Gary Robinson of Kayak Fisherman Ireland checks out the canals in Galway city.  With perch on his mind he makes his way down to the Chocolate coloured water at the Galway weir.  Read what Gary reports:

Even the very brave and the very stupid would not attempt launching a kayak in the current weather and swells we are experiencing. So what’s the alternative?

Having been confined to land wanting to fish there is only really one option – land based fishing! I really fancied piking but the heavy deadbaiting gear is back in Wicklow and the selection of lighter spinning rods would not cut it for hurling heavy baits into swollen lakes so I decided to try something different.

Galway City has a few small canals and waterways, presumably ‘relics’ from bygone days when they would have been used to transport goods from the docks up the River Corrib and further through the Corrib system. Like any canal systems there are locks to regulate water flow, or at least attempt to anyway. My grand plan was to attempt to dropshot for perch which must be present somewhere in the small canals. The plan seemed like a good one. Until I saw the canals…

There has been such huge volumes of rainfall recently that the canals were the colour of chocolate milk and the current in them was almost as strong as the main river itself. The canal section starts just above the famous salmon fishery that is the Galway Weir. There was a deluge of water being deflected into the canals and, presumably in the interest of public safety and local commerce, the locks were partially open. The result was huge amounts of storm coloured water pushing down through the canals with ferocious pace.

I did try. I sought out areas where the flow was a little more subdued; believe me they were few and far between. I found a couple and tried a variety of small lures at differing depths but with the condition of the water I am certain that nothing would be able to locate the lure unless it literally smacked them in the face. Thoroughly beaten, I decided to explore further up the river but the problems repeated themselves. I return to the east coast this week to collect the heavier static piking gear.

Although conditions were very much not in my favour for this first attempt at Galway street fishing I do think that there is great potential for the stretches of canal in the city. I will most certainly be giving it another go when the colour drops out of the water and it loses its pace. Watch this space!

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