On a weekend that brought the FA premiership to a dramatic finale for soccer fans all over the country, there were many other sports fans that opted for a quieter and more peaceful form of recreation, one where the roar of a highly charged football stadium was replaced with the gentle sound of moving water and the referees whistle was substituted by the birds singing in the trees, as Fisheries Awareness Week 2012 got underway across the nation.

 Designed to promote recreational angling and conservation in Ireland, whether it be coarse, game or sea fishing, FAW has grown in popularity, with this year boasting an impressive 70 events spread across 22 counties throughout the week, running from 12th – 20^th of May. This substantial undertaking made possible by the sterling work of Inland Fisheries Ireland with the support of numerous respective local angling clubs.

 On Sunday the 13^th of May I attended my local event at Paddy Macs Lake in O Briens Bridge, Co Clare, the theme of which was to promote and raise awareness of the joys of angling to the younger generation, following a school visit campaign by IFI amongst other initiatives to raise awareness of the occasion. The event included a live display tank of various freshwater fish species and insect life which are indigenous to Irish water systems with members of IFI on hand to share information and answer questions relating to fishing in Ireland. Angling demonstrations on feeder and pole fishing were also provided by members of Munster Coarse Anglers Club.

The day came to a close with the participating budding young anglers receiving medals for their attendance, having displayed a keen interest in the future of angling and conservation as a whole. I would recommend these events to anybody interested in the sport of fishing in Ireland and with the hope that many more will discover the pleasures of angling for many years to come.

A list of further upcoming events and additional information can be found at www.faw.ie.

Allow me to introduce myself. Some readers may know me as garymaxima, an online pseudonym that I use. I consider myself an all-rounder. I grew up in a County Wicklow seaside town and I “earned my stripes” chasing sea trout and brown trout in the small Wicklow streams and deep Loughs. Bait fishing was the method of choice for my first few years until I saw an angler fly-fishing on the local river. I fell in love with the method and saved for the kit with pocket money. I joined local clubs and over time, as my confidence grew, I started to enter club and national competitions. I took up fly tying to save valuable pocket money and to enable me to add that extra dimension to my fishing. The highlight of my trout-fishing career was qualification to an Irish team to represent the country in Scotland.

Living by the sea, from an early age I was fishing from local harbours and beaches. My father never fished (his loss!) but I had friends whose fathers owned boats so there was usually a boat to go out in on weekends, weather and tides permitting. Coarse fishing was not something I got an opportunity to practice in my early years. Winter piking trips to Blessington when the trout season was out and a couple of trips to the canal, here and there, were about the height of it. As mentioned, my father never fished but looking back now I can see that he realised how important it is for a young lad to have an interest of some sort. Mine was fishing and when he had time to spare, he would drive me to the Royal Canal near Mullingar. Here I caught my first perch and the sight of it has been burned into my memory ever since.

My coarse fishing really took off when I made it my business to get a car sorted out for myself. This opened up the whole country to me and I have not looked back since. I immersed myself in coarse fishing for a good while and totally forgot about the game and sea angling for a while. The main reason for this was I became tired of what I term the “killing mentality” of both angling disciplines. I got tired of killing six or eight trout for the sake of a €20 tackle voucher. I didn’t see the point in it. Coastal competitions were exactly the same, boxes of fish abandoned in the local harbour after the weigh-ins. So I gave up competition fishing a few years ago and it is pleasure angling that takes up all my time at the moment. I’m glad to see that a lot of competitions are now run on a “points” system for catches both at sea and for trout. I just hope that these measures do not prove to be too little, too late.

But that’s enough of the negativity for now.  I like to fish for anything that swims basically. When I decide on a species, I like to do the homework. Reading up on that particular fish, exchanging information on forums and some good, old-fashioned reconnaissance. This throws up new waters at me all the time and it is great travelling around the country to seek out these species and to marvel at the waters that they inhabit. As most anglers already know, bank fishing can be adequate on some waters. Not for a lot of others, with many waters totally inaccessible from the bank. Anybody who has tried to fish a lake in Cavan, for example, with a soft margin will know what I am talking about. A boat can usually overcome this problem if you have access to a slipway. But what if there is no slipway? Or you need to cross two fields to get to the water?

I’d like to tell you about a piece of kit I got a couple of years ago. If you haven’t guessed it yet, I am talking about a kayak. I wanted access to these hard to reach areas and the current economic state meant that on my budget a boat, engine and trailer were out of the question. I settled for a kayak as “second best”. Second best until I had taken it out on the water a few times and now I am convinced that the kayak, or “yak”, is the far better option of the two for me.

Firstly, cost was a huge factor. There was no way I could afford a boat, engine and trailer not to mention a more powerful car to pull it! I managed to get my kayak, wetsuit and a few accessories for less than nine hundred Euros. It may sound pricey but it costs a fraction of a new car and boat! There are many “angler” kayaks on the market but I decided to opt for a standard sit-on kayak and picked up the rod holders and fish finder/GPS brackets/tackle storage and camera mounts separately. That way I could customize the kayak to my own specifications. I spent the first year or so getting used to the procedures and handling of the new toy, finding out what the limits are for both me and the kayak. Now, each time I take to the water I notice more and more pros to fishing from a kayak.

