Kells, Connor & Glenwherry Angling Club
Angling On The Kells Water & Glenwherry Rivers
Angling On The Kells Water & Glenwherry Rivers
2023
This season will be remembered for the toxic blue-green algae blooms which contaminated much of Lough Neagh and the lower Bann for many months. Despite this environmental disaster the number of dollaghan running the river was signifcantly higher than in the previous season and those members who put the effort in were rewarded with some impressive catches. There were a reasonable number of salmon landed on the Kells despite the poor numbers recorded running the Bann.
2022
The season saw better rainfall than the previous year with more than enough water to allow migratory fish to move upstream. Unfortunately the number of dollaghan running was very poor compared to recent seasons with many experienced anglers struggling to land even a single fish. Angling effort was reduced with many members struggling to stay motivated. It was not uncommon to see Moorfields carpark sitting empty during the last weekends of the season, something which would have been unthinkable in other recent years. Several salmon were reported including a couple of fish both estimated to be in the 12lb region. The club's catch return data is still being gathered but it is expected to be drastically reduced compared to recent years.
2021
Lack of water was a recurring theme throughout the majority of this season. When, at last, some decent rain finally arrived there was a modest run of dollaghan and a better than average run of salmon. Multiple anglers reported landing some very good sized dollaghan much larger than the average fish we are accustomed to on the Kells system. It was nice to hear that some of the new members were experiencing good success especially with the salmon.
The Fisheries authorities have decided not to grant licences for hatchery work on any of the local rivers this year. Subsequently there was no electrofishing carried out. Time will tell how well this strategy pays off but it is concerning that unrestricted commercial netting of our wild fish continues on Lough Neagh whilst the long-running efforts of angling clubs to increase fish stocks are brought to a halt.
2020
OCTOBER
One word was on everyone's lips on the last month of the season "SALMON"! What an amazing season it has been for salmon numbers this year and what an incredible month October has turned out to be with some big fish up into double figures and reports of some anglers landing large numbers in one day.
The conditions were good in terms of water levels pretty much right through the month with only a few days that could be described as unfishable due to high water levels. And after each dose of fresh water there seemed to be another run of more salmon in the river with fish being caught in unheard of numbers from the lower stretches right up to the upper river.
As mentioned last month the only downside was that there seemed to be a scarcity of dollaghan but it is possible this was because the salmon dislodged them from their usual lies.
All too soon the season is over after what was a worrying start due to Covid 19. It will be interesting to see if this season has been a "one off".
There were no broodstock lifted for the hatchery this year due to Covid 19 restrictions. Hopefully we can resume this activity in 2021
Best wishes to all club members over the close season, ...please remember to submit your catch returns by logging in to the "Membership Renewal" section on this website.
Take care and stay safe.............
SEPTEMBER
Another decent month's fishing on the Kellswater with more water in the first half of the month and thus probably more fishing effort and fish caught in that period accordingly. Salmon were hooked and landed in good numbers again this month but some anglers noted a perceived scarcity of Dollaghan compared to August.
Low water in the 2nd half of the month meant there was little daytime fishing but I hear the night fishing was good at the usual places.
A large flood came down the river on the 30th so fingers crossed this will kickstart the fishing again and we will all have a successful October. Tight lines everyone
AUGUST
Pleased to report we have had a wonderful month of fishing with many salmon and dollaghan being caught much earlier in the season than is usually the case.
Those successful in landing salmon included Bill Graham with 3 landed and one lost on the 22nd, Rory Sempey with 2 also on the 22nd, David Robinson at least 2 over the month, Matthew Warwick, Stevie Trainor, to name but a few, and both Colin Jones and Colin Graham with their first ever salmon a moment to savour. The committee reminds all members to follow the C&R guidelines when handling and landing salmon and to if possible to keep the fish in the water at all times. Also, please note treble hooks on both spinners and flies are not permitted during September and October.
Some of the committee members have been out and about replacing/repairing styles and bridges along the river so big thanks are due to Peter Marshall, Stephen Buick, David Robinson and Bill Graham. This work has included a new style on the upstream side of the Rock Bridge on the Doagh Road which means access to the river upstream without having to go under the bridge. A big improvment.
Please remember not to drop litter or leave fishing line along the river and never block access to lanes or fields when parking. Tight lines all
JULY
Happy to report as I write this on 3rd August that our fishing season on the Kellswater is well and truly underway. The rain arrived during July and the fish have come also with Dollaghan being reported and caught since mid July. Early indications are that the dollys are of a bigger average size this season, early days yet but let's all hope for some big fish.
