This latest episode sees Tom joined by Mike Keady for his first stint as co-presenter on the show. Mike has been a regular guest on Ireland on the Fly and will be well known to our regular listeners, he will be joining us for the trout episodes.

The guys are joined by another friend of the show, Jackie Mahon. Jackie is one of the top guides in the country, working mainly on the North Western Loughs of Ireland. 

We asked Jackie how it has been so far for him this season and what his plans are up until the end of June. He tells us of Loughs Arrow, Erne and Melvin, when and how he approaches them and also touches a bit on sea trout as well. As ever with most of us anglers, he has high hopes for the season ahead!

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Joining Tom on this week’s episode is Conor Arnold from the Blackwater. Tom is also joined by Garrett Ruigrok as co presenter and they ask Conor for his thoughts and (more importantly) hopes for 2026, mindful of the disappointing salmon year of 2025.  There is a tinge of optimism which time will tell whether it is well founded or not.

Conor also discusses his role last year in getting involved after the catastrophic fish kill on the Blackwater when he rose to prominence nationally in dealing with Government bodies and politicians after this disaster.

We also discuss the current standing regarding salmon angling regulations, which is very much a wait and see exercise. 

And for anyone brave enough to venture forth in the search of spring silver, we get a good insight in to the tactics to adopt in their pursuit.  

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Jake Anchell joins Tom Doc to tell him about the recent once-in-a-lifetime trip he made with his father, David.

Find out about Bhutan, the place of the mahseer in their culture and how you can target this massive fish on the fly.  One for the Christmas wish list!

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

And for this week’s episode we’re focusing on the brown trout season with Eamonn Ross from Lough Sheelin and Mike Keady from Lough Corrib.

Plus Tom also has updates on a recent worrying development of green algae on Lough Corrib.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly

We’ve discussed fish kills on this show before, highlighting the fact that when guilty verdicts and fines are handed down, the consequences are risible anyway.

But for this week’s episode we wanted to focus on the questionable practice in the Blackwater investigation and why the current legislation is not fit for purpose.

Conor Arnold of the Upper Bridgetown Salmon Fishery on the Blackwater has been to the forefront during this crisis, spending untold hours highlighting the issue and trying to get to the bottom of it as best as he can.

Conor also spoke as an invited witness at last week’s Oireachtas Committee hearing into the Blackwater fish kill and a day later he spoke to us about the hearing to tell us what arose from it.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly

Tommy Keogan is a stalwart of the club and he talks to us about how the club manages its eight miles of waters, as well his love of fishing the loughs and why this year was a particularly good one for him.

For more, visit:

https://www.trimathboyanglers.net/

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Kevin talks about moving to Cobh, working in the fishing industry and even spending a year on the newly formed fisheries board in 1979.  

He has seen it all in Irish fishing since the 1960s and has plenty to tell.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Richard was a long-time visitor to these shores fishing all over the country before settling in south Munster but his obsession with fly fishing has also seen him fish all over the world.

Throwing Feathers in the Wind is his first collection of essays detailing his fishing in Ireland and further afield, and is, like so many good fishing books, more about the why than anything else.

To find out more and to buy a copy of Richard's book, go to:
Gorodecky.com

Plus, Tom and Daire also discuss the dire fish kill on the Blackwater and ask when will it be the tipping point to stop further fish kills?

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

And we found it – or sort of – because this week Johnny Casey and Yamil Turcuman two passionate salmon anglers who we’ve spoken to before – join us to let us know how their season has been – ranging from the bad to the sublime....

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

As listeners to The Last Salmon podcast know, salmon farms are polluting the environment and causing irreparable damage to wild salmon stocks and that currently they have very little interest in doing anything to help.

However, Richard is one of the most passionate salmon conservationists we know and he will do anything to help save the wild salmon in the Outer Hebrides and beyond, so we had to speak to him and to hear his side of the argument.

To see Richard's incredible salmon footage visit:
https://www.instagram.com/racdavies_photos/

The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance.

Image courtesy of: Richard Davies

The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon.  

