Traditionals and Flamethrowers

Having waited for my junglecock capes to arrive I stuck to tying up some tried and trusted patterns, the Hairy Mary and Stoat's Tail. These are a pair of old favourites the world over for their catching powers of both salmon and sea trout.

 

For the Hair Mary I stuck to the usual materials for tying it up on a size 10 VMC silver hook. Looking through dressings there isn't much difference between a Hairy Mary and a Blue Charm. For my fly I stuck to natural squirrel tail, preferring its look over brown bucktail, brown arctic fox or dyed squirrel tail. For me, I have had most success with it during the spring months for the last 2 hours of light when in search of a spring sea trout. I have great confidence that at the end of a flood in clear water at the tail of a pool at dusk, if a sea trout is there it will swallow this fly down.
The Stoat's Tail is my favourite point fly for sea trout. This fella is tied with black arctic fox in the wing. For the body, instead of usuing the usual black floss, I tried UNI Axxel. To me it looks great and adds another, subtle dimension to the fly. Whether it makes any difference who knows but adding a little something to a favourite fly does no harm!

 

 

 

These next 2 flies I tied up last night after receiving the JC capes. Neither I had tried tying up before but I'm pleased enough with first efforts. I've read great reports of the Calvin's Shrimp so wanted to tie up something similar to it. With my attempt I've basically used the same colours, but in a flamethrower style as I haven't got arctic runner.
I know very little about the Tay Flamethrower but like the look of it so decided to throw one together. Not sure if its a clear or coloured water fly, but its definately something to try if previous offerings fail. The original has a red seal fur dubbed body and the head is finished off with pearl krystal flash. My tyings for each are as follows:

Calvins Shrimp Flamethrower
Hook: VMC Gold 10
Rear hackle: Red cock
Wing: Long red arctic fox, orange next and then pink, tying each one in shorter than the next with some gold krystal flash.
Body: UNI Axxel gold
Rib: Gold wire
Hackles: Orange cock with hot pink metz in front.
Eyes: JC
Thread: Red

Tay Flamethrower
Hook: VMC Gold 10
Rear hackle: Yellow cock
Wing: Long yellow bucktail, orange next and then kingfisher blue bucktail, tying each one in shorter than the next with some gold and blue krystal flash.
Body: UNI Axxel gold
Rib: Gold wire
Hackles: Orange cock with kingfisher blue metz in front.
Eyes: JC
Thread: Red


On the fishing front, not a lot has been happening lately. Have been out for a bass a couple of times but more when the opportunity arises rather than timing it based on weather, tides, swell, etc. Efforts have proved fruitless, bar a few pollock on soft plastics around the pound mark that I never thought to take a photo of. Partly didn't think to take a photo as my reel seized up before fishing and then one of the pollock made off with one of my more expensive hard lures! Ah well thats fishing...

 

 

Lastly some nature, a heron joining me on the lookout for a salmon and a moorhen just pottering about doing its business.

Willie Gunn and Dee Sheep

2 flies I tied up over the last couple of days that I've never given a go. A traditional and a modern pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

The Willie Gunn is one of the most famous flies to ever be tied on the end of a leader. Invented in Scotland, it was meant as a variation of another fly, the Thunder and Lightning. It was tied by a tackle shop owner in Sutherland who invited his friend, Willie Gunn, to pick from a group of 20 flies 1 which he thought looked best. The fly was picked and it caught 6 fish that day and 4 the next. It accounts for most of its fish in the spring and summer months and thousands have been caught since that first day of 6. It is also a very good fly on the Bandon, accounting for Kilcolemans 1st spring fish the season just past.
Heralding from more northern latitudes, the Dee Sheep is a fly I cannot wait to give a go. It is a huge hit up in Iceland and since being introduced to anglers in the British Isles it has seduced many more salmon. Aimed as a fly to be used in late spring/ early summer, I can see it as a fly I am going to try on the days after the initial flood when the colour has cleared and the water is falling with fresh fish in off the tide. In years past, a weighted 1 and a half inch blue and silver was "the" lure for spring fish on the Bandon, especially for late angler and blacksmith Billy O'Connell who used to fish in Innishannon.

Disappointing end to season...

