A picture tells a thousand words and in this case probably more, as you can see the water is running over all three sills and when this happens there is very little visibility. I had one look and decided to head downstream and see if it was any better there, passing by the Ballincollig weir I took a photo to show the amount of water moving over it and also the damage to the weir itself. Having reached the lower river the water though still being high had really good visibility so i decided to give it a few casts. The gods must have been smiling on me as the weather stopped raining just as I started fishing and all in all it was a pleasant experience quite different from past years, I met a few anglers that had braved the earlier rain and winds but no one had caught or heard a report of a fresh fish being caught.
Inniscarra Dam.
Looking up towards the Dam
Having fished for a few hours down river I decided to call it quits and head home, the plan was to hit the Blackwater for a few hours tomorrow but on hearing the torrential rain outside I honestly think I will give that a pass. Hopefully this heavy rain will pass over the next few days and give me a chance to head down to the Blackwater for a cast, it is the first year that I haven't fished the opening day on the Blackwater. For those braving the elements over the next few days have a look at my clothing tips section on this blog and add those few layers to keep the body warm during your fishing session. Here is a vital message to all anglers both young and old... TAKE GREAT CARE WHEN WALKING NEAR OR ON THE RIVER BANKS...at this time of year they can be very dangerous with under cut banks and very slippery mud so take care.
Hi Paul,i have fished in the salt water for the past 30 years or so,the last 7 of those i fished for bass only,i would really like to learn to fish for salmon on the fly especially.In your opinion where are the best locations for me to focus on,and could you recomend a good guide,i live in Greystones co.wicklow -miles from good salmon fishing lol.I could do with advice on permits,licences ect,Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Neil, as for permits most fishing tackle stores sell them, if you are fishing multiple locations you are better off buying the all Ireland permit. The best locations to fish would be the Munster Blackwater, Moy or Drowes. Either Glenda Powell ( 0872351260 ) or Connie Corcoran (0876918230 ) can look after you on the Blackwater, Glenda does both guiding and casting lessons. If you are thinking of starting mid March on wards is a good time, just keep an eye on the reports from the Blackwater. If thinking about the Drowes again March is good and Shane can be contacted on ( 0878050806 ). My personal opinion is to start when the reports start hotting up and hit the river that's producing to maximise your chance of a salmon on the fly. Regards Paul.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info paul.
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