Claretbumbler

Up in the hills

My initial thoughts for fishing today were centred around tench, meaning a long trip to the Irish midlands. I hummed and hayed about where to go and how long it would take me, before dropping the idea and finding some fishing closer to home for a few hours. Even though I have not been fishingContinueContinue reading “Up in the hills”

Silver Muddler

June has been a tough month so far with the trout firmly on the bottom, gorging on coarse fry. It used to be just baby perch they feasted on but these days it is the hoards of roach fry which keep the fish from showing on the surface. Dry fly anglers may not like toContinueContinue reading “Silver Muddler”

Black Hopper Variant

I’ve been tying and fishing a black hopper for years and it has been a good fly for me on still water. A basic pattern, just a silver ribbed black body, some legs and a black hackle. I guess many of you have the same fly in your own box and like me find itContinueContinue reading “Black Hopper Variant”

Weeds

My first tench trip of the year had ended in disaster with the loss of one very large fish. After much licking of wounds it was time for me to get out there and try for a tench or two again. To give myself a fighting chance I drove down to the royal canal andContinueContinue reading “Weeds”

Missing bites on the border

Lord only knows how often I have driven past Lough McNean. A lifetime of journeys to the north or onwards to a ferry bound for Scotland entailed crossing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic at the bridge over the river which joins upper and lower Lough McNean. The road passes along the northContinueContinue reading “Missing bites on the border”

Heatwave

Our weather has finally turned warmer after months of cold. Unfortunately, it has gone from one extreme to another and today we had high temperatures and cloudless skies over Mayo. Far from ideal conditions, but I had two clients who had booked a day on lough Carra, so undeterred, we set off for the clearContinueContinue reading “Heatwave”

Lough style fishing, casting and retrieving

I want to talk about casting and retrieving in this post. For me, these are both the most important and, at the same time, the most neglected aspects of Irish lough style fly fishing. Why so you may well ask? I am lucky enough to know and fish with some of the finest anglers inContinueContinue reading “Lough style fishing, casting and retrieving”

Not yet!

While I had a reasonably good session fishing for roach in one of the rivers which flow into one of the big loughs in my area, I had heard big bream swam into the same pools once we were into the month of May. Well, here we are in the merry month so it wasContinueContinue reading “Not yet!”

Yellow Stimi

It is here at last – the merry month of May. Everything is a bit late this season, but mayfly are now beginning to hatch out on the western loughs at it is high time we fishers were about our business. While we all love our dry fly fishing, the good old wets have theirContinueContinue reading “Yellow Stimi”

Royal visit

Naw, not Charlie being pals with Trump, just me making my first trip to the Royal canal this year. Like an itch that I just had to scratch, the Royal canal was calling me even though the local rivers are fishing really well right now. The day was promised bright, dry and warm but withContinueContinue reading “Royal visit”