Peter Driver of Piscari Fly is back for another episode in his winter fly tying series…
Live fly tying tomorrow night
Saturday night LIVE is here again folks. Join us live on the Facebook page Saturday 30 January at 8.30pm for lots of fly tying, chat and a bit of fun. We have some great patterns lined up including 2 different lake nymphs that are crackers. Drop by and say hello and join in on a good way to pass the night. Looking forward to it!
In the meantime why not catch up on last week’s live stream where Peter tied some Killarney specials and river dries…
Winter Live Tying Sessions no 13
Tie a fly…
Peter’s fly shop is at www.piscari-fly.com for all your fly tying and fly fishing needs.
Fly-tier and angling guide George McGrath’s super Youtube channel Gundog and Flypays host to a series of interviews with well know anglers. The series was cut short unfortunately by the lockdown, but George carried on creating content…
Episode 6 &7 (ish). Soft hackle flies
George’s notes: How to tie soft hackle wet flies, an essential pattern for trout and other species. Flytying made easy.
The Snipe Series
George’s notes: How to tie the Snipe series of Soft Hackled Flies,simple but deadly for trout and other species.
Don’t forget to like the videos and subscribe to George’s channel Gundog and Fly
Tying flies
George has a whole host of fly tying how to’s at his channel and he also ties flies to order. You can find out more or get in touch with George at his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/george.mcgrath.5243
Norbert Renaud from L’Ile Verte Lodge in Cavan is back this week with some classic natural materials – zonker strips. Find out how he uses rabbit to full effect when targeting pike…
Norbert’s notes: So yes, as you saw in the stream I am a big fan of rabbit zonker for pike flies, and also for any other predatory fish out there. A simple rabbit strip on a hook will catch you so many species time and time again, no matter where you are in the world, in fresh or salt water.
Upcoming livestreams on the Youtube Channel, Fridays 7pm GMT
Friday 29th : Q&As+ Epic Bandit kit rod build
Friday 5th February: Tying The Jack Pike
Friday 12 th : tying some whiptail T-Bones
Friday 19th : making pike leaders + Q&As
+ surprise streams on Facebook continuing and finishing the Epic Bandit rod kit.
Go fishing…
Norbert Renaud from L’Ile Verte Lodge in Cavan is a pike guide who specialises in bringing French anglers to Ireland. Based in Killeshandra, Norbert is in one of the heartlands of pike angling in Ireland. Norbert live streams a fly tying session every Friday night at 7pm Irish time on his Youtube Channel.
Get in touch with Norbert through his Facebook page or his website to plan your pike fishing adventure.
Vincent Appleby returns to the website for 2021 with his reports from Lough Currane which has been very quiet as only a handful of local anglers can fish the lake…
17/1/21 Well it is great to be back on the No Spin No Fly’s just Facts zone. So, let us go to the new and heart breaking and reality of Brown tags spring fishing on the Currane system and as you can imagine this was the main talk on this opening day, some Gillies were smiling because their boat was Brown tagged as they trolled the Currane waters, for the unlucky Gillies who were not so lucky in the draw got their plier’s and files out and then headed out to the catch and release department. Well Brown tag or no Brown tags I can say both failed this opening day. Just for the record there were 9 boats out, six Brown Tags Boats and 3 C&R Boats and where the other 9 tags were, I could not tell you. Wind, well in my opinion it was coming from the Currane anglers and could you blame them, plus it was overcast this Grey day.
Lure with a single barbless hook
18/1/20 There were no boats out today to the best of my knowledge and I can’t check the Big Lake because I’m outside the 5 kilometres and I have no intention of being caught by the local Garda and being tagged, talking of tags, back to the fishing, on yesterday’s report I had a comment made to me by Currane fly angler Mr. Garry Winston Humphry and I quote, are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the Spring Fishing, sad times.
19/1/21 It is sad to see that again there were no traditional local Brown Tag anglers on this 3rd day of the Brown Tag Spring fishing.
20/1/21 Today’s report come from a barbless Currane angler, 4 boats on the lake today, 1 barbless boat stayed out all day, 3 brown tag boats that were out, 2 of them just out for 2 hours, the other brown tag boat just out for the bare hour, few kelts to report, sad to see such little effort being put in and for a matter of interest where were the other 12 Brown Tag Anglers.
21/1/21 In today’s action, there were 3 boats out, 2 brown tag boats, 1 barbless hook boat, few kelts to report. Again, it is sad to see the lake so quiet and I can tell you Appleby, there is 1 barbless hook angler who is terribly upset he was not given a brown tag, he’s says some of the brown tag recipients haven’t even launched their boats yet, fisheries have got this all wrong, due to Covid he feels all local and regular local anglers should have got tags, considering the 5 km travel is in place for a few more months.
22/1/21 On today’s Brown tags and tagless Anglers I can say without any fear of contradiction today was Salmonless, just for the record there were 3 boats out, 1 Barbless and two Brown tag boats out.
23/1/21 3 Brown tag boats out manipulating the Currane Waters this day, I can tell you it was very cold and wet. And followed by a fresh wind from the South, sadly the boats did not stay out long. Just for the record there was no barbless hook boats out.
24/1/21 There was snow on the mountains of Kerry this cold day as two Brown tags headed out on to the Currane waters and I can say that both Brown tags were Salmonless at the end of their day’s fishing.
25/1/21 Straight to today’s facts and I can say without any fear of contradiction that My Noble Salmon has not been Brown Tagged at this present time and the same goes for the Barbless manipulators, so I can say there was no stimulation on a very cold Lough Currane today. Just for the record there were 3 Brown Tag Boats and one Barbless boat out.