For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Well in the current environmental climate, pretty much everything, and whether it’s marine or freshwater conservation it’s something every angler needs to be informing themselves of and trying to do their bit to help with.

So this week we’re joined by campaigning ecologist, Padraic Fogarty, to tell us more about the SaveOurSprat campaign, how the government isn’t doing enough and why everything from sprats right up the marine food chain are in danger.

Plus, Tom is back from his week's fishing in Orkney and tells us how the heatwave hit the loughs and the brown trout even that far north.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Images: https://westcorksprat.net/

They are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters.  

But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution.

To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the big picture view when it comes to rivers, and we’re asking shouldn’t the rights of nature be respected in our laws and constitutions?  If a limited company can have legal rights why then can’t our rivers?  

Without our rivers, without due care, without oversight…..well, we all know what can and is happening in terms of water quality and how that is affecting us all, not least of all the wild salmon.

So to help with some of these existential questions, celebrated nature writer, Rob Macfarlane joins Jim Murray to discuss how he set out on journeys around the globe, from Ecuador to India and Canada, and finally to his own home waters in Cambridge, to ask is a river alive?

The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance.

Image: Richard Davies via https://www.instagram.com/racdavies_photos/

The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon.  

For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon.

It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we.

The Last Salmon, presented by renowned actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  

Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Season 2 of The Last Salmon launches in July 2025 with more insights from salmon anglers, fishery scientists and conservationists.

This week we hear from Packy Trotter a life long fly angler, guide and instructor who epitomises the spirit of teaching and learning in the sport.

STANIC and APGAI qualified, Packy then travelled to the Catskills where he took the FFF certified and FFF masters qualifications becoming, at that time, only the second person in their history to pass both exams at the one session.

Suffice to say, there’s plenty we can learn from Packy

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Ronan tells us why fly fishing in Africa should be on everyone’s bucket list with an incredible array of species to be caught from crevalle to snappers, tarpon, barracuda and sharks.

Ronan is also on the board of Salmon Watch Ireland and he talks to us about this year’s very poor spring run and why a multi-faceted, multi-agency approach is drastically needed to address the emergency situation relating to salmon numbers in Ireland.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Ken details the impact and consequences of rising temperatures on our freshwater fish as well as their food sources and he challenges anglers to start thinking and adapting to the changing habitat and waters that we are going to be seeing.

As always with Ken, he’s got some thought-provoking and fascinating insights well worth listening to and considering.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It might be the height of summer but it won’t be long before the long days start getting shorter so make the most of your fishing while you can.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

One of the worst culprits of course is aquaculture and the effects that sea lice from salmon farms has on migrating salmon, which the industry – and the Government via the State body, the Marine Institute – try to lessen by quoting from a dubious scientific paper.

However, the hugely respected fishery scientist, Paddy Gargan, has led and released what’s been called a landmark study which shows that, contrary to the Marine Institute and salmon farming’s stance, sea lice does have a major and significant effect on the mortality of salmon.

This paper has just been released and its implications will be far reaching.

Plus, staying with salmon, we also speak to John Murphy, from Salmon Watch Ireland.  John is back from last week’s NASCO conference where the stark reality about the future of wild Atlantic salmon was laid bare.

For more on Paddy Garagan’s sea lice study:

https://salmonwatchireland.ie/2025/05/29/issue-number-14-30-may-2025-salmon-watch-ireland/

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Team Captain, Dec Conlon, joins us on the latest show to tell us how Ireland fared.

And you can also check out Joe Quinn’s videos from the Championships at:

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

Irish Youth Fly Fishing Team Fundraising Raffle

We wanted to also mention the Irish Youth Fly Fishing Team Fundraising Raffle with prizes of a lake boat, fly rods, engine, hotel stays, angling vouchers all up for grabs.

Tickets are €50 each and limited to just 500 and all proceeds go towards the youth team costs for attending the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships in the USA later this year, so all for a great cause and tickets are on sale now from Frank Dempsey on 087 2351830 or email fgdempsey@gmail.com. The draw takes place on June 21st.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

So, this week, to find out more, joining us for our annual mayfly season review is Jackie Mahon, fly tyer and guide on Lough Arrow, and Ronan McWilliams, who embarked on a month long road trip taking in Corrib, Arrow and Sheelin.  

