Bloody weather! I had hoped to make a flying start to 2025 but the snow, ice, wind, rain etc have conspired against me. While not actually getting out to do any fishing for many weeks, I have been busy repairing, cleaning and organising my gear in preparation for the coming season. Fly boxes are fillingContinueContinue reading “2025………”
Tag Archives: angling in Ireland
Banagher
Recent weeks have been too busy to fit in much fishing but even when I did venture out the results were poor to say the least. I will happily own up to my own shortcomings but other anglers I was with suffered equally miserable results. I badly needed a pick-me-up. Last week, while buying maggotsContinueContinue reading “Banagher”
Grey Mayfly Nymph
I guess we are now at the beginning of the fly tying season so I will post a few flies every now and then. I’ll start today with a fly I often turn to when the mayfly fishing is difficult due to calm conditions. This is a very easy nymph to tie but getting theContinueContinue reading “Grey Mayfly Nymph”
Change of seasons
Last Friday was a scorcher, 28 degrees when Helen and I were mooching around Galway city. The sun splitting the stones on Shop Street, traditional music flowing from the open doors of the pubs and throngs of visitors enjoying the spectacle of the sun beaming down on old Eire. I found a high stool inContinueContinue reading “Change of seasons”
Just one of those days
We all get them, those days when nothing goes right. Last Monday was just such a day for me when a bad day and work spilled over into an equally poor session on the bank. I woke before the alarm, not an unusual occurrence for me but one which shortens an already insufficient night of sleep.ContinueContinue reading “Just one of those days”
New chair
Earlier this year I treated myself to a new piece of kit to celebrate my (semi)retirement. I know, just stopping work is not the most original of excuses but it was about the only way I could justify to myself the substantial spend on something as basic as a chair to park my bum onContinueContinue reading “New chair”
Blackrock
Is it just me or has this year been uncommonly windy? It feels like every day there is a gale blowing. The weather forecast, never overly accurate at the best of times, seems to be totally out of touch with what actually happens this season. Here we are in July and the weather remains coldContinueContinue reading “Blackrock”
A day of two halves
With the game fishing around here still in the doldrums I decided to get out the coarse rods again and try a couple of venues in south county Sligo. Firstly I planned to give Finlough one more go, mainly on the back of word from a fellow angler that there were tench in that weeContinueContinue reading “A day of two halves”
Change of tack
Nearly 6 solid weeks of ghillieing had left both me and my gear in a mess. Today was spent addressing the resultant carnage and planning my next move. My right shoulder aches after days of pulling hard on the oars. I usually try to turn the boat so anglers take turns fishing from each side,ContinueContinue reading “Change of tack”
Never heard of this one!
As regular readers know, I have a habit of buying up joblots of old fishing tackle and then spending hours of my free time sifting through the detritus looking for bits I can use or salvage. This harmless idiosyncrasy keeps my amused and on the odd occasion turns up little gems of old gear. AsContinueContinue reading “Never heard of this one!”
