Fishing in Ireland – Page 35

Too much?

I think I am working in the wrong industry. My background is in manufacturing and business development but I have finally come to realise that I should have taken an altogether easier path and built a career in sales instead. Not any old ‘sales’ you understand. No, I should have been flogging fishing gear allContinueContinue reading “Too much?”

2 for the Moy

Saturday afternoon, in the room listening to my collection of Pretty Things albums. I guess that is a sure sign of my advancing years! Got through all the classics and ended up at Savage Eye. Loved every minute of it. Oh, and I was making salmon flies too. I have plans to fish the riverContinueContinue reading “2 for the Moy”

Forward thinking

With the season officially started I need to wrap my head around where I’m going to fish during 2019. Last season was a disaster for me so I need to think carefully about these plans to avoid yet more disappointment. Some venues are just too special to ignore, so the likes of Lough Beltra andContinueContinue reading “Forward thinking”

Watson’s Fancy

A few small spaces remain to be filled in the fly boxes and I made a couple of big Waton’s fancy this afternoon and the heavy mist turned the garden a silvery mossy colour outside the window. The Watson is not a fly I have caught a huge number of fish on but I findContinueContinue reading “Watson’s Fancy”

Getting ready

‘Tis the end of January and the time to prepare for the upcoming season is upon us game anglers in Ireland. I know that some early rivers opened weeks ago but for me and most of the lads I fish with the months of February and March mark the true beginning of another year onContinueContinue reading “Getting ready”

Single hooks?

Any of you tried single hooks on your salmon baits? I have not (yet) but plan to give them a go this coming season so that returning fish is going to be easier Here is an ABU Killer which I have changed the hooks on. To me it looks a bit odd but that willContinueContinue reading “Single hooks?”

The Black Wickham

By simply changing the palmered hackle on a standard Wickham you get a trout fly that works well on summer evenings in fast water. I’ve used this pattern for more years than I care to remember and it has been responsible for many fine trout finding their way to my net. So, instead of aContinueContinue reading “The Black Wickham”

More Dabblers

I’ve been bust at the vice again and the fly boxes are filling up nicely now. For me, Saturday afternoons are my preferred time to tuck myself away with the radio on, happily snipping and whipping away. Steam rising lazily from my umpteenth mug of coffee while the room around me gradually fills with halfContinueContinue reading “More Dabblers”

Bloody Dabbler

On holiday now so I am busy tying flies for the upcoming season. I have lots of ideas floating around in my head and one of them took shape this morning in the form of a Bloody Dabbler. This is loosely based on the Bloody Butcher, a great old pattern which used to work forContinueContinue reading “Bloody Dabbler”

Western Lakes Dabbler

Here is a dabbler pattern I created some years ago to use during the mayfly hatch on Lough Carra. It’s proved to be a consistent killer and has taken trout from the other lakes too, so I can vouch for its effectiveness. A calm start to a day on Lough Carra I used to keepContinueContinue reading “Western Lakes Dabbler”