Roll on 2009

As it was the last day of my DCAL license I figured I had to at least spent a couple of hours on the only public water still open nearby - Woodburn Reservoir.

I haven't been out for ages so I was quite excited at the prospect of spending a couple of hours by the water. One silver lining of being a father is that I'm getting slightly more used to getting up earlier. This led me to being beside the water at the ungodly hour of 10am. Blurgh, i didn't know you could fish this early. One of the downsides of being there that early was that it was c-c-c-cold. I wrapped up pretty good, I'd tonnes of warm Christmas presents but one thing that let me down was the fact that my hands were freezing. I'd gloves with me but wearing them I had absolutely no line control, so off they came.

From the outset i knew the day was going to be difficult but judging from the number of fish stealing bastards cormorants, there did seem to be fish in the water. These proved to be a mile from the bank though. I mainly stuck to sinking lines and lures, but if I'm honest all this did was highlight a couple of casting deficiencies as i struggled to cast to the horizon. For a while it looks like fish had moved in to the shallow end of the reservoir and in calm water too. I had a crack at them with a bloodworm under a pimp but alas the activity turned out to be a family of duckings practicing their diving.

Unfortunately this ended up another fishless day, which meant i still haven't had an opportunity to try out an ingenious invention by Steve Dobson the Dobson Clip which holds your rod securely allowing both hands to be used to unhook the fish.

After noticing the varnish chipping off near my rod rings this has further prompted me to get a new rod for 2009. At the moment I'm dreaming about a Hardy Demon setup, but as this is a little out of my price range I'll have to settle for something else.

Therefore from today I've put together my Fishing New Year's resolutions

1. Get a new Rod (something pretty, that makes me cast like an expert)
2. Get some casting lessons, I'm dreading this, I've a sneaky suspicion I'm unteachable
3. Post to Blog more frequently
4. Stop Blanking

I'm not too sure how I'll manage the last one, but the first two are quite obtainable. Stevie Munn is rumoured to be an excellent casting instructor who also happens to be a online tackle dealer, I'm hoping that besides trying to break me out of my self-taught bad habits he can bring along a couple of rods for me to try out.

All in all, I'm quite looking forward to the new fishing year.

Tight Lines to you all for 2009

Aggh the dreaded caenis, Straid 21st July

Managed to escape for a couple of hours in the evening. Everything looked great, the was a slight breeze and the sky was clouded over. Confidence was high for an incredible night fishing.

Unfortunately their was a big hatch of caenis and the fish were on them solidly. Started off with my old favorite the f fly but these didn't even get a look in. Switched to a rat faced mcdougal and tried to fish in the holes in the weed at the far bank. This proved more successful and I was soon into a great fish that took me down to the backing, my backing hadn't seen daylight for a long time.

After the first fish the trout moved in close and locked onto the caenis. it was incredibly frustrating seeing them so close and have them refuse everything. After a brief conflab with the manager, a shuttlecock fly was used. This proved to be successful and another smaller fish was hooked. By this time the night had fallen in but we still pushed through till we couldn't see the water let alone our flies.

We had been at Straid about a month ago on a boat but as we were bank fishing this time, we were able to see what the new fishery manager has done to the place. The banks are very accessible now, with new paths cut in the long grass and new pegs. Whilst it was alwaays a great fishery, I feel it will get even better over the next year.

Middle south woodburn, 7th May

looks like another term is nearly finished at Uni. Yay.

In a brief break from assignments and revising Andrew and I set off to try our luck at woodburn.

We started of at the Upper south, which is apparently a wild fishery and had some great craic fishing for tiny trout. I eventually caught a little scrapper on an F fly.

After spending too much time fishing for tiddlers we headed to the middle damn. Andrew racing ahead in anticipation of the prospect of catching something a bit bigger. By the time I caught up to him he was into a fair size of fish, which had fallen to his second cast of a snatcher.

It weighed in at about 2lbs but given a month or two probably would have been twice this as it was fairly skinny.

After this fish the reservoir choose not to be very productive. Possibly due to the extremely low water levels and bright sky. We still choose to fish on and pretty much gave every fly we owned a quick dunk in the water.

Cardmaking and fishing, the two worlds collide

Thought I would share this amazing birthday card. Wifey made it for me for my 30th birthday, the picture was taken at Moorbrooks and will remind me of a most incredible day flyfishing. if you're interested in cardmaking or scrapbooking, you should check out her and her sister's blog at Cleocrafts

Woodburn South Middle, 25th March

Started out with high hopes for today, After a quick ring around to recruit some fishermen, I always leave this until last moment, my brother was recruited. This of course meant i had to wait for a couple of hours to let him get sorted, Grrr. Arrived at reservoir at about two, two hours later than planned, Grrrrr. Not a bad day, the wind was down from the gale forces previously experienced and the rain was light.





