This fly reminds me of a Mark 2 Ford Escort 1300. A reliable if unexciting run-around which has been tarted up by an enthusiast and is now all bling. The bells and whistles have been grafted on and it is now a much more exciting package all together. The basis of this new fly isContinueContinue reading “The Carrowmore Bumble”
Category Archives: wetfly
Monkey business
Fly fishing is a strange sport when you think about it. We deliberately set out to make the process of catching fish as difficult as possible so we get the maximum pleasure when we actually hook something in the face of the overwhelming odds we have placed upon ourselves. I am sure we all agreeContinueContinue reading “Monkey business”
Small river fly fishing
Tackling small streams can prove a challenge for anglers who are more used to wide open spaces and plenty of elbow room for casting. Here in the west of Ireland we have a number of small streams, most of which are never fished, yet contain a reasonable head of wild Brown Trout. Rivers like theContinueContinue reading “Small river fly fishing”
Planning for the new season
Don’t you just love technology? OK, so it kind of takes over our lives sometimes and swallows up too much of our free time (if we let it), but on the whole technology enriches our everyday lives. Here in the West of Ireland I use Google Earth to look for likely places to fish. MuchContinueContinue reading “Planning for the new season”
Flies for Lough Conn, part 3
I hope you are enjoying this series of posts about the flies I recommend for Lough Conn. Today I will take a look at patterns which fish well from May onwards, an exciting period for us fishers in Western Ireland. The Lake Olives will still be hatching and the Mayfly will start to appear anyContinueContinue reading “Flies for Lough Conn, part 3”
It’s that time of the year
I have never liked Christmas. Even as a kid I found the whole thing a waste of time and once I had discovered fishing this time of the year became unbearable. No fishing to be had, terrible weather and still the seemingly never-ending month of January to suffer until the new season opens. With nothingContinueContinue reading “It’s that time of the year”
Flies for Lough Conn, part 1
Every year hundreds of anglers from every corner of the world travel to County Mayo to fish Lough Conn. I used to be one of the hoard and can remember the intense excitement preparing for the trips, that deep rooted anticipation of each detail of how the fishing would be. Perhaps the greatest thrill wasContinueContinue reading “Flies for Lough Conn, part 1”
Invicta variants
Possibly one of the most effective all-round wet flies every concocted, the Invicta will catch trout from the first day of the season to the last. Invented in the mid nineteenth century by a chap called Ogden, it has spawned a wide range of variations and I want to share a couple of those withContinueContinue reading “Invicta variants”
Three flys from my table
I was trying (unsuccessfully I might add) to tidy up the mess of feathers, hooks and other assorted odds and end which have accumulated on my fly tying bench. In amongst the detritus I found some flies so I thought I would share them with you. First up is a Grey Winged Salmon Gosling. Goslings areContinueContinue reading “Three flys from my table”
Gone for a Burton
There was a small tin box in my fly tying cabinet which caught my eye today. I don’t remember where it came from or why it was lodged under some squirrel tails, it just seemed to appear there. I must have used it ages ago and forgotten about it but today I opening it upContinueContinue reading “Gone for a Burton”
Claretbumbler 