But all did not go to plan as you’ll find out in the episode.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Despite the events of last year, the fishery is determined to showcase what it does have – namely great fly fishing water in Sligo throughout the entire season.

Gerry Merrick, chairman of the Ballisodare Fishery joins us on this week’s show to tell us about the fishery, the fish kill of last year and why there can be a silver lining to it all.

For more from the fishery visit: https://www.ballisodarefishingclub.ie/

Plus, Tom has an update on the mayfly from Corrib and we bring you news of salmon fishery closures this week due to warm water temperatures.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

 
Plus, Tom has a mayfly update from Corrib, and we'll be bringing you more mayfly updates from across the country over the next few weeks so stay tuned for those.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Spring salmon fishing on the Slaney has been on our bucket list for a while now and although Daire travelled in hope rather than expectation, things couldn’t have turned out better…..

Plus, there’s an update from Salmon Watch Ireland on their Freedom of Information request in relation to the salmon farm licence applications and why the government is refusing to divulge mortality rates from these farms as it’s not in the ‘public interest’.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It’s a fascinating memoir about the life of a netsman on the River Shannon.  Patsy talks to us about the importance of the salmon to the communities and villages along the Shannon and how the building of Ardnacrusha decimated a way of life for so many.

He talks about his work as a netsman and the increasingly difficult years, dealing with industrialisation, pollution, salmon farms and overfishing which led to the decline of salmon numbers before his eyes.

But he also details his efforts to fight for the salmon and a friendship with the lifelong wild salmon campaigner, Orri Vigfússon, that developed along the way.

‘Swimming Upstream: one man’s fight to save the Atlantic salmon’ is available in all good bookshops.

 Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

He’s not afraid to say when he’s blanked and when he’s found it tough – authenticity as he says is what it’s all about.

Ronan also tells us about the mystique of the Blue Stacks in Donegal and why he loves nothing better than getting away from it all fishing on remote hill loughs.  For more from Ronan, visit his channel at https://www.youtube.com/@thescientificangler.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It came about after Paul Kearney and Mark Boyden set up the Coomhola Salmon Trust in West Cork in 1989 and evolved then into Streamscapes, working with local communities and schools in the area of aquatic and biodiversity education.

Mark joins us on this week’s episode to tell us more about the work that they do, the importance of empowering local communities and how it can help with the next generation in realising the importance of their environment and river catchments near them.

Images thanks to Streamscapes.ie and for more information visit Streamscapes.ie

Irish Youth Fly Fishing Team Fundraising Raffle

We wanted to also mention the Irish Youth Fly Fishing Team Fundraising Raffle with prizes of a lake boat, fly rods, engine, hotel stays, angling vouchers all up for grabs.  

Tickets are €50 each and limited to just 500 and all proceeds go towards the youth team costs for attending the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships in the USA later this year, so all for a great cause and tickets are on sale now from Frank Dempsey on 087 2351830 or email fgdempsey@gmail.com.  The draw takes place on June 21st. 

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It was with this in mind that we decided to record a bonus episode during Seachtain na Gaeilge last week. This is a week where the Irish language is promoted throughout the country.

Tom interviewed George and the whole episode is in Irish. It is about George’s background in fishing and his life on his beloved River Suir.  

For those listeners who only have a little Irish here are a few pointers to help you along and here is what is discussed in the interview in this order:

-       Where George got his Irish, neighbour from Connemara, evening meetings

-       Where George hails from

-       How he started in fishing, eels and then on to trout, his first fly rod, the polar opposite of a travel rod. Thumbing and travelling to the fishing.
-       An unusual lift from a blind man

-       Pollution problems and the environment 

-       His YouTube Channel and why he does less hunting, once again the problems in the environment. Swimming against the tide

-       Opening day 2025, Euro Nymphing (The Lob) and streamer fishing. He talks of some of the big streamers.

