Floss wing mayfly

There is usually a spool of dapping floss lurking somewhere in my bag. I rarely dap but just in case I feel the need or someone else in the boat requires some, a reel of the light brown floss is on hand. As I was tidying up my gear today I unearthed the spool andContinue reading "Floss wing mayfly"

32 – Episode 11, Armagh

'Oh my mama told me there'll be days like this' (Van Morrison) Not the most noted of Irish counties for angling but I still found a venue to try. This would be another coarse fishing trip for me and one that would be slightly different to my usual canal shenanigans. Armagh is one of theContinue reading "32 – Episode 11, Armagh"

32 – Episode 10, Galway

If I am honest I should have really ticked Galway off right at the very beginning of the '32' project as I have caught numerous fish in this county over the years. Sea fishing out of Clifden, mackerel bashing off the rocks in Galway Bay, casting flies for brown trout on the Clare river –Continue reading "32 – Episode 10, Galway"

32 – Episode 9, Mayo

I blanked on my last visit to Carrowmore so I was hoping for better luck this time around. The lake has been a bit hit and miss so far this year with some anglers catching regularly while others are struggling to meet fish. A storm is forecast for the end of this week which willContinue reading "32 – Episode 9, Mayo"

Conn

After such an enjoyable day on Mask last Saturday I decided to head out on lough Conn for a few hours today. I rose early and checked the tall trees for movement - nothing, it was dead calm. Looking at the sky though it seemed to promise a little wind so I got myself readyContinue reading "Conn"

Mouth of the canal

This trip had been planned for a while but had to be put off for various reasons. Mike works at the plant in Westport where I had been on contract and we talked often about our fishing exploits, eventually agreeing we would fish Lough mask one day. After numerous false starts we finally made itContinue reading "Mouth of the canal"

First week of May

Tuesday, and I am going to try lough Conn with Ben. The weather seems to have forgotten this is the month of May and is doing its best impression of February. When we should be expecting blossoming trees swaying in balmy breezes, we are instead in the chilling embrace of an arctic airflow. Extra clothingContinue reading "First week of May"

Carrowmore, May ’21

Yesterday I opted for a day chasing silvery salmon; I was off to North Mayo and the holy grail of lough salmon fly fishers – Carrowmore Lake. Carrowmore sits to the north of the village of Bangor in the old Earldom of Erris. Wild lands of hill and bog, this is a sparsely populated partContinue reading "Carrowmore, May ’21"

32 update

A couple of people have asked me recently if I have given up on my attempt to catch a fish in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland. The answer is an unequivocal ‘NO’, my pet project is still very much alive. It has just on hold due to the current Covi-19 travel restrictions.Continue reading "32 update"

Typical day on the Robe

River Robe, April 2021 The signs went up three years ago. Ugly, threatening signs plastered on gates and fences, warnings in red letters. Details of how you would be arrested if you dared to walk by this stretch of the river as it was now under new ownership. Of course, this was the prime stretchContinue reading "Typical day on the Robe"