The day we walked the Erris Loop provided me with a couple of new fly tying feathers. As we neared the end of our walk I spotted two snowy white breast feathers from a gull just lying there on the sheep nibbled grass. Picking them up I pondered the possibilities and the seeds of anContinueContinue reading “The Gull”
Category Archives: trout fishing
What’s wrong on the Robe?
Mid-May, the height of the trout season in Mayo. The weather forecast was good and I was really really looking forward to a few hours on the River Robe. The fishing can be challenging in low, clear water but fly life should be plentiful. I double checked my dry fly boxes to make sure IContinueContinue reading “What’s wrong on the Robe?”
Around Conn and Cullin
Just some bits and pieces from the Conn/Cullin area to give you a feel for this part of Ireland. Let’s kick off with some figures shall we? The Conn/Cullin catchment drains roughly 800 square miles of north County Mayo Conn is a big lough, it covers roughly 48 km2 and has a maximum depth ofContinueContinue reading “Around Conn and Cullin”
A Sunday afternoon
Sullen, that’s the only way I can describe the weather this morning. No wind to speak of and heavy clouds above. The good news is that it was still reasonably warm, raising hopes there would be a hatch of ephemerids. Off to the Robe! Water levels had dropped since my last visit but the waterContinueContinue reading “A Sunday afternoon”
Sanctuary
Of all the many things I dislike in this world, sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s surgery is right up there near the top of the list. It was my misfortune to find myself in just such a hell-hole yesterday through no fault of my own. My new employer required me to haveContinueContinue reading “Sanctuary”
Monday, bloody Monday
The morning slipped away from me but by 11.30 I was behind the wheel and heading off to spend a few hours trout fishing on the River Robe. All the rivers around here are high and this usually improves the fishing on the Robe, so hopes were high as the old green VW rumbled downContinueContinue reading “Monday, bloody Monday”
Jenning’s Dabbler
I was contemplating the Jenning’s Nymph the other day and decided to make a Dabbler based loosely on it. I already have plenty of Claret Dabblers in the box but none sporting a peacock herl body. The more I thought about this the stranger this omission looked. We all know how deadly flies with peacockContinueContinue reading “Jenning’s Dabbler”
Sooty Olive
Picture the scene if you will; it’s early season on the Western lakes and the urge to fish has brought you to the shores of Lough Mask. Still too early for the gorse to bloom, everywhere in sight is coloured in sombre duns and greys. That joyous rush of prescient life, that hope and expectationContinueContinue reading “Sooty Olive”
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”
Rainy day on the Robe
Rain fell from the battleship grey skies, the day had been damp since early this morning. Leaden clouds poured pewter drops on me as I tackled up at the bridge across the river. Wet and cold before I even started, the day took a definite turn for the worse when I found there were noContinueContinue reading “Rainy day on the Robe”
Claretbumbler 