No fishing today, there is just too much to do around the house. So we slog away at tidying the garden and making some changes to the sitting room. Helen has some lovely drawings which we frame and mount of the walls and that got me thinking about a couple of cardboard tubes containing posters […]
Read More Cartographic ReminiscencesWhen we think about fly fishing the Irish loughs our minds immediately leap to lough style from drifting boats and indeed this is the usual and often highly productive approach for most of us. Sometimes though fishing from the shore is necessary or desirable so I thought I’d take a look at that topic today. […]
Read More Fishing from the shoreHearing the name Wicklow always conjures up visions of the mountains for me. Rising like some mythical protector of the land, the Wicklow mountains guard the southern approaches to the capital, proud and ancient. These hills and glens are thronged with people every weekend as they escape the city for rest and relaxation – walking, […]
Read More 32 – Episode 30, WicklowWas there an element of exhaustion creeping in? A mental as well as physical tiredness seemed to be growing on me of late. The finishing line is so close but it felt like it would take a herculean effort to complete the next county on my ’32’ list. A second dose of Covid didn’t help […]
Read More 32 – Episode 29, WaterfordWhen you think about it the design of our fly reels is very simple. A spool revolves around a central spindle and is enclosed in a close fitting cage, the whole being provided with a foot for fixing it the the rod. Why then do we need modern reels which cost the same as two […]
Read More Fly reel designDisclaimer – I do have the answer to this problem but I will give you my thoughts anyway. Also be aware I am going to ramble on a bit (as is my want) because this is a big topic to cover. It is pleasantly warm here in the west of Ireland this morning, a nice […]
Read More Coming shortI was out of action for a couple of days and with time on my hands I took the opportunity to have a mid-season tidy up of my fishing gear. Sorting out that old chest pack the other day had got me thinking about the other bags I lug around. For many of us the […]
Read More In the bagSwift and Suir Confession time, I love Excel. I have relied on it for years at work and all that ‘right click in the box’ has spilled over into my fishing, helping me to keep track of plans, trips and records of catches. Updating the 32 project master spreadsheet on my laptop one evening I […]
Read More 32 – Episode 28, TipperaryThis little project was driven by sheer frustration. I always have a small zinger clipped on my fishing jackets and waistcoats so I have a pair of clippers or scissors at hand but lately I have developed a nasty habit of pinging them off at every opportunity. I don’t know if this is just yet […]
Read More Customising an old chest packIt has been a very hard few days, a lot of ‘stuff’ has been going on, things which have drained me to the point of exhaustion. I needed some time to myself so I made the effort to take my old boat out for a couple of hours on lough Conn. Heavy rain over the […]
Read More End of June
Claretbumbler 