Posts Tagged ‘River Slaney’
Saturday, July 21st, 2012
Where have all the fish gone? It’s mid July and mackerel are scarce off shore, yes we have had unseasonably wet and cold weather and a red tide developed along the west and north west coastline, but not as I understand it along the south and east coast, so why do beaches that would normally deliver at this time of year appear devoid of life. Flounder were always a summer mainstay on the beaches that I fish but have been getting more scarce over the last two seasons, likewise after twenty two years of bass conservation where are the bass that were frequenting my local beaches up to two years ago?
My wife joked that I am losing my touch, but no, sea fishing is on a downward slide, and since reactivating my fishing diary in 2007 this downward trend is very apparent. Logic dictates, nothing has been done to address seriously depleted and continuously falling fish stocks within EU waters other than plenty of rhetoric but no action. Also there has been no widening of the brief to include interest groups other than the commercial sector at both EU and Government level. Too many departments have a finger or two in the marine without any joined up thinking, action, or policy emanating. The buck is passed on a number of fronts especially when it comes to illegal fishing and poaching (reference a deterioration in local bass stocks). The clock is ticking, our marine environment needs people with courage and vision to make key decisions swiftly. Please, if there is anyone out there possessing both of the attributes previously mentioned, make yourself visible NOW before it’s too late……
Tags: Angling, Fish stocks, Fishing, Ireland, Marine Conservation, Over fishing, River Slaney, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing
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Monday, June 11th, 2012
Decided to have a crack at the mullet which frequent a local harbour. Weather wise things couldn’t have been better, sunny with just a light variable easterly breeze, warm but only just. Visiting various known mullet haunts around the harbour and up along the river feeding bread, waiting awhile before rechecking previous ground baited locations not a mullet was to be seen, maybe the heavy rain over the last few days pushed them out? Spying a couple of anglers I walked over and introduced myself. Both equipped with coarse float set ups and feeding bread mash they too were after mullet and also having no joy, that was to change though with a slight twist.
Francisc Szilaghyi hails from Romania and has lived in Ireland for many years, fishing is his favourite pastime and he’s very good at it, believe me a half hour in his company established that fact clearly. With the mullet not playing ball and having landed a six pounder at this location last year, Francisc was not deterred “I’ll try for the flounder instead“. With that he reeled in his trotting float slightly lengthened the drop and baited up with earth worm. A controlled underarm flick placed his rig in flat water along the edge of a seam, two minutes later the float bobbed before sliding under whence Francisc’s float rod took on a nice curve.
Flapping and diving while swimming in circles the flounder really put up a good fight unhindered by a five ounce weight and a heavy beach rod. My eyes had been opened, angling is all about having fun and cutting your cloth to suit conditions on the day, Francisc did both and within a half hour landed three flounder to over a pound, all lip hooked. Sometimes we forget that it’s not just about the biggest fish or the new sexy method of fishing, underneath all the marketing and celebrity b####x that’s pervading everything first principles will always stand tall. Nice meeting you Francisc, our interaction showed me the joy of fishing, simple is best……..
Tags: Angling, Arklow, Estuary, Fishing, Float fishing, Flounder, Harbour, Ireland, Mullet, River Slaney, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Wicklow
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Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
It’s fantastic when it all comes together. As anyone who reads this blog regularly will have gathered I love catching flatfish, especially big flatties. They look good, fight hard on light tackle (especially if boat caught), and taste great. Grossly over exploited commercially large plaice are a rare catch nowadays, in particular for shore anglers. Having fished a now favourite shore mark, initially on a hunch that plaice might swim within range, I was rewarded immediately with some fine fish to over a pound and a half. Instinct told me that bigger specimens were out there.
So I was delighted when Paul Harris, who runs along with his wife Anne that fine angler friendly establishment Dromagowlane House on the Beara peninsula West Cork, Ireland, sent me the above photograph. One of six good plaice landed by two UK tourist anglers from that special mark. At 3.lbs 9.ozs it not only rubber stamps my hunch, but also shows how a protected location can allow fish such as the fine specimen above to reach a good average size, even in the 21st century. Great stuff….
