tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59412988127205075992024-03-13T21:30:43.008+00:00Savage FishingContact: savagefishing@hotmail.comsavagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-90677945420288981832016-12-18T23:05:00.000+00:002016-12-18T23:05:00.511+00:00It's Spawning Time...2016 is winding down and drawing to a close. As we can see 2017 on the horizon, plenty of anglers will be looking forward to their first casts on the Drowes. A beautiful little river draining Lough Melvin, it often produces the first Irish spring salmon. Many of us will be looking on in anticipation to see how sport unfolds. With a lack of late running fish and an improved spring run this year, will we see a better spring again next year? Only time will tell but we can hope...<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97EtQlBuc5Y/WFZwVlnFsEI/AAAAAAAAB1s/oYNrZ5xpQhQGt3tAffMlvSPxyAIFBJCswCLcB/s1600/20150222_113649-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97EtQlBuc5Y/WFZwVlnFsEI/AAAAAAAAB1s/oYNrZ5xpQhQGt3tAffMlvSPxyAIFBJCswCLcB/s400/20150222_113649-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">February springer on the Drowes; a fishery every angler should try and visit.</span></u></div>
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Bass fishing wound down for me in late November as I cast a lure only once this month, to no avail. The Bandon has been in great shape for spawning so far, with no major floods to report. What has been extremely noticeable is the growth of ranunculus, due to the low water conditions. There is more in the river now than there has been all summer, which is extremely beneficial for water quality and juvenile salmonid survival. One of my primary work duties at this time of year is redd counting and I've been surveying the catchment to see where trout and salmon have been spawning. I'm happy to report, recordings for both have been extremely encouraging and I'm optimistic that we are looking at a very successful spawning season indeed (providing we avoid any major deluge).<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iy_FeFVwAyY/WFZyaymwipI/AAAAAAAAB14/CrEn9d6-_MUu67JRSMoq5CVPCIDQxjJpACLcB/s1600/IMG_20161201_213502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iy_FeFVwAyY/WFZyaymwipI/AAAAAAAAB14/CrEn9d6-_MUu67JRSMoq5CVPCIDQxjJpACLcB/s400/IMG_20161201_213502.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">A cock salmon which has spawned successfully and completed it's life cycle. </span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">One of three otters patrolling the margins one frosty November morning. Wildlife on the river bank is plentiful during these quite winter months. </span></u></div>
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Luckily, conditions for observing trout spawning activities were exceedingly favourable this year. Last year it was impossible to record anything! Fortunately, I managed to capture some nice footage and have stitched clips together to create an educational video detailing the process. The first complete trout redds I observed were on October 12th, with the bulk of activity occurring in November. A video on salmon will be coming along shortly but for now, I hope you enjoy this video and find it informative.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lg6igZRVuis/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lg6igZRVuis?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>'Trout on the Redds'.</u></span><br />
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Finally, for those who may not have seen it yet, the <a href="http://celticseatrout.com/technical-report.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Celtic Sea Trout Project Technical Report</span></a> has just been published. Full of detail and insightful graphs, a wealth of information on Irish sea trout stocks is at hand. For anyone with an interest in sea trout and sea trout fishing, it is a must read. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Celtic Sea Trout Project Technical Report.</u></span></div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-22124009641224908742016-11-22T10:01:00.001+00:002016-11-22T10:07:14.278+00:00From Salmon to Bass<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As winter
begins to creep in on us with the ever increasing frequency of frosty mornings,
now is a good time to reflect on the last month of the salmon season just past
and the bass fishing which is still in full swing. Fishing on the Bandon was
very good for the remainder of September, with water levels ensuring excellent
angling conditions on many occasions. All summer, patchy rain led to small floods
which lasted only a day or two but the final four weeks saw more consistently
good fishing water. Many nice salmon were landed by anglers and it was great to
see that most of these were returned to continue their upstream migration. The
vast majority of fish caught were stale with only the odd fresh salmon
encountered. This trend has established itself over the previous five years, where autumn runs of fresh, sea liced salmon have dwindled to a trickle.
However, the river did witness a significant improvement in the number of
spring salmon running this season, so hopefully this upturn will continue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Iconic, rich autumnal colours line the riverside as trees begin to lose their leaves.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Spey casting on the Bandon. (© Ebor Benson @ <span style="color: red;">www.eborbenson.com</span>)</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A nice fish taken on a single handed fly rod, slow sinking tip and small, sparsely tied Willie Gunn in low water.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Fly fishing
provided the best sport for myself and most others in September. Using my
switch rod or single hander, I enjoyed catching a few salmon to around seven
pounds. All sport came to slow sink tip lines and as the final few days approached
faster sink tips and short leaders worked better. As most salmon seemed to be
stale and leaves were a bit of a nuisance at times, a nice few fish came to a
small Willie Gunn tied by <a href="http://www.nmtackle.com/section307/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Denny Brennan</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> on a single hook. Chucking lures
elicited a few more takes from salmon, one of them being a nice fish between
twelve and fifteen pounds. Alas, every fish shook the hook and sprinted for
freedom. The <a href="http://duo-international.com/products/realis-rozante-63sp/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">DUO Realis Rozante 63SP</span></a>
accounted for all hook ups and my fingers are crossed that better water
conditions coincide with runs of </span></span>fresh <span style="font-family: inherit;">salmon in the 2017 season, so I can get
the best out of these lures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A salmon with a belly as gold as my reel!!</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Last day fish chilling out.</u></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bar one
visit to the Argideen in October, all my attention has now turned
to bass. It has to be said, October is probably the
best month of the year for bass if the weather remains relatively settled. A
convenient time for transition from salmon to bass fishing! Last year the
southern coast line fished its socks off. Would 2016 be the same? It has to be
said that bass fishing this autumn has also been spectacular for many whilst
roaming the shoreline for <i>Dicentrarchus labrax</i>.
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>James Barry with a pristine bass from the West Cork coastline.</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezD8bQ-GGtI/WDOVj8aREjI/AAAAAAAABz8/jZL5R32ZvqQPVR-cwxsr3VIFGhJU-HZSQCLcB/s1600/FB_IMG_1479771786783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezD8bQ-GGtI/WDOVj8aREjI/AAAAAAAABz8/jZL5R32ZvqQPVR-cwxsr3VIFGhJU-HZSQCLcB/s320/FB_IMG_1479771786783.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">Paddy Thompson holds aloft a fish in prime condition (© James Barry @ </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">https://www.instagram.com/jbarry_fishing/</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;">).</span></u></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking to
friends and reading reports, bass behaviour has been slightly different this
year compared to last. Whilst night fishing last year accounted for the lion’s
share of fish, this year has seen a shift to better day time sport. My own
experience this year saw good night fishing in the first half of October but even then
bass seemed to be a little tentative at times. Hard and soft plastics attracted fish for friends and I off rocks and beaches but sometimes they were a tad
reluctant. Fishing Wave Worms off sandy beaches enticed some
fish but there were many more nips and plucks than actual hook ups. Water temperatures remained unusually high, but maybe the lower air temperatures and the greater difference between the two put them off a little.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>One of only a few bass taken at night time, a white Wave Worm proving to be the downfall of this fish. </u></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_aMDF-yCTN0/WDORPBB3bxI/AAAAAAAABzo/wzrRYq5ZPxMDZiVnBkIEbhJ6goT8CSSbwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20161105_191146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_aMDF-yCTN0/WDORPBB3bxI/AAAAAAAABzo/wzrRYq5ZPxMDZiVnBkIEbhJ6goT8CSSbwCLcB/s400/IMG_20161105_191146.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Many of the bass my friends and I have caught have been scale sampled for the <a href="http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Projects/national-bass-programme.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">National Bass Programme</a>, established by Inland Fisheries Ireland.</u></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moving into
the end of the month and into November, day time fishing proved to be very productive!