I had stepped up the rod to my 7wt and was pleased with the increased distance. Using the 5wt for so long seems to have taught me a bit of finesse. There was a slight activity at the surface and i opted with buzzers, Nick opted for the dry. This he then casted into the only tree within 500yrds.

Unfortunately the day had to be cut short as obligations arose. Grrrrrr. At least i got lines wet, i had envisaged a fishing drought for the foreseeable future as uni and impending family-hood commitments arose.

10th March Middle South Woodburn

AT LAST!!

Finally i manage to land a fish, and it was worth the wait. I fished the Middle South Woodburn, and persevered almost every type of weather but finally my Pb brown trout (1 3/4lbs) fell to a black buzzer fished a couple of feet below surface. I was using my 5wt so the fight was a bit hairy for a bit. Gave up and went home soon after fish was caught, the proudest man in Co Antrim. I was afraid what weather might come next. While heading home i was treated to a rainbow, that i was sure was sent to congratulate me.

5th march, killylane

Ye Gods, what does it take to catch a fish

ONce again the wind followed me around the reservoir, no fish were catch and only seen towards the end. a great deal of small flies in the surface film at the windblown side, nothing eating them though. Pretty much had a go at everything, but mainly concentrated on bloodworm and a black buzezer, although suffers alot of tangles when used together. Does seem like a credible brown trout fishery though, the people there spoke highly of it and it is largly unknown. When the weather calms down i will investigate this more seriously. It is largly surrounded by peat, i don't know if this will effect the aquatic life makeup at all.

Ponts of interest: i meet the straid fishery manager today at killylane, he recommended dungonnell in the summer.

Also just noticed that killylane is ment to be disabled accessable. I didn't think this was the case at all.

3rd march Marshalstown and killylane

Started getting far too cold in marshalstown, water very high and very windy. no action at water. packed upp and went to killylane. i remembered that someone said that brown trout feed earlier and in colder weather so figured this would be a fair bet. i wasn't expecting it to start snowing. Only had an hour there, most of which was sppent nosying around. did startle fish twice near the edge, i think i'm going to investigate further.

Thurs 28th feb Woodburn

Almost the start of the season for real. Enough of this practising at north woodburn. Come Saturday the world(northern Ireland, but not Carlingford or Foyle) will be my oyster. Another disapointing day. Waved rod about ineffectivly for a couple of hours with a varity of flies on end.

Points of interest: i met a baliff today for the first time. very genial fellow but re-assures me to buy a permit for next year too.

16th feb craigavon

Just out for an hour, trying to break the deadlock that pimps have over me. using goldhead montana, not a bit of fish. though quite well about where to fish. fished into wind pushed spot. although, i did start off with suspended bloodworm. will be back later in year as it's the only water that dcal has that i can use the canoe on. it is very shallow though. blanked again but i wasn't expecting much.

woodburn 15th feb

AAAHHHH

What do i have to do to catch a fish here. started of with a long leader (which i got caught instantly on the bottom and lost it) went back to pimp with bloodworm. then switched to a sinking line with wet flies. after lack of success and ass starting to freeze went home. got chatting to a fella fishing from his van. he was having good success. he only was starting fishing towards dusk and catching a couple everytime. i rigged up again and fished dry's into the night. eery. still nothing though. fish got active again at dusk. i feel as though i'm on o something

woodford 13th feb

woodford fly fishery. carrickerfergus. v. calm bright, no clouds.

absoludly no action on end of line. rats ass. tried quite alot of every thing. bloodworm, buzzers, elk hair dry, cdc f fly. using 5wt and floating line

alot of fish movemnt on surface, some acrobatics. fish rumoured to be carrring eggs, could have been trying to shed them. some very big fish (doubles?) showing themselves carrining around the surface. could also have been weedkiller. aparently that sends them crazy for a while too?

conclusions. bring 7wt out and go with lures for a bit, definatley sinking lines

Sat 09 feb evening Upper Woodburn, flyfishing, blowy and overcast

Started off with goldhead bloodworm under a pimp, fished close into the bank(wind on casting arm poor range), no joy.

switched onto cdc shuttlecock with wind at back and fishing into still water. no joy.

At the end as evening was drawing to a close tryed on the outlet pipe( not too sure of technial name or if i was allowed to walk out there) fish coming to surface. tryed goldhead peasant tail. no joy. but fish had become visble at surface for first time.

conclusion: must learn to cast into wind.

things to try: return to pier/outlet thing at dusk and try big black dries

Other Oberservations: Saw a dead otter, possibly poisined as no visible damage
took friend up, first day out flyfishing, must remember to catch fish when with witnesses