Tags: Angling, Beara Peninsula, Dromagowlane House, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Plaice, River Slaney, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, West Cork
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Friday, July 8th, 2011
Fished the Slaney yesterday evening for sea trout below Scarawalsh old bridge accompanied by visiting angler David Balsdon. A native of Devon who fishes the famous River Torridge, David was looking forward to casting a line on this equally famous Irish river. Conditions were not great, with a cool south easterly wind blowing upstream driving a constant mist of rain before it. Perseverance though did pay off, with David netting a three quarter pound sea trout tempted by a Kill Devil Spider as dusk closed in.
In good condition, fat and beautifully spotted, the sea trout took with a bang giving a good account of itself before being netted, photographed, and returned. David fished on until close to mid night catching parr and small brownies, along with a few tentative plucks from their migratory cousins, however the brace alluded him. Conditions were tough it has to be said, the upstream wind in particular making life difficult, but hey that’s fishing. David appreciated the experience, and if the opportunity arises would most definitely make a return visit.
Tags: Angling, Butcher, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Ireland, Kill Devil Spider, River Slaney, Sea trout, Wexford
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Sunday, June 12th, 2011
The power of that salmon and the vision of its tail are burned into my memory for life. Working my way down a run last evening on the Slaney, a nibbling sensation coupled with an increase in weight similar to when your hook becomes weeded transferred up the line. Lifting my rod, to free as I envisaged the hook from underwater weed, in unison I was hit by an arm wrenching tug and the vision of a silver scaled, black spotted wrist and large forked tail of a very angry salmon, who proceeded to swim at a rate of knots across the river. My reel screamed and I instinctively palmed the drum to control the run.
On reaching the far bank salmo salar now doubled back and positively fizzed back to its lie while I winded like billyo in tandem with walking backwards against the current. The fish then decided to swim up the channel to my right and sulk a rod length from me. A slight rest then like greased lightening the salmon tore downstream, rounded the gravel bar that I was fishing off before proceeding to run the shallower channel to my left where again it sulked. Gathering my wits I scanned for a slack out of the main current to guide the fish towards, fully aware that my six pound sea trout cast would have to play this fish very carefully.
Without warning my now fishy companion turned and swam purposefully towards Enniscorthy before turning and swimming upstream to again sulk a rod length to my right. I could feel the tail working in the current manifesting as a throb throb in my heavily curved 9′ 6″ weight six rod. Applying pressure on what was a serious fish, that as yet other than the tail I had not seen, even though attached by six pound gut I was confident that there could be a positive out come. Then in a second, four minutes after our interaction commenced, it was over. A slight nod, a millisecond of slack line, and the fly, a size 10 butcher fell out.
Gutted, no. Disappointed, yes. Due to catch and release rules the salmon was going to be returned, however to have graced the bank, calculated its approximate weight, and taken a photo for posterity would have been great. The half pound brownies tempted during a spectacular rise of sedges being no compensation for the loss of that great fish. A special moment none the less, one for the long evenings over a wee drop….
Tags: Angling, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Ireland, River Slaney, Salmon, Seatrout, Sewin, Wexford, White trout, Wild Brown Trout
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Saturday, June 4th, 2011
In Ireland we call them white trout, in Wales they are termed sewin, colloquial names for a migratory species much loved and revered by game fishers world wide, the sea trout. In the week that a new local record for the species was set with a 13.lb 5.oz fish on Lough Currane, Co. Kerry, I made my first of many evening forays to the River Slaney. Sea trout run the river from mid June to mid August but with reports of sea trout in the system below Enniscorthy an early visit was hard to resist.
The Slaney is showing its bones but there is certainly enough water to allow sea trout make their way up. For sixteen consecutive years I have fished my chosen stretch and seen the catches diminish to the point where two years back I didn’t cast a line once. With the nets off returns hopefully are on the way back, time will tell. This evening is perfect if a little bright, I rig up a floating line with a butcher (size 10) on the point and a kill devil spider (size 12) on the dropper. My rod is a favourite 9′ 6” Daiwa Whisker Fly (the original two piece) taking a six weight line. Walking downstream to a wide gravel bar which pushes the current to the right hand bank creating a deep steady gut I position myself and wait for the sun to set.
Large olives and sedges fill the air and four swans keep me company, small trout slash at flies and I am itching to cast. However I wait, it’s dusk now and my surroundings visually lose their natural sharpness while my senses become more acute. A silver bar clears the water not fifty metres from me, they are here. I commence fishing extending my line to cover the water. A few small brownies and parr take the kill devil as I work the seam. “On the dangle” I start to strip and bang the rod arches over and a bright, fresh sea trout spends the next thirty seconds more out of the water than in. Running to and fro, upstream and down, after a couple of minutes and still full of life I grasp the fish in my hand. Three quarters of a pound and smelling of the sea, sweet…..