My best lures were the ever reliable IMA SF-125 and DUO Terrif. Both of these
fished over very shallow ground accounted for plenty fish with the best session
seeing seven fish come to hand in a short two hour excursion. Sport with these
fish was exceptional as they are in absolute mint condition after feeding on
the abundance of herring present. Even now, bass are still chasing lures as
this weekend I had some more fish employing the same tactics- a slow, steady retrieve interspersed with pauses. As the water
temperature is still around 12 degrees Celsius, there is no reason why we won’t
see sport continuing for another while longer. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A bass from icy waters last weekend.</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKkdZ8BSqZk/WDOfkIZATnI/AAAAAAAAB0w/L_-wCJ-zO2sobaDMGj018Cp4NInQpO4JQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20161117_220311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKkdZ8BSqZk/WDOfkIZATnI/AAAAAAAAB0w/L_-wCJ-zO2sobaDMGj018Cp4NInQpO4JQCLcB/s320/IMG_20161117_220311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>The DUO Terrif was responsible for many bass landed along the southern coastline this autumn.</u></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To end this blog, a further two issues of '</span></span><a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Off the Scale</span></a>' has been released jam packed with brilliant articles on game, sea and coarse angling. A big well done to all the contributors and especially to the editor Bill Brazier. Every issue released is bigger and better than the one before and Bill's effort, skill and dedication to the publication is hugely evident to all. Check it out and enjoy!!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Issue 12 'Bass in the Bay' with Peter Aspinwall in Clonakilty.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Issue 13 'Trout on Lures'.</u></span></div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-77478482964259071552016-09-01T01:19:00.000+01:002016-09-01T01:20:24.137+01:00Salmon A PlentyAs the Bandon waves goodbye to August and says hello to September, we reflect on what has been a fairly productive month for salmon fishing. Since my last update, the river has been cleansed by the highest flood of the summer on the 22nd. This shifted a lot of the algae which had built up on the lower river and ensured anglers were fishing a pristine river on the 23rd. Many salmon were forthcoming, however many of these were stale fish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>James Barry throwing a line across the Bandon after a small rise in water levels.</u></span></div>
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Nevertheless, fishermen enjoyed very good sport and a few fresh autumn salmon to twelve pounds were also among the catches. On the 23rd, I had the pleasure of guiding Mr. Dominic Moseley on his first day out fly fishing for salmon and after a couple hours tuition he was delighted to catch his first ever salmon of four pounds. What great sport on a light single handed rod!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Mr. Dominic Moseley with his first ever salmon, a 4lb grilse on the fly.</u></span></div>
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It must be be one of the most satisfying feelings watching everything click into place for a fisherman and Mr. Moseley went home a very happy man. Venturing out myself during the week whenever the time came my way, salmon showed interest in the fly and lure but just weren't sticking. One fresh grilse of five to six pounds hammered my DUO Realis Rozante 63 SP lure in the Komochi colour. I knew the fish wasn't hooked very well when it kept on shaking vigorously and after five minutes we unfortunately parted company.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>On its first outing the DUO Realis Rozante 63 SP grabbed the attention of a fresh salmon. Hopefully the next one sticks!</u></span></div>
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As shrimp and worm fishing is prohibited on Bandon Angling Association club waters in September, I took the opportunity and fished worms last Sunday. Fishing a light line and keeping direct contact between myself and the bait, a hasty strike resulted in a coloured grilse of four pounds or so. A couple of silver bars were in evidence however these remained very quite and seemed to be uneasy as they were preoccupied with migrating further upriver.<br />
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More rain is forecast this weekend in the south west and if it falls over the Shehy Mountains in Dunmanway then we could be in for some more great sport with salmon. Hopefully a more consistent run of fresh autumn salmon is around the corner and the next flood may be just what is needed to kick start fishing for the final month before the curtains draw on yet another season.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>An autumn chill is now in the air. Will we see one more good run of fresh salmon before the season's end?</u></span></div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-29963863573437183902016-08-16T21:58:00.000+01:002016-08-16T22:00:15.333+01:00Better Late Than Never!A whole summer has elapsed and I haven't updated this blog! Well, what can I say... It has been an incredibly dry season on the Bandon, a stark contrast to 2015 but even drier than 2013 and 2014. Catchments to the west and east have recently received great falls of rain resulting in full spates but the Bandon has had to make do with a couple of small rises measuring a foot and half each. Luckily, this freshened up the river and helped spread out salmon and sea trout along its length but unfortunately each spate only lasted a couple of days.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>The lower Bandon showing its bones, as has been the case for the majority of the 2016 season.</u></span></div>
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Besides the water levels, numbers of salmon migrating have been fantastic which is hugely encouraging. Thankfully, these observations have been echoed nationwide and will help make up for the lack of fish last year. Since April, good numbers have been consistently entering the system and making their way to the headwaters. The summer will be remembered as one favouring the bait angling enthusiasts as these have accounted for the lions share of fish. However, many have also come to the fly, especially in late spring and when water levels were conducive to good fly fishing conditions. A good range of sizes have been encountered with a few salmon in the fifteen to twenty pound category coming to the net and this has been further supplemented by an excellent run of grilse.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>As fresh an Irish grilse as one could hope for. Hard fighting and covered in sea lice, fish have been in excellent condition. </u></span></div>
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On the sea trout front, the best word I can use to describe the season is 'sporadic'. At times there have been decent numbers of fish present but good fishing has never really materialised. Contrary to the dire salmon fishing conditions, it has been a summer of ample opportunity to venture out on a midnight hunt for their smaller cousins. I enjoyed excellent sport on the Argideen at the beginning of the summer but could not quite replicate it on the Bandon. A couple of nice fish have turned up and smaller 'schoolies' have been present in good numbers, but on the back of the previous two seasons we were hoping for more.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A decent Bandon sea trout tempted by a surface lure in the small hours of the morning. This fly has proved to be particularly effective of late.</u></span></div>
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So far it has been a season of many highlights for me. These have included guiding an angler to his first ever Atlantic salmon on his first attempt, landing four salmon one day recently and catching a bass, salmon and sea trout in one evening. The last success is something I've always wanted to accomplish but never tried and I must say it caught me by surprise! An evening cast on the rocks produced a few bass to five pounds on lures and a night time sortie for sea trout resulted in a twelve pound salmon which is one battle I will not forget in a hurry!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A memorable evening of sport. That's the beauty of West Cork!</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bass fishing is an element of the sport which catches my attention in October when the rivers close but the Irish Bass Festival in July always captures a bass anglers imagination. 2016 was no different and we enjoyed a savage weekend roaming the Copper Coast on our quest for the festival winner or best three combined. It's such an excellent event and it offers the chance to meet up with great friends we don't see too often throughout the year. Conditions this year were excellent and the improved catches of bass were a reflection of this. It really was a festival of two halves as day time sport was best at the beginning and the end </span>spiraled into all night madness, with barely a wink of sleep and too much Red Bull! A summary of the weekend, written by James Barry, can be read <a href="https://irelandfishingdiaries.com/2016/07/11/irish-bass-festival-2016-by-james-barry/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>A hard fighting copper coast bass which fell to a <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44&products_id=1540" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Yum Lil Suzee soft plastic lure</span></a>.</u> </span></div>
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Finally, two more issues have been released of Ireland's number one angling publication, <a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/current_issue/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Off the Scale"</span></a>. It's hard to believe eleven issues have been published already! In May I wrote an article about <a href="https://bandonangling.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Bandon Angling Association's</span></a> fly fishing tuition day with the world renowned <a href="http://glendapowellguiding.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Glenda Powell</span></a> and Bandon Scouts. The latest issue includes an informative article detailing how an angler can feel their way into the world of sea trout fly fishing at night time. A daunting prospect made easier with day time planning.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><u>Issue 11 of "Off the Scale". Well done to all the great contributors!</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. The next update on this blog wont take as long!! Plus, you can see more photos on my Instagram account which can be found on the right hand side of this blog.</span></div>
