Salmon season 2023 " The river Lee".

 Normally on opening day of the Salmon season in Cork I'd fish the Blackwater River in the morning and then head back to the Lee River for an evening session. But due to my shoulder injury and also the fact of being in good company with the lads from Blackwater Valley salmon fishery I stayed on and had a look at a few of their beats upriver and didn't make it back to the Lee in time.

I woke up this morning still a bit sore in the shoulder but the anti inflammatory did take the edge off the stiffness and pain. My shoulder had a quick chat to my elbow, wrist and hand and all decided we were okay to do a short evening session on the Lee. Got my permit at the petrol station and headed over to woodside beat 1 just below the dam and yes just as I arrived they put the bloody water on, I'm sure they can see me coming down the trail and turn it on for a laugh.

I just set up the spinning rod and covered all the lies hard, cursing the fact I wouldn't be able to fly fish it due to heavy current and very fast rising water. I gave beat 1 half an hour and then headed down to beat 3 and 4 again covering all the salmon lies with the spinning rod using barbless hooks due to the ongoing brown tag restrictions ( no I didn't get a brown tag again, got mine last year before the hot weather so didn't fish then either ). The current was really fast so I changed over from a size 4 to a 5 which held better and was definitely taking bottom but nothing, not even a trout.

Went back up to beat 1 finished out there till it got dark and thanked my lucky stars that at least on all the opening days I fished this year I didn't get wet....waders, jacket, boots etc all nice and dry going back into the boot of my jeep. Realistically I knew it was a long shot....really, really long shot of meeting a fresh fish on opening day at the dam but over a  decade ago it was possible and almost definite down river to get an opening day springer. I'll keep an eye on the Lee this year but really I'm fed up with the tags, water management issues etc so for this year I'll be fishing other rivers for salmon, at least when you check water levels for other rivers you can see what you're getting not like the dam it's a lucky bag at best. Before you say oh! but you can ring and find out their discharging times, you can but they don't even keep to those either....... Anyway like I said I'll do the odd session there but this year after over 4 decades of salmon fishing on the Lee I'm hunting new water. Photos below of beat 1 and 4 in high water again.

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. 

My cold weather clothing for early salmon fishing 2023.

 My cold weather gear for the start of the 2023 salmon and trout season. When you are well layered it's always easier to take stuff off if you're hot rather than trying to find extra layers to put on once cold. The main thing is to block cold air coming in and the extremities such as hands, face and feet are always going to get hit first so I have neck gators to stop inward draughts, fingerless polartec gloves for keeping the wrists and hands warm because once they are warm they'll keep the fingers warm. The leg booties keep my feet warm while wading in freezing cold water so once all my extremities are covered I can comfortably fish well and catch fish rather than be cold and miserable on a really bad day. Old saying "there's no such thing as bad fishing weather just badly dressed fishermen". Video below. 

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Opening day Salmon season 2023 "Laune River".

 Opening day Salmon fishing season 2023 on the Laune river. Got to the river a bit late due to slow traffic conditions because of the icey roads, especially coming over the county bounds. I went straight up to beat 1 and was surprised how high the water level was basically all the way up to the hut. A few trees were down blocking access to most areas, and between high water and soft bank it made fishing sketchy to say the least.

There were about a dozen anglers in total fishing beat 1&2 on both banks, a few kelts were met and returned but no fresh salmon was seen or caught during the time I was there. It was definitely out for fly so I concentrated on spinning and I fished the bottom of beat 2 from Beaufort Bridge upto beat 1 covering the areas that I could safely gain access to. These days I prefer caution over bravery so if it looks dodgy walk away. The bank from the laune bridge looking down to beat 2 is under water and that was just about my limit of stupidness so I fished down to the bend and basically tore up the bottom with the spinner covering as much water as I could. I gave the top of  beat 1 a good run through and also below beat 1 where I could get access to the river but again nothing met. At about 3.30 I decided it was best to head back home and to be honest the snow covered mountains and landscape were just breathtaking so I was delighted to have spent time enjoying the scenery and any day that one doesn't get poured on by rain is a good day. The water level was 2.68m at the bridge so looking at my pictures you can guage height as it drops. Here are some pictures of beat 1 & 2 from the top of beat 1 to Beaufort Bridge. I did see 2 silver salmon on my journey but definitely not fresh. Pictures below fish included.

Salmon Fishing Ireland 2023 "Opening Day Drowes Salmon Fishery 2023".

 I decided late on New year's eve that I'd do the opening day of the 2023 salmon fishing season on the Drowes River, had my salmon licence online day salmon fishing permit and all I had to do was get there..... long drive but its rarely I've been there on opening day so off I went. It rained very heavily all the way to Galway, after that bad fog but on arriving at the drowes the sun was shining and very mild. The river was 0.77m and slowly dropping, very clear with a nice run in most places. I met Shane and Bill at the shop had a nice cup of hot coffee discussed where'd I get my first fish ( only joking), but I started there and fished down to the island covering both banks up and down with my switch fly rod and spinning  set up. Didn't meet or see any fresh fish or kelts but I was happy that my set up on fly and spinner was covering both distance and depth as I was bumping rocks and weed with both.

I moved down to the tidal pools for the incoming tide with Brian whom I'd met earlier and we fished up from the tidal for a couple of hours using spin and fly, I definitely bumped a fish probably a kelt there but we soon moved back upriver to find some new water.

Had a chat with the lads from fisheries at the bridge and same story no fresh fish seen or caught. I fished down for another hour mainly fly as I was just getting my casting stroke/technique back after a 5 month sabbatical couldn't have a nicer river or scenery to do it in. I left before 4 as I wanted to be near the motorway before dark making it an easier drive home. This morning I woke up reckoned I had somebody else's arms but after a nice cup of tea they still feel like they're not back yet but getting there. Over all lovely day, chatting to Shane, Bill, Brian and loads of other anglers and thanks again Bill for the lovely soup which warmed me up for round 2..... Pictures below starting from the lake outside the Drowes salmon fishery down to the sea tidal pool. Well worth a visit for any salmon angler.