Monday 23 December 2013

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2014.

Having looked back at my 2013 salmon season i must admit that it wasn't a bad year overall, i caught some good big salmon at the start of the season and had a good run of double figured fish with my 6wt switch fly rod. I tried out some of the old salmon spinners but they were too frail to take the punishment of heavy flood water and rather than damage them too much i have varnished them and put them away for display only. The annual salmon licence fees for 2014 seem to have stayed the same and i am just wondering do all Kelts,( Spent salmon ) have to be recorded again for the 2014 season because if so we're going to need bigger log books. Next year i will hopefully get up to the Drowes in early January to do some salmon fishing and filming but i have my doubts about fishing the Laune next year,  we'll have to wait and see if  the catch rate improves. I have started getting my tackle ready and have tied up some nice salmon flies for the coming season. After having some issues during the year with old waders i decided to look around for a new pair and after some research i purchased a pair of Sonik SK4 waders from Ned at Ardaire Springs fishery, i got a good deal on the waders and even a pair of wading boots thrown in, thats a bargain especially as the waders are  4ply with a 5ply reinforced section on the knees and shins. There are two things you don't want to happen to you in waders, one is to be cold and the other is wet and normally when you have a leak you get both but having bought my new waders that problem is taken care of. Remember that when you are comfortable and warm you actually fish better so make sure you look up my clothing section on this blog for those small tips on gloves etc., that will keep you warmer at the start of the season.

6 comments:

  1. Paul, i am on my second pair of sonik sk 4 wader as the problem with the first pair was the seam lifting on the neoprenne sock. hope you have better luck with them than me. rgds kieran.

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    1. Hi Kieran, i will keep an eye out for that issue, its good to know that there is good after sales service here if anything happens to them not like my last pair which i bought from the U.S. they wouldn't even reply to my emails and took almost a year to send the replacements which leaked the first time i put them in water, couldn't be bothered following it up any more and i swore that i would buy from a dealer in Ireland in future and not from the U.S. any more. Any way have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and tight lines for 2014.
      Regards Paul.

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  2. Happy chrismas Paul and wishing you a great new year. looking forward to next season myself and putting my Redington switch rod to use above in the dam.Tight lines for 2014. Looking forward to the videos again next season Paul rgs Kieran.

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  3. Did you purchase your 2014 lisence yet paul? No fish taken off the Drowes on opening day this year. Every river in the country is bowling down now and with rain forecast until the weekend they will take a good bit of cold dry weather for the rivers to drop. I must admit i am getting itchy feet with the new season fast approaching. I might even take a day out on the Laune later this month for a bit of sport with the kelts as springers are few and far between i believe these days. It must be at least 5 or 6 years since i last fished beat 1. Tell me, can u still buy a permit in Esso garage? and i guess a permit must be around thirty euro now i say. I decided i am going hang up my prawning rod this year as i need a new chalange in catching my first Atlantic salmon on the fly. I caught two species of Pacific salmon in Canada, Chum and Pinks. Rgds Kieran.

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    1. Hi Kieran, yes they still sell the permits at the Esso garage and also at the Garage at Beaufort Bridge.

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  4. Both species of Pacific salmon were caught on fly with the Chum giving some scrap on nine foot single hand fly rods. My friend managed to land a forty lb king on the same make of rod. There is eight of us heading back out to Canada this October, so something to look forward to later in the year. If you were never there its a place i would highly recomend every angler should visit. Rgds Kieran.

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