1502 TAGGED FISH CAUGHT IN DELPHI NETS · 29 December 2008
For every tagged, hatchery-origin salmon taken by anglers in 2008, we subsequently netted four from the lakes after the angling season ended. The total caught by rod was 382 and the total netted was 1502.
If we had netted out all the tagged fish present in the fishery(which is most unlikely), the statistics would imply that anglers caught only 20% of the run. Since there are definitely still a few tagged fish left in the system, the angling exploitation rate in 2008 was clearly less than 20%, even with the spinning that took place on Finlough on the final day of the season.
The run of fish in 2008 was, as we suspected, rather better even than the above-average rod catches might have suggested.
Of all the guesses submitted by readers as to the total tagged fish netted, nobody was even within 500 fish, so the prize dinner is deferred until we can think up some new excuse to offer it.
— Peter Mantle
WINTER NETTING COMPETITION · 11 December 2008
A free dinner in Delphi Lodge for the person who correctly guesses the number of tagged salmon that the team at Delphi will have netted out of the system this winter.
Clue 1: 382 of the 489 salmon caught by anglers at Delphi in 2008 were tagged fish.
Guesstimates to delfish@iol.ie.
All incoming phone calls, emails and brown envelopes for the fishery staff will be scrutinised intently.
— Peter Mantle
2009 FLY-FISHING COURSE DATES · 5 November 2008
The dates for all the 2009 courses being run by Peter O’Reilly at Delphi have now been posted to the website. Click on SCHOOL in the toolbar and scroll down to see them.
Note that Peter is offering, for the first time, a weekend devoted to spey-casting and other double handed techniques. There is also an early-season guided session of spring salmon fishing on the Bundorragha – a great way to kick off the season and brave the elements.
— Peter Mantle
2008 NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE · 5 November 2008
The Delphi Fishery Newsletter 2008 is now available online by clicking this LINK.
The 2008 newsletter is only available electronically, but it can be easily opened and printed using Adobe Reader. If you do not have this program on your computer, you can download it speedily and for free by going to www.adobe.com.
— Peter Mantle
SEPTEMBER REPORT · 5 October 2008
The unusually awful summer weather in Ireland at least made for some unusually good salmon fishing. The tally for the last month of the season at Delphi equalled the best ever salmon catch for September.
With 132 salmon taken in the month (the same as in September of the record-breaking 1998 season) and over 200 sea trout, there was no lack of action amidst the often dreadful weather. Furthermore, the September salmon total was only three fish short of that for August, which itself was a wet but great fishing month.
The daily salmon catches again showed a solid consistency, with only one blank day in the month: 3, 6, 2, 3, 4, 4, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 2, 0, 2, 5, 5, 4, 1, 1, 7, 1, 8, 4, 7, 1, 1, 4, 37 = 132. The 37 fish taken during the end-of-season party for staff and locals were, as usual, nearly all caught on spinners, but the other 95 September fish were all taken on fly.
Top rods in the month (excluding the final day) were Mark Corps and Andy Smith (with 8 fish each), Jack Browne (7), Jonathan Smalley (5), and Mike Shortt and David McEvoy (4 each). The best fish of the month fell to Andy Smith’s novelist sister Ali who landed an 11½ pounder that was her first ever salmon.
Others to lose their salmon fishing virginity in the month were Roger Gooding (England), Jonty Crosse (Bahrain), Dwight Shelton (USA) and Nicky Haire (UK).
Hot rods during the closing party were ghillies Tom Callinan, Peter Joyce and Ben Bangham (all with 4 each). And front-of-house manager Kasia Wiacek (2), housekeeper Beata Wyczorek and chef Lochlann O’Mearain (2), as well as local youngsters Michael McNally and Daragh Heneghan, all caught their first ever salmon, Daragh’s being the biggest of the day at 7¾ pounds.
Finlough was the place to be in September, yielding 89 salmon, while the river produced 34 and Doolough 9 (plus most of the sea trout). All but one of the 21 wild fish caught were released alive.
Overall, although the 500 salmon target for the year was narrowly missed, the last month of the Delphi season proved productive and enjoyable.
— Peter Mantle
