sheelin at the time of the incident on 3 June 2023.

A fine €500 was imposed on both defendants, with costs of €1,053 also charged to each man, in court on 26 January this year.

A third conviction was secured at Cavan District Court on 2 February where Marius Sarauskas was convicted of obstructing fishery officers at Kilnahard, Co Cavan.

IFI officers were attempting to issue him with a fine for illegal trolling on Lough Sheelin on 13 May 2023.

Sarauskas was fined €400 and must also pay €1,642 toward the costs of the case.

David McInerney, Shannon River Basin District director at IFI said: “These cases highlight the seriousness of failing to comply with angling regulations, and of obstructing fishery officers while doing their work.

“It also serves as a reminder that fixed-charged penalty notices are issued in lieu of court proceedings, and failure to pay these fines can result in court convictions.

“Angling rules must be obeyed to support the management and protection of the unique Lough Sheelin fishery. In general, compliance among anglers in Lough Sheelin is high.”

A survey of Lough Sheelin anglers has found that 94 per cent are now releasing more of the trout they catch back into Lough Sheelin than they did when they started fishing.

The Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) research involved 132 participants, and more than half of these had over 25 years’ experience fishing for wild brown trout in the lake, which borders counties Cavan, Meath and Westmeath and attracts anglers nationwide and internationally.

Catch-and-release methods ensure that trout stock have a greater chance of survival within the freshwater lake.

Dr Cathal Gallagher, head of research and development at IFI, said: “The trends, over the four decades studied in the research, were mostly positive regarding the abundance and size of trout in the lake and its ecosystem.

“Respondents commented they now believe the lake is currently fishing well.

“However, some expressed concerns about threats to Lough Sheelin’s trout stocks, including pollution, pressure from angling activity, poor water quality and protection of fish.

Shore angling at Lough Sheelin | Credit: IFI

“This research highlights the growth in awareness of fish conservation among anglers.

“Seasoned fishers on Lough Sheelin have a deep understanding of the lake’s surrounding ecology that’s been developed through long-term interactions with the natural environment.”

The research used a method developed by IFI called Fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators (FLEKSI).

It is designed to track environmental impacts and changes in fish stocks through local information sources by asking anglers about different aspects of the fishery now, compared to when they started fishing on the lake.

Engaging Ireland’s anglers as citizen scientists is now an important element of research programmes at IFI, Dr Gallagher said.

“Their very important contribution can help us to fill gaps in knowledge about the history of fisheries, and to develop sound, evidence-based management strategies,” he added.

Researchers at IFI have expressed their thanks to all local anglers who participated, and to the Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association.

The survey findings are available to download HERE.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is launching a new survey that will tap into the knowledge of trout anglers in Lough Sheelin.

The survey will use a method developed by IFI called FLEKSI — Fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators — which will help to track ecological changes through local knowledge.

This new survey method features questions for anglers about their trout catch and about different aspects of the fishery now compared with when they started fishing on the lake.

The state agency responsible for the conservation and protection of freshwater fish, habitats and sea angling resources says that this accumulated local ecological knowledge is valuable, and has potential for citizen science that can provide important insights for fisheries management into the future.

Wild brown trout are well-known to feed opportunistically on seasonal gluts of prey, especially swarms of insects, such as mayflies, midges and sedge flies.

To select artificial flies and lures that ‘match the hatch’ — mimicking prey that trout are feeding on — trout anglers closely observe the lake environment and its wildlife throughout the angling season.

Dr Samuel Shephard, a senior research officer with IFI and one of the developers of the FLEKSI method, said: “We know how important anglers are as stewards of our fisheries resource and how attuned they are to changes in the lake environment from year to year.

“Anglers develop in-depth knowledge about their local lake fisheries over their angling career which can provide an important resource for fisheries science.

“With this new survey we want to use this unique insight to help track changes in Lough Sheelin’s trout stocks and ecosystems.”

Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan is one of Ireland’s most important wild brown trout fisheries, with a history of dramatic environmental changes over the last 40 years.

IFI says the FLEKSI survey will give trout anglers on Lough Sheelin an exciting opportunity to share their knowledge as citizen scientists and to make a valuable contribution towards fisheries management on the lake.

Each participant also has the opportunity to enter into a prize draw for angling tackle, with one €200 voucher and two €100 vouchers to be won.

If you fish for trout on Lough Sheelin, please take the opportunity to share your knowledge via the FLEKSI survey website HERE.

The number of drowning tragedies around Ireland this week has risen to six after the deaths of a man in his 60s and a teenage boy.

As BreakingNews.ie reports, the man was recovered unconscious from the water at Dollymount Strand in north Dublin yesterday afternoon (Friday 23 July).

Despite the vest efforts of lifeguards and off-duty medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Elsewhere, a 15-year-old boy rescued after getting into difficulty in Lough Sheelin on Tuesday (20 July) died in hospital on Thursday evening (22 July).