Transporting the kayak is child’s play. The yak I use weighs 52lbs and is easily lifted onto the car’s roof bars, even on my own. Once it is secured using ratchet straps, it is ready to go anywhere. Driving a car with a kayak on the roof is a lot easier than pulling a trailer around the country and I don’t need to sit an extra driving test for it either. I can park up wherever I can and simply lift the kayak from the roof and it is ready to go. Unlike a boat, I don’t need to carry extra fuel and I don’t need a boat slip to launch it from. I can pull up at any lake, river or any point along the Irish coastline and I am ready to take to the water instantly. That’s freedom! A kayak can also get to a lot of places that a boat could never get into, needing only a couple of inches of water to float on. It is light enough that it can be carried/dragged across a couple of fields if the need arises. It literally is a “go anywhere craft”.

The sit-on-top kayak I purchased is extremely stable and can carry quite a bit of gear. Four or five rods, a bivvy, bait and tackle can easily be loaded onto it. This makes it an ideal craft for a trip to an island to set up on and fish from and I intend to do quite a bit of island hopping in it next season. The mighty Lough Corrib alone has over 400 to choose from. That’s a huge amount of new swims that are opened up with a kayak. And that’s only one lake!

So far I have mentioned the advantages of transporting the kayak and using it as a means of transportation. They also make excellent fishing platforms! Be it fly-fishing on a lake, jigging baited hokkais or feathers at sea or casting jerkbaits for pike, the kayak performs equally well. A lot of ground can be covered on them and a real boon is the ability to move yourself well out of casting range from the shore. Again, this opens up water that usually may never see an angler’s bait. As long as the sea is not too rough, the yak can be manoeuvred to within feet of rocks along the more hostile parts of the coast. Those of you who are interested in rock fishing must be able to see the advantages of this – you can get right in onto your favourite marks without the hassle of scrambling across rocks carrying all your gear, not to mention forgetting about the risks of a broken ankle whilst doing so.

If drifting is not your thing, why not get a purpose made kayak anchor or a couple of mud weights? Used in conjunction with an anchor trolley, you can then nestle your yak on the edge of a reed bed and cast to the edge of the lilies for tench or fish a greased line with floating bait for cruising carp. Or for the more adventurous amongst you, you could try the novel approach for tope that I successfully pulled off last summer. Close to where I live, the tope move in close from mid august and hang around until around the end of October. I paddle up to two miles off shore and drop anchor. Then I drop my fresh mackerel flapper baits and wait for the tope to show up. I have had great success with this pioneering method of tope fishing and have managed to land tope up to nearly 40lb in this way. I plan to hit bigger fish this summer. No doubt that this is not a method for the faint hearted!

The manuverability of the kayak is fantastic, being able to turn in a much tighter circle than a boat can. A stealthy approach is no problem either with no noisy outboards to worry about. I have taken the kayak right over the top of pike in a few feet of water without even a flinch from them. They are also a brilliant way to view a lot of the beautiful waters that we as Irish are blessed to have in our home country. With the kayak, unlike a boat, you are sitting at the level of the water, lower than you would be in any boat. It’s a wonderful perspective from which to view the water and wildlife.

Now for the serious part. As with taking to the water in any vessel, there are rules that need to be adhered to if a safe and enjoyable day is to be had. A kayak is no different. Under no circumstances should anybody attempt to go afloat without a Personal Floatation Device or lifejacket. There is buoyancy in a wetsuit but this is not enough in my opinion to keep your head clear of the water and besides, a drysuit would be a better choice than a wetsuit. Always try to go out with a companion. Three is a better number than two. If you must go out alone, bring mini flares in a waterproof container and at least a mobile phone with a fully charged battery. A radio would be a much better option. A helmet is a sensible bit of gear if you intend to fish around rock marks a lot. All equipment should be secured to the kayak with bungee cables or something similar. The yak I am using is very stable in the water but freak waves and swells can occur. At least if your kayak is tipped, this way you won’t lose all your precious fishing gear. Finally, on a hot day, paddling around to different marks can be thirsty and hungry work. Plenty of water and a bit of food are essential for this energetic type of angling. Fig rolls are an excellent energy food for this type of sport to munch on the go and a packed lunch in the bag is devoured whenever you decide to pull up on shore or anchor up.

Accessorising or rigging your kayak opens up endless possibilities for fishing and safety applications. I will go into rigging accessories like fishfinders and rod holders at a later date. I will also go into more detail on the safety aspects of paddling in future articles. I will go into detail about the use of anchors and anchor trolleys. Also needing a more detailed mention are things like signalling and rescue devices; the ability to self-rescue a couple of miles out to sea; the effects the flowing tides can have and how to use them to your advantage and many other “do’s and don’ts” of  kayak angling. I would not encourage anybody to buy a kayak and hit the waves immediately. There is a learning curve that cannot be rushed and safety issues that cannot be overlooked. When you go a couple of miles off land in a boat you can start to realise how, in the greater scheme of things, insignificant one really is. Being in a similar position on a kayak compounds this feeling. Having said that, catching tope on the kayak is possibly the most fun I have ever had, whilst holding a fishing rod. Anybody interested in this new and very diverse method of fishing would do worse than to consider investing in a kayak.

A quick guide on how to tie your own pole float rig. Most shop bought pre-tied rigs are more than up to the job and are convenient more than anything else.