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<br />savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-20458614144481277482016-04-04T22:01:00.000+01:002016-04-05T10:16:29.503+01:002016 So FarIt's been five months since I updated this blog and it's quite hard to know where to begin! Little did I know when the weather broke last November, while we were still catching bass, that we were in for such a wet winter. So much rain fell resulting in the rivers enduring an horrendous battering, with banks getting hammered by unrelenting, strong currents and pools being altered along many stretches. The season opened on February 15th with the Bandon in beautiful condition. To date there have been half a dozen spring salmon reported caught and although it is not a mind boggling number it is actually quite positive for the Bandon in comparison to the last few years. A couple have also been lost and sightings of fish have been relatively encouraging since the start of March.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Final fish of 2015, a bass measuring 46cm taken on a surf beach at night. Scale readings show this fish to be 8 years old, coming from an average recruitment year in 2007. If you're interested in participating in bass conservation, get in touch with IFI to contribute to the <a href="http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Projects/national-bass-programme.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">National Bass Programme</span></a>.</u></b></span></div>
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So far I've drawn a blank and have yet to open my account of silver tourists for 2016. Whilst doing quite a lot of fly fishing, as conditions have been suitable, I've been fishing more so with lures of late. Having only fished lures for bass in saltwater before, this is opening up a whole new world when transferred to freshwater. The lures I've been using mostly are from <a href="http://duo-international.com/brand/spearhead/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">DUO</span></a>. Matched up with a light rod (<a href="http://www.lureheaven.co.uk/spinning-lure-fishing-shop/palms-egeria-erns-74mh-5-16g.html#SID=1615" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Palms Egeria ERNS-74MH 5~16g</span></a>) small reel (<a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=1300" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Daiwa Legalis 2500 HA</span></a>) and braid (10lb Unitika Silver Thread Shore Game PE), the set up is an absolute joy to use. Sensitivity is heightened as I can feel every little twitch and vibration through the rod, right down to the faintest flicker as the lure comes through the current. Whilst fishing for salmon, brown trout to four pounds have shown a liking to this method so far and I can't wait to see how salmon and sea trout will react to these lures when they are more plentiful. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Brown trout have taken a shining for the DUO Spearhead Ryuki of late.</span> </span></u></b></div>
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For the new year, Bandon Angling Association have set up a new website which you can view <a href="https://bandonangling.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>. A new guiding service has been launched in conjunction with this and I'm delighted to be part of it along with two other friends and club members, Peter Aspinwall and Phil Dewey. Details of the guiding service are provided on the website and we're all looking forward to making memories and enhancing people's fishing experiences on the river Bandon.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Glorious spring sunset overlooking the Bandon.</u></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Off the Scale"</span></a> has released two more issues since October. Packed with quality material, it is a pleasure for everyone involved to see this magazine going from strength to strength. The editor, Bill Brazier, deserves enormous credit for driving the e-zine and moulding it into the product it is today. Every issue is welcomed and anticipated by a plethora of anglers from sea, coarse and game fishing backgrounds and long may it continue. In the November issue I penned an article on fly tying for beginners and in the latest I detailed fly fishing and spinning tactics for early season spring salmon which I hope readers find informative and helpful.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Latest cover of "Off the Scale", Ireland's leading fishing e-zine. </u></b></span></div>
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Finally, for all those bass lure fishing enthusiasts, the <a href="http://www.irishbassfestival.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Irish Bass Festival</span></a> dates for this year have been set for July 1st, 2nd and 3rd. It promises to be another brilliant weekend on the open coast of southern Ireland chasing after these beautiful creatures. Registration closes on May 30th (discount for early entrants before May 15th!) and just to wet the appetite, take a look at this epic video made by James Barry, entitled "Into the Surf: Bass Fishing Ireland". Enjoy!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Getting stuck into it and reaping the rewards on the Waterford coast.</u></b></span></div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-31564305341381181062015-10-30T09:33:00.000+00:002015-10-30T09:33:37.043+00:00Over to the Bass...<div class="MsoNormal">
Not dwelling on the salmon season’s end, angling finished on a
whimper. Excellent conditions prevailed for much of the final month before the
curtains drew for another year, yet sport was very slack. A dribble of fresh
fish entered the system with only the odd silver bullet caught and everything
else being red. My final salmon came in the second week of September whilst
spinning on a rising flood, a stale male of eight pounds or so which fell to
a red and copper size four Flying C. All in all, it was a marginally better
season for me then last year, numbers wise, but it wasn’t a salmon season to
remember as returning numbers slumped nationwide. Hopefully next year sees an
upturn in salmon running our rivers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now the salmon and trout rods have been put away, it was
time to get the bass gear out and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into it. October
is one of the best times of year to go chasing for these silver predators of
the sea and I wasn’t disappointed with the sport I enjoyed. First night out and
I had great fun landing six fish during a short ssession, all on soft plastics. As you may recall, I
have a particular fondness for the brilliant <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39&products_id=1054&zenid=3566f2a9543eef89b1e34b366cac09d9" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">IMA Komomo SF-125</span></a> but the soft
plastics needed to be given a proper chance. The <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44&products_id=824" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Gary Yamamoto Swim Senko</span></a> caught all my fish that
night, mostly schoolies of three to five pounds but my last cast produced an
absolute pig of a fish which measured 77cm and I estimated it to weigh
somewhere between ten or eleven pounds. Playing the fish it was obviously big but I
was stunned when it slid up onto the adjacent rock. A new personal best and first specimen, what
a way to get the autumn bass fishing underway!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next day I had the pleasure of going out on the boat with my
good friend Peter Aspinwall. For the last couple of years we had been meaning
to go out but never got around to it. As they say, good things come to those
who wait!! Fizzing out along the bay, keeping a look out for signs of activity,
our first drift produced a couple of amazingly pristine Clonakilty bass.
Peter’s first fish came to a soft plastic but everything else came to surface
lures, the lethal <a href="http://www.henry-gilbey.com/selected-hard-lures-list/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">IMA Salt Skimmer</span></a> to be precise. Basking in glorious autumnal
weather, enjoying each other’s company, we accounted for a total of ten fish,
the biggest being 68cm and would have been around seven pounds. The day had it
all, what with such epic, visual surface sport and heaps of pollack in between
the bass which are a great sporting fish in their own right. If you want to book a day with Peter or look up regular reports
on the fishing he enjoys, be it at sea or on the river where he is equally at
home, click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Clonakilty-Bass-Angling-Guide-226025274212008/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Luckily for the time of year, the weather remained settled for a large proportion of the month. Paired with a great set of tides recently for
evening fishing, a couple of friends and I were keen to make the most of conditions.
For five consecutive days bass were forthcoming, mostly at night but also during
the day. Be it Swim Senkos, <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44&products_id=1415" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">YAMA Senkos</span></a>, <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44&products_id=1190" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">TT Shads</span></a>, Salt Skimmers or
SF-125’s, bass were ravenous and were not picky in the slightest, which was a
welcome change from the salmon! Possibly the best aspect of all this sport was
that we discovered more new marks. A huge satisfaction was tagged to every fish
we caught in new areas and this must be one of the most rewarding factors for
anglers. To avail of more consistent sport, it’s nice to have a few marks up
the sleeve to fish in different conditions. Most bass were schoolies with a
couple hitting six pounds and the best weighing around seven or so. Now the
weather has broken, with high winds and rolling swells, the clock is counting down to the
next adventure on the rocks. It looks like next week may see calmer seas so
hopefully we can get out again and entice one or two more fish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the latest issue of “<a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/current_issue" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Off the Scale</span></a>”, I wrote an article
on a trip to the Kylemore Fishery in Connemara. An amazing venue, James and I
enjoyed a great day in an awesome setting where we hoped to catch the fishery’s
century fish for the season...
