Home Trout fishing reports Decent fishing on the Nore despite high water but not much left...

Decent fishing on the Nore despite high water but not much left in it

September 25, 2023

1930

Dan O’Neill, angling guide and casting instructor in the South East reports from the River Nore…

With the water gauge reading a very high on Friday, .90, and water temps peaking at 13.8C things are changing or have changed rather. Very strange to think that a couple of weeks ago the hunt for a shaded area out of the baking sun was almost an impossible one. The fish are still there though, it’s when the water is like this that we must think outside of the box a little or you might say look further into it. Delicate klinks transform into foam indicators. In my case I dust off the 10ft 3wt and head to my favourite eddy’s that now are not as large meaning my job to find some trout may be a little easier. So, hitting the river with my Cadence 10ft 3wt and 9ft 5wt it was. Arriving at the river it sure was angry. Can I also remind people when the river is like this fish areas that are safe and don’t require you to wade, all my fishing when the river is like this is done from the bank. The fish will be closer also.

So, I did try firstly a foam indicator with a Black PTN with a purple glo brite hotspot. The nymph did work well for me and I had some lovely trout about 25-28cm. In the heavy current the 5wt was able to control them and I did direct them away from the main current when they were hooked. Watching the indicator dip is very exciting and takes me back to childhood when roach was my quarry using small pieces of cooked spaghetti as bait.

Using my nymphing set up for a while to was successful. Dark pheasant tails and some various frenchies worked well for me. I had some trout very similar to the ones I caught using a foam indicator.

So, we have finally reached the dreaded end of the season. The vegetation is looking tired now around the riverbank after putting on a beautiful show over the summer months. Leaves are now falling from the trees like teardrops as if mourning the end of the season just like the anglers. Life through polarized lenses comes to a halt for the winter months for me. With all that said it means there is a new season on the way. I have plenty of happy memories to reminisce over when tying flies over the winter months.

The highlight this winter for me will be the Irish Fly Fair which I was lucky enough to be asked to partake in by Stevie Munn. What a great event it is to break up our off season. Seeing some angling acquaintances that we would normally only see during the fishing season. It gives us something to focus on taking the sting out of the end of the season.