Majority of trout anglers at Sheelin ‘catch and release’
The era of the selfie has helped save trout numbers on Lough Sheelin suggests one prominent local angler, who welcomed recent findings that 94% of fishermen casting on the local lake are abiding by the catch and release rules.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) last week published the outcome of research involving 132 participants, more than half of whom had been fishing for elusive Lough Sheelin wild brown trout for over 25 years.
The annual open season for angling for brown trout on Sheelin is from March 1 to October 12 and, during this period, anglers are only permitted to take two brown trout on any day.
Bordering counties Cavan, Meath, and Westmeath, Lough Sheelin attracts anglers both nationally and internationally, and catch-and-release ensures that trout stock has a greater chance of survival.
“Definitely. The vast, vast majority are. Some, now a few, will bring home a fish or two, but the most anglers are abiding by the rule,” says Declan McCabe of Sheelin Boats, who last year brought back a prestigious fly fishing trophy, once feared lost and missing for more than 50 years.
The cup, presented to the person with the biggest registered catch during the traditional Mayfly season on the lake, May 15 to June 15, was a mark of just how far Sheelin had come compared to a time when the lake was badly polluted.
The most recent fish kill in the Lough Sheelin catchment took place on the Crover River in 2022, a tributary to the lake itself, in which more than 1,000 juvenile trout were killed. Other aquatic species were also found dead such as crayfish, lamprey, stone loach, and invertebrates, but IFI says there was no conclusive evidence to indicate the exact cause.
In terms of catch and release, Mr McCabe believes the lure of posting catches on social media means there is less need for people to bring their catch to shore.
“Years ago they were killing four and five but they soon realised the lake would be cleaned out. So things had to change. Very few people are killing fish now. It’s respect for the lake,” explains Mr McCabe.
“That fish, put it back in the water will go spawn, or come back a year later and it’ll be bigger again. Now, with cameras, they’re photographing the fish and measuring them. So there’s no need to kill them.”
Dr Cathal Gallagher, Head of Research and Development at IFI, commented that the trends, over the four decades studied, were “mostly positive” regarding the abundance and size of trout in Lough Sheelin, and that the research highlights the growth in awareness of conservation among anglers.
“Seasoned fishers on Lough Sheelin have a deep understanding of the lake’s surrounding ecology that’s been developed through long-term interactions with the natural environment.”
Engaging Ireland’s anglers as citizen scientists is now an important element of research programmes at IFI, added Dr Gallagher.
“Their very important contribution can help us to fill gaps in knowledge about the history of fisheries, and to develop sound, evidence-based management strategies.”