Whenever i manage to get over to the west of Ireland, i try to get fishing on one of my favourite lakes Moher Lough. This time was no different so i chose Moher as my first lake to fish on. It was a dry day with bright sunshine and a warm breeze blowing across the lake. While i was preparing the boat i noticed there was a lot of fish moving out in the lake. I also noticed a lot of fly life on the lake side with Olives, Duckfly and Alder flies there in good numbers. After noticing the flies that were about, i set up the rod with a team of wet flies. I tied an Olive Dabbbler on the point with a wet Alder on the middle dropper and a Duck Fly imitation on the top dropper.

I headed out on to the lake to take my first drift over the fish i had seen moving earlier. This drift proved successful as i caught and released five wild brown trout. I took several more successful drifts before things started to slow down. I caught and released a total of eighteen fish for my outing. Most of the fish that i caught were wild fish although i did catch two stocked fish. Each of the flies on the team were successful with none of them outdoing the others. It was another wonderful day out on Moher Lough. I will be checking it out next time i am over that way again.

My next outing was to Lough Fadda. It was another bright day with lots of warm sunshine and a warm breeze blowing on to the lake. Looking around when i got there i noticed large numbers of Hawthorn flies flitting about along the shore of the lake and there was a number of fish showing at the surface. No boats were available at this time of the year so i put on my waders and fished it from the shore. I set up the rod with a black Klinkhammer to fish it dry to the rising fish. My thinking was that the fish were taking some of the Hawthorn flies that were blown onto the lake.

After a couple of casts i hooked a nice little wild brown trout which i released back in to the lake for another day. I walked the shoreline looking out for fish rising and casting to each fish i saw. I missed several fish before i caught and released another wild fish. I had a total of six fish for my outing on Lough Fadda. Clifden Anglers issue permits for Lough Fadda along with many other fine lakes in the area. Permits can be purchased locally.

My next outing was to Lettercraffroe Lough which is way off the beaten path but nevertheless well worth checking out even just for the sheer beauty and perfect silence of it. I did not know what to expect of this lake as i was only going by local knowledge. It was early evening when i got there and the weather was changing with the sky clouding over and soft rain starting to fall. I set the rod up the same as i did for the previous outing and set off to fish it from the shore. There were several fish moving at the surface so i cast the Klinkhammer over them. After a few misses, i eventually hooked and landed a nice wild brown trout of about three quarters of a pound. The fish seemed to me to be coming short to the fly so i decided to change tactics to fishing a team of wet flies. The team consisted of an Alder on the point with a Duckfly imitation in the middle and an Olive Dabbler on the top. A few casts later and i had another fish caught and released which was about the pound mark. I caught and released another four fish all over the half pound mark. All of the fish were taken on the Duckfly imitation. A great outing to a wild and beautiful lake. I went back to Lettercraffroe for another successful outing before my holiday ended.

The next day i headed out to check out Seecon Lough which is located above Oughterard. It is another lake that is well off the beaten path and set in beautiful scenery. When i got there i noticed lots of activity with  fish rising all over the lake. The day was another one of bright sunshine along with a warm breeze. I set the rod up to fish a Klinkhammer dry to the rising fish. There was also plenty of fly life about with Olives, Alders and Duckfly there in large numbers. When i got down to the lake shore i noticed the fish were taking the Olives and along the shoreline the fish were busy taking the Alders that were blown onto the water. I caught and released five wild brown trout all caught on the Klinkhammer before i decide to have a go at the fish that were rising closer to the shore. I tied on a brown foam Sedge as it was the nearest fly i had to imitate the Alders that were on the water surface. I cast this over the fish near the shore and it accounted for another fifteen fish the best making the half pound mark. It was another great day out fishing in a truely wild and beautiful  place.

The local knowledge was given to me by Thomas Tuck who runs the tackle shop in Oughterard. Thomas has firsthand knowledge of all the fishing in the area and he gives it out willingly. It was Thomas who put me on the fish in the local lakes he has first hand knowledge of the area and knows every laneway and track down to the very last detail about each lake. Anyone that is thinking of visiting Oughterard for the fishing should make calling into Thomas Tucks a must as you will get all your needs including uptodate info on what is happening fishing wise in the locality. Ph thomas Tuck: 091 552335 or follow them on Facebook. Thanks Thomas. I will call next time i  am in or near Oughterard.

I have fished in many places in Ireland and enjoyed some great fishing but with all it has to offer the fly fisher, Oughterard has become a firm favourite of mine. There are so many wild and remote little lakes and rivers dotted all around Oughterard that i have yet to fish on. I hope that some day i will pack up everything and head for Oughterard and make it my home place but in the meantime i will try to get over to fish on some of it wild places as often as i can.

Lough Muck

Lough Muck.

My first outing was to Lough Muck near Foxford, Co. Mayo. It is a small lake set in beautiful surroundings among the hills of the Foxford to Swinford road. It has a good stock of free rising wild brown trout. After enquiring locally as to whether a permit was required and also to find out if i could hire a boat, i got a phone number for boat hire. When i got to the lake i found that the boat was dry and ready for fishing. Looking around the lake shore to see was there any signs of fly life to give me an indication as to what flies to use, i saw some Mayflies on the reeds and on the boat.

