MAY REPORT - THE RAIN WAS IN SPAIN · 1 June 2008
The lack of rain and the predominantly light easterly winds made for very difficult fishing conditions at Delphi throughout May. Spain and Portugal had all the rain, leaving Delphi with about half the normal precipitation for the second month in a row.
In the first half of the month, 15 spring salmon were caught by persistent anglers, defying the odds. But as the river fell to a level that gave fresh fish no chance of running, just 4 salmon were taken in the second half of the month, despite heavy showers on the 23rd.
By the end of the month, the total catch for the spring stood at a modest 74 salmon, a little below the normal target of 100 fish by the end of May.
The best fish of the month, a wild 12- to 13-pounder, fell to Graham Feilden (England) from the Rock Pool. The best bag was claimed by Ciaran Boland (Dublin), who took 3 fish in one day from Finlough, including one of about 10 pounds.
Other double-digit salmon were landed by John Cooper, William McBarnet, Sean Moogan and Peter Moran. Four other anglers – Nick Holding, Kenneth Kelly, Tony Whitehouse and Arthur Jardine – took fish of around 9 pounds, while smaller fish were bagged by Stephen Barbour-Hall, Michael Evans, John Mills, Robbie Burton, Andrew Cunningham, Elizabeth Cunningham and Peter Milne.
Throughout the month, large numbers of lice-infested seatrout returned prematurely to the river, suggesting that last year’s partial recovery in Delphi’s seatrout stocks may be short-lived.
Rain is badly needed.
— Peter Mantle
Commenting is closed for this article.
AN UNLIKELY HAT-TRICK BIZARRE PHENOMENON AT DELPHI
