I will leave the photos to tell the tale of an evening spent on Lough Beltra in the company of Ben and Pat. The fish did not cooperate but it was great just to be afloat on a pleasant Spring evening. We all want to catch fish when we head out to the lough orContinueContinue reading “An evening on Beltra”
Category Archives: salmon fishing
Salmon at the double
Carrowmore. Just the name sets the pulse racing of salmon fishers. Today we would try our luck on this shallow lake set in the bogs of Bangor Erris. This is very different fishing to the ‘classic’ beats of the Scottish east coast rivers. Modern Skaggit heads and tube flies have no place here. Instead weContinueContinue reading “Salmon at the double”
Sunday
It looks increasingly likely that my planned time off work will come to a shuddering halt way too early so I have been packing in some fishing over the past two days. Last Sunday I did some trolling for salmon. It started of grey. Very grey. A thick mist had turned the world silvery andContinueContinue reading “Sunday”
Kynoch mounts
Buying up raggedy old Kynoch Killers for refurbishment over the close season kept me entertained until the season started. The palavor of painting the plugs with all the messing about that entailed was good fun. By extension, the finished baits now required new mounts to complete the job. I use two slightly different versions andContinueContinue reading “Kynoch mounts”
Beltra this evening
Tried Lough Beltra for a few hours this evening but with no success. The wind was good for drifting the Coop shore but the fish were unresponsive. Bright conditions gave way to some high cloud as the sun set but the outstanding feature of the evening was the cold. Still no sign of Spring inContinueContinue reading “Beltra this evening”
Conn this afternoon
It is bitterly cold again today but the call of the lough was just too strong so I gave Conn a lash after lunch. A bright morning had given way to dull and breezy afternoon as I set off, the back of the car jammed full of all manner of gear. I heaved my prehistoricContinueContinue reading “Conn this afternoon”
The wall
This is nothing to do with Trump’s madness. Athletes talk of hitting ‘the wall’ and we anglers face a much less physical, but none the less real challenge too. It is not that our body’s become exhausted, rather it is our reasoning which reaches a limit and we simply can’t figure out what to doContinueContinue reading “The wall”
Multiplication
Why on earth do I own 7 different ABU multipliers you may well ask? Surely just one of these venerable old multiplying reels is enough for any fisher? Two of them may seem overkill and any more is simply rampant hedonism. The answer is that I don’t need them all but I use them forContinueContinue reading “Multiplication”
Going to my hometown
I eventually made it back to Aberdeen to visit my family last week. It had been a full year since I was last in Scotland so I was long overdue in the land of my birth. It was great to see everyone again and to catch up on all the news, including meeting my grand-nephewContinueContinue reading “Going to my hometown”
Tips for Beltra
March 20th marks the start of the salmon season on Ireland’s Lough Beltra. If you are one of the lucky few who will be fishing the lough this spring here are a few pointers which may help you to connect with one of those shiny springers. Be prepared for the weather! Being cold or wetContinueContinue reading “Tips for Beltra”
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