The Ultimate Spinner Retrieval Tool.

http://youtu.be/WsBzHxpxJI8

CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO VIEW THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE.

 I know that this looks like madness but there is your store for the Ultimate Spinner Retrieval Tool. When clearing river banks years ago with my grandfather we used to cut back bramble bushes and put them aside exactly for the purpose of getting spinners, lures and salmon flies back when stuck in rocks etc., at the bottom of the river. The technique only works when you can get level or above the area that you are stuck. The next few pictures will show you how to make your own Retrieval Tool in a matter of seconds and get back spinners that would have been lost otherwise.

Firstly take one bramble very carefully and skin it with a knife or scissors, you can use small saplings as well but they must be flexible just like bramble.

Here you can see the smooth area just under the bark of the bramble and this will slide down the line or braid very easily.

 Once the bark is cut off you push the bramble in and around itself to form a circle just big enough to pass over the reel and down the fishing rod.

                              Here you can see the finished product and make sure it is tight.

Here we have a bramble and a sapling Retrieval Tool shaped and ready for use.

                                      Push the bramble / sapling over the reel and down the line.

                                          Pointing the rod downwards slide the bramble into the river.

                                         The bramble going into the river and down the line.

When the bramble slides down the rod and into the water you swing the rod from side to side and up and down and this sends the bramble under water and towards the stuck spinner again you must be above the area you are stuck in or it will not work. There are two ways that this works , (1) feeding line out this takes the bramble downstream and away from the spinner and when you close the bail arm of your reel and pull hard the bramble including water pressure pull the spinner from the opposite direction and this normally gets the spinner back. (2) Keep moving the rod from side to side and up and down and this pushes the bramble down the line and up against the spinner and it gets tangled in the hooks, with a few sharp pulls the bramble will rip the spinner from the area that it is stuck in. When done properly you will always get the bramble back, but it matters not because now with these new skills you can always make another and better model.

Under water footage of bramble pulling hooks from under a rock and retrieving the spinner.

                                           Bramble and spinner safely back on dry land.

As i have said  before you can use saplings or brambles for this purpose,but when using brambles in a way you are clearing the banks as well so this is a win win situation. Don't tell the Lure/ Spinner manufacturers as they will not be happy with me as anglers will not be losing as many lures as before thanks to my Ultimate Spinner Retrieval Tool bank kit. Next time you get your spinner back using this method send me a euro as i reckon that this is my chance at becoming a millionaire ( only joking ). Tight Lines, Paul.

P.S. The video of my Ultimate Spinner Retrieval Tool in action starring yours truly will be up on my youtube channel soon so subscribe to my channel for more great tips on equipment and tackle.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2013. The Dam Fishery.

Here is the video of my second salmon of 2013 that i caught at the Inniscarra Salmon Fishery in high water.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2013. The Dam Fishery.

With heavy rain forecast for the next few days i decided to take a chance on fishing the Inniscarra Salmon Fishery before the flood waters arrive only to find the Dam was generating at full capacity. Not only was the water high but it was also moving fast and this meant that i would have to use my heavy 25gram size four blade Flying C's to get down to the fish. The temperature dropped very fast in the evening and it became quite cold and this in conjunction with the cold water coming from the bottom of the dam was going to make fishing very hard. I fished down the entire beat taking weed from the bottom as my spinner hugged the bottom contours searching out the salmon lies to see if there was anyone at home. Having come to the last section of Beat 1 i hooked into a small salmon of about 7lbs and quickly played out the fish. The fight was short lived due to the fact that the salmon was fresh in from the sea and  didn't have enough energy to give a good account of itself. The heavy fast water having tired out the fish even before i had hooked it. I quickly played out the fish and once rested i released the salmon. With heavy rains due i reckon that there will be some fresh fish coming into most rivers soon but hopefully the floods won't be too bad so that i can cast a fly rather than spinning. Anyone that spins for salmon in high water knows the pains and aches one suffers the following days after fishing in high water.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2013. My first Spring Salmon of 2013

http://youtu.be/5rAQUIVKpZI

To view the video please click on the above link to see my first salmon of 2013, having problems putting video up on the blog at this moment in time. Paul.

My First Spring Salmon of 2013

                                              Beat 4 on the Inniscarra Salmon Fishery in Low Water

                                                The Croy at the start of Beat 4 on Woodside

                                            My new Switchfly Rod on Croy at Beat 3 Woodside

                                            Switch Rod 10' 10" three piece 6/7 weight

                                          Beat 3 Woodside looking downstream

                                          The Croy just below the bend from Beat 2

                                           Just below Beat 2 looking downstream .

                                           The Croy at Beat 2 looking downstream

                                          Looking downstream to Beat 2 Woodside

                                           Beat 1 Woodside in low water.

The Dam just releasing Water

                                          Starting to reach full load at Beat 1 Woodside.

                                          Side view of the Big Fish caught on a Flying C.

                                           Just a small bit of marking on the Salmon's snout.

                                         Hardy Sirrus 10ft with a 6000 fb Shimano Stradic.

When i started fishing at the Inniscarra Salmon Fishery the water was low so i decided to try out my new Switch Rod which was made to my specifications by Tony O Sullivan, the rod casts well but i think it is a small bit heavy for my 6wt lines so i will have to downsize to the 5/6 wt version rather than the 6/7 wt version that i got. It is a beautiful rod for casting both overhead and underarm and definitely has plenty of power to handle any salmon. As i was fishing all the regular croys in search of the ever elusive salmon i heard the warning siren from the Dam that lets you know that the water level will be rising soon, so i moved up to Beat 1 Woodside and set about putting up my spinning gear as that is the most successful method you can use in high water at the dam. Having fished for about an hour i hooked into a good fish which charged downstream but i was able to turn the fish with my Hardy rod and strong stradic 6000, that is why i use the 6000 because it has the power to stop big fish and not tear up cogs spinning in high water. The salmon gave a few long runs but each time i stopped the fish and brought it in closer to me and then i ran the fish around in circles to tire it out so that i could beach it. The salmon had a small mark on its snout but was very fresh and the scales were falling off but no sea lice. The fish was very broad and deep and was at least 17lbs in weight and i could barely hold it to take a photograph. Holding the fish for a few minutes in the water it was rested up enough to swim away strong and so starts my 2013 season. Can i catch a bigger salmon or is it all downhill from here. The short video of me catching the salmon can be seen on my youtube channel.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2013. Fort William Salmon Fishery.

This is the video footage taken on the Fort William Salmon Fishery on the Blackwater River. The water height was 60cm on the gauge at the time of filming and the air temperature was only six degrees celsius. For more information contact www.fortwilliamfishing.net.