Opening day Salmon fishing on the Blackwater River.

 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.

           

Ring Noel to book a beat on 

numbers below. 

Blackstone beats photo's below. 

Salmon on a Switch Fly Rod.

     
        
The water height was running at about 2 feet above normal low water levels and it had a very fast pace to it which didn't suit the fly to be honest. The clarity was very bad with a brown tinge running through it which made it impossible for me to see bottom in water over a foot deep and it must have been practically impossible for the salmon to see the fly whizzing past it. The salmon have been off the take over the last few weeks due to the warm water temperatures and oxygen quality not to mind the high algae content so I knew I was up against it before I started but I'm an optimist and any day out fishing apparently adds a day to your life according to an old Chinese proverb and that must be good right...I fished down beat 1 using a small bullet tube fly attached to a 3.9 ins per second sink versileader to get some depth and hopefully slow down the fly so the salmon could at least see it as it whizzed past them, I had two fast pulls that seemed to be from trout but looking back they were probably from salmon plucking at the fly. I had a very positive long draw away on the loop and the fish was on taking about ten yards of line in a short burst but then heading back upstream towards that new rock that was put in recently. It is a nightmare trying to play salmon in and around these rocks because you're more than likely going to break off or snag up and that's not good for the fish having a hook or line hanging off of it. I put a lot of pressure on the salmon and was able to bring it away from the rocks and keep it just outside me till I was ready to land it, it's amazing how coloured salmon can run straight for cover and into these areas the moment they are hit just the opposite of fresh fish. Beaching the salmon I quickly unhooked it and released it back into the river, it was a nice coloured wild fish of about 11 lbs. Later in the evening I hooked and played a very big fish that I estimated to be about 20 lbs that just sat in mid stream for ten minutes and just gave a few head shakes that buckled my 6 wt switch fly rod, I was able to bring it into quiet water for a few seconds and then it spat the fly.......if only I could have seen it....... it was going back anyway but I reckon the fish didn't know that. It is better to have hooked and lost than never have hooked at all. Hopefully with some fresh water we will be able to catch a few more fish before the season ends.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2015 " Season 2015 First Day "

                         OPENING DAY JANUARY 1st.  2015 THE DROWES SALMON FISHERY.                        
                         

We decided to travel the long journey from Cork to Bundoran to fish the opening day of the 2015 Salmon season on the Drowes Salmon fishery even though we knew that the weather was going to be a howler with strong gales, heavy rain and to make matters worse a very high river because we are not fine weather fishermen ( but a nice day would have helped ). Luckily there were about one hundred other ( nutters) / fishermen there so we didn't feel out of place. On arriving we collected our permits from Shane and got the inside track on where the first salmon might be holding up and off we went rods in hand to catch the first fish. The wind was a nightmare gusting from all sides of the river thus making fly casting a bit tricky but watching many of the anglers there i was delighted to see that there was a very good standard of fishing and bank etiquette even on a very busy day. Starting near the lodge we fished down river covering both banks with both fly and spinner but were unable to contact any fish, i started fly fishing using a Guideline sink 1 / 2 fly line attached to a Rio 3.9ips sinking versi tip and a Pauls favourite fly covering all the river i was able to get well down into the deep pools even with the heavy fast water but no takers. Moving down river we fished hard through all the pools with Dean hooking and losing a small kelt which raised our spirits for awhile, deciding to move back up river we called into the lodge for our lunch and a much deserved break from the foul weather and fishing. Shane had promised hot soup and sandwiches and true to his word we were well fed and after a bit of drying out we headed back out fishing. Optimistic to the last, we and a hundred other anglers expected to catch the first salmon on the first day but it wasn't to be, that special springer eluded us all but i reckon that it will be caught as soon as the water level drops off.

 We will definitely be coming back to fish this lovely river soon, but on a nice dry day with lower water conditions and a better chance of a silver tourist.