-       Salmon on the river. His biggest trout, no catch and release when he was growing up, fast food

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Although only taking up fly tying ten years ago, Evo quickly made a name for himself as a fly tyer of some skill and his flies have been in demand around the country.

Evo tells us about his fly fishing and fly tying journey and has some really helpful and insightful advice for anyone looking to improve their own fly tying skills.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

But one of the big issues affecting wild salmon and sea trout numbers is the presence of salmon farms in some of the most pristine locations around our Atlantic coast.

The issue of salmon farming is something we continually cover on this podcast and for this week’s episode we catch up with John Murphy from Salmon Watch Ireland to find out about updated legislation that means salmon farms are having to renew their licences.

This also means it’s a time for action and opposition to these renewal applications and John Murphy tells us what can be done to counter the increasing threat of salmon farms to the environment and our wild fish.

To find out more go to:

www.salmonwatchireland.ie

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Kilbride Anglers Club has long been an innovative and forward thinking club since it was first founded in 1940 and its chairman Martin Kearney joins us on this week’s episode to tell us how the club expanded beyond its Liffey waters to the Kells Blackwater as well as having 14 boats around the lakes of Ireland.

But it was a pollution incident on the Kells Blackwater twenty years ago that forced the club into restoration and expanding beyond just its rivers.

To find out more about the club go to:
https://kilbrideanglersclub.com/

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Image: https://www.kilbrideanglersclub.com

Barry’s new book, Advanced Fly Tying Techniques has just been released and is a must-read for anyone looking to develop their fly tying skills further.

We spoke to Barry about his incredible fly tying career, his hugely successful YouTube channel and his unusual introduction to learning to tie flies.

For more from Barry visit:
https://www.thefeatherbender.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@Thefeatherbender

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

by the Ch’illiwack river outside Vancouver in British Columbia in Canada.

Willie was originally a building contractor who then set up and ran the well known Moorbrook trout fishery in Coleraine before making the leap and moving to Vancouver full time where he now gets to fly fish for incredible steelhead and Pacific salmon.

Willie tells us about his journey and why he now calls British Columbia home.

You can also view a live feed of the Vedder/Ch'illiwack river that runs by the fishing shop at:
https://www.pacificrivers.com/camera/

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Image: https://tourismchilliwack.com/

Brian Martin is a Fermanagh angler based in Galway who last year set himself the goal of doing just that and as he explains on this week’s Ireland on the Fly, it’s actually not that difficult and he encourages any fly angler to give it a try.

If you’ve been dreaming of a specific rod for your own fly fishing needs, then maybe you won’t have to shell out a fortune for a branded one and could actually build one yourself.

Plus, Brian also tells us about his love of dry fly fishing and the incredible migratory lake brown trout that he targets during the summer months.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It’s incredible and direct evidence showing the journey that the Atlantic salmon has to endure to spawn in our rivers and so to find out more we spoke to the IFI’s Glen Wightman who told us about the discovery and what it means for our understanding of the salmon’s life.

The full story from the IFI including the map of the salmon's journey is at:
https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/news/press-releases/ifi-picks-up-trail-of-salmon-that-swam-from-greenland-back-to-mayo-0 

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

But what has a smoker got to do with fly fishing?  Sally, who has been married to a fisherman, and lives on the west Cork coast, has seen and experienced first-hand the decline the Atlantic salmon has undergone in modern times.

Sally’s story is a remarkable one and her insights perceptive and well worth listening to for anyone concerned about our changing environment and its effects on the Atlantic salmon.

To find out more about Sally’s work and courses go to:

www.Woodcocksmokery.com

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Not only that but the fishing – and mayfly fishing especially – was pretty spectacular.  But like so many things in nature, Lough Carra went into decline due to eutrophication.

However, the Lough has many interested stakeholders, not least the local communities, which have been vociferous and active in their attempts at restoring Carra to its once greatness.

And Tom Byrne, of the Lough Carra Catchment Association, and lifelong angler, joins us to tell us more.

