Well since my last update catches have continued at a steady pace, with 26 fish landed. Fish seemed to be more difficult to tempt in week 25, despite some good numbers entering the system and some very experienced anglers combined with some youthful exuberance, which I must say was a joy to behold, as there are so few young salmon anglers these days.

Darren Stewart, home on holidays from Australia landed a fish of approx. 4lbs on Doolough. The Hoffer family from the US had an outing on the 21^st on Doolough and Maura managed to land her first ever salmon, a nice fish of 3lbs10ozs. Alan Musgrove had a fish from the Rock Pool on the 22^nd on a Calvin Shrimp. Two young guns from Sligo, David O’ Flynn and Mark Walton had a fish each on the 23^rd of approx. 5 and 6lbs. They were landed in the Whin and Rock Pools and took a Ghillie and a Collie Dog respectively. Charles Carroll also had a fish from Cooleens of approx. 3lbs on a Cascade. The 24^th there were also three landed. Ronan Murphy had a fish of approx. 3lbs from the Dynamite on a Frances, while Gary Lloyd and Reinhard had one each off Finlough of 3lbs5ozs and 5lbs11ozs on a Silver Stoat and a Sunrae Shadow respectively.

Thus commenced week 26, when a long standing group from Bavaria returned. They landed sixteen fish in Delphi and another six on the Erriff. Here they had nine off the River, six off Finlough and one off Doolough. Of these Reinhard had 7, Fredo had 3, Benny had 2, and Martin, Werner, Yvonne and Mattias all had one each. It was Mattias’ first off the River in quite a few years. All were taken on Cascades, Collie Dogs or Sunrae Shadow’s. Highlight of the week was Julie McMullen’s first ever salmon, which was taken on Beat 9 on the Erriff and weighed in at approx. 3.5lbs. Well done Julie.

By the 30^th of June the total for the month was 55, including three good double figure fish, Urs’s of 16lbs6ozs, Roxi Davies with one of 14lbs5ozs and Alan Dunlop’s of approx. 11lbs. This as expected is well up on last year’s total of 14. I also believe that the fishing should improve through July and early August.

The first few days of this month have been good, despite low water with 5 fish landed yesterday, the 2^nd. Brian Fisher had a beautiful grilse of 4lbs10ozs from the Deadman’s on a Stoats Tail, while Giovanni Mazzoleni had two from the Meadow of 5lbs1oz and 3lbs10ozs, both on a Silver Wilkinson. French duo of Claude Chardonnet and Michel Valuet had one each of 4lbs2ozs and 3lbs5ozs from the Turn and the Whin, both on Collie Dogs.

There is nothing so far on the 3^rd, but plenty seen and a few lost, but we are due for a heavy belt of rain this evening and tonight which should set us up nicely for the coming days.

D.McEvoy