Knowing how to tie your own rigs will

1.Save you money
2.Allow you to tie a rig that suits your preferred style or venue
3.Allows you to use up bits you have from broken or tangled rigs

To go about tying your rig you will need the following

1.A pole float
2.Mainline to suit
3.Suitably sized shot
4.Scissors
5.A rig winder
6.A pole float anchor (if the winder you are using has no slider)
7.A marker (or label maker)
8.Silicone tubing
9.A container of water (a large soft drink bottle or a spaghetti jar can be used)

Start by taking your mainline and passing it through the eye of the float. Leave the line attached to the spool as you will need to slide the completed rig up the line to remove any line that gets damaged from pinching on shot. Take 3 cut pieces of silicone to fit the float stem. Cut 2 pieces short and the 3rd one needs to be twice as long as the others.

Thread the silicone on to the stem in the order of 2 short then the long. Thread these on with the 1st piece at the base of the body, the 2nd piece half way down the stem and the long piece needs to be fixed half on and half off the end of the stem. This flexible piece helps prevent tangles.

Calculate the capacity of the float you are using and attach the correct amount of shot to the section of line below the float.

Test the rig inside the container of water and judge if you need to add or remove some shot. You are aiming to have the float sitting with the body below the surface of the water but without having too much tip submerged.

When you are happy with the rig, slide the float and shot up the line enough to clear the line you have just worked with. This enables you to cut off any line that might have been damaged when pinching on the shot. Tie a loop in the end of the clean line and this can then be used to attach the hooklink or to attach the rig to the winder.

Pull out enough line to allow you to fish the rig at the correct depth. Pull off a bit more than is needed just in case. Tie another loop in the end of the line and attach the completed rig to the winder.

Now just label up the winder with the info need like
•Float size
•Mainline dia./strength
•Rig length
•Hooklink dia./hook size (if attached)

A simple 'how-to' on elasticating a pole top-kit.

To carry out the job you will need the following;
 
•Super glue
•A hacksaw
•Permanent marker
•Scissors/blade
•Sandpaper
•Diamond eye threader
•Bung
•Connector
•Elastic of your choice
•Bush
•Pole top-kit

To begin, ensuring your bung is the correct diameter for your chosen elastic, you need to roughly gauge how much pole section to cut off so as to allow the bush to fit snugly inside or on to the pole tip. Line the bush up with the pole tip until you think it is roughly at the point where it will fit cleanly. You can always cut more kit away as opposed to adding it back on so do not be afraid of making a few cuts until you get it right. When you have reached the required length, lightly sand the tip with sandpaper and lightly chamfer the edge. Tightly roll a piece of sandpaper and clean out the inside edge too. Dab a small bit of super glue on to the tip and place the bush in to position.

Take the bung and insert it in to the end of the top-kit. Take the marker and mark the point where the 1st groove sticks out of the end. Now make a cut with the hacksaw 1 or 2 grooves above this mark so as the bung slides in to the top-kit about 4 inches or so.

Now put the top-kit together and get your elastic. For this article I elasticated a match top 3 kit with pink Daiwa Hydrolastic. This has a rating of 4-6. Take the diamond eye threader and thread it through all of the sections. Take the elastic and pull it through the crossover in the eye so as it is trapped in place. Pull the threader through the kit thus pulling the elastic through all the sections.

Take the end of the elastic and with an overhand knot, tie it on to the end of the bung. In this case a winder bung was used so excess elastic is wrapped around the bung and it is then pulled into the top-kit. You must now find the point at which the elastic has no need to retract in to the pole with the bung in place. Find the point where there is just enough stretch to allow the elastic to slip back inside. Wind on or off the required amount of elastic to make this happen. The point in question is where you need to attach the connector. Slide the connector sleeve and then the connector on to the elastic.

Tie an overhand knot in the elastic to attach the connector.

 Trim the knot and pull the sleeve over the connector so as to cover the knot and keep it all tidy.

The connector should lightly ping back to the bush without excessive force. The elastic can be slackened or tightened by extracting the bung and winding on or off the amount of elastic required.

I have since replaced all my connectors to Maver and Preston Dacron connectors. They help prevent tangles by keeping the line pushed out away from the tip and are also easier to attach rigs to once you get used to them.

Some good news this week, Bye-Law 888 has been officially rescinded and replaced with Bye-Law 897, which doesn't really have the same ring to it if you ask me ..

The new bye-law still covers several rivers across the country however the updates should accommodate all anglers ..

The new updated version of the bye-law is available here

Via

Broadly speaking, there are two types of angling venues in Ireland – wild waters and the commercial venues. For the sake of this article, the term “commercial” refers to any venue, naturally formed or dug artificially; that has had stocks of fish introduced into its waters; that has an owner, manager or management team and charges a fee in the form of a day ticket. Generally speaking, these waters have a high concentration of fish in them and the grounds on which they lie are well maintained with good access in terms of parking spaces, gravel pathways and constructed pegs or platforms from which to fish.  In most cases the fee to use these facilities is not high – maybe five to ten euros for a day’s fishing.

Some anglers prefer to fish these types of venues whilst others favour the waters that have had little or no intervention by man, be they accessible or a little bit “out of the way”. Both types of waters require different approaches for success. As an angler, I much prefer the challenge offered by the wilder waters, in fact I would go so far as to say that I would avoid the commercials but that is just a personal choice and I would not begrudge anybody who prefers to spend their time at a commercial. The pleasure derived from angling is a very personal thing for each angler and what constitutes a good day for one fisherman may be poles apart from what constitutes a good day for the next. Life would be very boring if we all liked the same things.

be it a secluded farm pond…….

