"I've been fly fishing since I was a wee little grasshopper. Hell of a long time with the fly. To me, the only way to catch a fish really is on the fly. Spinner? Not that exciting. One salmon on the fly is better than ten on the spinner." -Connie Corcoran, the fishing manager and ghillie for Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland.

This week marks the beginning of our EuroTrip Miniseries. For the first chapter, we head to the Emerald Isle. I was in Ireland for a cousin's wedding but made sure to book a couple days on the River Blackwater while I was in the area. It was there that I met Connie and Jason Corcoran who are the fishing managers for the Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery. They were kind enough to share their home river with me.

While I was there, we targeted salmon, brown trout, and good times. We found all three. This episode profiles the River Blackwater and dives into what makes it great but also confronts the troubles that the river faces. We also take a closer look at some of the people who are trying to preserve the river for future generations.

For more information, check out The Drake Magazine's website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1837-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-13-blackwater-river-ireland.html

Many thanks to our sponsors Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support.