Tomasz lands a 24lb monster on the Feale
Giant salmon caught close to Listowel Bridge by keen angler Tomasz Lukowski
IT was like an episode of River Monsters in Listowel recently when a keen local angler found himself with the fight of his life on his hands – only to successfully land one of the biggest salmon seen in years, a 24lb whopper.
It was an extra special moment for fishing nut Tomasz Lukowski as he landed the monster right at the very spot on the River Feale where he realised the North Kerry town and its much-lauded waterway was the place for him.
And Tomasz told The Kerryman that he could never have mastered the salmon angling but for the help of local fishermen only too happy to share their skills and the secrets of their lures with the young Polish man.
Tomasz is still on a high this week after the recent achievement, which is the toast of angling clubs far and wide as news of his massive catch circulates. It didn’t, by the by, spell the end for the old king of the deep as he was let back into the catch-and-release river by Tomasz.
“I came to Ireland in 2007 as a young 18 year old. One day, visiting the new area for me and the park in Listowel, I saw the beautiful and picturesque River Feale. I sat on a bench and after a while I saw beautiful salmon jumping into the air. At that moment I realized that I would spend a lot of time on this river!”
“My first attempts to catch salmon were unsuccessful, because it is not an easy fish to catch so I decided to ask local fishermen how to catch salmon.
“Local people gladly shared their knowledge gained over the years. And so I started fishing regularly.” He got better and better over the years, honing his craft to perfection. It paid off in spades though when he hooked the mighty fish, a creature he described as ‘powerful’.
“I caught this powerful fish exactly in the place, where in 2007, I sat on the bench to admire the river.” He couldn’t believe his eyes, scales and tape. “It measured 105cm and weighed 24lb!” Tomasz said.