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Absolute-Fishing-283989024978848/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Absolute Fishing</span></a> are now running a bass lure fishing course for anglers interested in taking
up the sport. For further information call the shop at 051393559. Finally, I’m delighted to say that I
am now a member of the field testing team for <a href="http://www.lureheaven-uk.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Lure Heaven UK</span></a>. I can’t wait to
start trying out their products on some Irish salmon and trout and it's another reason to be very excited about 2016!!</div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-87552046280161890442015-09-12T20:20:00.000+01:002015-09-12T20:20:28.838+01:00Final Roll of the DiceAs I write this post, the Bandon is experiencing a raging flood. A brown avalanche of water, filled with debris and autumn leaves, is hurtling its way down to sea. The season's end is fast approaching and once this deluge subsides, anglers will be afforded another crack of the whip before packing their tackle away for 2015. It has been a testing time for many, with anglers feeling a mix of emotions. Much like a car on its last legs, the run of salmon took a while to get going. Slowly picking up speed, it glided along for what felt like a short time on reflection and now it is stuttering to a halt. The last couple of weeks have been challenging, with resident salmon lying motionless, stuck to the river bed like a dog to its bone. Fresh salmon are relatively scarce, with just a few dribbling in on the tides. This flood will bring new hope and hopefully more sport as we make the most of the final few weeks.<br />
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Before August slipped into September, I enjoyed catching a few more salmon before the river dropped to a low summer level. A couple of good sized, fresh grilse came to the worm when the water dropped between floods while a better stamp of fish snatched slowly swung flies when a good flow was present.</div>
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Salmon seemed to be quite fussy and weren't as forthcoming as usual. Sometimes this can happen at this time of year, especially after yo-yo-ing water levels. Adapting to a continuously high river, the "take" seems to elude fish as fresh water no longer triggers a response. With no rain falling for two weeks, this flood may well shock the fish back into life.</div>
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This week, I was lucky enough to have a go for sea trout before the rain washed any hopes away. As good as conditions have been for salmon, sea trout fishing is much better in low, settled water. To say this season was a challenge is an understatement and there may not be another night time escapade for these wondrous creatures, on the Bandon at least. Even though fishing was tough, it didn't reflect the numbers of sea trout by any stretch of the imagination and this year saw improved runs once again. As I've written before, there is still a long way to go, but it is certainly going in the right direction. Most sea trout I caught were small, fresh schoolies but a few better fish were forthcoming. One such trout was a beauty of around three and a half pounds. Some of the better fish we catch are disappointing with how they fight but this fish went absolutely berserk, leaping into the air on several occasions followed by heart stopping runs when you hope your line doesn't get snagged on some unsuspecting hindrance. Pouncing on a small, lightly dressed tube, she slipped back into the dark river none the worse for wear.</div>
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Finally, I have attached a video which I made for an article in the latest installment of <a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/issue6/issue6_index.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Off The Scale"</span></a>,<span style="color: red;"> </span>called "Summer Grilse on the Fly". This is the sixth issue of the magazine and well done to all involved in such a magnificent production. </div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-60951851425542594892015-08-10T22:29:00.000+01:002015-08-11T00:10:50.951+01:00Autumn Run BeginsFishing conditions on the Bandon have been so good since my last update I don't think even Carlsberg could do a better job. A couple of days have been tough due to high water levels but anglers can't complain about the beautiful state of the river. It has been a joy to cast a line when one compares the present scenario to the previous two seasons. The volume of water has ensured salmon are well spread throughout the whole river which is great for fish and anglers alike.<br />
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Grilse have continued to make up the bulk of the catch. All methods have worked very well, but the fly has been particularly effective. The average size of these one sea winter salmon has been around 3lbs with nearly all fish caught lately being fresh. As the season progresses, size is increasing with more in the 4-6lb bracket being intercepted.</div>
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Earlier this week I released a couple of grilse employing high water spinning tactics. I must say I'm very impressed with how my <a href="http://fish.shimano.com/content/sac-fish/en/home/products/fishing-reels/saltwater-spinning/spheros-sw.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Shimano Spheros 6000</span></a> reel has been coping. I've fished with it for many hours in powerful flows using heavy size 4 Flying C's and it is still performing admirably well. Other reels I have owned in the past could not deal with the rigors of this style of fishing but so far so good with this piece of kit.</div>
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With so much high water careering its way downstream, we hoped this may entice a few of the bigger, autumn fish to run. I'm delighted to say this has been the case as some lovely fish have been landed over the last couple of days. Of course, due to prolonged high flows, it is very much a case of being in the right place at the right time as anglers are aiming to cover pods of fish which are not running as hard as they were earlier in the season. </div>
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On Sunday, I happened to come across a couple of salmon which had no hesitation in taking a fly. With line fully extended, I had a lovely take on a small cascade pattern. A great fight ensued and after some hairy moments I slipped the net under a lovely 11lb fish. Moments later another, bigger <i>salmo salar</i> smashed my fly. Alas, after a few slow, deep and stubborn runs it shook the hook following some violent surface thrashing. Indeed, isn't that why it's called fishing and not catching!? At least prospects for the future are looking very promising. </div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-89851839494969453102015-07-23T08:23:00.000+01:002015-07-23T08:23:07.895+01:00Good Fun With GrilseAt last fishing has picked up on the River Bandon. There's no denying it, salmon fishing in May and June was quite poor. Conditions in general were ok but when all seemed to be perfect, the fish were lacking in any real numbers. A proper run of fish was expected with every flood, yet it failed to materialise. More fish ran the river than it was given credit for and I lost a few, but it was disappointing in comparison to recent years.<br />
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All is not lost though and the grilse fishing is beginning to make up for the lack of sport earlier on. Since the beginning of this persistent, unsettled weather regime, grilse have been running in very good numbers. Since the 6th of July, the Bandon has been in absolutely beautiful order for fishing. Regular freshets have kept the river at an excellent height, with all methods fishable.<br />
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When the water was very high I opted for spinning to cover as much water as I could. But as the big water subsided and the heavy colour toned down, fly fishing came into its own. Recruiting my switch rod and fishing small flies, grilse have readily come to the fly with relish.<br />
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Most fish have been very fresh, some bearing sea lice, whilst others may have been in the river a week or two. Ranging in size from 3 to 5lbs, they have given me tremendous sport. Besides the grilse, I grassed one salmon estimated to weigh around 10 or 11lbs, which may have been in the system since May it was so heavily coloured.<br />
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Prior to the recent good sport with salmon, sea trout fly fishing at night time was good. The floods have upset this exercise for now but once water levels settle down again sport should resume. Fishing further afield, I enjoyed a few nights chasing sea trout on the Argideen. I'm delighted and proud to say that I have been asked to write for Ireland's newest digital angling magazine, <a href="http://www.offthescaleangling.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Off the Scale"</span></a>. I have written about my Argideen escapades in the upcoming issue, which will be released at the end of the week, so I wont give too much away! Further to this, I wrote an article for the previous issue entitled "Salmon Through the Seasons", which I hope you will enjoy.<br />
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<br />savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-51878140427687418892015-05-06T00:24:00.001+01:002015-05-06T00:24:31.494+01:00Specimen Bandon Sea TroutThe mini drought we endured down here in the south west finally came to an end on the 2nd of May. Heavy rain heralded the beginning of a 3 foot flood which freshened the river up no end and must have come as a relief to the remaining salmon kelts and descending smolts. Reports came in that a few fish were running Bandon weir on Saturday evening as the water rose, alas Sunday saw the river unfishable. Keeping the powder dry, Ian, Rob and I made our way to the river at 6am on Monday morning as the mist was rising. By now the river had fallen to a manageable height, yet was still bowling down and well coloured. Rob stuck to the fly while Ian and myself opted to spin, with yellow size 4 flying c's being the order of the day. Starting at the top of our chosen stretch, sport was slow with the odd knock from a trout. Deciding to move down river, my spinner was halted mid flow in a slacker piece of water. Rod buckling over, the fish splashed and raced down stream. Assuming it was a grilse, 5 minutes later Ian slipped the net under something a bit more spotty than a salmon!<br />