Tags: Angling, Butcher, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Herling, Ireland, Kill Devil Spider, River Slaney, Seatrout, Sewin, Wexford, White trout
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Thursday, March 24th, 2011
The River Derreen flows off the Wicklow Mountains in a south westerly direction, passing close to Hacketstown and Tullow, Co. Carlow before it joins the Slaney upstream of Aghade bridge. Running through tillage and pastureland in its lower reaches, the Derreen with its sandy, gravelly bottom is a prime salmon spawning tributary of the Slaney. One April morning above Rathglass bridge, with the river clearing after a flood I connected with a fresh run fish, only to be broken a short while later. I can still hear the slap of its broad tail and the hiss of line as 10.lbs of salmo salar took off down stream.
Today with a big high pressure sitting over Ireland creating clear blue skies, but still cold due to a north east breeze, I drove across country past Shillelagh and Clonegal to park up beside the old mill at Aghade bridge. Heading upstream I cast a team of spiders into various runs, eventually crossing the Slaney above a weir to fish the left hand bank due to the strong breeze in my face.
An odd fish showed along with a few parr. Reaching the Derreen confluence I proceeded to fish upstream for about three hundred metres. Again stepped weirs are in evidence, a legacy of the great salmon runs which hopefully will pick up in the future. Another trout and that was that. The water is still cold and fly life was minimal, give it a couple of weeks and it will be perfect for fishing dry.
Tags: Angling, Co. Carlow, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Ireland, Partridge and Orange, River Derreen, River Slaney, Wexford, Wild Brown Trout
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Thursday, March 24th, 2011
The Slaney below Tullow is a beautiful river to fish. Flowing through rich pastureland and narrow valleys, flanked by the Wicklow mountains to the north and the Blackstairs mountains with Mount Leinster standing sentinel to the south. Aghade bridge, Clonegal and the Derry river, Kildavin, Bunclody, Ballycarney, Scarawalsh and the River Bann, all stretches synonymous with spring salmon, they equally hold a stock of brown trout. Maybe small, averaging half a pound, but good sport on a light rod. I tend to fish the seams and guts below the salmon weirs common to the river, these being artificially created to step the river so producing holding pools and lies.
Opening on a catch and release basis for salmon and sea trout from the 11th May the warm spell of weather signaled that a few brownies might be stirring. It was good to see white thorn and cherry blossom as I drove the narrow lanes towards Bunclody. On stepping out of the car, although the sun was splitting the stones there was still a chill in the air carried by a north east breeze. Putting up a five weight rod and a team of spiders I proceeded to fish various runs from Kildavin upstream towards Aghade.
Sport was steady with slashing rises and pulls being the order of the day. A good trout had a go in a run below Kilcavan Bridge giving a good tug in tandem with a big splash, other than that the fish averaged 6.oz. Driving back along the Derry I promised to cast a line over the stretch upstream of Clonegal, maybe tomorrow?
Tags: Angling, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Ireland, Partridge and Orange, River Slaney, Wild Brown Trout
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Sunday, March 6th, 2011
The Slaney River Trust held a seminar on Saturday 5th March 2011 to discuss various aspects of this great spring salmon and sea trout fishery, with respect to its current health and future management. Notable speakers included Dr.Paul Johnston, a fisheries consultant who has produced a comprehensive report on the conservation and recovery of the River Slaney salmon fishery, and Dr. Willie Roche, a senior fisheries scientist with Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Over a very informative day the life cycle of both salmon and sea trout were explained in context with the River Slaney based on current data. What became very clear are the large holes that need to be filled before we come up with a true understanding of what is happening on the ground, and the protracted timeline involved before any pertinent information unveiled is acted upon. That said, a presentation by Dr. Willie Roche on the Celtic Sea Trout Project ,a multi agency partnership between Ireland and Wales, afforded great hope for the future of this much loved but poorly understood species.