26/1/21 Only one Brown Tag Boat out today and all quiet on the SW front but contacted a Spent Salmon/ Kelt. Just for the record it made a flood last night.
27/1/21 No reports of any Boats out on the waters of Lough Currane this day, so you can say that I am barbless and tagless in today’s notes and rightly so.
The rivers and lakes of Waterville drain a large catchment and are regarded by many as the foremost Salmon and Sea-Trout fishery in the country. The lake system is well developed with access to boats and guides being readily available to the tourist angler. The Sea-Trout caught here are renowned for their size and quantity. For more details see
Francis O’Donnell, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: ‘We encourage all of our stakeholders to get involved in the process of developing this framework for the future of Ireland’s inland fisheries resource. The roadmap is a significant first step in paving the way forward towards a resource that will be conserved and managed in a sustainable way.’
A lovely piece of footage below from Andrew McGall’s YouTube channel featuring some of his best ‘takes’ while salmon fishing in 2020. Andrew fishes the River Finn as well as many other rivers in the north and north west. If this video doesn’t get your heart racing at the thought of that first hit from a good fish and the run that follows, you should check your pulse.
Anyone looking to release their salmon should minimise the length of time the fish is out of the water, as demonstrated by Andrew here.
Andrew sums up his 2020 season nicely in the accompanying text:
For many anglers the salmon ‘take’ is what it’s all about, indeed it’s often referred to as ‘the tug is the drug’. I wouldn’t disagree, though it does also give you a certain satisfaction and sense of achievement to go on and land it.
Looking back on 2020 is perhaps not something we would choose to do, but this is a selection of some of my favourite takes from over the past season. Being able to get fishing again, albeit not until July for most of us, was one positive, and looking and thinking back on our fishing memories will hopefully help us get through the next few months.
The Government has extended the Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions until 05 March 2021. Travel restrictions mean anglers must stay within 5km of their home. Non-essential business is not permitted.
At Level 5, the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, except for travel for essential work, education or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home.
Inland Fisheries Ireland offers the following information to anglers as a guideline only. Government advice to stop the spread of coronavirus is BE RESPONSIBLE, BE SAFE.
Observe physical distancing by keeping at least 2 metres apart, if not possible wear a face covering.
Park legally and responsibly if driving to outdoor amenities.
Respect our emergency services and avoid activities that could potentially lead to emergency call outs.
Respect the environment, animals & wildlife and dispose of waste properly.
Travel separately, unless from the same household and visit outdoor areas at off peak times if possible.
Fish stocking
IFI has ceased stocking fish to all locations.
All Anglers
Follow up-to-date Government advice, however changes to Government advice may result in amendments to this information. To stay safe, anglers should follow public health guidelines:
People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.
No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Individual training only.
No competitions.
No indoor or outdoor gatherings.
Boat Anglers
Max 2 persons in small boats to comply with physical distancing (unless from same household). Remember to maintain physical distancing on board and at slipways and access points.
Guides & Ghillies
During level 5 restrictions, only essential workers can travel to work.
Charter Boat Owners
During level 5 restrictions, only essential workers can travel to work.
BE RESPONSIBLE – BE SAFE
The power to control this pandemic is still in our hands
Inland Fisheries Ireland offers the following information to anglers as a guideline only. Government advice to stop the spread of coronavirus is BE RESPONSIBLE, BE SAFE.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is appealing to all salmon and sea trout anglers to return their 2020 angling logbook and unused gill tags. Thank you to those who have already returned their logbook and unused gill tags. These returns provide vital information regarding the status and management of our wild Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks into the future.
Logbook returns 2020
Anglers are asked to make the return via the business return envelope which was supplied at the time of license purchase. In the absence of the prepaid logbook return envelope, anglers can return their completed logbook and unused tags to the Inland Fisheries Ireland office address on their licence/logbook. Any queries in relation to the scheme can be sent to salmonlogbookreturn@fisheriesireland.ie.
All bookings need to be made remotely, online or by the phone only. Applications should be made before the start of the season, (February 1st), to The Manager, Galway Fishery, Weir Lodge, Earl’s Island, Galway by email: seamus.hartigan@fisheriesireland.ie or call 087 6171759. The pricing schedule is as follows:
It was a much wetter week than we’ve had recently, but it’s very cold again after a couple of milder days. At times it was fairly miserable, with cold winds, frost, rain, sleet and snow in many places. Grand for getting the feet up in front of the fire to read old fishing books, or to be tucked in behind the vice tying a few flies, or even hooked up to t’interweb to watch someone livestreaming some fishing stuff…
For the fly tiers we have a couple of links this week. For the trout anglers Peter Driver is back. We have the YouTube video of last week’s live stream and news of what he will be up to on Saturday night – river dry flies and some Killarney specials. It’s a bit mysterious…
We also have some top drawer pike fly tying from Norbert Renaud. Well worth a watch. Like Peter, Norbert posts videos on Youtube but you can also watch live and get involved with the discussion on Thursday nights.
Finally for coarse anglers we have a great video from Anglers World Holidays which features the famous Francis McGoldrick, his steaks are legendary, and his waggler fishing is no less impressive.
And now the weather…
Saturday, will be another cold day with frost lingering for much of the morning. Dry over most of the country with good spells of winter sunshine but scattered showers of hail, sleet and snow will continue in the northwest. Cold for the remainder of the weekend and to start next week. Sleet and snow on Saturday night will clear eastwards, with a mix of showers and clear spells following for Sunday and Monday. Turning unsettled but milder for the rest of next week.