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What a surprise it was to see such a lovely, pristine sea trout. A personal best for me, we estimated it to weigh around 4lbs. After a quick pic, the sea trout was released on its way again and swam off like a rocket. Delighted with the success, we resumed our morning session with the anticipation of more action. Trying a few more spots revealed no further interest as Rob retired his fly rod. Ian was about to follow suit as they had made a plan to go up river when his spinner was intercepted in exactly the same location as mine was. Similarly to my own take, the fish splashed straight away and we could see it was bigger. A salmon at last, we thought... a strong fight ensued with the fish being extremely stubborn holding out in the current. On my first attempt to net the fish, it turned away at the last moment and I glimpsed an array of spots in its back. Mentioning it to Ian, he was having none of it and was adamant it was a salmon! We said no more until minutes later Ian had his prize on the bank. Our jaws collectively dropped as we realised the fish was indeed a sea trout and what a sea trout at that!!<br />
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Not renowned for its big sea trout, this whopper from the Bandon had us shocked. Measuring 65 cm in length and over 35 cm in girth, this fish would have weighed comfortably over 6lbs and possibly up to 7lbs. A specimen trout is a special creature, and Ian didn't even think twice about releasing his trophy catch. Cradling it in the water as it regained its energy, Rob was about to relieve me of my resuscitating duties when it walloped me with its paddle and sped off into the depths. What a moment it was for us all to share in the capture and return of this rare beast. The next trick will be to try and catch one on the fly at night time.<br />
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<br />savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-21045377060479708112015-04-24T19:04:00.000+01:002015-04-24T19:04:44.924+01:00Sun Baked April Hampers FishingGiven reasonable fishing conditions, April is a month to get excited about on the Bandon. However there has been no appreciable fall of rain and the fishing has all but dried up as a consequence. The current reading of the river gauge suggests the river is now only 6 inches above its lowest height last summer which is astonishing. With just the odd salmon grassed at the beginning of the month, the Bandon really needs a good flood now to get her back into the swing of things.<br />
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Back in late March, I caught my biggest brown trout on the fly whilst searching for a salmon. Taking a 3 inch conehead monkey fly, the trout measured 51cm and I estimated it to weigh 3lbs. Many trout succumbed to big salmon flies, such is their hunger at the start of the season. All going back, they will hopefully provide more sport during the summer months when in better condition.<br />
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On the sea trout front, I made my first nocturnal cast this week. Noting that a few sea trout had entered the river on the big tides, some pools held a smattering of fish up to 4lbs or so. Even though the nights were freezing and cloudless, this was too much to ignore. Equipped with a sink tip line, short leader and an array of flies, the first casts were made over where I had hoped a few sea trout would be settled. After changing flies 3 times I finally had that unmistakable wallop as a fish struck. Several jumps and runs later, I slipped the net under this sparkler measuring 38cm and weighing around 1 1/4lbs. Not the biggie I was hopping for, but it sure was nice to be out fly fishing for sea trout on the Bandon at night again.<br />
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With the water temperature now exceeding 10 degrees Celsius, brook lamprey have been busy spawning along the river. The smallest and most common of the 3 species found in Ireland, they do not have a parasitic phase and die after spawning. The Bandon is noted for its populations of brook and river lamprey, with one survey recording one of the highest ever numbers of juvenile lampreys in Ireland.<br />
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Finally, catches of bass around the south coast have been extremely encouraging recently. Must get out for a cast before the ban on May 15th! The Irish Bass Festival, run by the lads at <a href="http://absolutefishingireland.blogspot.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Absolute Fishing</span></a> in Tramore Waterford, will be held from the 17th to 19th of July. For more details on this great event click <a href="http://www.irishbassfestival.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>.savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-82987064962549573282015-03-01T23:35:00.000+00:002015-03-02T10:23:36.940+00:00First Springer of the year on the Bandon RiverFollowing on from my success last week on the Drowes, I thought I would be writing this weeks post with a few landscape photos of the Bandon. However, I have a little bit more to write about then that as the Bandon has offered up its first spring salmon of the year.<br />
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Opening on February 15th, angling conditions have been favourable for the majority of the month. Brown trout fishing has got off to a promising start, with a good number falling to sunken nymphs. As always for the time of year, the trout are ravenous and will take anything from small nymphs to 2 inch conehead flies intended for salmon.<br />
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Further to the good news on the brown trout front, sea trout have also made an early appearance. One angler was lucky enough to catch a sparkling silver tourist on the opening day, estimated at one and a quarter pound in weight. Common place many years ago, its been years since one of these was caught in February. </div>
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Salmon kelts have been less numerous this spring, more than likely due to spawning taking place earlier than usual last year. This is great to see as less will be caught by fishermen thus giving them a greater chance of running the river a second time. Springers are few and far between in early spring on the Bandon, never mind to say February. However, whilst battling the driving wind and rain yesterday with my friend Fergal, I got the surprise of a life time.<br />
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Having returned a couple of trout and a kelt to the spinner and fly already, I had another take on the spinner late in the afternoon. Blasting down river and ripping line off my reel, I gave Fergal a shout as I thought this could be something different. Playing the fish for several minutes, we didn't commit to deciding the state of the fish until we had it in the net. As I gained control of the salmon, Fergal skillfully netted it and we immediately knew we had just landed the first fish of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if they could hear the shouting and roaring of excitement miles away!<br />
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Weighing approximately 7lbs, she wasn't carrying any sea lice but was mint fresh. After a quick photo, I set her back off on her way upstream to hopefully spawn the next generation of spring salmon. There's something very special about catching a fresh salmon at this time of year, and its all the sweeter when its on your local river. If conditions offer up the opportunity, I'll be putting more effort into trying to catch a springer on the fly. Using an assortment of tube flies such as Dee Monkeys, Willie Gunns and Green Butt Cascades, hopefully I'll draw a fly close enough to the nose of a springer for him to snap at it.<br />
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-47955658090097605762015-02-24T17:29:00.000+00:002015-05-24T17:16:02.388+01:00February Silver on the DrowesThe River Drowes is located in County Leitrim and flows into Donegal Bay. Flowing out of Lough Melvin, it is a short river of only 5 miles in length. Opening on January 1st, it traditionally produces Ireland's first spring salmon of the year. This year the river got off to a slow start but last week saw catches improving. Keeping an eye on updates, water levels and the weather forecast, my buddy Mike made a late call last week to go up there and fish the weekend as conditions looked very good. Time to pack the gear and start the long journey north for our maiden voyage!<br />
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Tackling up at 8.30 Saturday morning with the gauge hovering around the 0.65m mark, we began fishing in front of our cottage in Lareen Estate at the Boat House and worked our way down to the Blackwater using fly and spinner. The Drowes in this upper section is quite a shallow running river in most parts, punctuated by several weirs. These weirs produce a diversity of flows, creating several streams to swing a fly in.<br />
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Later on we drove downstream to the Four Masters bridge and fished from the Alder Pool down to the infamous Mill Pool. Employing my 13 footer with a RIO AFS Hover shooting head, I attached a RIO Spey Versileader with a sinking rate of 4 ips and a conehead gold Willie Gunn. Mike opted for his shorter switch rod, matching sink tip line and used a variety of flies. Between us we covered the river for a few hours without a pull in all manners of weather, from glorious sunshine to battering hail. Confidence lifted for a short while as I saw a fish head and tail in one of the many pools, alas it looked like it was running hard.<br />
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For the evening shift, we ventured back up to the top of the fishery and worked our way through the pools once again. Fly, spinner, shrimp and worm, the lot was drowned at one stage or another. But as the light faded we had to admit defeat and so we retired to the cottage and made plans for the following day.</div>
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For the last roll of the dice, we settled on having a look at the fishing around Lennox's Bridge. Wandering upstream equipped with spinning rods, we came to a lovely piece of water called Briney's. The pool consisted of a fast, shallow head, an even flow in the main body through to the tail which held a bit of depth. </div>
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With only a couple of hours to go before we had to hit the road for Cork, I persevered here hoping that at some stage a springer would come by. On my third run down through the pool my black and copper flying c was halted mid way as I struck into a fish. Initially I was startled after hundreds of casts without a sniff, but soon enough I copped on and 5 minutes later Mike slipped the net under a 7lb beauty. </div>
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I was ecstatic with my prize, this being my earliest spring salmon to date. What a feeling to have the fish in the net as our long journey and persistence had paid off. My new <a href="http://fish.shimano.com/content/sac-fish/en/home/products/fishing-reels/saltwater-spinning/spheros-sw.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Shimano Spheros 6000</span></a> reel stood up to the challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing how it copes with spinning in high water conditions for the rest of the year.<br />