Their deaths bring the toll of drownings this week on the island of Ireland to five, following incidents in counties Cavan, Leitrim and Fermanagh and Down, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has prosecuted three businesses and landowners in the Lough Sheelin and River Camlin catchments between May and September 2019, for the discharge of harmful substances to nearby watercourses.

In June, Kiernan Milling of Granard, Co Longford was convicted in Longford District Court for the discharge of effluent to the River Camlin catchment.

Judge Hughes ordered the payment of €2,441.65 in fines and costs, for breaches under the 1959 Fisheries Consolidation Act.

On 23 July, in Virginia District Court, Mr Patrick Kiernan was convicted and ordered to pay €2,900 in fines and costs, for the discharge of effluent to the Kildorragh River in the Lough Sheelin catchment.

A third conviction was secured by IFI in Virginia District Court in September 2019.

Mr John Lynch, Mountnugent, Co Cavan was ordered to pay €2,500 in fines and costs for allowing the discharge of deleterious matter into the Schoolhouse River, also part of the Lough Sheelin catchment.

In a fourth case in May 2019 at Longford District Court, Judge Hughes disposed of a prosecution by IFI against Mr Derek Moorehead in relation to discharges to a tributary of the Camlin River and ordered Mr Moorehead to pay €500 to a wildlife charity.

Lough Sheelin is a well-known wild brown trout fishery in the Great Western Lakes and one of the most important brown trout angling locations in Ireland, while the River Camlin is an important spawning and nursery location for Lough Ree brown trout.

Amanda Mooney, director of the Shannon River Basin District, said: “Pollution events in the spawning and nursery tributaries along these catchments can threaten indigenous fish populations. The maintenance of the aquatic habitat is vital if we are to sustain and enable wild fish populations to thrive.

“Inland Fisheries Ireland is working to protect and conserve this natural resource to ensure its sustainability into the long term.

“Angling for brown trout in lakes in the Inny catchment and Lough Ree generates important economic activity for rural communities and any impact on fish populations in the area may also have negative impact in this regard.”

#Angling - Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is seeking submissions from interested parties in relation to a proposal to introduce a bye-law defining a closed season for angling for any species on Lough Sheelin in the Shannon River Basin District (No 8 District).

The proposal currently under consideration is to seek the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to introduce a bye-law on Lough Sheelin to close the lake to angling for any species from 13 October to the end of February in the following year.

IFI may, as part of the process, arrange a public consultation meeting if deemed necessary, but all submissions must be received in writing and will be published on the IFI website.

Submissions may be sent by email to [email protected] or by post to:

The Director,
Inland Fisheries Ireland,
Ashbourne Business Park,
Dock Road,
Limerick
V94 NPEO

The public consultation period will run for another three weeks with the closing date for receipt of submissions set at 5pm on Wednesday 16 March.

In other angling news, the River Feale (including Rivers Galey and Brick) will be open for salmon fishing on from next Tuesday 1 March till midnight of Friday 30 September.

Under the salmon tagging regulations, in 2016 the River Feale is designated as a 'brown tag' fishery. The brown tags for the River Feale bear the code B3.

Anglers must affix a brown tag along with a blue tag to any salmon which is retained. This means that salmon retained on the River Feale will have two tags attached.

Brown tags will issue from IFI officers only for the 2016 season. Please ring 087 763 9236 to arrange to meet and receive your first brown tag, as well as any additional tags needed (upon verification that the previous tag has been used, i.e. a fish has been caught and recorded in the logbook).

Only one brown tag will be issued at a time to each angler. If an angler has used their brown tag or doesn’t have a brown tag in their possession to use then they must fish by catch-and-release methods (single barbless hook and no worms).

Brown tags will continue to be issued until the angling quota is reached. National regulations apply and are available in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout leaflet.

For any queries refer to the relevant IFI webpage or contact the Limerick office at [email protected] or 061 300 238.

#Angling - Suggestions that Lough Sheelin may be kept open to all angling over the winter months have been criticised by the local trout protection association.

As Cavan's Anglo-Celt reports, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) had proposed the idea of keeping the lake open beyond the end of the trout angling season, which closed last Monday 12 October, during discussions with clubs in recent months over new bye-laws for the Shannon Basin.

But Michael Callaghan of the Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association says his group "would be totally opposed to it because we feel it would impinge on our trout stocks. While people might be targeting pike, they will catch trout."

Commenting at last weekend's season-closing trout event that attracted more than 240 anglers to the lake, Callaghan said proposed new bag and size limits were changes "we can live with" but winter angling has been proscribed in the area for more than 60 years.

"From our perspective, we don’t want to see any change in that," he added. "It would have an enormous negative impact on the wild trout population.”

The Anglo-Celt has more on the story HERE.