Did my annual trip to the Blackwater river for the opening day of the Salmon fishing season 2023. I arrived early just as it got bright and decided to fish Crowleys beat starting on the lower section and working my way upstream. Some how I had strained my right shoulder so fly fishing was out and I just concentrated on spinning for a few hours taking short rests here and there. I had seen a few kelts pitching down stream and while taking a short rest I saw a fresh fish head and tail, I was positive it was a fresh salmon so I covered it for a few minutes but no luck.
I caught a couple of small hungry trout but no kelts surprisingly. Fishing back down the beat I met a few anglers fly fishing and they also had seen several kelts and a possible fresh fish earlier that morning. We chatted for awhile and they headed off around lunch time. The weather was nice in the morning but the wind had picked up later and got slightly colder, the water was about 0.67m on the guage at ballyduff and water temperature was around 9 degrees so you can see in the pictures what it looks like at that height. The fishery is just putting the final touches to the bank clearing with new rod stands, ladders and seats etc so well laid out and nice clean bank. I talked and fished with Noel the fishery owner and he explained that they have 10 beats in total both upriver and lower down by ballyduff Bridge this year so I've included his number on the fishing hut if anyone is interested in booking a day's fishing on any of the beats. I moved upriver with Noel and we fished the Blackstone beat which is just below Woodstream and Magner beats and they are also part of the fishery. I have some photos of the Blackstone beat below along with Crowleys beat that I fished today. I'll be fishing some more of the Blackwater Valley salmon and trout Fishery beats next week and posting those photos as well. Just heard that a fresh fish was taken at Careysville today so there were definitely a few fresh fish about. Below are the photos of the two beats that I fished today starting with Crowleys beat.
Blackstone beats photo's below.
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