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The <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://drowessalmonfishery.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Drowes Salmon Fishery</span></a> </span>certainly is a beauty, and is managed with the utmost of professionalism and care by Shane Gallagher and Bill Likely. Their hospitality was second to none, from the kettle boiling as soon as we stepped in the door on Saturday morning, to providing a big bag of blocks for the evening fire! Every pool is tended to and wooden walkways along the river make fishing a joy. It sets an example to other fisheries around the country and the long expedition to the other end of the <a href="http://www.wildatlanticway.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Wild Atlantic Way</span></a> will certainly be made again.</div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-41214884619232792452014-11-06T01:17:00.000+00:002014-11-06T09:39:51.243+00:00Narrow Windows of OpportunityWhen you think of bass lure fishing conditions there are a number of factors to consider. Ideally, you want a light/moderate southerly wind, a decent but comfortable swell and clean water with a bit of that magical fizz. Match these elements with a favourable set of tides and usually your chances of a fish increase dramatically. All of these ingredients combined early one morning last week when I enjoyed catching 4 west Cork bass before breakfast.<br />
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Again, fish were focusing in on hard plastic lures. Interestingly, a couple of the bass had been gorging on a jellyfish- like organism called <i>Velella</i>. These are surface dwelling cnidarians whose travels around the ocean are dictated by the wind. They are also known as "blue by-the-wind sailors" due to their colour and the fact they possess a sail. Opportunistic these fish certainly are!<br />
Last weekend the sea was stirred up by strong onshore winds rendering lure fishing a useless exercise. However over the last 2 days the winds direction reversed and the sea has calmed down. Venturing out for a cast today, before the weather is due to change for the worse, I lost 2 fish. One of these nailed a surface lure after missing it at the first strike, alas it shook the hook. From now on conducive conditions will be fewer and farther between so we just have to make the most of them when they come along!<br />
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Finally, for anyone interested in taking up lure fishing for bass, <a href="http://absolutefishingireland.blogspot.ie/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Absolute Fishing</a> are starting to run courses again, free of charge. The course will cover everything from the gear you will need, tides and safety to learning how to read the water and work your lures effectively for optimum results. Courses commence on Saturday mornings from 10am till 1pm. For more information, you can contact the shop through Facebook or ring them on 051393559.savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-52483581640599099112014-10-26T12:27:00.001+00:002014-10-26T12:27:12.074+00:00Bass by NightBefore the recent windy weather, day time lure fishing for bass drew nothing but blanks. Surveying various marks and chucking a multitude of lures in different tides all resulted in the same end product. Time to ring the changes and a plan for a night time foray was hatched. Myself and a friend hit the rocks just before nightfall to help us gain our bearings. Already the temperature was down to single figures and dropping with a northerly wind flattening the sea ahead. With the first area provoking little response we scuttled over to another platform of rocks which were now submerged by water with the incoming tide. Clipping on our shallow diving lures the action started from the off. Rod buckling over, I was into the first fish of the evening which turned out to be a new personal best fish brushing 8lbs in weight.<br />
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The shear power of this fish was breath taking. Every time I thought she was tiring she sprinted off on another surging run. In prime condition, we admired her before slipping her back into the water. Such a good start to the evening, was this to be it or were there more <i>Dicentrarchus labrax </i>to come? Rob hasn't been fishing for long but has really taken to the sport this year. He caught some great trout in <a href="http://savagefishing.blogspot.ie/2014/01/rainbow-trout-at-ballinlough-lake-leap.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Ballinlough</span> </a>during the spring and ever since has been doing his best to latch onto a bass. All his efforts were about to pay off as the pair of us enjoyed some hectic sport over the next hour and a half.</div>
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Putting a very slow, steady retrieve into practise whilst keeping the rod tip up from the water, we hooked 12 fish in all. Sport was frantic as we brought 3 fish each to hand. 2 fish totally did me in by going around rocks and breaking my braid, taking with them my lures. We all hate losing lures but the presence of so many obliging fish more than made up for it. The rest of the fish landed were schoolies in the 2-4lb bracket.</div>
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The tides are beginning to build up again and the winds will hopefully die down a bit so hopefully day time sport will improve soon. The weather is still mild and the water temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius so we should see bass attacking our lures for another while yet.</div>
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Keeping an eye on the river, fish continued to ascend the weir in Bandon in big numbers. Its such a magnificent sight and many people took the chance to embrace one of nature's greatest events.</div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-18049284640456778302014-10-08T21:17:00.000+01:002014-10-08T23:53:07.476+01:00Salmon Leap for JoyThe rain has come at last and not a moment too soon for <i>salmo salar</i>. Gone is the sight of low, almost stagnant water to be replaced by a high, oxygen filled flow. In a nutshell, the season will be remembered for the lack of water rather than the lack of fish. The levels preceding the recent rain had a lot of people saying it was the lowest they had ever seen the river. Below is a photo illustrating just how low it was at one stage; a medium sized river reduced to nothing more than a mere trickle.<br />
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By night I fished the river Bandon for sea trout on the fly, returning fish up to a pound and half in weight. Algae made fishing almost impossible at times. The seasons end drawing closer was enough motivation for me to make the most of the final few nights.<br />
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As I mentioned in my previous post I had all but stopped fishing for salmon. But luckily a small, dirty flood during the 3rd week of September saw a few fish moving and I unfortunately lost 3 fish whilst spinning. I put this down to the water being so full of algae as the fish, although forthcoming, just couldn't see the lure properly. Next day the fresh water had run off and so had the suspended debris. At least one fish of about 6lbs still had a desire to attack my spinner. Playing her quick and taking a photo of her in the water ensured she swam off like a rocket.</div>
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Rising water on October 6th saw an increase of 6 feet in levels, releasing the resident salmon from their shackles. What a comfort it must be for them to at last be able to migrate as they please. Some fish were held up for so long in the same pools that gravel could be seen dug up out of frustration as if they were spawning. Alas, they are now free to hone in on their natal spawning gravels.</div>
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If you try to photograph salmon leaping over a weir/waterfall, a technique I find useful is to find the area where most fish are jumping. Next, use the automatic focus function on your lens to adjust it to this area. Then, revert to manual focus so that the lens does not readjust. Too often the lens looses focus whilst waiting for the next fish to jump. Turn the shutter speed up as far as the light allows. Adjusting ISO and exposure accordingly helps to mitigate against very dark photos. After you're happy that you have the appropriate settings in place, be patient and hopefully a few good photos will come your way!</div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-75628064375907547882014-09-17T09:31:00.000+01:002014-09-17T09:31:25.346+01:00Indian Summer Sea TroutAnd so it continues... We waited with anticipation for the elusive big flood at the end of August however it never materialised. The Bandon had to be content with 2 rises of 8 inches in a week to bring her to life. Salmon ran in these short, extremely dirty spates and anglers tried to make the most of it with many picking up a fish or two for their efforts. During the latter rise a stale grilse succumbed to a worm trotted down the current. When the river was showing its bones once again on September 1st, another fish fell to one of my favourite lures for this time of year, the red and silver flying c.<br />
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As the last month of the fishing season progressed I took a break from salmon fishing and turned my attention to the Bandon sea trout for a couple of evenings. What has become apparent this season is that the bigger sea trout have had a tendency to run straight through the tidal stretches and on wards up river. Taking this into consideration, I ventured out further west along than I usually do to try and track down these travelers. Using a set up of 2 flies on 8lb fluorocarbon I enjoyed excellent sport with sea trout up to 3lbs in weight, measuring 49cm, and the smallest measuring 37cm.</div>
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Trying to winkle these out wasn't easy as the current state of the river doesn't lend itself to comfortable fishing. Many casts saw the flies covered in algae which was flowing down the river. Being patient and cleaning the flies off every couple of casts is the best way to get around this. Snappy roll casting and speedy false casting can also help to rip off the weed. As for flies, anything dark provoked an attack with 99% of fish coming to a bushy fly, like a bibio or zulu, on the dropper. No need to linger for an extra cup of tea while waiting for darkness to set in, as early dusk has seen some good sport. </div>
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Finally, last week I saw a photo of what must be one of the largest salmon ever to come off the river Bandon. This photo comes from Fred Buller's "The Domesday Book of Giant Salmon" Volume 1. It is thought that the salmon was captured some time between the 1920's to 1950's via a draft net in the estuary. At 51/52lbs, will we ever see the likes of it in Ireland again? </div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-38601419840851353782014-08-25T22:29:00.000+01:002014-08-25T22:29:14.003+01:00Is There A Flood Around The Corner??The days are slipping by as the dark nights are drawing in and the evenings are that bit cooler. Indeed autumn is beginning to set in and still the Bandon hasn't had an appreciable rise in what feels like the whole summer. Water levels have pretty much being at a low summer level since the start of June, except for a very short rise of a foot in mid July. 2013 was a real test for salmon anglers in West Cork but 2014 is turning out to be even tougher. Nevertheless, moaning will get you no where and if you want to catch you have to persevere. Its a time for stealth and using light gear if ever there was one and although takes are very few and far between, a trophy fish is still achievable. Last month, Dad released a whopper of a sea trout and this month he landed one of his biggest ever salmon on worm weighing in at an impressive 17lbs.<br />
