Article in "The Anglo Celt" dated 15th May 2003

by Sean Mc Mahon

Editor,

I refer to a number of letters published recently regarding Lough Sheelin.

I will first deal with the one from well-known trout angler and member of the Lough Sheelin trout protection association Brendan Coulter.
In this instance Brendan has submitted the letter as Hon Secretary of National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland (N.C.F.F.I). In his letter Brendan tries to make a number of points:

1. Pike are a game fish! On the continent they are so classified but alas Brendan, we are in Ireland where they are firmly the coarse fish category.
2. He states "Sheelin is not a suitable coarse fishing venue". Why ever not? It holds vast stocks of specimen and record roach, perch, bream, trench and pike. Having made such an amazing statement he conveniently forgets to inform us why it is not a "suitable venue".
3. He states that coarse fishing is "controlled by the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland". It is not. The N.C.F.F.I. only "controls" competitions which it runs. The N.C.F.F.I. would be recognised as a coarse angling representative body just as the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs would.
4. He wants to thank the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board for transferring small numbers of the thousands of coarse fish they catch in their gill nets to other waters. I acknowledge that transfer is better than killing them but he is avoiding the issue of whether there should be gill nets out for these fine fish in the first place.
I note from the N.C.F.F.I. website that Ballaghaderreen & district angling club had a motion down at the recent N.C.F.F.I. annual general meeting requesting the organisation to condemn the use of gill nets.
I don't know but I would imagine that the motion would have been passed.
5. Brendan has a swipe at pike anglers killing coarse fish as pike baits. He does have something of a point here. The Central Fisheries Board is currently rearing large numbers of roach which may be sold as pike bait.
This may well help ease the problem if they are put into the shops at a reasonable price. About two years ago pike anglers proposed that all coarse fish be protected in a substantial area around Dublin. This was opposed by the N.C.F.F.I even though local coarse angling clubs were fully in support. What was the logic here?
Brendan asks us to put our house in order. We are fighting for the pike anglers we represent. I would ask whether his house is in order, as he seems content to allow the continued wholesale slaughter of fabulous specimen coarse fish in gill nets while he merrily fishes away for trout on the very same lake.

With regard to Eamon Ross's letter I would make the following points:

A) The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs also condemns the recent theft of gill nets.
B) Lough Sheelin has suffered greatly over the years from pollution. E.P.A. reports show the problem is getting worse not better. Over the years hundreds of thousands of Euro have been spent in vain trying to rehabilitate the lake. At what stage do the hard-pressed taxpayers say enough is enough?
C) You describe Sheelin as a wild brown trout fishery. Is it? For the last few years tens of thousands of stock fish have been put in. These are not wild fish so surely Sheelin is now a put and take fishery.
D) Dr. Martin O'Grady of the Central Fisheries Board was quoted in the Sunday Times last year as stating that the stock of wild trout in Sheelin had dropped to 10,000.
He went on to say that spread over a lake the size of Sheelin it would be a waste of time fishing for them. With this being the case how can the present policy of killing thousands of prime coarse fish be justified. If developed as a mixed fishery everyone should be happy especially the hoteliers and guest house owners near the lake.

I think it is high time that a full review of the status and management of Lough Sheelin be undertaken. This review should involve all stakeholders including coarse anglers and local accommodation pro-viders.

Yours, JOHN CHAMBERS,
Hon. Chairman Irish Federation of Pike Angling Club,

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