A great resource on Lough Carra is at:

https://loughcarra.org/

And here’s an interesting paper on the marl crusts of the lough:

https://loughcarra.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/The-Marl-Crusts-of-Lough-Carra-by-Dr-P.-Doddy-2019.pdf

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Shane also looks back on the 2024 season, discusses the fall off in the spring run and why 2025 just might be a year to be hopeful.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

And as a kid growing up, Paul tells us of the mayfly market where they would be selling mayflies by the dozen and then as he got older how he got more and more into the fly tying side of things becoming an All Ireland Youths champion.

These days Paul lives in Tipperary but the call of the loughs is strong and he tells us why Corrib is still so special to him.

 
Pic: https://www.Instagram.com/Pauly_Molloy

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 sign up for our newsletter on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

The 2024 salmon season is well under way and we're waiting for the grilse run, but having spoken to anglers around the country it appears that numbers are still down and following a similar path to 2023.

However, if you’ve been despondent and down in the dumps about the salmon, fear not, for this week’s guest, Sean McLaughlin, who is a salmon angler based outside Derry and a Loop Tackle ambassador, is here to put some positivity and hope back into the season.

He gives us reasons why we should remain optimistic and eternally hopeful and always enjoy our salmon fishing, no matter what.

‘Never stop in search of happiness,’ as Sean tells us.  

You can follow Sean at:

https://www.instagram.com/sean_mclaughlin21/

https://www.youtube.com/@seanmclaughlin5258 

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 sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Jamie Pike is a Newfoundlander of Irish descent who is a passionate salmon angler and professional fly tyer and he visited these shores for the first time to tie at the recent Irish Fly Fair.

We caught up with Jamie to find out more about fly fishing in Newfoundland and why we need to try bombers and the riffled hitch more on Irish waters.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

George is a friend of the show and well-known fly angler based in Tipperary on the River Suir.  We’ve spoken to George previously about the nitrification of his stretch of the river that has seen it clogged with weeds during the summer making it all but unfishable.

But now, it’s so bad on the water, George has been forced to give up the trout rod during the summer months and go pike fishing elsewhere.

George joined us to highlight what he sees as the lack of care and lack of action against the pollution of our rivers and waters and asks where it will end and what is going to be done about it?

For more from George visit his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@springerspanielful and his video on the River Suir can be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJ4fZrFE7E&t=1s&ab_channel=Gundog%26Fly

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Known as the Lady of the Stream, the grayling are best fished for in winter time and Mark Driver, one half of Piscari Fly, has plenty of experience fishing for them in Wales in the winter months and he joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to give us the ins and outs of where and how to catch grayling on the fly.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

We spoke to Eamonn Ross and Mike Keady to find out how the fishing went throughout the season and what key learnings there were from the difficult conditions at times during the year.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Paddy gives us an excellent run through of the season on the Moy, as well as the Owenduff, Owenmore and Carraghmore, plus we get into seal predation, coping with the conditions, the place and importance of the salmon in Irish culture and the vexed question of hatcheries – to hatch or not to hatch.

Plus, this week we’re linking up with the Conservation and Science Podcast by Tommy Serafinski of TommysOutdoors.com which is focused on hunting, the outdoors and conservation that we thought might be of interest to the Ireland on the Fly listeners, so we spoke to Tommy to find out more about his show.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Dan will be telling us about conditions throughout the year, hatches and of course some of the fish highlights as well….

Thanks also to everyone who entered the competition for tickets to the Irish Fly Fair, the answer was Fermanagh as to what county the event is being held in and the winner was Mark Dunne.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks when we will have our salmon and loughs trout season review episodes as well.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

But the off season also means the Irish Fly Fair in November and this week’s guest is Darryl Mooney who tells us about his involvement as the fly manager and some of the incredible fly tyers who will be jetting in from around the world.

And we have two tickets to give away to the event – just listen to the question we ask about the fair during the show and email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com.

Plus Darryl tells us about an incredible trip to Bosnia for grayling that he had this summer and with his years of being involved in the fly fishing tackle trade, he tells us why we maybe need to be looking more towards the carp industry for innovation and insights.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

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.

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……

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

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 

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

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.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

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, James Barry, the fisheries scientist and highly accomplished all round fly fisherman, 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….

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on https://www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

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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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….

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

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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.

To find out more about fishing on Costello & Fermoyle, contact Brian at:

https://www.irelandwestangling.ie/

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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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And as a kid growing up, Paul tells us of the mayfly market where they would be selling mayflies by the dozen and then as he got older how he got more and more into the fly tying side of things becoming an All Ireland Youths champion.

These days Paul lives in Tipperary but the call of the loughs is strong and he tells us why Corrib is still so special to him.

 
Pic: https://www.Instagram.com/Pauly_Molloy

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We wanted to find out if the grilse run had given any positivity to anglers this summer and so we decided to catch up with East Mayo Angler Garrett Ruigrok to find out more.

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He became well known for his book, ‘A Passion for Trout’ and could often be read in UK fly fishing publications discussing stillwater tactics and flies.

With best intentions to retire to Ireland, he has a new book out called, ‘Trout and Grayling Flies: An International Masterclass' and he joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to discuss his fly fishing life in Ireland and England and how anglers from both countries have helped to develop and improve fly fishing techniques on the two sides of the Irish Sea.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Mick’s new book, you can email him directly at mpofarrell1@hotmail.co.uk. 

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It was a decision that caught many unawares, including anglers who were on their way out to Norway and one such angler was Johnny Casey who we spoke to before on the podcast about his love of salmon fishing and the next generation of the sport in Ireland.

Johnny tells us of his shock at the news when landing in Norway, how they had to scramble to make last minute changes of plan and what local anglers are saying over there about the decision and what it might mean for the wider salmon angling community and our own home waters.
 
 
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This year the Worlds were held in the south of France where John Buckley, the Killarney angler, was the team captain, and while we might not be expected to medal going up against the likes of the French and the Spanish, the Irish team went out as always with high hopes.

John tells us how it was our best overseas performance ever, as well as telling us about his own fly fishing life that began around the lakes of Killarney and developed into a love of competition fishing.

Daire & Tom also discuss the salmon river closures in Norway and increased calls for catch and release in Ireland and the UK.  Here are the links mentioned during their discussion:
https://salmonwatchireland.ie/2024/07/01/please-help-atlantic-salmon-in-2024/

https://gaulasalmon.com/33-norwegian-salmon-rivers-closed/ 

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Stevie is a fanatical fly fisherman who will cast a fly for salmon, sea trout and brown trout – especially the beloved dollaghan trout of Lough Neagh which have included 20lbers in the past.

Growing up in Belfast at the height of the Troubles, Stevie tells us why fly fishing in the nearby countryside was such an important escape for so many from the city and it’s little wonder that Belfast still has such a sizeable fly angling community to this day.

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But as an urban river it faces many, ongoing challenges and Mark McAndrew, who is on the committee of the Dodder Anglers Association and fishes the river practically every day during the season, joins us this week to tell us about the remarkable survival and growth of the Dodder river as well as the challenges it faces in the future.

For more information you can visit the Dodder Anglers Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/dodder.anglers 

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Image: Dodder Anglers' Association.

However, if you’ve been despondent and down in the dumps about the salmon, fear not, for this week’s guest, Sean McLaughlin, who is a salmon angler based outside Derry and a Loop Tackle ambassador, is here to put some positivity and hope back into the season.

He gives us reasons why we should remain optimistic and eternally hopeful and always enjoy our salmon fishing, no matter what.

‘Never stop in search of happiness,’ as Sean tells us.  

You can follow Sean at:

https://www.instagram.com/sean_mclaughlin21/

https://www.youtube.com/@seanmclaughlin5258 

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He says that ranching can and will work to help improve salmon numbers in relation to supporting a rod fishery for anglers and he explains to us the background to its successful development and implementation – albeit with caveats and cautions.

Likening it to racehorse breeding, he points to the Burrishoole ranching programme and the work of Dr. David Piggins and says this is the model that can be followed for supporting a rod fishery in lieu of wild stock.

Whilst wild fish conservation measures must continue to be carried out, drastic and innovative action is needed, says Ken, if we are not to see entire salmon stocks disappear.

Image: Burrishoole Fishery

#thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Eamonn explains how the fishing was fantastic the first week the mayfly was up with some incredible fish being caught, but it’s been tougher since then.

Meanwhile on Arrow, Jackie describes it as patchy, and similar to many other places, if you were able to hit it at the right time, the fishing could be top drawer, but outside of the windows it was proving to be much harder.

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For this week’s episode of The Last Salmon, we wanted to find out more about the pros, cons, nuances and science behind it and are joined by David Summers, Fisheries Director of the Tay Fisheries Board, where they run the very successful Kelt Reconditioning Project

and Professor Phil McGinnity at UCC who has been working in fisheries research and management for more than quarter of a century.

Image: tayrivers.org

#thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

It’s a fishery steeped in history when it was internationally renowned for its huge salmon in the 1800s to the early 1900s and it became a thriving centre for tackle development including the Castleconnell rod.

But since the Ardnacrusha development dammed the lower part of the Shannon in 1929 to provide power for the nascent Irish Free State, the fishery became a shadow of itself, and coupled with modern day issues around salmon numbers, it’s reckoned that they’re now at just 3% of their historic levels.

But, the Castleconnell River Association is trying to do its part in helping to save the existing broodstock and increase the numbers through conservation measures and ambitious projects.

Pat O’Connor takes us through the incredible history of the fishery as well as the work they are doing with some hope for the future.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The weather has been unsettled and cold which hasn’t helped things, Mike tells us, but he does expect it to pick up for the next 1-2 weeks so if you have the opportunity do try and make the most of it before it finishes up on Corrib.

On Derg, Shane Creamer was out fishing for the week but he did send in an update with word that it has been very slow.  However, there have been some bumper days when winds were light and some very good fish caught in the 4-6lb bracket on dries.

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So what does the future hold for the fishery and what is the fishing like on the river and lakes in one of Ireland’s most scenic locations?

Frank Maunsell has been the fishery manager there for over a quarter of a century and he joins us on this week’s show with tales of poachers, fishing and tactics that you’d scarcely believe but are well worth listening to…..

We’ve also had many people get in touch about last week’s episode with Rory Harkin of Rory’s Tackle shop in Temple Bar – especially their cult t-shirts - and Rory’s have kindly given us 5 t-shirts and baseball caps to give away so just listen to this week’s episode for the question and email the answer to info@irelandonthefly.com to be in with a chance of winning.

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He has a lifetime of stories of fish caught, every one as good as the last, but despite having thrown a fly in practically every corner of the globe, it’s still the Atlantic salmon that holds a special place in his heart.

He talks to us about his favourite places and battles won – and lost - with the mighty Atlantic salmon, as well as his ongoing efforts to help fight for their future.

Pour yourself a drink, sit back and enjoy as Matt Harris, fly angler extraordinaire and raconteur with a rod, joins us on the latest episode of The Last Salmon.
 
Image: www.mattharrisflyfishing.com
 
#thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

But did you know it opened its doors in 1959 when there were just warehouses around the area and trout and salmon could be caught by the bucketful within Dublin’s environs?

Rory Harkin may have passed on the running of the shop to his daughter Mary but he joins us this week to talk about his love of fly fishing, meeting and fishing with so many household names – including Charles Ritz, Hugh Falkus and Kingsmill Moore - and why the shop was always about more than just selling rods…..

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But he's also critical of anglers and their lack of action in helping to save the fish.  'Fishermen are not true advocates of fish,' he says. 'Surfers and kayakers are much more environmental.'  Plus he saves his most stinging words for the fish farming industry describing them as 'evil', saying 'we're destroying the planet with industrial agriculture and now we're doing the same thing with aquaculture.'

And as for the three laws he would pass if he were President of the United States?  Tune in to find out.

Yvon Chouinard is one of the greatest advocates and activists for environmental change, someone to help inspire fly anglers to act now before it's too late.

Image: Patagonia.com

#thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.  Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The Ireland on the Fly Book Club is an important part of what we do here on the podcast and Muiris Huston, the medical contributor to the Irish times, is also a fly angler and fly fishing book collector and he joins us on the show to discuss the books everyone should have on their shelves.

