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From Jan 01, 1999 To Feb 06, 2012
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Jul 3, 2009; 02:11PM - Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery (Ireland). May/June Report
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Category: Ireland
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Author Name: Ian Powell
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Author E-mail: info@ireland-salmon-fishing.net
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Report Description:
Excellent Early Season Fishing on Ireland’s Cork Blackwater.
The total catch on the Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery for May was 53 salmon to 13lb. averaging 8.1lb for only 182 rod days. This was the third best ever recorded, & the best since 1996. Last year we had only 22 for May averaging 7.3lb for 132 rod days.
Our total catch for June was 51 salmon to 16lb. averaging 8.2lb for only 171 rod days
Last year for June we had only 21 salmon averaging 8.0lb for 271 rod days.
Not only is the average size of the fish increasing, but the catch/rod day has shown a huge increase.
Catch per Rod Day
Year May June
2008 0.17 0.08
2009 0.29 0.30
The average number of rods fishing per beat each day for May & June 2009 was 0.36 compared to 0.41 for the same period last year - a reduction of 12% in fishing effort but which yielded a 142% increase in the number of fish caught. One can only conjecture what the catch would be if more rods were fishing.
Prospects
The grilse run is picking up with more & more being seen running each day as we go into July. This also coincides with reports of large numbers of grilse off the West Coast which are moving in towards the coast to run the rivers. The grilse normally don't need high water levels to encourage them to run.
Where to meet us
Glenda is once again demonstrating fly-casting at the Irish Game & Country Fair at Birr Castle in Co. Offaly on August 22/23. We will also have a stand at the Fair.
She has a special show planned featuring a team selected from some of the 10-12 year old girls who have been on her Fishstart programme this year in the Blackwater Valley. Country Channel TV filmed at Shanes Castle fair last weekend & will also film at Birr so watch out for Glenda on http://www.countrychannel.tv/
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Apr 5, 2009; 12:45PM - Superb Spring Salmon Fishing in Ireland
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Category: Ireland
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Author Name: Ian Powell
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Author E-mail: info@ireland-salmon-fishing.net
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Report Description:
April 2, 2009 – Ian Powell with an 11 pounder on fly from Beat 6 – Lower Kilmurry. The fish was released alive.
The Cork Blackwater in Southern Ireland is having a 'purple patch' in terms of spring Atlantic salmon fishing.
On Blackwater Lodge beats, eight springers to 14lb. have been taken in the period from March 25 to April 3 for only 35 rod days.
Prospects
The river is currently in superb fly order with a medium summer level & excellent clarity. Great prospects for sport in the coming week, especially on fly.
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Mar 27, 2009; 09:01PM - Cork Blackwater
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Category: Ireland
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Author Name: Ian Powell
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Author E-mail: info@ireland-salmon-fishing.net
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Report Description:
First Salmon of the Season on Fly!
On March 25th., the first salmon to be caught on the fly on the Blackwater Lodge Fishery this season was taken.
The fish was unhooked & released without even being lifted from the water.
Egil Olsen lead a party of 3 Norwegians to Blackwater Lodge for their first ever visit.
They arrived for a 4 day stay at 2.00pm on Wednesday, March 25 - earlier than their planned arrival time of 10.00pm. T
hey were due to start fishing on the 26th.
With some of the day still left, we offered them free fishing for the afternoon, & they got to the beat at about 3.30pm.
Bjornar Berg had no more than about 15 casts & caught the fish on a 1' Willie Gunn tube fished on a hover tip shooting head line!
Being a very sporting angler, he duly returned the fish alive - not even lifting it out of the water to unhook it or to present the fish fully to the camera.
The fish was measured against his rod at 82cm or 32.3 inches which gives an estimated weight of approx. 14lb.
The party was back at the Lodge by 5.00pm to celebrate.
Prospects
With the river at 0.41m on the gauge, superb clarity and fish being seen all the way to the upper beats,
the prospects for the coming week are excellent, especially for fly-fishing.
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Feb 22, 2009; 12:49PM - The First Spring Salmon of 2009 is Caught!
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Category: Ireland
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Author Name: Ian Powell
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Author E-mail: info@ireland-salmon-fishing.net
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Report Description:
Report from Ireland’s Cork Blackwater (Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery)
At 17.30pm on the 19th. February, local angler Bill McNamara caught this superb fresh-run salmon
- the first springer of the season on the Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery. The fish fell to spinner and weighed 6.7lb.We believe that there may have been four other springers already caught on the private beat below the first weir on the river, which is immediately above our Beat 7, but this is rumour rather than fact.
The Lodge has 16 beats on the river.
They are spread out from only 3 miles above the tidal limit to over 30 miles further upstream.
It is interesting to see the distribution of fish hooked/caught in relation to the geography of the river.
The first springer hooked was on Beat 8 - Ballyhooly Bridge (17 miles upstream of the Lodge) on the 1st. February – on fly when there was a 7 foot flood on the river.
The second springer hooked was on the top beat which is Beat 16 -: Ballygarrett, which is over 28 miles upstream of the Lodge. That fish was hooked on spinner.
The first fish caught (above photo) was on Beat 5 – Inchinleama.
The rainfall has abated in the last 10 days, and the river is now coming down to a perfect fly height & clarity.
The water temperature is 7°C - 45°F.
Prospects
Absolutely superb for spring fishing in the coming weeks, with springers present and the river in fantastic order. The only reason that more springers have not been caught already is the low fishing effort.
There have only been 44 rod days on the fishery in the first 20 days of the season.
An average of only 2 rods/day over 14 miles of fishing!
Spawning Run
The spawning run has been truly exceptional and is judged to be one of the best since the 1960s. T
here are a huge number of very well-mended kelts in the river. Remarkably, disease is almost totally absent,
which is a very pleasant surprise with the very high concentration of fish in the river.
All this bodes well for the stocks of salmon for the future.
Availability of Rods
There is no problem for rod availability on most of the fisheries on the Blackwater at the moment.
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