A topic which exposed a key flaw in the multi agency approach to environmental and natural resource management was predator control. Misinformation abounds and wagons are circled relative to the various vested interests, seals and cormorants receiving particular attention, most of which was negative. Yes 210 seals minimum live on the Raven Point at the mouth of Wexford harbour, I took the ariel photo’s and have counted them. Yes, an individual seal eats between 5 – 10.kgs of fish per day which means that the Raven colony consumes up to two tonne of food per day. Is this having an effect on migratory fish stocks? We do not know, but it is very likely.
Equally cormorants pose a problem in particular as they predate on smolts (juvenile salmon and sea trout) heading out to sea. In both cases the seals and cormorants are innocent victims to man’s exploitation of the marine environment. Over fishing within the Irish sea where stocks are critically low, certainly upwards of an 80% reduction in white fish such as cod, has forced seals and cormorants to change their feeding habits. Catch returns and observations of salmon from rivers north and south of the Slaney show signs of improvement since the drift nets were bought out in 2006, however the Slaney has stuttered, why? It’s hard not to consider that predation is a factor. Only a full ecosystem approach based on marine conservation will provide the answers and radically change the present status quo, unfortunately under present EU legislation and work practices I cannot see that happening.
Tags: Celtic Sea Trout Project, Game Fishing, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Ireland, Migratory fish, River Slaney, Salmon, Salmonid, Sea trout, Slaney River Trust, Wexford
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Friday, September 10th, 2010
The River Slaney rises on the slopes of Lugnaquilla, the highest mountain in County Wicklow, flows westward down through the saucer shaped Glen of Imaal before breaking out and heading south to eventually meet the tide at Wexford harbour. Primarily a salmon river, the headwaters down to Aghade bridge below Tullow can produce some quality wild brown trout fishing. Although not big running six to eight ounces, fish to over a pound+ show up from time to time.
The Glen of Imaal although close to Dublin is a place apart. Home to 1798 rebel hero Michael Dwyer, the cottage where he outwitted the redcoats still stands today, the Glen is also of great importance to the military, a large section of moorland being utilised as a firing range and training area. Flat and wide the central area is quite fertile, with the Slaney meandering over a sandy soil past villages with names like Seskin, Knockanarrigan, and Davidstown. Enclosed by willow, mountain ash, and sycamore along certain sections there are enough open areas to make fly fishing interesting.
Driving past the shop at Knockanarrigan I took a right turn into a lane about a mile past the village. Continuing on for a few hundred meters eventually the youthful Slaney came into view as it flowed under a hump backed bridge. Putting up a team of spider patterns to include a kill devil on the point, a partridge and orange on the middle dropper, and a greenwells spider on the top dropper, I hopped over a dry stone wall and headed up stream. The sun was shining and apart from an occasional south westerly breeze the air was still.
Fishing the tale of a run which flowed into a wide pool dominated by a large willow, small trout and parr came to the flies. Increasing the line and staying low I let the team sweep around into the shade under the low branches, a solid take gave hint of a larger fish. Played carefully due to the strong current a beautifully spotted brownie, taken on the kill devil, was soon on the bank. Continuing downstream towards the bridge other than parr no more fish showed.
Although peat tinged the water was crystal clear with the gravel bottom clearly visible. Salmon spawn here in the winter high up in the Wicklow mountains, having swam upstream easily eighty miles from the sea. Working my way down below the bridge a long straight run ends in a dog leg left, undercutting the bank so creating a back eddy. Working the flies along the seam a flash/splash take results in a spirited fight. Moving on I fish where two channels divided by a gravel bar meet. With a long line out the surface bulges simultaneous with the pull. I strike, feel the fish and see the broad tail break the surface as it turns, then nothing. The best fish of the day, I cover the lie for five minutes to no avail. Another time.
And so the day progressed, a spot of lunch and a pint of stout in a local pub, then out again for a few more casts. As the afternoon wore on the air got warm and still, small trout rose to the flies but nothing more substantial. However there is no doubt that most pools hold a good fish as angling pressure is light. Hidden away, the River Slaney as it flows through the Glen of Imaal is a little gem. For the angler who likes to search out new wild waters this is the place, combining moor and farmland and totally under fished. In the shadow of Wicklow’s highest mountain, the upper Slaney brownies offer great sport in a very picturesque location. Practice catch and release.
Tags: Fly Fishing, Game Fishing, Glen of Imaal, Greenwells Spider, Ireland, Kill Devil Spider, Partridge and Orange, River Slaney, Wicklow, Wild Brown Trout
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