It has been a tough week. The first few days back in the reality of my job after a holiday were never the best but work was unremittingly stark and even when I went fishing for a couple of hours things did not work out as I had planned. Such is life and the minorContinueContinue reading “Of diggers and nippers”
Author Archives: Claretbumbler
Lift off
Most of the visiting anglers I meet on the western lakes are accomplished fly fishers with a vast array of tackle and tactics at their fingertips. Until quite recently they were much more adaptable than the locals who often stuck rigidly to short line wet fly. Switching to lures on HD lines, fishing tiny driesContinueContinue reading “Lift off”
Under the knife
As you regular readers know, I am forever buying old fishing tat. Gear or materials that nobody else wants finds its way to me and I spend hours messing around trying make whatever it is of some use. One purchase from last year was a wooden box full of fly tying materials and a flyContinueContinue reading “Under the knife”
Counting turns
High winds and heavy rain are keeping me from the fishing this week so I will put up some fly tying posts. I’ll start off with this moan! Like the rest of you, I used to sometimes watch the plethora of fly tying videos out there on the different social media platforms. Being an oldContinueContinue reading “Counting turns”
Wrong place at the right time
A pleasant evening tempted me out with rod and line again but this session was a bit of a muddle truth be told. The Royal canal beckoned again but I wanted to try out a section that was new to me. I drove up to the stretch at Shandonagh Bridge, a few miles to theContinueContinue reading “Wrong place at the right time”
Ballinea
As I widen my circle of potential fishing sites within range of my digs, the Royal canal around the midlands town of Mullingar has come under the microscope. In days gone by this part of the canal was famous for big bags of tench as well as some very good roach but the word onContinueContinue reading “Ballinea”
A quick tie
We all have boxes full to capacity with variations of the Green Peter, so why would you need any more? The truth is this variation is a really good one. I mean a REALLY good. I use it mainly on Mask but in smaller sizes it works on Conn and Cullin too. Very easy andContinueContinue reading “A quick tie”
3 men in a boat
My own boat is out of the water and going off for repairs soon. This is not the disaster it might at first appear as I will have very little time available to fish my usual haunts this season and anyway I have access to lots of other boats owned by friends. Sunday looked likeContinueContinue reading “3 men in a boat”
March Browns
A fly which I rarely if ever use in the standard format but one I like when tied in different variations. The natural does not live here in Ireland but I used to love their explosive hatches on the Aberdeenshire Don as a young angler. One minute there were none to be seen, then suddenlyContinueContinue reading “March Browns”
Rainy Roscommon
The rain has been tipping down down for couple of weeks now in the West of Ireland. I had been fearing a drought after the cold dry months of January and February but the land has received a good soaking since then. Standing water in the fields and swollen drains bear testament to the changeContinueContinue reading “Rainy Roscommon”
Claretbumbler 