Ian Powell reports on the first salmon of 2014 caught on the Blackwater :
For the second time in the last 3 years the Lodge has had the privilege of landing the First Salmon of the Season from the Cork Blackwater.
Ian Powell took Charles Quesda from France (who is on work experience at the Blackwater Lodge) out yesterday for his first ever day salmon fishing.
It was the first day that the lower river was looking even moderately fishable. It was 1.82m on the gauge, but the clarity was almost 3 feet.
They only got to the river at 12.00 & by 12.45 Charles had landed his first ever kelt. At 14.45 Ian landed Charles’ First Ever Salmon
– and the first salmon of the season from the entire Blackwater system which Ian was able to verify with IFI staff.
The fish was a beautiful fresh chunky fish which didn’t appear to have any sea-lice. It weighed 6lb. & was safely released. The spinner had fallen out in the net!
Second Springer Lost
The same day another fresh salmon was lost on one of our beats on the upper river by Mark Gledhill (UK) from in the net
(the spinner was hooked up inside the net!) after being played for 20 minutes. It was a bar of silver which was estimated at ~15lb.
Prospects
There was only one kelt hooked yesterday so hopefully most of them have already left the river safely on the high water.
The river had dropped a further 10 cm from the level it was at when the fish was caught yesterday,
but some overnight rain has brought the upper river at Millstreet up 70cm just peaking at 11.30 this morning.
This will raise the level somewhat through the system, but the forecast is then dry until Sunday.
With fish hooked on both the lower & upper river with just 3 rods out, it looks as if we have a good stock of springers already run in on the high water.
Ian Powell
Blackwater Lodge
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Blackwater Lodge & Salmon Fishery
Upper Ballyduff, Co. Waterford.
Tel: 00 353 58 60235 From UK: 0871 474 0135 (10p/min any time!)
Mobile: 00 353 87 235 21 20
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net