Well this isn't going to be one of my more exciting posts. Sport for the last month of the season on the river Bandon was slow to say the least. This being said, it seems a lot of other rivers experienced a similar September, possibly due to the wetter than average summer. Since missing the fish at the start of the month I contacted one more fresh fish and it was off as soon it was on. We experienced no lift in the water like other rivers up the country did but if we did we would have seen good sport no doubt. Fish were there but with low water they showed no interest at all. I met no other angler with a fish and Kilcoleman Fishery had just one fish on the 26th. Higher tides towards the end of the month encouraged more fresh fish to run which you would think would take a fly more readily but even these weren't playing ball.
The one continuous, bright note on the river front was the sea trout. Didn't catch any whoppers by any stretch of the imagination but you can only catch whats there. The biggest I managed was around a pound and a quarter with a few more around the pound weight but as the month went on the fish got smaller, as is usually the case for the time of year. Regardless, sport was very welcome and I wasn't expecting the night time sport at all. Even on nights with the moon shining bright, perseverence paid off and I managed only one blank night. My favourite set up was a sink tip line in conjunction with 2 flies, the bigger of the flies on the point. The leader was short to get the full use of the sink tip and keep the flies down. Stoats tails in original and silver, executioner, alexandra, butcher, bibio and dunkeld all did the business tied from alluminium tubes down to size 10 singles.
Another highlight of the month for me was taking one of the lads out on the river. It was Usna's 1st time out on the river and it consisted of much casting, walking and banter throughout the day! Usna is into his bass fishing but likes all aspects of the sport. We went out for a sea trout that night and he was delighted to catch his first ever sea trout on the fly at night time on his first attempt. It was only small but gave him a great scrap and he was ecstatic with his success.
Now the Bandon is closed my attention will turn to walking the river banks, some bass fishing, a night on the Argideen hopefully, possibly a trip to the Mourne up north, practising and sharpening up on my fly tying and last but not least passing my driving test!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some photos from the last couple of weeks. Up top is Usna getting to grips with his fly casting. All day he was getting better and hopefully next year he gets the chance to catch more sea trout and hopefully a salmon.

The next 2 are of 2 flies I tied myself, the first being a Ponoi Gold and the next a Flamethrower incorporating autumnal colours orange, red and black with a holographic gold body, bit like a Phatagorva Flamethrower style fly.

Bandon Anglers bottom beat Ms. Lones is showing its bones, first time all season. I like taking good photographs but reducing the shutter speed for the evening light is tough when your relying on being steady with the hands so I think a tripod is now on the shopping list...

A seal in the tide chasing fish about has been a right pain for the whole month, although it is some sight, and lastly a pair of immature dippers are waiting for their mother to bring some food back. Luckily numbers of these are on the rise again due to a decrease in mink numbers.

 



Good Weekend

Looking up the tides for the weekend they looked perfect for a cast for a bass. I recently purchased some new gear from Absolute Fishing in Tramore and couldn't wait to test it out. The gear included a new rod, the Graphiteleader Argento RV, 8.5ft rated 6-28g, aswell as a few new shiney lures. For a review on the rod click here.
Geared up I headed for the rocks on an incoming tide, 2 hours before the full. Checking out a few spots and concentrating my efforts on the most likely looking to produce a bass, an hour and a half had elapsed without as much as a sniff. Time was ticking now and reflecting on the terrain I had fished over I went back to the most likely looking of the lot and thought I'd spend the last push of the tide here. Clipping on a Megabass Zonk Gataride 120, I hurled it out into the fizz and on the 6th cast as it was coming by a rock out to the left of me I was smashed! Lifting into the fish the rod immediately keeled over as the fish made a dash for the rocks. Applying pressure and keeping the rod high I managed to steer her away and after a few seering runs for the open sea I managed to gain control and glide her onto the rocks behind.

 

 

After a couple of quick snaps I brought her over to a filling rock pool to let her recuperate. I was delighted to have caught my first big fish of the year. It made it all the sweeter that I had never seriously fished this place for a bass before and to have a result on the first outing was brilliant. Tides and date noted!
On the river Bandon fishing front, salmon have been very slow. Not many are being caught at all, especially with the dearth of fresh fish that seem to be running. Looking at the tide one evening for half an hour 3 is all I counted in the 6/7lb range. On another tide, it was 3 seals...
Sea trout however have been great for the time of year. Dropping river levels made night time fishing easier and I had good sport with sea trout to just over a pound weight, all fresh. Sink tip lines and big flies made it seem more like fishing in April or May, especially with the cold nights! Best time to be out was from the end of dusk to 11 at the latest as after this time it just got too cold and put the fish down. I couldn't tell any real difference between the effectiveness of dark or bright flies as I caught on flies form Alexandras to Stoats Tail's. I also caught on a self tied Executioner fly, which gave me great satisfaction and confidence in my fly tying. I haven't been fly tying for all that long but practise makes perfect! One thing to note was the amount of fish I lost, one night the tally being 9 after catching 3. Looking back the first 3 I hooked I landed, the rest were a matter of grabbing the fly, slashing at the surface and gone. The only reason I could put this down to was as the night was getting colder the fish seemed less reluctant to give chase, plus fresh sea trout means soft mouths. Great to have some night time sport again!