A stretch in the days

The days are growing longer again as winter begins to lose her grip on Ireland. I took a drive around North Mayo today for a look around. The weather was cool but bright and (most importantly) dry. Water levels are up due to the heavy rain the west has endured lately. That is good, theContinue reading "A stretch in the days"

Pandora’s box

If you have been following this blog you may recall that I am planning on doing some trolling this coming season and trying out some new baits. Over the winter I have amassed loads of old ABU spoons, devon minnows, a few plugs and assorted Kynoch's, some of which were in poor condition. My planContinue reading "Pandora’s box"

Musings

Leaving for work every Monday morning at the same time means I can see the days lengthening. Only a couple of weeks ago backed out of the driveway in pitch blackness which persisted until I was fully half way across Ireland. This Monday there was a paleness in the eastern sky as I crossed intoContinue reading "Musings"

Cheeky Dabblers

There is always room in my box for a few more Dabblers. When I run out of ideas on the lough I often reach for an intermediate line, find some shallow water and tie on a couple of Dabblers. Over the years since Donal invented the original every fly tyer has meddled with the basicContinue reading "Cheeky Dabblers"

Toby, Sinky and the net

Not really about fishing at all, but I thought this tale of modern life was worth the telling………. eBay is great, isn’t it! Any old tat turns up on it and if you are like me then simply trolling through the various categories is entertaining enough without even making a purchase. There are bargains galoreContinue reading "Toby, Sinky and the net"

A beginner’s guide to trouting in Mayo

First I have to say a heart-felt ‘thank you’ to all of you who read my ramblings on this blog. I guess I must infuriate some of you as I roam across a vast swathe of different angling genres, never settling on just salmon fishing or fly tying. I jump around from topic to topicContinue reading "A beginner’s guide to trouting in Mayo"

Kynochs and other plugs

A confession first, I don't know much about Kynochs and their kin. You see they were never really part of my armoury when I fished in Scotland and they are far from common here in Ireland. I am becoming more interested in them now though as I seem to be doing more and more trollingContinue reading "Kynochs and other plugs"

A new pattern

The couple of hours between 3 and 5pm on a Saturday afternoon usually find me in the same place. At the fly tying vice slurping endless mugs of coffee, tying flies while listening to the football on the radio. Not for me the fancy-shmansy television coverage; I prefer the old school approach to soccer. IfContinue reading "A new pattern"

Fathach glas (Green giant)

The fly I am writing about today is not especially unique. Indeed, many of you reading this post possibly have one or two similar patterns in your box of dry mayflys. What singles this one out is one thing only – it’s SIZE. Let me transport you back in time to the crystal clear watersContinue reading "Fathach glas (Green giant)"

A day at the Fair

It's been 3 years since I last visited the Irish Fly Fair I reckon, maybe even longer. So this year Ben and I decided to head down to Salthill and have a mooch around the stalls. Not that we really needed to buy anything you understand. I am looking around for a replacement for myContinue reading "A day at the Fair"