COARSE AND PIKE ANGLING IN THE WESTERN FISHERIES REGION.

Eight miles from Galway City, in the Moycullen Lake District, there are eleven coarse fishing lakes, all holding bream, rudd, perch, eel, pike and roach/bream hybrids.

The largest lake is 400 acres and the smallest about six acres. In addition, there are two small canals which hold a lot of fish at certain times of the year, even in Winter when the water is very high. The Western Regional Fisheries Board developed a number of these lakes and most have excellent access, top-quality fishing stands, stiles and footbridges, there are two stands specially built for disabled anglers at Ballyquirke Lake and one at Ross Lake. With the newly created facilities there is now several hundred "swims" available for anglers.

The waters give good roach fishing over most of the year, but usually best from April to December. Hybrids are always plentiful in summer and early winter months. Roach to over 1lb and hybrids to 3lb are common. Bream fishing is best from April and skimmers are plentiful the whole year round. Bream to over 9lb have been caught in Ballyquirke Lake. Tench are also present in most of the lakes but are of ten hard to locate because of the size of the waters. Ballindooley Lough, a few miles along the Headford Road from Galway City, is specially stocked with quality tench and the lake has a number of good fishing stands that can be reached from the Headford Road.

Lough Aclaureen, a few miles from Tuam, is a small roach, tench and bream water of about 14 acres and it has excellent fishing stands provided by a FAS scheme and the Western Regional Fisheries Board. The lake gives good fishing for Roach and bream from April to early winter. Access is from the Tuam/Kilmaine Road as shown on signposts.

Summerville Lake, beside Moylough, Co. Galway, has an excellent stock of rudd, some perch and pike. The roadway runs to its western shore, beside the Tuam/Moylough/Glenamaddy junction. There are no fishing stands at the lake and it is seldom fished.

Enquires to : Western Regional Fisheries Board, Earl's Island, Galway.

The Castlereagh Lakes(3), beside Irishtown, in Co. Mayo, have recently been provided with first- class fishing stands, stiles and footbridges by the Western Regional Fisheries Board and two of the 28 stands have facilities for disabled anglers. The lakes have good bream from skimmers to over 5lb as well as rudd to over 1lb and perch and pike. Eel are common and Roach are very plentiful, some to 1lb.

Not far from Irishtown, and Milltown, is Cloondroon Lake where three fishing stands were recently erected by the Fisheries Board. The lake has bream, rudd, roach and perch.

Right beside the town of Claremorris is Clare Lake and Mayfield Lake, both small waters which hold bream to several pounds as well as some perch and pike. There is easy access to Clare Lough where six fishing stands were recently erected by the Western Regional Fisheries Board. Three stands were also built at Mayfield Lake.

Lough Na Nannagh is only a few miles from Claremorris, on the Knock Road, and it holds bream, perch and pike. The south - eastern section has two fishing stands and access is very easy from the main road, where there is ample parking nearby. The larger section of lake is also easily reached by a small roadway to the water's edge.

Enquires to : Western Regional Fisheries Board, Earl's Island, Galway.

PIKE FISHING IN THE WESTERN FISHERIED REGION

There are over 40 lakes in the Western Fisheries Region which hold pike, many of which are seldom fished. The lakes are widespread and are scattered between counties Galway and Mayo.

A number of the small lakes can provide good pike fishing at certain times of the year, particularly during the winter and spring months, the best being October and April.

Most notable for better quality pike are the Moycullen Lakes. The largest is Ross Lake which has 400 acres while a short distance downstream is Ballyquirke Lake, which has 200 acres. Both lakes have good stocks of coarse fish including roach and bream. Ballyquirke Lake has given up a lot of quality pike in the past, some to over 30lb while fish between 10 and 15 lb are common.

The Moycullen Lakes have good access, car parking and practically all have excellent fishing stands, all these facilities having been put in place by the Western Regional Fisheries Board.

Most of the lakes are fished from the shore but there are boats for hire on the larger ones, such as Ballyquirke Lake and Ross Lake.

A list of the pike lakes in the region can be had from the Western Regional Fisheries Board.

There are certain laws which the anglers must adhere to when fishing for coarse fish including pike, all of which are listed below: