The River Whispers 7
This week we hear from Brett from Kentucky that speaks to us about something called blue lining and the fun challenges it brought to him and his friends this season. Martin Barrera Oro shares with us some more tips on getting newcomers and youths involved in fishing. John Mccullogh speaks a bit about his fishing trips for trout. Stuart Wylie gets us ready for some pike on the fly. Anthony and I make way this week to hear some stories from our ladies of fly fishing to celebrate International Womens Fly Fishing Day.
I am quite lucky to have the opportunity to meet so many interesting people and share some knowledge with them. Of course, it’s not all one-way traffic – I get plenty of knowledge in return and also hear of their adventures and challenges. One such challenge is called blue lining. Brett all the way from Kentucky was out with me last week and shared with me exactly what blue lining is.
“I travel quite a bit for fishing, I enjoy fishing small rivers for browns or brookies. The Nore was a bit bigger of a river than I’m used to but was happy to fish it with Dan who knew the river quite well. Usually, I fish with a 2 or 3wt rod, mostly 10ft as it keeps me back from the edge of the small rivers that I fish, giving me extra reach. Me and my fishing buddies do a thing called blue lining where we look at our map and pick out the unnamed streams which are represented by blue lines on the map. We then go to fish these places and see if we can catch some trout there. I have had trout 4 or 5 pound in the tiniest of streams, and also had no trout in streams that looked like they should hold good numbers of trout. It’s really exciting and you never really know what you’re in for. Dan took me to the Gowran river where he is from and we fished dry fly and had some great trout which was exciting too. I found blue lining really focused me in on certain runs or glides on big rivers that some people would walk past. I enjoyed the River Nore and also the Gowran river. I am returning to Ireland next year and hope to fish the Kings River early season”.
Coaching Novices
Martin Barrera Oro is back this week with some more tips for us.
Following on from the last edition, Martin focuses here on some basics on which to begin your angling trip with your apprentice.
“Before heading to the water ask them to help you arm the rod and then practise on the grass. Once at the water’s edge ask them to spot some insects as well as fish swimming close to shore. We want them to turn on their perceptions of everything around them. Show them some flies in the box to compare to the ones flying around them.
Perhaps start with the pickup and lay down cast and roll cast. If possible, try to choose a backside wind that will take the line further distance from the young casting arm. Perform some casts to show them how it’s done. This will trigger natural curiosity.
Theory is all well and good but the practical side is important as they need to learn what to do when they hook a fish. The key is gaining their interest for the fun side of sport. Explain how to treat the fish properly as well as preservation. I always check with parents first on what they want their child to know and what sensitivities they may have. Here at Ireland anglers fishing school, we are keen supporters of catch and release.
John’s Words of Wisdom
John McCullogh is an angler I have spent some time watching on the Nore. His approach is one that interested me. I enjoy listening to John talking about what flies he’s using or what’s working on the river. A superb sense of humour and an accomplished fly angler my time with John is always well spent and well-remembered. Let’s see what John had to say about his fishing trips.
“I have been fly fishing for most of my life. It is a passion. I am by no means good at it but that’s not the point. The point is I love it. It allows you to actually immerse yourself in the nature that you see around you. To really become part of it. You are hunting and you become a natural, integral part of the natural world rather than just an uninvolved observer.
I tend to fish the way that I most enjoy. I am not so focused on catching every fish in the river although I do like to have some success. I really enjoy dry fly and dry dropper. They are visual and naturally demand and focus concentration. They are challenging and demanding methods but also hugely relaxing which may sound like a contradiction in terms but that’s fishing!
Before I started to fish at Mount Juliet with Dan I was very much a chuck and chance it man. I would start off with a method that I liked and stick with it even if it was not working. A little lazy. Just watching and talking with Dan encouraged me to become a little more adaptable and creative and now when I am fishing a stretch that I know holds fish and I am not catching anything, I will take a break, sit down, think it through and try something different. I now see this as a very enjoyable aspect of the day and not, as before, a waste of fishing time.
In dry dropper I do not go in for a plethora of different nymphs anymore. Too many choices lead to paralysis by analysis and saps confidence. Confidence is key in fishing. Being the lazy kind of angler that I am, I have two or three basic patterns which seem to generally work everywhere and I am now more focused on size, depth and drift. I do find that there is not the same kind of dry fly activity as there used to be. I will still catch plenty of fish on the dry in the smaller mountain streams like the Upper Liffey, where the trout have to be more opportunistic, but not so many in the bigger rivers where the nymphs still reign supreme. However, September is always a better month for prospecting with the dries. Unfortunately, September also heralds the end of the fishing season which I am already dreading. Back to six months of tying more flies than I will ever need or use!”
Pike On The Fly
When it comes to pike fishing on the fly Stuart Wylie is a name you will certainly hear. I met Stuart some time ago and have stayed in touch. A super guide and a mountain of knowledge. His pike fly patterns are by far the most successful patterns Anthony and I have used. If you’re looking to begin your pike fly fishing journey then a trip with Stuart is a must.
Throughout the years many things have changed in the fly-fishing industry. Rods, reels and lines have improved dramatically due to new technology used in the manufacturing process. We can also add fly tying materials into the mix.
I will explain a tried and trusted set up which I have used for over 25 years of fly fishing for pike, hopefully it will be of some help to novice and seasoned anglers alike.
Reels: probably the least important part of the entire set up, any large arbor 8/9 reel will suffice for all your PFF needs as it’s basically for line storage, very few occasions you will need to play the fish off the reel.
Rods: I recommend that the minimum weight of rod to be used for pike would be a 9ft 9wt, 9ft 10wt rods are also commonly used. These dedicated predator rods allow you to cast big flies comfortably throughout the day but more importantly play and land fish quickly for a safe release (All pike should be released). My personal choice of rods are Mackenzie Graphene predator 9ft 9wt, these rods have the latest aerospace carbons combined with FX technology, they are lightest strongest rods I have ever used.
Lines: Specialised pike/predator lines are an essential part of your set up, they are designed with a low stretch core which helps a great deal with setting the hook they also have powerful short front taper, this dramatically helps with cast big bulky flies.
Leader/Trace set up: A standard leader consists of around 5 to 6ft of 25lb mono, you may lengthen this when using smaller size flies for better turnover, or shorten when using large flies on fast sinking lines etc. Fish welfare MUST come first when fishing therefore a wire or titanium trace connected to your leader must be used at all times, pike will bite through heavy mono traces.
Flies: There are a multitude of fly patterns to choose from, all of which work on any given day. When I’m tying flies, I stick to a few simple guidelines.
Streamers: these must have a lot of movement (usually flash) as they don’t generally represent a food source, you’re basically trying to trigger the aggressive nature of the pike.
Baitfish patterns: these don’t necessarily have to have a lot of movement or flash materials incorporated, the correct profile and size is key as you’re tapping into what they’re actually feeding on that particular day. Fly size and profile is more important than colour on these occasions.
Fishing: Finding the correct depth as to where the fish are holding or feeding is vitally important. When guiding I generally have my guests start off on intermediate lines then work down throughout the layers until contact is made. Vary retrieves from short twitches to long slow pulls and sometimes completely stopping the retrieve can induce an arm wrenching take.
Working out what they are feeding on and at what depth is key to a successful days fly fishing for pike.
Women In Fly Fishing
Saturday the 14th of September marks a very important day on our angling calenders. International Women’s Fly Fishing Day saw many pictures of the ladies of fly fishing with some of their catches throughout the angling season. I hope you all had a great day and look forward to seeing some of you over the winter for some casting, and next season for some fishing. I was lucky enough to take many ladies fishing this season and guide them to some of the R. Nore brown trout. Let’s see what some of the ladies had to say,
“A wonderful day learning to fly fish with Dan, I really wasn’t sure what to expect but found myself not wanting to leave the river. We caught many trout on dry dropper it was so exciting.
Lauren, UK
“I was always listening to my husband talk about fly fishing so decided to try it, I had never fished before, at first I was a little apprehensive about wading and fishing but Dan helped me out and I really enjoyed it, hooking my first trout was exciting and scary at the same time. I will definitely be fly fishing again.
Shirley, Louth
“Delighted to have something to share with my husband and two sons. I was left out og the fishing trips as I couldn’t fly fish, now I can I will be going and it’s a new family activity that we share.
Denise, Colorado
So, there it is another fortnight passed and closer to the river season end. A wonderful couple of weeks with more wonderful people. Caught fish, caught myself, caught trees and showed many more people the joys of fly fishing. Fishing can be very relaxing as most of us know, or we can lose our minds when the fish don’t play the game. I recently read something where it said “fishing is a perfect way to unplug”. This got me thinking of course and maybe it’s that we as anglers plug in. We plug into angling and nature and allow it to download from us the certain stresses and issues we face day to day. When someone takes a fishing rod for the first time little do they know they have made a new best friend, one that may not talk but always listens.
Guided coarse fishing trips this winter
I will be taking bookings for coarse fishing trips this winter. Trips will be on river, lake or canal depending on weather. All levels of angler’s welcome.
Casting clinics
If you are looking to improve your casting to help stop getting the dreaded “wind knots” or hitting the rod tip with a streamer or nymph, why not come along to a casting class and learn how to help prevent this. If you’re looking for something for the off season to improve or hone your skills then this is an ideal opportunity. Classes are for up to 3 people or individual. Contact me for further details.
Go fishing…
