Very surprised angler

[joffmiester]

What a shocker …. just when coarse angling newcomer Steve Donaghy thought he was hooked into a decent pike when up popped a magnificent 14lb brown trout.

“I was gobsmacked”, said the 42 year old from Castleblayney. “I’ve only recently started coarse fishing on Lough Muckno and went along to the golf course section at Concra Wood.

“I cast a six ounce roach dead bait into deep water in the hope of tempting one of the lake’s many big pike then switched the bite-alarm on, then sat back and waited. Fifteen minutes later the alarm went off and there was a surging run that lasted 10 minutes (I was using 12lb line) before seeing its bronze flanks and another 30 minutes before I managed to get in into the landing net”.

Sadly the big brown trout was exhausted and despite great efforts by Steve and local fishing tackle dealer Les Harris, the fish died. The amazing fish will now be mounted and displayed in the Horseman’s Inn, a pub that is popular with local fishermen.

The massive waters of Lough Muckno are renowned for outstanding pike angling and general coarse anglers travel from across Europe to tackle the lake's prolific shoals of bream, roach, hybrids, rudd and perch.

And talking about Pike - the Lough Ree International Pike Angling Boat Festival at Athlone gets underway on Wednesday with a record entry of more than 180 anglers.

Dave Houghton
www.activeirishangling.com
0151 324 4744

[joffmiester]

i'll drink to that fish in september

[Simple]

What a whopper