There's been an exceptional run of salmon in the Lower Bann and they have been seen in the river although no reports of anyone landing one so far...but we expect a decent number in our river this season, please remember all salmon must be returned to the river dead or alive no exceptions.
We expect angling pressure to be high this year so would ask all anglers to rotate pools to allow others to have their time on the water and to treat fellow anglers with respect. Please also be alert to illegal fishing and feel free to ask fellow anglers if they are club members if you suspect they may not be. Please report any illegal or suspicious activity. Our baliffs will be doing their best to keep on top of things and you can assist them by always carrying your membership cards.
Tight lines all...
MARCH-JUNE
Well the season had barely started when the club had to suspend fishing on the 27th of March due to the Covid-19 virus. Thankfully we were able to re-open the river on 18th of May with the accepted precautions for social distancing etc and without day tickets being available until further notice.
Water levels had been very low but this didn't deter Colin Jones and Neill Kilpatrick who had some good sport with the brownies on the day fishing resumed. Neill Walker was out on the 12st of May and Jonny Hanna hooked a big escapee Kilgad Fishery rainbow unfortunately just losing it at the net on 13th of June.
As I write this on 21st June (longest day of the year already) there has been some welcome rain and the forecast is unsettled for next week so hopefully the water levels will rise and the fishing will improve accordingly.
2019
Apologies to those who follow the "River Report" here which was missing from the website during the 2019 s eason. This was due to the introduction and setting up of the new online membership feature during 2019. As reported on the "Club Noticeboard" catch returns for 2019 showed a total catch of
1579 Dollaghan and 77 Salmon for the year which indicates a very healthy river system.
I hope to recommence publishing regular monthly reports on how the river has fished and what our members are catching as well as items of general interest to members during the 2020 season.
2018
OCTOBER
Well October has passed and apart from a couple of day's rain around the middle of the month which brought a brief but welcome fresh down the river we continued to suffer low water conditions and the level of angling effort was relatively low.
Some members who were not to be put off did however have some success with Mark Telford getting 2 salmon, one on the 8th and a very nice cock fish on the last day of the season. Ryan Hill also had a salmon on the 21st and a few nice dollaghan.
The dollaghan were late this year due to the conditions but some were caught although catches were undoubtedly much lower than recent years.
Typically the rain we had all been waiting for came in the first week of November and large numbers of fish could be seen moving upstream and going over the weirs. At least it was good to see the fish were there and know that they will be spawning to ensure some good sport for future seasons.
All the best everyone 'til 2019!
SEPTEMBER
Hard to believe but another month has come and gone with virtually no rain and very little fishing action to report as a result. Without doubt this is the poorest season for many years. We can only hope for some water in the river very soon as we enter the last month of the season.
AUGUST
Sadly August has not been what we had hoped for in terms of water and therefore fishing. We did get a fresh down the river around the second half of the month but it only lasted a couple of days. There have been some dollaghan caught and reports of at least two salmon but nothing significant and certainly not anywhere near the sport we had all been hoping for. As I write this on 10th September low water conditions have continued and it increasingly looks like it might be a short season on the Kellswater this year....however, rain is forecast for later today and later in the week, time to start doing the rain dance!!
MARCH - JULY
Well the first 5 months of the season have been challenging for anyone wanting to catch fish. After a long cold winter we had a very late cold spring and it wasn't until late May that we had any real heat. This was followed by a prolonged hot and dry spell lasting nearly 2 months with the river water levels as low as I have ever seen them so there has been very little to report.
The hatchery produced approx 50,000 dollaghan fry which were planted out in the various feeder burns in the second half of April. Let's hope they have managed to survive the low water levels and high water temperatures.
As I write this on the 28th of July the weather has finally broken and it's been raining heavily most of the afternoon and last night. At long last we hopefully will have enough water to bring up some fish.
Ryan Hill has reported taking his first dollaghan of the season on the 29th, see attached photo. Well done that man!
I look forward to reporting more fish being caught and good sport being had in the August report. Tight lines everyone....
2017
OCTOBER
October continued the way September had been with good water levels and frequent rainfall so the river was in good order for fishing right through 'til the end of the month. Decent numbers of salmon were reported hooked caught and lost and among those successful were Mark Telford on 6/10, Michael Currie with two on 20/10 and Ryan Hill with one on the 22nd and one on the 30th.
