This report in from Dan O’Neill of South East Casting:
With the Irish Fly Fair only a few days away, I have been casting more than usual and getting into the spirit to attend this wonderful event. Looking at the line ups and talent that will be there gives a feeling of excitement to me as well as a slightly nervous feel. Many of the exhibitors are anglers and tiers that I studied and watched videos on for my APGAI assessment, so to be included in the line up with them was a dream come true for me.
I decided to take a little break from just casting as I received the Cadence 10ft 5wt last week and wanted to hook some trout on this rod and test its fish playing capabilities and how it performed in the field. As with all Cadence rods, it was extremely light, so I really looked forward to hitting a Southern County Rainbow.
I recently watched Peter from Piscari Fly tie up some damsels and beetles, so I decided to copy these patterns and give them a go. The fish today were hard to come by with the odd one every now and again leaping as if to say, “we are here!”. There was a slightly sheltered spot near the end of the lake, it was sheltered by a high grassy bank. I felt that with the wind and a high grassy bank surely the odd beetle may be blown in for a swim.
As I made my way over to the spot, I didn’t see much activity to give me encouragement, but don’t judge a book and all that…
I had been there for 10-15mins, making a number of casts to search the whole area, when the line went tight and I lifted into a nice fish. The fish gave all indications of being quite large, swimming about quite deep with the odd couple of strong head thumps. The rod performed very well and the power in the butt section was perfect when I needed to add pressure to this fish. Eventually the fish came to the net which was a great relief. It was a lovely rainbow, carrying a couple of scars and shade over one eye. Not fully sure about my theory of using the beetle near a windy grassy bank, it works with terrestrial patterns on the Nore for me when the wind is blowing from the bank into the river, maybe there is something in it, or else it could be complete coincidence, the mystery keeps me trying anyway.
Irish Fly Fair Enniskillen
I am absolutely delighted to be attending the event, I will be at the Cadence stand where you can try before you buy, stop by to say hello and try one of the rods with me. I am also giving one on one tuition with APGAI Ireland as are some of our other members, this is a wonderful opportunity make sure to try stop by. Finally, I will be giving a casting demo from 14.30 – 15.00 both days and look forward to seeing some of you there. It is due to be a fantastic weekend, take a look at the Irish Fly Fair website or Facebook for the lineup.
Classes / guided trips 2024
I am now taking bookings for the 2024 season, I will be running masterclasses, casting clinics, guided trips on the River Nore and Kings River. For further information contact me by email, Phone or Facebook.
