While March 2016 may not have been one of our best, Yvonne Zirngibl’s fish of 20lbs6ozs certainly makes it a month to remember.

Water levels were excellent to begin with as we had lovely water up to the 14^th, from when we had a period of dry settled weather and water levels dropped right off until the 25^th when the rain started again. This brought levels up again with a big flood on the night of the 31^st and the 1^st of April with a total of 39.8mms between these two days. Total rainfall for the month was 159.85mms or 6.29”.

From an angling perspective the month started very brightly with three fish in the first three days. Martin Davison had the first of 8lbs11ozs from the Meadow Pool on his first ever visit to Delphi. Ashley Glover then managed to land his first ever salmon on the 2^nd, a fish of 9lbs14.5ozs from the Horseshoe on a Collie Dog. Another member of his fishing party Lloyd Scraggs managed his first ever on the fly on the 3^rd, a fish of 7lbs from the Whin Pool on a Cascade Conehead.

There was a lull then of a few days until Yvonne managed to land the 20lbs6ozs monster on the 8^th from the Waterfall on Norwegian Conehead. I should have also noted previously that it was a perfectly made fish as it was only 94.5cms in length, which meant there was great depth to it. It was just reward for all the long hours Yvonne had put in over the years. Her husband Werner who had netted the fish landed one the following day weighing in at approx. 7.5lbs again from the Waterfall on a Tosh tube.

We then experienced a period of (very welcome for most of us), dry sunny weather, which meant the fishing was slow, but the scenery was to die for. Lisa Engberg did manage to land a fish of approx. 11lbs from Finlough on a Delphi Collie during this period.

The rain made a comeback on the 25^th, which coincided with the arrival of an experienced German party and the fishing duly picked up thereafter. One of the group, Bob Colson from the US had a nice fish from the Stream on Fin of 8lbs2ozs on a Delphi Collie. The group then managed another four fish for the week, two off Finlough and two from the river, one from the Grilse and one from the Whin. They weighed in at approx. 9lbs, 7lbs12ozs, approx. 9lbs and 8lbs14ozs respectively. All were taken on Delphi Collie’s or a variation thereof.

Water levels are now at 60 and with plenty of water in the system conditions should be ideal for the next few days at least. Here’s looking forward in anticipation!! D.McEvoy