Posts Tagged ‘Sea trout fishing’

Nomads of the Tides

Monday, February 18th, 2013

Six years in the making, Nomads of the Tides, co-written by Chris McCully and Ken Whelan, to be published later this year by The Medlar Press, will I am certain become the definitive book on Irish sea trout angling, growing to hold its own alongside such seminal works on this wonderful species to include Falkus; Sea Trout Fishing, Morgan and Harris; Successful Sea Trout Angling, and Fahy; Child of the Tides.

Nomads of the Tides. fishing for Irish sea trout.

In August 2011 I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Chris on some of my local rivers in south east Ireland. Over consecutive evenings we fished the Slaney, Avoca, and Vartry, furthering Chris’s experience and knowledge of what sea trout fishing is to Ireland. During a presentation both Chris and Ken made at the recently held Irish Angling Expo 2013 memories of those evenings and the people we fished with came flooding back, in particular Denis O’Toole who only a few weeks previous had hooked, played, landed, and released a fish of a lifetime Avoca river sea trout of 16 lb 4.oz.

Nomads of the Tides authors (L - R) Ken Whelan and Chris McCully.

In the course of writing “Nomads” Chris McCully undertook 18 research trips to Ireland, flying 24,440 air miles, hired 18 cars driving 6,500 miles, wrote 24 published articles for Trout and Salmon magazine along with one scientific paper, gave five presentations on the project, and kept the day job going too. A labour of love, you could say so. I cannot wait to get hold of my copy………

Chris McCully enjoying a spot of evening sea trout fishing on the River Slaney, Co. Wexford.

See also: Record Sea Trout Graces the Avoca.

See also: A Passion for Sea Trout.

A Passion For Sea Trout.

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

It takes a Yorkshireman who lives and works in Holland to come to Ireland with the purpose of writing what will most certainly be the definitive book on Irish Sea Trout. Chris McCully lives and breaths this wonderful, mysterious, sporting, and ultimately fascinating species, and it is with real pleasure that I say, “thank you Chris for the last couple of days spent in your company. Your passion for white trout  has reinvigorated within me the reason why I took up fly fishing, and I look forward to exploring my local rivers and streams, on a regular and more diligent basis, with a view to hopefully encountering this most magical of fish”.

Chris McCully (on right) deep in conversation with Irish fly caught sea trout record holder Denis O'Toole.

Chris has spent three years on the project, visiting and fishing over sixty fisheries across the length and breadth of Ireland, north and south, meeting local characters, anglers, and clubs, garnering knowledge and making many new friends, the final draft will be worth waiting for. Until then I will visit the optician with a view to improving my night vision, and cast a line into that deep shadowy pool after midnight, letting it swing around before slowly figure of eighting that surface lure in the hope of, BANG, the stuff of dreams.

Thank you Chris, and best of luck with the book.