Mayfly Abundance-LOUGH CONN-23/24

Lough Conn - Mayfly Abundance Questionnaire – 2023 / 2024

Project: Western Lakes Ephemera danica Habitat & Population Assessment
Please be sure to press the SUBMIT button when you have completed this questionnaire
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email
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Address

Street Address

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CityState / Province

Postal Code
Please indicate if this is a single or joint submission:
If a joint submission, please list the individual names of those completing the form
What, if any, interest group(s) are you involved with:*

Angler / Angling ClubWildlife EnthusiastWalkerBird watcherTidy Towns GroupConservationist /EnvironmentalistOther
If you selected Other, Please give us some info on this interest group(s)
Which of the following lakes have you a detailed knowledge of, over the traditional mayfly period (late April to early June?) Please complete a separate questionnaire for an individual lake of your choice.*

CorribMaskConnCarraSheelin
In what year did you first encounter mayfly hatches on the following lakes? Corrib,Mask,Conn,Carra or Sheelin. Please note the lake as well as the date *
Please complete this questionnaire for Lough Conn

(questionnaires available for each lake)
Are you a regular angler on / visitor to the Lough?
How often do you visit the lough?
How frequently do you visit and observe hatches of flies on the lough?
In the past (pre-2010 **), in which months of the year were adult mayfly hatches most abundant?

AprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober
**If 2010 does not reflect your experience when mayfly hatches showed significant changes in abundance on the lake of your choice, please note the year / period over which this change happened in the final section of the questionnaire.
Please indicate below all of the months where some adult mayflies were to be seen in the years before 2010.

AprilMayJuneJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober
Other months when mayfly adults were noted:
Was there a May / June and a late summer hatch (July / August) of mayflies on your lake in the years before 2010?
Please indicate, in your view, whether the May / June hatch was:
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
Please indicate whether the July / August hatch was: sparse, significant, very significant
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
Over the recent period (post 2010), please indicate how the mayfly hatches have changed. Please indicate if mayfly hatches are now: absent, less abundant, same abundance, more abundant. Please note any detailed information you may have on trends in adult hatching/ times of day / hatching periods / changes in hatching patterns, in the final section of the questionnaire
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
Please indicate, if mayfly abundance has changed and when this change in abundance began?
List year / period of years over which change was noted (e.g. 2005 to 2010):
Please list any changes in recent spring conditions (March / April) that you have noticed:

No discernible changeLake temperatures increasingLake temperatures decreasingStronger windsMore frequent stormsCalmer weather
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
Please indicate what overall changes have occurred in the lake that you think may be associated with a change in mayfly abundance:*

Appearance of Zebra MusselAppearance of roach / hybridsInvasive plants (e.g. Lagarosiphon major)Algal bloomsIncreased abundance of pikeIncreased abundance of terns and seagullsMore intense hatches of other invertebrate species (e.g., chironomids/buzzers, olives, sedges, etc.)Less intense hatches of other invertebrate species (e.g., chironomids/buzzers, olives, sedges, etc.)Water discolouration / drop in water clarityDrop in water qualityGreater abundance of boats / enginesMore frequent heatwavesMore Frequent stormsOther
Other (please List):
What changes have you noticed, in recent years, in terms of the colour of the lake during the traditional mayfly period (late April to early June)?

ClearerMore greenMore BrownDrop in water clarity
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
What changes have you seen in terms of bankside, lakeside, vegetation - trees / bushes /grasses?
Please add any additional notes you may have on the above question
If you are an angler, have your brown trout catches varied over recent, traditional mayfly seasons (late April to early June)?

No ChangeCatches the same on averageNumber of fish caught has increasedNumber of fish caught has decreasedFish size has increasedFish size has decreased
If your catches have fallen why do you think this is?

Less abundant mayfly hatchesMayfly hatches spread over longer periods of the yearBrown trout are less abundantFish feeding behaviour has changedPoor angling conditions – more stormsPoor angling conditions – more calm weatherPoor angling conditions – colder weatherPoor angling conditions – warmer weatherIncreased angling pressure
Other Causes?
If your catches have increased, why do you think this is?

More abundant may fly hatchesMayfly hatches spread over longer periods of the yearBrown trout are more abundantGood angling conditions – less stormsGood angling conditions – less calm weatherGood angling conditions – less colder weatherGood angling conditions – less warmer weatherLess angling pressure
Other Causes?
What methods work best during a mayfly hatch and has this changed?

All methods (dry fly, wet fly, dapping, nymphing) offering same level of successMore trout coming to the dry flyMore trout coming to the dapMore trout coming to the wet flyMore trout coming to the nymph
MAYFLY ABUNDANCE After reviewing the above map, please list the bays, shorelines or islands where the mayflies were most abundant (pre 2010) *
Which areas of the lake, over the recent years (post 2010), to present, are mayflies most abundant? After reviewing the above map, please list the bays, shorelines or islands where the mayflies were most abundant (post 2010)*
Do you have access to any of these additional resources and are you willing to share these with the survey team:

PhotographsAngling DiariesCompetition results (over the mayfly period)Video clipsFilms / film segmentsBooksBookletsLocal historical material
Other relevant material (please list):
Thank you for completing our questionnaire. Your information is very much appreciated! Further comments, or additional Information on any of the above questions, would be very welcome. Please insert your comments below:
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Lough Conn - Mayfly Abundance Questionnaire – 2023 / 2024

Please complete this questionnaire for Lough Conn