It really has been very pleasing to see another significant run of salmon back in the river this year following the good catches enjoyed in 2016. Big numbers of Dollaghan were also caught this month and some hefty specimens were among them.
On Sunday 29th October the club collected brood stock from the upper river and once again it has been great to see the numbers of fish there. Special thanks to Gareth, Gary, Richard, Michael, Peter and to all those who turned out to help.
The fish have started being stripped and eggs put in incubation trays and this will continue over the next few weeks. The job of looking after and monitoring the eggs as they develop into fry will go on until late March/early April. A big thanks is due to those members who give up so much of their time to carry on this work every year. There is no doubt that the contribution of the hatchery plays a major role in the success of our river.
Thanks
SEPTEMBER
One thing we certainly can't complain about this year is lack of water! The river has been up and down like a yo-yo all month with some days unfishable due to high and/or coloured water. The good thing about this has been for those of us who prefer to catch our fish in daylight there has been more opportunities than most recent seasons.
There has been a decent run of salmon and among those reporting success was David Robinson, Mark Telford had his first Kells salmon on the 15th,Tina Turner had a fine fish on the 22nd and Michael Currie had two on the 28th.... Bill Graham has hooked several but not landed one ...YET!
On the dollaghan front there is a good stock in all stretches of the river now but there have been reports of more fish being net marked than previously, perhaps as a result of increased commercial effort in Lough Neagh. This is something we need to be aware of and keep an eye out for.
Some nice fish were landed by Dean Young, Stevie Trainor, Sam Lemon, Wayne Harper, Bill Graham, Stephen Buick, and many others.
As we enter the final weeks of the season (where did it go??!!) enjoy the river treat the fish with respect and do your bit for our future sport by practising catch and release at this time of the year and returning fish to the river to spawn. Tight lines everyone...
AUGUST
The month got off to a good start with a nice fresh on the first day of the month and the river was in great condition for a few days with a further flood on the 7th. Among members to enjoy good sport was Stevie Young who reported a great spell in an early morning session at the "Mill" pool on 2nd August. Mark Telford also celebrated his first Kellswater Dollaghan on the 4th August, the first of many no doubt Mark!
A few early salmon have also been reported, Alan McDowell had one at the "Mill" and Richard Johnson landed a very small fish on the 15th.
There was another big flood on the 16th.
It has been great to see younger members Aaron Buick and Jason Fullerton reporting their catches and showing their fish being released, well done lads!
Yet another heavy fresh arrived on 25th of the month to keep water levels up and those who were able to get on the river at the right time enjoyed good sport.
The end of August had lower water levels and catches in daytime fell back.
As we enter September we all look forward to further good sport. We remind all anglers to carry ID, Rod Licence and Membership card/ season/ day ticket at all times to assist club bailiffs who will be out and about now until the end of the season.
Please also ensure all litter is removed and taken home from the river banks and carpark areas. Keep our river clean and look after it! Tight lines...
JULY
There was a decent flood down the river on July 4th which probably brought a few early fish up into the lower river and further rain at the end of the month which sustained a decent flow of water for several days brought the first reports of dollaghan being caught in the last 4 or 5 days of July.
Michael Currie had some lovely browns also.
Some of the club members also spent a day erecting new bridges below Moorfields and above the Doagh road bridge. Great work men and thank you all on behalf of us all I'm sure.
A couple of trees also came down in the river between Ross Bridge and the Doagh road. The larger of the two (pictured left) has since been removed from the "Wall" pool.
As I write this mid August we have enjoyed some good fishing in the first week of the month and a few salmon have already been reported. Here's hoping for some good catches to report by the end of the month.
MAY/JUNE
Not a lot to report for May and June, with little water and hot settled spells of weather keeping fishing activity low. Among those who ventured out and caught some nice wild brownies were Jason Fullerton, Mark Telford and David J Scott.
As I write this on 21st July there was a brief flood down the river on 4th July and a small flush of water today which should (fingers crossed) bring a few early dollaghan and salmon into the system.
Hopefully we will get reports of some fish before the month is out....watch this space...tight lines all and remember to carry your membership cards / day / season tickets plus rod licences when out on the river to assist the bailiffs.
APRIL
April has been a quiet month with very low water levels and hardly any rain and cool weather. As a result the fishing effort has been low with very little activity reported.