Mayfly (Green Drake)

I set up the rod with a team of dabblers i.e. pearly, olive and claret. The day was overcast with a good breeze blowing up the lake from the jetty. There also was some rain showers forecast. For the first drift i headed up the lake towards the opposite shore which is rocky and which also has a good growth of small trees along it. Setting the boat up for the drift i noticed some Mayfly coming off the water and a few fish rising to them. First cast and fish on. It took the olive dabbler and was a nice little fish of about twenty two centimetres. The first drift counted for four nicely marked hard fighting wild brownies. I fished the same drift for about three hours or so getting fish on each drift. The wind picked up along with heavy rain and the fish stopped rising so i headed back to the jetty. I finished the day with a total of fifteen fish all of which i returned to rise on another day. With the water temperature at sixteen degrees Celcius, Mayflies hatching and the trout rising i planned to get back fishing on Muck before the week was out.

Moher Lough

 Moher Lough.

To me no fishing trip to Mayo would be complete if i did not take a outing on Moher Lough. This time was no different as i had a few hours  fishing on Moher. The day was overcast with heavy rain showers and a strong wind blowing up and across the lake from the jetty. I set up the boat with the electric motor and i had my usual look around for any signs of fly life. I found nothing of note except a few small dark sedges that i disturbed from the bushes. I set the rod up with a team of flies which included the olive dabbler which had worked well on Lough Muck. I set off down the lake to do a drift across with the wind. Of all the times i have fished Moher this was my first time time to fish in with the wind blowing strong and across it. On the first drift i got one small wild brownie about twenty centimetres long. It was several more drifts across before i had another fish on. This was the way the day went only catching the occasional fish. Regularly changing flies during the session i finished with total of eight fish. The best one was a stocked fish of about thirty eight centimetres. Most of the fish fell for the olive dabbler. It was a struggle even to get that many fish, not one of my best days on Moher. I returned all of the fish for the next time i get to fish on Moher Lough.

Callows Lake Upper

Callows Lakes.

For my next outing i went out to the Callows Lakes. The Callows is another old favourite of mine which i try to fish on every time i get over to the west. There are two lakes the upper and lower which are connected by a narrow channel which flows under a little bridge. I usually fish on the upper lake however this time i fished on the both of them. Boat hire is available locally on enquiry. Getting there in the early afternoon i had plans to fish on up until dark. The day was mixed with some cloud cover and some strong sunshine along with a steady breeze which was blowing nicely down the lakes. Having my usual look around for fly life i found nothing of note so i set up with a team of traditional wet flies i.e. bibio, black pennel and a sooty olive. I headed up the lake to take a drift down along the shore opposite the jetty. I was fishing for about three hours without a fish getting caught. I decided to head down to the lower lake to give it a go to see if it was any better. More of the same down there. No fish. Things were not looking good at all. What to do next? Head back to the upper lake and try some of the shallower shores? I decided to head right up the lake to where i knew there was some shallow water. On getting there i saw a Mayfly lifting off the water so i tied on an olive dabbler to see could i at least tempt a fish to take it. At last a fish on. A nice wild little brownie of about thirty five centimetres had taken the dabbler.

Callows Lake Lower

Another hour or more passed before i had another fish again caught on the dabbler. I headed for the shore to take a break before it started to get dark. Before setting off again i set the rod up with a single fly to fish as an emerging sedge. The fly i choose was a Balloon Caddis. I have fished this fly before with great success on Callows when sedges are about. I remained fishless for another half hour or so before i had a fish on. With sedges now appearing in good numbers the fishing picked up. Finishing the day with a total of nine wild brown trout the best about thirty eight centimetres. On looking through my notes about fishing the Callows i found the best fishing was at night time to the sedges.

Cathedral Beat River Moy. 

Cathedral Beat

Eventually the time had come to fish on the river Moy. My first outing was booked on the Cathedral beat. I was allowed to fish on this beat from sun up until six pm. Checking on the time the tide was due in at i found out i would be able to fish from sun up until about twelve twenty. All reports from the previous few week were good with as many as twelve or more fish caught each day. I got to the beat at about seven am and there was already some other anglers fishing away. I enquired as to whether there was any fish caught only to be told ” none yet”. I stepped in and took my place and started to fish. After an hour or so another angler caught and released a small salmon of maybe two pounds. It was another two hours before another fish was landed, a fresh run fish of about four pounds. I fished on up until the tide was upon me. I headed of up the town for a bite to eat. It was around four pm before i was again able to step in and fish. There was one other small fish caught and returned for the day, not such a good day at all. 

Ridge Pool Beat, River Moy. 

Ridge Pool

The next day i was booked to fish on the renowned Ridge Pool. I was allowed to fish on it from Two pm up until sundown. The tide would have no effect on me this time. Getting down to the pool shortly after two o clock there was other anglers fishing in it. Enquiring as to how it fished on the morning session i learned that three fish were landed. The total for the whole day ended with seven fish being landed. I was not one of those lucky anglers who managed to land a fish. Some of the Salmon were caught on worms. I do not fish for Salmon with the worms as most of the fish will take the worms down  deep before they are hooked and therefore are not fit to be released.

Salmon Weirs

I heard all sort of reasons and excuses as to why the fishing was bad while i was there.  “You should of been here last week” , “very low tides”, “the fish are just running through”, “the river is too high”. I even heard it said that the refurbishment works on the Salmon Weirs was having an effect on the fish. I dont have any excuse or reason other than hard luck for not catching any fish this time. I will be back down in Ballina the Salmon Capital of Ireland in September as i have another few days salmon fishing book on the river Moy. Hopefully next time i won’t be listening to any excuses, I’ll be catching Salmon instead!