I don’t like the idea of fishing in a stocked water but many lads do and I do realise that commercials have their place in Ireland. For starters, they are a very good source of income for the tackle trade. With the Irish market being very small in comparison to the UK market, or that of mainland Europe, tackle shops here can experience slow times of trading, mainly during the trout and salmon closed season and the winter months, when we are much more likely to see a drop in the numbers of visiting overseas anglers. The presence of commercials can keep the trade end of things “ticking over” during the colder months. Anglers who are doubtful of a good days sport at this time may be inclined to try their luck at a stocked venue, maybe fancying their chances of a catch here when conditions are not what they should be for their local river or lake.  This assists the sales of bait and terminal tackle like floats and hooks at a time when, traditionally, a lot of anglers stowed their gear in the shed to dream of the warmer spring months returning.

Many a trout angler can also be encouraged to throw a line out well after the brown trout season has ended by buying a ticket for a stocked rainbow trout lake. For a lot of people this can break up the long winter sitting at home, reading angling books and looking forward to the coming season. It gives them an excuse to get out and make sure their casting does not suffer from lack of practice or learn a new technique that they had been thinking about. And besides, it is far more exciting and interesting to be out fishing, even if it is ridiculously cold in January, than to be sitting at home and reading about it! This “breed” of all year round trout angler will also grace his local tackle shop at some stage, looking for lines, leaders and flies to assist them in their endeavours. Which of course shop owners are delighted with because it gets anglers through the doors on otherwise quiet days.

.

……a rocky stretch of shoreline……..

The commercial waters can also be an excellent place to bring a newcomer to the sport, especially during the warmer months. Something that can put off a new angler is the lack of action that can be experienced on a wild water, when the fish are not feeding or have moved from the swim altogether. By bringing a friend or family member to a commercial there will be a higher chance of them catching more regularly which, at the outset, will keep them far more interested than sitting staring at a motionless float on the likes of a large natural lake. I know a lot of the pleasure in angling is just getting out and enjoying the countryside but try and explain that to an impatient twelve year old who expects to catch every time he casts. These types of waters are an excellent place to build the confidence of a new angler. If they can catch regularly then they can be shown and practice all manner of useful techniques that we utilise in the sport of fishing. You can introduce them to proper fish handling and care, show them how to use disgorgers and how to return fish to the water safely and with ease.

The match angling scene has benefitted greatly from the introduction of commercials and great weights of fish are now commonplace in many of the matches that are run on these venues. Organisers of club matches can now be confident of a good competition with lots of fish to be seen at the end of the day for the weigh-in. The fact that many of the well-known commercials are booked on weekend days for weeks and sometimes months in advance stand testament to this. With large amounts of fish in some of these waters, all competing, very competitively at times, for loosefeed and hookbaits a good days sport can be anticipated.

………..a windswept lough………

The commercial venue an also be of great advantage to the occasional angler. In today’s age of busy lifestyles, work and/or family demands, it is a sorry fact that once enthusiastic anglers can sometimes only have the opportunity to wet a line twice or three times a year. Many an occasional angler prefers to hedge his bets on an “easier” venue. He does not get out fishing all that often and whenever he does he would like to have a very high chance of success. He feels he can have a better days sport for the outlay of a few euros and that is where he decides to spend his time. And why not? Nothing like getting a few bites after a five or six month absence from his sport. This could prove very difficult on a water that he is unfamiliar with, such as one of the large Shannon lakes.

I think possibly the greatest thing that commercial venues have done is open the doors of angling to the mobility impaired or the disabled angler. In many cases there are level paths from car park to pegs and in some cases the management will allow anglers to park their cars right beside the peg. This arrangement has made it so easy for anglers who cannot access many of the wild waters to still go out and have a fantastic day’s sport. There are also many wild venues that have wheelchair accessible stands but these can be severely limiting, maybe allowing only one small area of the water to be fished. A lot of the day tickets waters have many areas of the water accessible to all and if sport is poor in one area then the angler can relocate. This can give them far more options than they would normally have.

It has been suggested to me that the commercial venue has many other benefits. A litter bin by the lake is one. I fail to see this as an advantage. Proper anglers do not need litter bins – they take their rubbish home with them. A lot of these waters have a shop on site that sells bait and tackle to patrons and in a way this could be convenient. Buy everything at the water’s edge and you are all set to go. Or a forgotten item of tackle can be brought there and then. On the other hand, it could be a method of extracting more money from the angler and I have heard stories of groups turning up with their own bait to be told that the venue rules state that only the management’s bait is permitted!

……….or a river snaking its way to the sea, give me a wild venue every time!

Commercials have their place. I do not like to use them myself but fishing and the pleasure you get from it is totally a personal thing and if you like waters with pegs and tidy gravel paths and unnatural surroundings and individually named fish then that is fine. Each to their own. One thing I do not agree with though is specimen or record claims being submitted from commercial venues. Some of these venues have an unnatural amount of feed going into them and therefore the fish gain unnatural weight at an unnatural pace. I think it would be a sad day for Irish angling if the tench record, for example, was replaced by a fish from a stocked, overfed lake. Or any other record, for that matter. Part of fishing for me is doing the homework. Finding new areas, preparing new swims and catching wild fish. Catching a wild specimen requires a degree of skill, planning and perseverance. A fish like this is special but when you do all the work to catch it then it is even more rewarding. Not like pulling up in your car, piling in five kilos of pellets and fishing over that. Call me old fashioned but the skills learned fishing wild venues can never be learned on commercials.

