A lot of you were just as intrigued as I am about the identity of the indigo blue feathers on a patch of skin which recently came into my possession. The shape of the feathers were nothing like any domestic fowl, so whatever it was it came from the wild. I set about tracking itContinueContinue reading “What is it (part 2)”
Category Archives: Fishing in Ireland
What is it?
Fly tying season is in full swing for me now and most weekday evenings are spent at the vice. When I am busy like this I go through a heck of a lot of materials, meaning I am regularly topping up the most commonly consumed feathers and hairs. While putting together a shopping list earlierContinueContinue reading “What is it?”
Landex – a conundrum
Just like buses, there have been virtually no posts on this blog all year and now here are two in two days. Work has decimated my fishing for twelve months and any free time has been swallowed up by catching up on all the things I should have been doing were I at home inContinueContinue reading “Landex – a conundrum”
A blast from the past
Recently I had been thinking about my formative fly fishing years and for no particular reason recalled my first fly reel. We are going back a LONG way here, to around 1972 or so. It was my birthday and my parents bought me a fly rod and reel. That reel was a Roddy 320 andContinueContinue reading “A blast from the past”
Enhancer
I came by a second-hand box of dubbing additive the other day, so I’ve been busy at the vice trying it out. The clear plastic box with the familiar layout of twelve small cubicles filled with dubbing came from South Africa, judging by the faded price tag in SA Rand on the base. I gaveContinueContinue reading “Enhancer”
The Banshee
Here’s one for ye all now. A sea trout fly I tied up around the time Adam was a boy (OK, slight exaggeration). What I wanted was a pattern featuring green and black but there was nothing out there that matched my expectations so, I tied this fly. The colours looked a bit, well, ‘demonic’ContinueContinue reading “The Banshee”
Must try harder
Neglecting this blog has been an unintentional but very real feature of 2023 for me. With very minimal actual fishing being done by this poor, hard working individual there has been precious little to write about. ’23 started off poorly and has gone steadily downhill from there. Even my normally near weekly trips to theContinueContinue reading “Must try harder”
Ruddy wet evening
‘Soft.’ That’s what they call it here. In Scotland we would say it was pelting cats and dogs, in London they would be building an ark. It was a grand soft evening so I ventured out with the rods in the bucketing rain and drove up to Keenagh in county Longford. Here, a basin onContinueContinue reading “Ruddy wet evening”
Book Launch report
It is the day after so I can now reflect on my book launch last night. Normally calm, the idea of pushing myself on to other people felt decidedly unsettling. I was not nervous beforehand, just uncomfortable at being in the limelight. Invites were sent out, flyers displayed in the local tackle shops and theContinueContinue reading “Book Launch report”
Book Launch
Just a few lines to say I have organised a book launch for 23rd July. It will be taking place upstairs in Johnnie McHale’s pub in Castlebar, starting at 7pm that evening. In the off chance any of you are in the town that day please feel free to pop along. It will be aContinueContinue reading “Book Launch”
Claretbumbler 