Kayak angler and blogger Gary Robinson of Kayak Fisherman Ireland gives a great account on fishing conditions and fishing on his travels down the country last weekend:

I headed back to the east coast for the weekend. Fishing was on the agenda but not in the conventional form. I was on the lookout for a new ‘fishing wagon’.

This meant that I was forfeiting most of the weekend but the time invested will pay off in the long run; the hunt was a success! But more on that later.

With the first weekend that heralded calm conditions it was typical of my luck that I would be spending most of it driving. I made a plan to have a look at the Shannon on the way back to Galway on Sunday morning. If it was at a fishable level then I would attempt it on the way home but looking at it at Athlone I could see that it was still in the fields. I drove on, all the time conscious of the blue sky and seemingly little wind. It was too good a day not to get out.

Gary Robinson - Calm FebruaryOn reaching Galway I headed for the Corrib and was greeted by a scene that was incredibly still. Incredibly still and incredibly cold. Launching the kayak I could see that the water temperature was just above four degrees so I headed for the Clare River, where I figured the flowing water might be a little warmer. It was by one and a half degrees and I was hopeful that this bit of extra heat would encourage baitfish to shoal up but the echo-sounder never picked any up.

I trolled lure against the flow of the swollen river for a short time. Light was fading and I had to cover a couple of kilometres to get back to the launch point. I turned and headed for the van. The trout season will start soon on the lake and I have considered trolling for a big ferox trout but I am going to wait until the warmer months. At this time of year the ferox will be spawned, thin and in poor conditions. A fish this rare and enigmatic deserves to be allowed regain its strength in peace and with this in mind I am going to leave these beautiful specimens until the summer. I’ll spend the next few weeks seeking out Esox lucius

Gary Robinson
kayakfishermanireland.com

Kayak angling in Ireland

Gary discovered the thrill, freedom and pure joy of kayak fishing almost by accident. After purchasing kayaks with the intention of paddling trips with his long-suffering partner, he started to assess the suitability of such a craft as a fishing platform. Some internet searches showed him that he was not alone in his thoughts. America and Australia already had blossoming populations of kayak anglers. Needing no more encouragement, he set about rigging his first sit on top kayak and transforming it into a fishing platform to gain access to some of the more inaccessible waters. Now into his fifth year of kayak fishing he shows no sign of slowing down.

Find out more about Gary and his adventures at www.kayakfishermanireland.com