I think a lot of people who fish commercials consistently just have never learned the skills or the watercraft to fish the wild venues. They turn up to the likes of Muckno or one of the canals once a year, throw in half a pint of maggots or a few grains of corn and scratch for bites all day. Then after catching very little they decide "The fishing here has gone to the dogs" and they go back and spend the rest of the season targeting commercials. Either they do not know how to fish the wild venues or they are just not bothered putting the work in. As I said it is a case of each to their own but I feel a little sad for people who only fish commercials because I think they are missing out on a lot of different aspects of fishing. Young anglers nowadays are learning to fish with poles on commercials right from the start and they never learn how to use a rod and reel. They never learn a lot of the skills and watercraft that only a wild venue can teach them. They can bag up every time on a commercial but sit them in front of a river and they are lost. I think it is very sad that a lot of skills are going to be lost if more and more anglers decide to fish the stocked day ticket waters exclusively.

The NCFFI have released their entry form for anglers who wish to take part in the Qualifiers for the 2013 Float and Feeder Teams. We already have details here on the dates and times.

Now you can download the entry forms, print them out and apply at your leisure ..

For the first event on the River Barrow 21/22 April, the Seven Oaks Hotel (beside the venue) has given us a special rate of 45 euros per night B&B or a package of 109 euros for two nights B&B and one evening meal. (Quote NCFFI Qualifiers when booking to get the rate)

Telephone  00353 5991 31308

 

Please remember pegs on the venue are available for practice on the Friday. (Booking via the Manager).

 
Please book in with the manager as soon as possible

You can download the entry form directly from us here ..

Beginners Guide To Fly Fishing For Pike

As I touched on briefly in Cant Double Haul, Wont double Haul, if you want to go fly fishing for pike in Ireland it isn't really that overly complex. Sure, you need to learn to cast and the different line / rod ratings but once you have the basics down it becomes second nature. You will soon find your self discussing the finer details between an intermediate shooting head, a T11/T17 or a Di7 Airflow Extreme that you crafted yourself.

So let's cover a few of the basic requirements you will need to chuck some fluff, or "Christmas decorations", as a good friend of mine describes the flies.

The Basics

The following are what I would describe as the essential items you will need when out on the bank or in a boat.

1. A good unhooking mat

2. A full set of tools, from forceps to cutters. It helps if you pick up the Greys Prowla Tool Roll and the corresponding tools. While this may prove costly, they may become invaluable one day when dealing with a deep-hooked fish.

3. A large landing net.

4. Life jacket

5. Polaroid sunglasses

Without the above you are endangering yourself and more likely the fish you may catch. Think "fish care" at all times.

The Rods

The first thing you need to understand is that fly rods and lines come with an AFTM rating. Now I have a few fly rods for piking for several reasons; the first being when I started I was under the assumption that I'd get a cheap enough rod, try it out and see if actually enjoyed fly fishing for pike.

Well I soon discovered that it was, of course, a great way to fish and went to purchase another rod, thinking that a more expensive rod would give me further distance and a better cast right off the bat. In reality I soon found out that this was not the case at all.

My two rods are rated the exact same, 9 foot #9. One is a Ron Thompson Esox and the other a Grey's Platinum XD.

Originally I started on the Ron Thompson. I found the rod a little awkward at first. It lacked the bump you get when your line extends behind you, so I picked up a Grey's Platinum XD, and found it to be an immediate improvement.

However, since I have managed to double haul now I find the Ron Thompson has some what of a more comfortable grip and I have improved on my timing so I no longer need to feel the bump when the line extends.

So… what rod should you buy? Well, I know a lot of people talk about the Grey GS2 being a great rod to start on, however, I have never used one. The best advice I can give somebody who is starting out is to pick up a second hand rod and see how it feels in your hand. I would not go higher then a 9 foot #9 for the moment. #10 rods are for throwing huge flies, where you need more back bone in the rod.

Lines

Fly lines can really throw you off. There are so many different types that it can get a bit confusing but essentially you have three categories; floating, intermediate and sinking.

I have one of each. In fact I have several of each, bar the floating line. I cannot give you a definitive answer here in relation to which line will catch me more fish, each has it's own purpose and use, at different times of the year – for example, using a fast sinking line with a long leader attached to a floating fly during winter will effectively allow you to twitch the fly a foot or so off the lake bottom, thus attracting any near by pike who maybe hugging the bottom of the  lake.

In summer a floating line or a slow intermediate is preferable as many of the pike are up in the water column. Sinking lines can be used in shallow bays with a  floating fly and a long leader, allowing you to fish the fly several inches below the surface.

Choosing a line can be difficult, there is a huge range of choice from – lines that cost €10 to lines that cost €70 .. I will go through some of the line I have used and the two I use now..

John Norris Pro2 Big Fly Floating Lines

John Norris Pro2 Big Fly Intermediate Fly Lines

John Norris Pro2 Big Fly Sink 2 Fly Lines

I already had a floating line but was not happy with it, so it went in the bin and I tried the John Norris lines but never really gelled with them. Again, as I have mentioned above, now that my loops are tighter and I can double haul, I will go back to them and see how they feel.

Moving on, as I was unsatisfied with the above lines I made the crazy purchase of a Rio Outbound line. For those of you that are not aware, Rio make some fantastic lines but they also charge a fantastic price.

Rio Outbound Integrated Shooting Taper Fly Line – Intermediate

This Intermediate line comes with an integrated shooting head which may leave you wondering, "What the heck is that?". Well the line essentially has a much heavier head on it. While the line is rated as a #9, the head is more like a #12, thus allowing you to load the rod more and to throw the line further.

