Dan O’Neill, Fishery Manager at Mount Juliet reports from the River Nore where the close season will open on March 17th…

At last the close season is nearly at an end. I for one will be glad to be spending more time with the fly rod and less time with the fly tying vice. This time of year is always exciting for anglers, new methods for some, new patterns for others. It’s quite possible I have tied enough flies to last me for the next 4 seasons as I usually end up doing.

Half of these, if not more, will be bartered away on the river bank in exchange for another anglers creation. Simple little things like this are what draws me to fly fishing more and more. Getting out of the hectic lifestyle, news reports and day to day “issues”.

Angling has become a more popular getaway in the last 18 months. People just need that getaway to let their mind wander and break the cycle of everyday life. I don’t ever find anything as rewarding as explaining this to someone, then taking them fishing to see for themselves that the trout have not driven me completely mad. For the most part they do find it exactly as I have outlined and the journey begins. I read somewhere a saying that will always stay with me “you will lose your mind, but find your soul”. Most anglers will agree with this as I believe we have all lost our mind at some point when the trout will do anything except sip down your dry fly offering leaving you questioning your tying skills or even worse your fishing buddies tying skills. Yet we all long for that night where every fish that we cover sips down that fly and the complements you pass to your fishing buddy about his incredible tying skills. I am looking forward to meeting fellow anglers on the river this season and bartering some of my creations with them (if you will have them). I wish you all a safe productive season ahead.

Membership

I have 6 trout membership spaces free for the coming season.

For information on day tickets or memberships please send inquiries to : [email protected]

Dan O’Neill
Mount Juliet Estate.

Go fishing…

Mount Juliet House is set on a large estate, which offers private fishing on 2.5 miles of the middle to lower reaches of the River Nore. Mount Juliet Estate offers fishing of the highest quality, just a short stroll away from the Manor House. There is a fishing room on site in the Manor House for your convenience i.e. for storage and drying of fishing equipment. Mount Juliet Estate can also provide the necessary equipment on site if needed.

https://www.mountjuliet.ie/fishing-on-the-estate.html