Michael Currie was one of the few who visited the river and he had success on the 25th and 26th with gold ribbed hare's ear and size 16 iron blue duns and managed a few very respectable brown trout for his efforts (see below)
The planting out of all remaining Dollaghan fry was completed in April thanks again to those who manage and run the club Hatchery for all the work and time they put in.
A survey of all styles and walkways along the river has been carried out this month and some replacements and repairs will be completed in May.
Finally if anyone has anything they would like to add this monthly report your contributions would be welcome. Just sent an email and photos of any catches to the club email address:
MARCH
Well, the new season has started at last after a very mild winter. March can be a slow month but amongst others Michael Currie, David J Scott and Mark Telford had a few nice brownies to show for their efforts mainly catching on nymphs. There were a few nice hatches of large dark olives but the fish were only rising to them sporadically.
Special thanks to Gary, Richard, Gareth and the rest of the team who run the hatchery and put in so much effort and time looking after the fry and planting them out to ensure sport for seasons to come. Some of this season's fry were planted out into the tributaries a week or so ago and this will continue into mid April. Thanks guys!
2016
OCTOBER
October got off to a slow start with low water levels continuing but on the morning of the 14th torrential rain with thunder over the watershed brought a huge flood down the river.
By the morning of the 15th the river was in great order and being a Saturday anglers were out in numbers with good catches of salmon and dollaghan being reported. No one was more successful than Michael Currie who landed no fewer than 7 (!) salmon as well as several dollaghan.
The river continued to fish well for a further 4 to 5 days before water levels dropped. There were many further reports of salmon being caught (and lost..) Stephen Buick landing 4 salmon on the 16th, Rory Sempey getting a nice fish on the 17th, and Jimmy Kennedy and even yours truly getting one each on the 19th!
It will be interesting to study the catch reports for the season following the great run of salmon this year but undoubtedly this has been the best run for a long time.
Do please make the effort to submit an accurate catch report at membership renewal time as this information helps us to monitor how the fishing is really developing on the Kells.
Now the fish are getting a rest to spawn in peace and the guys who manage the hatchery are busy stripping fish and looking after dollaghan eggs to ensure our sport for the future. Big thanks to everyone who helped in this years work parties and in the hatchery work.
There will probably be no further "River Reports" now until the New Year.
Best wishes to all ......
SEPTEMBER
We started the month with plenty of dollaghan and some salmon in the river but low water levels made it difficult to catch fish. A good fall of rain on 7th September put the river up and lots of fish could be seen running the various weirs on their way upstream.The water conditions remained good for a couple of days and good sport was reported with Bill Graham having a memorable session landing two salmon including a double hook up with a salmon and a dollaghan (the salmon got off!). A proper flood arrived on the evening of the 24th and again the river fished well with more fresh fish entering the system. Michael Currie and Stephen Coulter were two members who managed to get a salmon while Bill Graham had some big dollaghan. See pics above.................
Members are reminded that no fish caught above Moorfields carry should be killed in October and anyone seen doing so should be challenged and reported. Just over 4 weeks to go, tight lines!
AUGUST
After a promising start to August and some Dollaghan being caught in the Kells the rain we needed didn't arrive and to date (25th) there has been little to report. It looks like it will be into September before we see the main runs of fish now. Members who also belong to some of the clubs on the river Maine have reported good numbers of Dollaghan in the Maine waiting to run the Kells and other tributaries. We wait with anticipation of good sport to come over the next 9 weeks or so.
Tight lines everyone
JULY
After a very dry May and June, July has been changeable with some much needed rain. At the time of writing (26/7) some reports of a few early dollaghan are filtering through and with heavy rain this evening and more forecasted for Thursday 28th we should see a decent run of fish by the weekend.
There has been a big run of salmon through the counter on the Bann with over 12,000 recorded already. This is said to be the biggest run for 15 years so here's hoping the Kells gets it's share. Please, everyone, remember all salmon must be returned no exceptions.
Further to above reports of a big run of salmon up the Bann two salmon were reported as being caught on the Kells late in July (one on the evening of Friday 29th and one on Sunday morning 31st). This is very early for salmon to be caught in the Kells and must bode well for the rest of the season if we get the water needed to sustain a run of fish..................
APRIL
MARCH
The river is open for another season and it will probably be a few weeks into April before we get some decent hatches of flies to bring the fish on the feed. However, a well known member of our club has already been catching ! Click the link below to see him in action!