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The fish was just off the tide and covered in long tailed sea lice. With September 30th fast approaching its going to be hard for us to better this poundage! Try as I might, I've landed 2 more fish on the worm also, which both went back to continue their trek to the headwaters. Both fish were in the 4-5lb bracket and swam off strongly.</div>
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On the nocturnal side of proceedings, sea trout have made a most welcome, and relieving, resurgence. For the last few years returning numbers have been quite low but not so this summer. My best night so far yielded 9 sea trout with many more lost and takes missed. Nothing huge, with a lot being of a small size and a couple going to the pound. Most of the bigger trout went through earlier on in the season but there is still the chance of the odd, bigger fresh <i>salmo trutta</i>. Sport seems to be coming in pulses of late with trout seemingly coming on the take all of a sudden and switching off just as fast. The usual flies are producing the goods and from now on darker flies will be coming into their own.</div>
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At this stage of the season a flood would be a blessing for fish and fishermen alike. Just look at the fish in the foreground of the photo I took at Galway Weir last weekend! If it does materialise there is nowhere I'd rather be than on the Bandon as fishing should be fantastic. It would also be nice to take the switch rod out again for a final whirl!!</div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-29283290853284873142014-08-06T08:42:00.000+01:002014-08-06T09:04:10.491+01:00Irish Bass Festival 2014Another year, another hugely successful bass festival. This is the third successive year that the event has been held and 125 anglers turned out to pin their wits against the mighty bass. The sun was splitting the stones as per usual... for anyone planning a sun holiday to Ireland plan it around the bass festival as you will be guaranteed a scorcher!!<br />
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Due to these conditions, most of our efforts were put into fishing from dusk till dawn. Fishing unfamiliar ground at night time isn't the easiest but it sure is some buzz when you get the hit. On our first evening out, just as darkness was setting in I had my first fish of the festival off the surface on an IMA Salt Skimmer. Keeping an eye on the lure proved futile so I tried the "walking the dog" technique as best I could and it worked in seducing this fish.<br />
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Catch, photo, release and back she went into the waters of the Copper Coast. That's one of the greatest things about this competition, in that it encourages conservation at all times. A member of IFI was present over the weekend in the shop to discuss the <a href="http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Projects/national-bass-programme.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">National Bass Programme</span></a>. All anglers on receipt of their ID card and ruler on registration morning were handed a scale sampling package also. This was to help collect data to provide scientific advice on how best to manage our precious stocks of bass. </div>
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As the weekend progressed we all managed to land some beautiful fish. Besides a couple of follows and a lost fish, I landed one more small, but plump, bass which took a liking for a Daiwa Shoreline Shiner R50.</div>
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Interestingly enough, even though we all spent a lot of time fishing soft plastics, all our fish came to hard lures. Just one fish was hooked and lost on a soft plastic. Below are the 3 lures which worked for me over the weekend. The top lure is the <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39&products_id=688" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">IMA Sasuke 120</span></a> and it was the first time I had fished with one. First cast with it I had a fish follow it right in to my feet and bump it which gave me confidence right away. Its got a great action and even when you slow the retrieve right down over shallow ground it keeps slaloming from side to side. A nice little addition to the lure box!</div>
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Once again, hats off to Cian and James of <a href="http://absolutefishingireland.blogspot.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Absolute Fishing</span></a> for organising this event. Between swimming in after lures stuck on rocks in the darkness, rudely waking up a buddy trying to get some shut eye at dawn, dancing in McDonalds with chest waders after midnight, making some new friends and a few savage Waterford bass on the line, it really was another festival to remember.savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-53602111473887616532014-07-21T23:58:00.000+01:002014-07-21T23:58:47.651+01:00Thunder Gets Em GoingJust a quick update on fishing over the last few days as I said in my last post I wouldn't be updating until after the Bass Festival. The latter half of last week saw a big change in the atmosphere, with thundery conditions prevalent. An early morning sortie last Thursday saw bass going like the clappers as I caught 3 in less than an hours fishing using the <a href="http://absolutefishing.ie/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39&products_id=693" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">IMA Komomo SF-125</span></a>. The last <i>Dicentrarchus labrax</i> really had my Shimano Stradic 3500 FJ singing and I estimated it to weigh around 6.5lbs. A faster retrieve did the trick with this hat trick of fish.<br />
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Thursday night I met up with a buddy who had just returned from his travels and we set out to tackle the Bandon browns. The cloud was thick and we knew at any time we may have to leave as we could see lightning streaks in the distance. However, trout were rising everywhere and we enjoyed great sport with spirited fish up to a pound weight. Best flies on the night were darkly dressed size 16 wet flies. Also evident was a couple of salmon going absolutely berserk with the anticipation of rainfall... tomorrow could be worth a shot I thought!</div>
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Friday saw the river fresher than the previous day due to the stormy downpours. Salmon waiting down in the estuary reacted to this and I came across a brace of feisty grilse hungry for a bait of worms during a brief afternoon session. They weighed 5 and 7lbs respectively.</div>
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These fish were fighting fit with the bigger taking nearly 20 minutes to land. Over the weekend the river benefited from another more appreciable rise of a foot and this saw many more grilse and summer salmon running. </div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-25332540075896120602014-07-16T23:39:00.001+01:002014-07-16T23:39:40.717+01:00A Variety of Fish in Dry WeatherIt has been nearly a month since I updated this blog as I was waiting for rain but it looks like we're enjoying our second dry summer in a row. Like the rivers, the salmon fishing has more or less dried up as the Bandon awaits bigger runs of fish with the next flood. Some grilse and bigger fish are trickling through on the tides but a flood is whats needed now to bring in the new fish and wake up the old. Alas, I haven't fished for salar very much but released one more fish around the 10-12lb mark which felt like chewing a worm.<br />
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Although not exactly prolific, sea trout have turned up in somewhat better numbers this year than previous. Since the 2nd week of June, small sea trout have arrived in decent shoals. These can take vigorously and provide great sport on light gear. Put anything small, flashy and silver onto your leader and they will take it. The Medicine and Alexandra have been working a treat and my best day yielded 8 fish but hardly any broke the half pound mark.</div>
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These small sea trout have many names such as schoolies, juniors and finnock, to name but a few. At the moment there is an absence of sea trout around the pound mark but a few bigger fish are slipping their way up river all the time. Whilst trying out a spot below Bandon with my dad one night, he connected with one of these and stole the show by returning this fish we estimated to be around the 3 to 3.5lb mark. For scale, that is a Medicine tied on a size 8 low water salmon single hook in its scissors.<br />
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On the bass fishing front, seeing as the river is so low I ventured out a few times to a couple of rocky shore marks and estuaries. Its brilliant to see that the fish are in great condition and are really putting up a good fight! Sometimes bass don't seem to be the greatest of fighters but the last few have really given a good account of themselves. The lure which has been doing the business for me, again, is the IMA Komomo SF-125. Of course I use plenty other lures to suit the ground, water depth, clarity, etc but time and time again the SF-125 comes up trumps. No big bass for me yet, the biggest I estimated to weigh about 5lbs and the rest around 3lbs.</div>
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Like most salmon fishermen I can't wait for the next flood to hit the river and for the fish to start running again but until then its great to just fish for various species. That's the beauty of living in West Cork, no matter what the weather conditions there is nearly always a chance of sport at this time of year between salmon, sea trout and bass. My next blog post will be of a report from the <a href="http://www.irishbassfestival.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Irish Bass Festival 2014</span></a> which is on the weekend of July 25th to 27th. I cannot wait for this, fingers crossed the weather will behave!</div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-2349983184755767522014-06-17T23:26:00.000+01:002014-06-17T23:26:11.546+01:00Light Line Worm Does the Trick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer time is well and truly here! We're enjoying some spectacular weather at the moment and the river as a consequence is dropping quickly. At least if the fishing isn't too great we can gorge ourselves on the 64 matches the World Cup has to offer or simply admire the beautiful scenery down at the river.<br />
