We are now almost a month into the 2025 season and the truth is that it has been very disappointing. The best estimate is that there have been only 15 to 20 salmon landed and there is currently a very poor stock in the river. As a result there has been little angling pressure and we are all hoping that the rain forecast for this week will bring a run of fish in.
The presence of seals in the river as far up as Bunclody has made a bad situation worse. A seal was filmed in the water just above the weir at Clohamon the day before the river opened and was subsequently seen eating a salmon further upstream.
One piece of good news is that the smolt run has started and trout anglers are reporting much higher numbers than have been seen in recent years which is very encouraging. Please ensure you are using barbless hooks and take great care in handling any smolts caught as the are very easily damaged at this stage of their life cycle.