And finally a

Shakespere Glider Flyline EFS

This was my new sinking line coming in at a DI-3 sink. I find it is quite fast to sink and has a very low diameter. However, I find it is not as easy to haul as the Rio shooting head, simply as the shooting head is designed for distance.

I think I will actually try out the John Norris sinking line again as a replacement for the Shakespere Line.

Finally the Guideline pike series, I have not used these lines but have been told they are fantastic. You will notice they come in two basic lines; a floating and a Sink1 and a Sink 3. Both are WF (weight forward taper, to help with throwing the flies).

So what do I recommend for a beginner?  Well, it's March now and if you intend on taking up fly fishing for pike at this time of year you will find a lot of pike are located in the shallows or up in the water. You could buy a full range of lines; sinking, intermediate and floating. Or two intermediates and a sinking… why two intermediates? Well you could arm your self with a slow sinker and a fast sinking intermediate, thus covering a wide range of fishing and depth variables.

The final, and in some cases most important, piece of advice I can give you is if you buy a cheap line, always go up one weight. If you rod is a #9, buy your line in a #10, generally (but not always) cheaper lines do not have the same quality as say a €70 line.

Reels

There is an abundance of choice out there when it comes to reels but in reality your reel is only there to hold the line. It is important to at least match the reel to the AFTM of your rod.

The reel that I use is an Okuma Airframe  and it comes with 3 spare spools and a case. It has a fairly solid drag, although you will soon find that the drag is not terribly important when you connect with a pike.

You can spend hundreds on a reel and spare spools but for a beginner I would highly recommend the Okuma airflow, simply due to the number of spare spools you get with it.

Leaders

So now we are getting to the business end of things. Your leader is a fluorocarbon line, and like everything else, you have a few choices; you can buy a pre-cut leader from a well known manufacturer like Cortland's toothy critters leader

You always have the alternate option of making your own leaders. I use a spool of Seaguar Ace Fluorocarbon. Take a length of about 7 – 9 foot and tie a perfection loop on to the end of this and connect it to the end of your braided loop. You can shorted this length as you require.

On the bottom end of the leader I attach 12 – 18 inches of Surflon Micro Supreme Camo. To attach them I use a shock leader knot, with the over hand knot being on the wire side.

It is often suggested that a dab of glue should be applied to secure this knot.

Flies

As with everything else we have discussed you have two choices for flies; you can buy ready made flies or you can venture in to the world of fly tying. For the moment we will discuss ready made flies, as my fly tying skills leave a lot to be desired.

So what should you look for in a fly? Generally I separate flies into two categories; flies with flash and natural bait fish flies. Of course you also could separate them based on floating, sinking, neutral buoyancy, etc ..

But I find on some days flash based flies work better then natural flies, mostly in coloured water, where the natural flies perform better in clear waters as they more subtle.

Where to get your flies? Well, there are plenty of options..

PikeTrek provide some fantastic pre-tied baitfish patterns, of which I have quite a few..

Dave Lindsay is heralded as one of the first to really get the sport going in the UK. Dave ties some amazing flies, reach out to him on this blog and he will send you some goodies

Fulling Mill – Another Large range of quality pike flies. I think I have two of three of these, in the same pattern.

Norbert Renaud - Cavan based French angler (although he's more Irish now than French). Norbert is well known around Ireland for his beautifully tied pike flies. Check out his blog for some of the videos and to order flies off him ..

Simon Graham – Possibly one of the most amazing fly tiers I have ever spoken to or purchased flies from. Simon stocks a huge range of flies on his online store

Finally I will add – check out your local tackle shop for flies. There are plenty of other manufacturers who supply direct to shops, many of which I have tried and had success with.

That should cover the basic items you will require for getting out there. Finally I will add that while the initial premise may seem daunting (casting a wet sock) the feeling of anticipation while twitching a fly through reeds and lillies simply cannot be beaten .

If you have further questions leave a comment below, and we can organise a day out for any anglers who would like to try fluffing for pike, free of charge of course..

The Angling Council Of Ireland Today held there AGM today 10th March at the Sports HQ, 13 Joyce Way, Park West Business Park, Dublin 12.

With the departure of TAFI, and the loss of 2011 President Eamon Moore the ACI today Voted in Tom Lillis, Chairman of the Irish Federation Of Sea Anglers as the new President of the A.C.I.

From all of us here at ICF, we would like to wish Tom all the best in his new role during 2012.

Following on from the fantastic announcement that Ireland is to host the World Pairs

Liam O'brien graciously passed this on to us last week, unfortunately I was help up fishing to get it posted until now ( sorry liam )

To enter, download the picture print it off and follow the directions … simples…

Who wants to pair with me so ?

You can grab the form from here

Biosecurity Awareness Evening

IFI in association with the IADA will be holding
awareness evenings in the following locations:

March 27th – The Wetlands Centre, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan
Hosted by Ballybay Angling Association

April 18th – Cavan Crystal Hotel, Dublin Road, Co. Cavan
Hosted by Cavan Anglers

May 23rd – Salthill Hotel, Salthill, Co. Galway
Hosted by Galway CAC

ALL EVENTS WILL RUN FROM 7:30 TO 9:00PM

Topics on the nights include:
Meet the experts on Invasive Species
Hands on identification of Invasive Species
Learn the five point rules
Learn disinfection procedures for anglers and boaters
For further information contact iadasecretary@gmail.com

At the end of 2011 I resolved to not sit on my seatbox all through out the winter but instead to branch off and take up piking with some gusto.

