Salmon Fishing Ireland 2019 " A bar of silver "

           
Well we are off the mark for the 2019 salmon season, a nice fresh sealiced salmon caught and released on the Lee. Really I haven't been out salmon fishing that much this season I hate spinning in high water and there has been a lot of high water since the start of the season. I have enjoyed some good sport fly fishing for trout but that too has been hampered by the excessive high water of late. The reports from the Cork area have been quiet and there has been no information coming from the Blackwater river so I decided to put in an evening session on the Lee.

When I arrived the water was just going on to full load and apparently it had been low all morning, just my luck here we go again spinning in high water another back breaking evening but at least I was out in the fresh air and most importantly on a river. I met a good friend of mine and he had fished all day but hadn't seen or caught anything in the low water, so for a break I decided to put up my switch fly rod and get some practise casting in the high water to see what distance I could cover and more importantly if I could cover to the far bank where most of the salmon lies are. The answer is yes, with my new rod and line that target had been reached so I fished down the beat for an hour but didn't get a take. A heavy MOW tip or heavier tube fly might do better in the high water but that's for next time. I changed over to spinning and put up a Flying C in black/silver size 4 blade and started covering the usual lies and straight away caught and released a nice trout at least something was willing to come out to play today. A few minutes later I felt a bump on the rod but nothing stayed at least I was getting some action and I knew that there was something around. I had just said it to Dean that I hit something when the rod was buckled over and we were on, a great first run of about 30 yards but feeling the pressure I knew it wasn't a big fish so I applied a lot of pressure and played the salmon hard. On bringing the fish high up in the water column I noticed that the spinner was just on the tip of it's snout so I was happy that it would be an easy release. I played the fish hard and eventually beached it on some grass, removed the hook and took the customary photo's before a quick release. Hopefully it's the start of a good season to come and with a bit of luck lower water and a few fish on the fly.