Join Steve Ringer on Lough Erne where he goes fishing with TackleGuruTV and brings us through all his strategies and tactics for making the most of big, wild Irish fisheries…
TackleGuruTV notes: Join world number one ranked feeder angler, Steve Ringer, on the vast Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Ireland. He explores his feeder fishing attack in-depth, covering tackle, bait, rigs and watercraft for targeting large natural venues. Hard-fighting Irish hybrids, bream and skimmers are the target species, that keep Steve on his toes constantly changing tactics showing how to keep fish coming throughout the session.
Chris O’Sullivan, The Inshore Angler, is back with top tips and handy hints. This time with a couple of very clearly presented videos on how to tie a couple of essential sea angling rigs – the 3 hook flapper and the Over and under Pennell rig. Don’t forget to subscribe to Chris’s channel and like the videos…
3 Hook Flapper
Chris’s notes: The 3 hook flapper is the most manageable and most versatile of rigs out there. It forms the basis for almost every match or fishing rig and is also called a paternoster rig. 60lb body and 15lb snood will cover almost every clean to slightly mixed ground mark in Ireland and the UK. As you get more confident you can chop and change the rig to suit your area but a good starting point is 5ft body and 1.5ft snoods. This will be pretty easy to cast but if you are finding it too long you can forget one hook to shorten it.
Over and Under Pennell rig
Chris’s notes: This is a rig I like to use when targeting rays and cod. It is a great rig to help nail a bait below the lead. I used size ones on the demo rig but would use 2/0 and 4/0 on a rig I was using with big baits such as crab, squid or Mackerel fillet.
The Inshore Angler…
Find out more about Chris and the services he offers at The Inshore Angler
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) launches the updated guideline document: ‘Planning for Watercourses in the Urban Environment’. It outlines an integrated watercourse protection strategy that has been developed by Inland Fisheries Ireland through consultation with a wide range of experts in the area. Watercourses including rivers, lakes and streams are an integral part of our environment and if managed appropriately can significantly improve the quality of life for people living in urban areas.
The strategy adopts a simple ‘4 step’ approach to watercourse protection planning. The implementation of this strategy should not only protect watercourses and their associated riparian zones in urban areas, but also shall provide other benefits important for the wellbeing of people living nearby.
Planning for Watercourses in the Urban Environment
Francis O’Donnell, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “Nature-based catchment management and a holistic approach to addressing our biodiversity and climate challenges are crucial for sustainable development. These updated guidelines approach the issue of planning for watercourses in urban environments from a multi-stakeholder perspective and seek to maximise the significant co-benefits that will arise from adoption of a comprehensive, all-inclusive strategy.
These benefits range from better water quality and more resilient and natural ecosystems to the well-established positive effects of nature and green areas for community well-being, recreation, health and recovery from serious illness and even reduced levels of anti-social behaviour. We hope these guidelines will be a useful resource for all of Irish society.”
Aerial view of Watercourse in an Urban Environment
Another line cast through the RTE archives has landed a super short video on the first professionally taught fly fishing course in Ireland, hosted by Lal Faherty of Oughterard from his Lakeland Angling Centre and guesthouse overlooking Lough Corrib’s Portacarron Bay. Lal, who has a long history of involvement in angling and fisheries management, has retired from running the guesthouse and we wish him well.
The video is presented by Derek Davis and features former Game Angling Advisor of the Central Fisheries Board, Peter O’Reilly – two much loved and sorely missed personalities in Irish angling. Tommy McCutcheon and Seán O’Brien are the patient instructors on a day when a force 6 wind kept the budding fly casters in the fields as opposed to on the water.
You can watch the short video here and remember that, while tactics, technology and teaching have changed over the years, the basics of catching a trout have not and all of the flies that worked in 1984 will still catch trout today.
Ceri Jones is a Welsh photographer and fanatic trout angler who has been visiting the west of Ireland for many years, and has caught some of the biggest trout from Lough Corrib. He has a new website – https://castingwithcerijones.com where he is busy recording and uploading podcast interviews with fishing people – anglers, guides and other angling personalities.
Irish Content
While based in Wales, and with a lot of UK content, Ceri’s love of Ireland and Irish fishing shows in the Irish content on his site, with some amazing photography. Irish anglers feature in the podcasts too, and this week we feature his interview with Lough Inagh fishery manager and well-known guide Colin Folan. Click on the image below to go to the podcast – it’s well worth a listen!
Another quiet week for angling but at least one closer to a chance to get out and about a bit more. In keeping with last week’s Irish Angling Update we have a range of resources we found online to keep you ticking over ’til normal service is resumed…
We open this week with an oldie but a goodie. Markus Muller and Bodo Funke lead us through the ins and outs of setting up for pike on the fly.
How to fly fish for pike
For the coarse angler we have another great video featuring Cathal Hughes. This time he has some great advice on collecting and keeping redworm.
The low down on collecting worms
For the trout anglers we have two videos to share. The first has not been filmed yet, but if you tune in to Piscarifly’s Facebook page tomorrow at 8.30 you can watch it live, where Peter Driver will be talking and tying nymphs. The second is George McGrath’s The Flyfishing Tapes, a series of interviews with some of Ireland’s most interesting fly anglers.
The Flyfishing Tapes. Ep 1 George McGrath talks to David Anchell
Sea anglers can take time to reacquaint themselves with a giant of Irish angling. Jack Shine pioneered big game fishing in Ireland from the shores of Co. Clare. We give an outline of his story that is backed up with old RTE footage and a super podcast by Phil Williams and Mick White. Staying with sea angling we’d like to introduce you to Irish Angling Adventures. These guys have a really great set of videos. In this one, they’re after thornback ray in West Cork.
Jack Shine
Back to the world of podcasts and Daire Whelan was on the virtual airways again, this time talking to Robert Gillespie who gives a masterclass on salmon angling. Well worth a listen.
Robert Gillespie’s Salmon Masterclass
Level 5 and angling
Everyone is aware that the lockdown is in place and what it means. But here is a reminder of the measures in place for angling:
Guides and ghillies are not on the list of essential services
Charter boats are not on the list of essential services
Cold tonight but becoming milder. Saturday will begin mostly dry but with patchy rain developing in Munster during the morning and a few mist or drizzle patches elsewhere. During the afternoon, scattered outbreaks of rain will extend northwards over the country but there’ll be lots of dry weather across Ulster and north Leinster with some sunny interludes. Maximum temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees, in mostly light easterly breezes, fresh along south and southwest coasts. The outlook is for the cloudy, unsettled weather to continue, but also the milder temperatures will remain.
Safe fishing to all this weekend and tight lines, especially here in Ireland.
Fly-tier and angling guide George McGrath’s super Youtube channel Gundog and Fly pays host to a series of interviews with well know anglers. The series was cut short unfortunately by the lockdown, but you can watch the first four online now.
Episode 1. David Anchell
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
On Saturday night Peter will be live at 8.30pm for the start of NYMPHING NOVEMBER. He will be covering everything to do with Euro nymphing throughout the month. So you can expect plenty pf content related to nymphs, hooks, beads, leaders, tippet, set ups, river craft, beat management, tips and lots of tricks. Don’t miss out and tune in this Saturday at 8.30pm at https://www.facebook.com/Piscarifly/.
Tune in to the Piscari-fly Facebook page to watch live or catch up on Youtube
The good news is that if you can’t tune in on the night you can catch up on his Youtube channel Piscari-Fly where all the shows are stored.
Tie a fly…
Peter’s fly shop is at www.piscari-fly.com for all your fly tying and fly fishing needs.
