Will Beltra be worth a try?

Where is this year going? We are about to enter the last week in February. January, that laggard of a month, is a distant memory and the weather has already decided it is spring here in Ireland. It was 17 degrees the other day and the exceptionally mild weather seems set to continue for aContinue reading "Will Beltra be worth a try?"

2 for the Moy

Saturday afternoon, in the room listening to my collection of Pretty Things albums. I guess that is a sure sign of my advancing years! Got through all the classics and ended up at Savage Eye. Loved every minute of it. Oh, and I was making salmon flies too. I have plans to fish the riverContinue reading "2 for the Moy"

First fish

Close season Saturday afternoons are sacrosanct for me. I endeavour to get all my tasks and odd jobs out of the way by 2pm so that I can disappear into the fishing room for the remainder of the afternoon. I am just too old school for the blandishments of SKY TV sports channels and IContinue reading "First fish"

Forward thinking

With the season officially started I need to wrap my head around where I'm going to fish during 2019. Last season was a disaster for me so I need to think carefully about these plans to avoid yet more disappointment. Some venues are just too special to ignore, so the likes of Lough Beltra andContinue reading "Forward thinking"

Watson’s Fancy

A few small spaces remain to be filled in the fly boxes and I made a couple of big Waton's fancy this afternoon and the heavy mist turned the garden a silvery mossy colour outside the window. The Watson is not a fly I have caught a huge number of fish on but I findContinue reading "Watson’s Fancy"

Getting ready

'Tis the end of January and the time to prepare for the upcoming season is upon us game anglers in Ireland. I know that some early rivers opened weeks ago but for me and most of the lads I fish with the months of February and March mark the true beginning of another year onContinue reading "Getting ready"

Single hooks?

Any of you tried single hooks on your salmon baits? I have not (yet) but plan to give them a go this coming season so that returning fish is going to be easier Here is an ABU Killer which I have changed the hooks on. To me it looks a bit odd but that willContinue reading "Single hooks?"

The Black Wickham

By simply changing the palmered hackle on a standard Wickham you get a trout fly that works well on summer evenings in fast water. I've used this pattern for more years than I care to remember and it has been responsible for many fine trout finding their way to my net. So, instead of aContinue reading "The Black Wickham"

More Dabblers

I've been bust at the vice again and the fly boxes are filling up nicely now. For me, Saturday afternoons are my preferred time to tuck myself away with the radio on, happily snipping and whipping away. Steam rising lazily from my umpteenth mug of coffee while the room around me gradually fills with halfContinue reading "More Dabblers"

Ginger peachy

Funny how memories come back to you across the years at the strangest of times. I know one or two of you who follow this blog reside in the North East of Scotland and if you are of a certain age you will probably remember an announcer on the telly called David Bennett. He usedContinue reading "Ginger peachy"