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As I mentioned in my last post, good fishing was experienced as the flood water tapered off but from Wednesday on fishing fell away. I went out for a quick cast on Friday and scoping through a few pools unveiled very little. Just as I was leaving however, casting way down the pool along a long line of Ranunculus, I felt a solid tug and was surprised to see a big 3lb plus brown trout had taken my size 4 Flying C. That's the beauty of the Bandon, sometimes you just don't know what's going to strike your lure next!</div>
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Saturday came around and the sun was absolutely splitting the stones. Not the most conducive conditions for successful salmon fishing but if they are present there is always a chance. Casting a spinner over a fish which had splashed a couple of times yielded no response. A tactic taught to me by my uncle years ago came to mind, as it was applicable to the conditions before me. I rested the fish for a couple of hours and returned with my rod rigged up with 4lb line for fishing the worm. Employing such light line is a huge risk but can be the difference between blanking and scoring. The main advantage to be gained is the presentation, as the worm is trundled down the current in the most natural fashion possible. Using heavier line compromises the upper hand gained by this manoeuvre. However, it is not a strategy recommended for using over coloured fish or if you intend to release your capture. Covering the fish after half a dozen casts, I could feel the unmistakable draw. Giving line and waiting for the fish to run I struck into something a little bigger than I was expecting... </div>
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The battle commenced and lasted 20 minutes before the fish ran down to the end of the pool for the umpteenth time and proceeded to exit into the next. Sprinting in chest high water after the fish for a few hundred yards and some nail biting moments later, I eventually netted the 13.5lb dazzler of a salmon 3/4 of an hour after the initial take. Of course, the hook fell out in the net, I kid you not.</div>
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savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-45121580823204026212014-06-10T01:35:00.000+01:002014-06-10T01:35:26.900+01:00Good Sport on a Dropping FloodFor the past couple of weeks fishing has been slow due to low water levels on the river. Salmon were present in good numbers but proved very hard to entice, with just a few fish falling mainly to the shrimp. Some sea trout were entering the system and I enjoyed a couple of nights out but unfortunately I brought nothing to hand. The best sea trout I hooked was pushing 2lbs but it just wouldn't stop jumping and eventually shook off my size 8 Stoat's Tail.<br />
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The Bandon took a turn for the better though on Friday with water levels rising rapidly which is exactly what it needed. Saturday saw the river bowling down and spinning was the order of the day for me due to the height, speed and colour of the water. I ventured out in the evening, trying to give the river a chance to drop, and was rewarded with a beautiful fish of 11.5lbs.<br />
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On Sunday the river was in fine fettle and acceptable for all methods. On my way down the river I had a quick chuck with a Flying C and 3rd cast I had a follow from a fish which gave the bait one quick rattle and was gone again. A few more casts yielded no more interest but the evening looked promising. The next pool down was perfect for the fly so I stuck with my intermediate tip and tied on a gold bodied Willie Gunn which served me well during the last flood. Just as I was coming down to the sweet spot I saw some people walking in the field across the way and I was thinking how great it would be if I hooked a fish in front of them. Next cast and... the strollers were stopped in their tracks!! 15 minutes later and I had a sea liced bar of silver for them to admire which I estimated to be around 8lbs before I gently slipped her back.</div>
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All in all from talking to other fishermen the general consensus is that there was a good run of fish going through. I heard of only one grilse caught with most fish weighing between 8-14lbs. With the river settling down now lets see what the week ahead brings.savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-42907554164560391332014-05-27T01:47:00.001+01:002014-05-27T09:02:30.134+01:00Early Grilse on the BandonJoining in on the dawn chorus Saturday morning paid off with a sparkling, stocky grilse of about 5lbs on the fly. Its great to see these entering the system now, along with some good sized springers. The best fish I heard of at the weekend tipped the scales at 11lbs.<br />
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Once again the green butt cascade produced the goods and it is without doubt my favourite salmon fly, especially for fresh fish. Dressed in sizes to suit the water level you wont go far wrong with one tied to the end of your leader. When I started fishing with the standard cascade I couldn't conjur a pull but when I acquired a dressing which included the fluoro green trigger point there was no looking back. </div>
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Hand lining, as the fly was coming to the end of its swing across the main current, induced this fish to take with conviction. It pays to always retrieve a few yards of line before recasting as it just might inspire a following fish to pounce. Keeping the fish in the water while being unhooked made sure it swam away with gusto. </div>
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Grilse, especially the early fish, don't take their time in ascending the river even when the water is low. Whilst having a quick flick with a spinner on Sunday a host of trout followed the flying c to my feet and next cast it was a grilse which had just entered the pool. Unfortunately it showed no more interest but walking back upstream I could see the same fish slowly creeping its way up at a leisurely pace.<br />
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The photo above is of a similar sized, very fresh salmon I observed last year in a lower volume of water just downstream of Dunmanway, approximately 35 miles upstream from where the river enters the sea. It will be very interesting to see how the fishing develops with the next rise in water levels!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7zAIZgkwVSQ/U4PdNdFW3YI/AAAAAAAAAnA/7YHvyvdHUT8/s1600/IMG_8602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7zAIZgkwVSQ/U4PdNdFW3YI/AAAAAAAAAnA/7YHvyvdHUT8/s1600/IMG_8602.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941298812720507599.post-44009804512839451562014-05-19T01:40:00.000+01:002014-05-20T00:25:37.049+01:00Let the Good Times RollWhat can you say, the River Bandon really is on song at the moment! After banking my first springer on May 7th I went on to seduce 2 more fish in less than a week. Beautiful river conditions continued and fish were met on a daily basis by fishermen along the river. The biggest I heard of being caught, and released, was estimated to weigh 16lbs.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb7_ZXxMbFM/U3k_lzMpmEI/AAAAAAAAAlI/ixHPoMQj4-8/s1600/20140509_151703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb7_ZXxMbFM/U3k_lzMpmEI/AAAAAAAAAlI/ixHPoMQj4-8/s1600/20140509_151703.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a></div>
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A few months ago I acquired a switch rod which I believed would be extremely well suited to fishing the Bandon. For early season and high water work, a 13 foot rod is advantageous when fast sinking lines are employed to dredge the river bed with heavy tubes. As the water warms and settles after the early season floods, a more subtle approach can come into play... cue the switch rod. I opted for an <a href="http://www.airflofishing.com/buy.cfm/rods/airflo-airtec-switch-rods/75/no/71381" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Airflo Airtec</span></a> which is 11 foot 3 inches in length and very useful along the tree lined banks where space is limited. Teamed up with a <a href="http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/spey/scandinavian/scandi-short-versitip/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">RIO Scandi Short Versitip</span></a> fly line and you have one amazing setup. Choosing the clear intermediate tip, a short 3 to 4 foot leader and a gold bodied Willie Gunn tied on a 1/2 inch copper tube, this fish was charmed into submission.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zs13Afh0XSA/U3lDKoA2_CI/AAAAAAAAAlc/iIWj45qiw6M/s1600/20140509_152624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zs13Afh0XSA/U3lDKoA2_CI/AAAAAAAAAlc/iIWj45qiw6M/s1600/20140509_152624.jpg" height="150" width="400" /></a></div>
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After unhooking the hen fish she was returned to the shallows to recuperate and continue her upstream migration. The lighter rod held its own quite comfortably even against this sea liced springer in relatively high water and I don't think I'll need to use the 13 footer on the local again this season!</div>
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To complete the hat trick another silver torpedo surrendered to a black and copper size 4 Flying C a few days later. Starting at the head of the chosen pool, a few casts over a lie achieved nothing but the first cast over the next lie down had the rod buckling over!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-3o3Xqv0Ug/U3lF8zUYS6I/AAAAAAAAAlo/py3qvfJhhYc/s1600/20140513_144828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-3o3Xqv0Ug/U3lF8zUYS6I/AAAAAAAAAlo/py3qvfJhhYc/s1600/20140513_144828.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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The quality of the fish this year is second to none and they obviously found good feeding during their time at sea. With the weather forecast relatively unsettled for the second half of this week hopefully we will get a top up of water to help prolong the excellent sport we are enjoying this month.</div>
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Lastly, for bass fishing enthusiasts, this years Irish Bass Festival will take place from July 25th to 27th. Closing date for registration is Saturday June 7th which is only 3 weeks away now. To enter look up the <a href="http://www.irishbassfestival.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Irish Bass Festival</span></a> website. For reports on last years festival, click <a href="http://absolutefishingireland.blogspot.ie/2013/07/festival-round-up.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> and <a href="http://savagefishing.blogspot.ie/2013/07/irish-bass-festival-2013.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>.savagefishinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235876537221025671noreply@blogger.com2