15 years of fishing report data, distilled
Every IFI report mentioning Lough Sheelin from 2011–2025 — catch data, conditions, hatches, methods, and areas. Patterns that would take a lifetime on the water to learn.
Key findings
The headline patterns that emerge from 15 years of data.
Mayfly arriving 13 days later
Over 15 seasons, the first mayfly report has shifted from mid-April to early May — consistent with changing climate patterns across Irish loughs.
Early season hatches 16 days earlier
Sedge and Murrough are appearing earlier each season, suggesting warmer springs are bringing forward the start of productive fishing.
SW wind produces the best fishing
53% of SW wind reports are positive (53 reports) vs 27% on a SE wind. The data confirms what experienced anglers know.
10-12°C is the sweet spot
54% positive reports at 10-12°C air temperature. Below 6°C and above 18°C both see significantly poorer results.
Best reported catch: 5 fish per boat
5 fish from 1 boats on May 21, 2014
What the data tells us about conditions
Historical weather cross-referenced with report sentiment across 15 seasons. Based on actual Open-Meteo records, not just what correspondents described.
Hatch timeline
When key hatches are mentioned in reports. Peak months shown in teal. Based on first and last mentions each season across the dataset.
Top flies by period
Patterns named most frequently in positive reports. Ranked by mention count across 15 seasons.
Month-by-month fishing calendar
What to expect each month. Quality rating and catch data reflect 15 seasons of IFI reports. FlyArea
*Catch rates derived from reports where specific numbers were mentioned. Competition catch rates are lower because events run on fixed dates regardless of conditions.
Season-by-season comparison
Each season rated by sentiment analysis across all reports. Sentiment bars show the proportion of excellent, good, moderate, and poor reports.
| Season | Reports | Comp/Boat | Sentiment | First Mayfly | Best Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | 1.6 | April 28 | April | |
| 2024 | 11 | — | May 28 | March | |
| 2023 | 17 | 0.4 | May 5 | May | |
| 2022 | 18 | — | May 2 | April | |
| 2021COVID | 3 | — | May 26 | May | |
| 2020COVID | 24 | 2.6 | May 5 | May | |
| 2019 | 10 | — | May 20 | September | |
| 2018 | 19 | 0.8 | May 7 | August | |
| 2017 | 25 | — | May 15 | August | |
| 2016 | 31 | 0.8 | May 8 | May | |
| 2015 | 33 | 0.5 | May 4 | July | |
| 2014 | 31 | 0.4 | April 28 | May | |
| 2013 | 33 | 0.6 | May 16 | June | |
| 2012 | 33 | 0.1 | April 15 | May | |
| 2011 | 4 | — | — | September |
Competition catch rates
Average fish per boat from organised competitions — the most reliable catch data, since boat counts are always recorded. Based on 18 competitions across 9 seasons.
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Voices from the water
Quotes extracted from IFI reports that capture the essence of fishing on Lough Sheelin.
brown trout fishing at its best
beautiful wild brown trout of 5.79lbs
incredible mayfly fishing on Sheelin