Of course with everything, sitting on a chair, waiting for runs was ok for a while but I felt the lack of action was killing my enjoyment a little. However, I wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

In the interim I picked up a fly rod and some advice from a few of the PFFA guys over here in Ireland. I was fortunate enough to get a few days out with Stuart and the guys over the winter but it soon became apparent that your success rate with piking is really ruled by your location.

While fishing from the shoreline produces big fish during the winter months, you need to have an abundant amount of time on any one lake, constantly moving from swim to swim searching out where that big pike is sitting.

With a little help and advice from Liam O'Brien, I was off to talk to John McAdoo from Darragh boats and one month later I was ready to hit the water, fly rod in one hand and engine in the other (the engine is actually pretty heavy, you need two hands to hold it).

During all this however I took the opportunity to tackle a river near by, so with some warm clothes and a selection of flies I headed off.

After much walking about looking for a clear spot, I settled on the above and finally a few times through the swim a jack made a dart for my fly. success !!!

It was only a tiny jack of about 2 lb or so but my first fish on the fly, needless to say I was delighted.

Eventually, John called to say the boat was ready. Liam and I arranged a day to take it out, and christen her with a few pike. The weather, however, had other ideas and with a gale blowing that day we found a sheltered corner and I set about throwing a fly. Fishing on the day was slow even with lures. I had one definite follow from a jack, as i lifted the fly out of the water the jack struck but was too slow, he turned in the water, and was gone, never to be seen again.

Eventually I picked this little guy on a copper spoon and the boat was christened ..

Anyway, back on topic, My first real day out on the boat fly fishing for pike was over in Monaghan with the PFFA guys. I was fortunate to meet Gerry Smyth he and his father run http://www.borderfishing.com/

Fishing on the day was slow and I left with no fish to my name. Luckily, I had already christened the boat …

So why the "Cant Double Haul, Won't Double Haul?". Well, I've been out trout fishing a few times over the last year and never really had the need to learn how to single haul or double haul.

Well I soon learned that these things take practice and lots of it. I was fortunate enough to get out twice over the past weekend and pick up one fish, with numerous misses along the way

I had seen all the videos on the web showing how the double haul works, slowed down, sped up, broken down and fully explained. Eventually over the weekend, I found my self gaining confidence in the inter and sinking line I was using. I could feel the line extend fully behind the rod, I was able to single haul, its not that difficult, at least on the back haul. Trying to incorporate the double haul with this was proving difficult but after a few failed attempts I soon found my timing and was able to keep the line tight to the bottom ring on the forward and backward casts.

On Monday I was fortunate enough to hook up with Norbert Renaud. Originally a French angler who has been living in Cavan now for about 20 years. He is well known for his amazing pike flies, which can be seeing for sale on his website.

We spent a few hours on a local lake, where he picked up a spirited jack and I missed one take. However it was an a fantastic learning experience, from tips on fly tying to simple casting to differing fly weights and fly lines.

Norbert also runs a very entertaining and education Vimo channel featuring flytying and plenty of pike on the fly.

As the day progressed I found my double haul improving quickly, however, I'm still lacking in distance, so it is back to the old saying practice makes perfect.

That brings my fly fishing for pike right up to date. While I've not detailed the rods, reels and lines that I use just yet it does cover the majority of outings and events.

Check back soon and I will go through the tackle required..

First 40lb carp banked in Ireland

  Some fantastic news is just staring to hit the tubes; Ireland's first 40lb carp was banked last night weighing in at an amazing 40lb and 2ozs. Angler Andy Doyle successfully tempted the 40lb fish known locally as "Big Hole" at the very late hour of 4 am.    

VIA

 As announced by the minister last night in the Seanad…….

Following concerns raised with Inland Fisheries Ireland by a delegation from the Angling Council of Ireland which included representatives from all major angling disciplines (including IFPAC).

The following changes will be implemented:

1. Bye Law 888 will shortly be revoked and replaced by Bye Law 897 2012. This change will have the effect of removing a number of provisions which had the unintended consequences in the implementation of Bye Law 888.

2. While this particular Bye Law was part of the proposed Salmon management regulations, it is recognised that those proposals had the potential to ultimately affect coarse and Pike anglers. These anglers would not necessarily have had reason previously to examine the consultation documents for Salmon management and hence they did not appreciate the significance of the proposed Bye-Law.

Therefore, following discussion with the Angling delegation, it has been agreed that for future years, in addition to publication on my Departments's website, the advisory/consultation documentation will be sent directly to the main angler representative bodies in advance of sign off. The angling representatives can then disseminate to their members and other interested parties.

3. Reference to banning prawn and shrimp as angling baits be removed from the Bye-Law.

4. Remove the River Fergus system from the Bye-Law.

5. Remove the Kilcolgan River from the Bye-Law.

6. All other issues can be dealt with through giving a clear communication of the spirit and intent of the Bye-Law and how it is going to be implemented.

2012 NCFFI FLOAT AND FEEDER QUALIFIERS

The NCFFI Float and Feeder Team qualifiers to select teams for the 2013 World, European and Celtic Cup teams will be fished in an All-Ireland Qualifier format, to CIPS rules, over six weekends in 2012.
The manager, Mark Theedom, feels that the new format of running events in all areas of Ireland will be more inclusive and encourage many more anglers to participate in the current Ireland Team Qualifier system.

