Ireland on the Fly

It was very saddening to hear the news that John Gierach, the world famous and beloved fly fishing writer, has passed away at the age of 78.He was a huge inspiration to us here on Ireland on the Fly for his books, personality, style and approach to fly fishing as well as life.  There was much we could all learn from him.And so, in honour of the late, great John Gierach, we remember him with a repost of an interview we did with John in April 2023 when his last book, All the Time in the World, was released.John explained why he saw himself as a writer first and angler second, discussed the hard work and process behind his writing success, which began with Trout Bum in 1986, and he also delved into why he headed west to Colorado to begin a life lived based solely around fly fishing.All the Time in the World was a poignant title, with John explaining how he came to choose it when remembering a fly fishing friend who had passed away.  Little did we think that just 18 months later, John Gierach too would pass on to the eternal river.“Later in life,” he wrote. “The death of a friend is no longer unbelievable because you’ve learned about mortality the hard way, but that doesn’t make the news land any easier.”John Gierach, 1946-2024, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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So, that’s pretty much it for the season for brown trout, sea trout and salmon fly anglers.  Currane, Sheelin and a few other lakes are still open until October 12th but for the vast majority of you the rods are being put away for the winter.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be reviewing how the season went on the rivers and loughs around Ireland for salmon and brown trout so stay tuned for those episodes…

But this week we catch up with a salmon angler who moved over from England just three years ago and discovered salmon fishing that he is in thrall to.  You might have seen some of George Kavanagh’s incredible images from the Suir on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/george.kavanagh.58) and it was no surprise to learn that George is a commercial photographer who has worked all around the world on shoots.

Salmon fishing is his other passion though and the recent move to Ireland opened his eyes to the salmon fishing that was on his doorstep.  Sometimes it takes someone to come in from elsewhere to maybe make us appreciate what we actually have here……

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

This week we’re ‘following the fin’ with Louth native, Joe Quinn, who has been based in Mayo for the last fifty years, and is a well-known international angler who has fished for salmon, sea trout and his first love, brown trout.

We talk to Joe about brown trout on Lough Conn, night time sea trout fishing, why he ditched the salmon rod over twenty years ago and find out some special fishing stories from New Zealand.

Plus, he tells us how a GoPro retirement present to himself has seen him set up an ever-growing YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/@JoeQuinnFollow_the_fln 

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Keep up to date and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

We spoke last week about the disastrous escape of thousands of farmed salmon from Killary Harbour and the consequences that will have on the wild fish stocks on the west coast of Ireland.

Billy Smyth is chairperson and co-founder of Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages which has been instrumental in fighting the development of fish farms and raising awareness about their dangers in Irish waters and so for this week’s episode we spoke to Billy to get more information about the Killary Harbour escape and find out how campaigning and public protests really can have an influence and effect on the government and politicians.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

For the last few weeks of the season we wanted to speak to fly anglers to find out how their season has gone.You hear different stories about how conditions have been and how loughs and rivers have fared around the country, so what has it actually been like for anglers on the ground?This week, it was great to chat once again to James Barry, the fisheries scientist and highly accomplished all round fly fisherman, who joins us with some of the highlights from his 2024 season, including a first trip to Patagonia, some incredible mayfly fishing on Sheelin, a consistent run of salmon over the summer months and now some autumn bass to look forward to….

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

It’s hard to believe but we’re into the final few weeks of the salmon and brown trout season and while you’re trying to fit in as much fishing as you can, for this week’s Ireland on the Fly we wanted to find out how some of the loughs are fishing for brown trout in September and we’re joined by Dominic Kerrigan, a fanatical fly angler who regularly fishes Melvin, Erne and Sheelin and he gives us his tips for this month.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

Glenda Powell, who is well known in Ireland and abroad as a fly casting instructor and guide on the river Blackwater joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly.

In recent years Glenda has also been organising trips for salmon, sea trout and Arctic char to places such as Patagonia, Greenland and Iceland and having just spent two months in the land of fire and ice catching her personal best Icelandic salmon as well as some incredible sea trout and brown trout, we decided to catch up with her to find out more about the fishing as well as the ongoing protests amongst the population against the country’s increasing fish farms.

Plus, Glenda tells us of her love of travelling to new places to fish and how it also makes you appreciate just what we’ve got back home as well.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

This week  we speak to Judd Ruane, the well-known sea trout fishing guide on the Moy Estuary. 

Judd talks to us about the incredible days he has had as well as some of the famous names that have been in his boat, plus you’ll also hear about 16 years on the road touring Ireland, the UK and America with a Glen Miller style big band.

It’s fair to say that Judd has more than a few stories to tell about sea trout and a whole lot more….

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And if you want find out more about fishing on the Moy Estuary, visit fishingireland.ie

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

The Costello & Fermoyle fishery in Connemara is one that evokes historic nostalgia mentioned as it was in Kingsmill Moore’s A Man May Fish as a favourite location of his for sea trout.

The fishery comprises the Casla River and a series of lakes, including Glenicmurrin, Fermoyle, Clogher, and the Schoolhouse Loughs, set in beautiful scenery against the backdrop of the Twelve Pins mountains.

Although the numbers of sea trout are not as they once were, the Costello & Fermoyle fishery is still a popular one for anglers chasing salmon and sea trout in historic surroundings and for this week’s fishery focus episode Tom spoke to the fishery manager, Brian Curran, to find out more about the river and loughs in this incredible location.

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For more information on fishing Costello & Fermoyle, contact Brian at:

www.Irelandwestangling.ie

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

This week we’re joined by the prolific angling writer, Chris McCully.

Chris has been a regular contributor to Trout & Salmon magazine and in his spare time has written not just on fishing, but also English academic works as well as poetry.

In Ireland though he’s probably best known for 'Nomads of the Tides: Fishing for Irish Sea Trout', which he wrote with Ken Whelan back in 2013 and it’s still a hugely respected and definitive book on sea trout fishing around Ireland.

We’ve plenty to talk to Chris about for this book club episode, including his recent memoir, 'The River of All Goodbyes', and one that got our interest, 'Names of the Fish - In British & Irish Freshwaters'.  Did you know, for example, that there are over seventy different words for sea trout with plenty of Irish versions as well?

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Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple or Spotify, plus you can get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com