The Series will be fished on the following dates and venues (subject to fishing/water conditions on the venues selected).

1. Sat/Sun 21/22nd April – River Barrow, Co Carlow.
2. Sat/Sun 19/20 May – Inniscarra, Co Cork.
3. Sat/Sun 02/03 Jun – River Shannon O' Brien's Bridge, Co Clare
4. Sat/Sun 11/12 Aug – Lough Muckno, Co Monaghan.
5. Sat/Sun 22/23 Sept- Lough Oughter, Co Cavan.
6. Sat/Sun 20/21 Oct – Lower River Bann, Co Antrim.

It is proposed that the Float Qualifier’s will be fished on the Saturday and will also include a Junior section. The Feeder Qualifier will be fished on the Sunday on the same venue.

The series will be open to all anglers who are members of NCFFI affiliated clubs. It is hoped to create six good fishing weekends that are open and inclusive to all anglers and that dates are fully supported by all NCFFI clubs and provinces.

All senior anglers will pay a 60 Euro entry fee for the six match series which will help fund teams travelling to the 2013 championships. Individual anglers who are not intending to fish the series but wishing to fish individual qualifiers in their local area will be charged a fee of 15 Euros which will also go to team funds.
Optional pools with a 100% payout may be organised by the participating anglers.
Juniors will not be expected to pay any entry fee or pools.

Mark will select his teams from the top 20 anglers in the Float Qualifiers and the top 50% of anglers taking part in the Feeder Qualifiers.

Mark commented “Anglers are not required to fish all matches, but by adopting this system we would hope to encourage more anglers to try for the national team, obviously the more qualifiers you fish the greater the chance of selection.”

Italian tackle giant Tubertini sponsors of Tubertini Team Ireland will also sponsor tackle prizes for both events.

2012 WATERWAYS JUNIOR CLASSIC

The Waterway’s Ireland Junior Classic Fishing event will again take place this year.

The dates are confirmed as Sat 03/10/17 March, with the draw at the Lakeland Forum car park at 9.00am each morning.

Fishing will be 10.30 to 2.30pm, all junior under 19 years of age on 31 Dec 2011 are welcome to attend.

The event will, as normal, have prizes in different age groups as well as Schools and Open Team events.

This series of matches will also be used to select the junior Ulster team (8 anglers) for this years Inter-provincial on the weekend 30 June/01 July.

We will publish further information when the entry form is available.

…Contact Jack Tisdall

The World Pairs Coarse Angling Championship – Lakeland & Inland Waterways Ireland

Set in the counties of Monaghan, Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh this is a pairs match the type of which has NEVER been seen before.

The match will be a four day competition to be run the week of 9th to 15th of September 2012 and the prize pool is in excess of £60,000.

1st Pair – £30,000
2nd – £10,000
3rd – £5,000
4th – 10th places – £1,000

There will be many more prizes along with individual super pools as well.

This truly is set to be ‘the match of the year’ and absolutely anyone can enter and you are all in with a chance of winning – while fishing in the beautiful surroundings of the Irish countryside. Whats more this is a match that is RUN BY ANGLERS FOR ANGLERS and this means we intend to make sure the best pegs are used along with many new sections which have been carefully researched and selected.

The format of the match is based purely on total weight of the pair of anglers over the four competition days – on the off days there will be further open matches to take part in so you can make the most of the great fishing which is available in Ireland during September. Entry per pair is £70 (£35 per angler) when booked through one of the official travel companies associated with the event, if you book direct with Lakeland and Inland Waterways Ireland then the entry is £90 per pair.

The exact sections and format of the match are yet to be disclosed as much depends on the numbers of anglers attending – although the prize pool is GAURANTEED!

You dont need to be ‘venue experts’ to win this match – you just need to be able to catch roach and bream, and there are some massive shoals of them to be found in the lakes and rivers that the event will be staged on!

If you enter you will be invited to the opening and closing ceremonies and enjoy the greatest place on earth for coarse angling – there is plenty of craic and anglers from all over Europe are invited to attend. GET YOUR NAMES DOWN NOW!

For more information, entry forms and travel arrangements please call KEVIN LOCKEE on 07736 129 627

You can also find further info here on the Talk Angling forum

Ballybay Angling Association Open Pike Match Results

Ballybay Angling Association in conjunction with Irelands Coarse Fishing hosted their first annual Pike competition on Lough Egish on Sunday 22nd January. Just under 60 anglers attended on the day, with 30 fish in total being caught.

High winds pushed fish into the deeper waters, with many of the larger catches coming from the Lattonfasky roadside.

Results from the day were;

1st – Pat Clarke  with 23 lb 15oz,
2nd – Pat Daly  with 17 lbs,
3rd – Andrew Keyzeveius  with 8 lb 3oz
4th – Henri Walkowek  with 7 lb 13 oz

Heaviest fish of the day went to Pat Daly with 12 lb 8oz and the prize for fish caught nearest the secret time went to Piotr Kaczmarek.

Steward's prize went to Neil O'Brien for the most fish weighed.

Ballybay Angling Association and Irelands Coarse Fishing would like to thank Venture Sports and Anglers Paradise for donating some of the prizes for the day, also John Murray ( Lake View Lodge ) for providing food and refreshments for all anglers after the match.

ICF Video Review Of The Year 2011

A few pictures detailing some of the catches our members have had over 2011.

Carlow C.A.C. Anglers Bag Up Again