If you are interested in collecting, here are some websites that Muiris recommends:

https://anglingauctions.com

www.mcgahernbooks.ca

www.groverarebooks.co.uk 

https://www.herewardbooks.co.uk/

And here is the RTE Archives story from 1968 about mayfly season on the Corrib that we were discussing:

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2023/0516/1383887-the-season-of-the-mayfly/

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Mikael Frödin joins us on the latest episode of The Last Salmon with revealing insights into the perilous state of the salmon which he believes could be gone within two decades if current fish farming practises are not stopped.

He also talks about his memorable days of 30lbs fish and the heartbreak of the biggest one that got away.

He’s the ultimate salmon angler who we can all learn from – from fly fishing on the water to saving the fish itself.

Image: Frodinflies.com

#thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon
 
For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

This week’s guest is Shane Creamer from the Garrykennedy Angling Club and he gives us some great and honest insights into fishing Derg during mayfly and the rest of the season.

And here's the link to the 2004 article on the thriving hatchery at Mountshannon that is discussed during the episode:
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/new-ross-news/fishing-revival-on-lough-derg/27439705.html 

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Charles Clover is one of the pre-eminent environmental journalists of our time, author of the eye-opening and best-selling, ‘The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat’ and most recently, ‘Rewilding the Sea: How to Save our Oceans’.

He is also co-founder of The Blue Marine Foundation, one of the leading global, marine conservation NGOs and he joins us to explain what’s happening out in the oceans and how the establishment of Marine Protected Areas around the world are helping preserve the oceans one area at a time.

#thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon
 
 For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

It’s a throwback to another age and his great grandfather Samuel also had a reported 62lber which would have been an Irish record but it was never measured or verified at the time.

Nicholas also previously wrote an article for Salmon Watch Ireland discussing some of the reasons why he thinks salmon numbers have plummeted since the 1960s.

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But, long gone are the days when salmon catches were guaranteed and getting onto certain beats were next to impossible. 

In the midst of the Atlantic salmon crisis, Daire and Jim speak to Robert Mitchell and Colin Bull, two Scotsmen immersed in salmon throughout their lives.

Robert Mitchell, has been a salmon fishing ghillie on the River Spey for over thirty years.  He remembers the heyday and he also talks in stark terms about the fear that every ghillie has of there being no salmon left.

Colin Bull is Principal Investigator with the Missing Salmon Alliance and a specialist in salmon ecology at Stirling University and he says that with targeted conservation measures the salmon can be saved and we can and should be hopeful.

#thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon
 
For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

Julie tells us how, despite the success of Irish fly fishing teams, it is still a struggle to get more youths and women into the sport, and how maybe we should be looking to copy the successful programme in Northern Ireland based on the Foyle River Catchment Outdoor Group  or FROG CIC as it’s known.

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She joins Jim and Daire on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about her life of activism, why everyone needs to join in the fight to save the salmon and how success like hers can be achieved.

#thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon
 
For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

Having been originally from the Caribbean it’s no surprise that saltwater fly fishing remains his first love, but John also has more than a few interesting tales to tell, including the time he was a bodyguard to Mike Tyson – stories you don’t normally expect on a fly fishing podcast….

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With their outspoken views about scientists and what actually should be done to help their beloved fish, Paul and John bring a lifetime of fishing experience – as well as their wit and humour - to this week’s episode, including the welcome return of Rowley Birkin (KC) to the conversation.

#thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon
 
For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

 
The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, which offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

The river that was once the doyen of spring salmon rivers in Ireland has suffered more than most in recent times but there are still anglers and custodians of the Slaney that are fighting to keep it going and recover. 

And to hear more about their work as well as those halcyon days, we’re joined by Richard Burgess, former chairman of the Slaney River Trust.

Plus, Tom was a recent guest speaker at the illustrious Fly Fishers’ Club in London and he gives some insights into its hallowed halls and collections.

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On this, the first episode of Season 1, Daire and Jim find out how the massive escape of farmed salmon in Iceland’s waters in the autumn of 2023, led to huge public protests at the damage being done to the wild salmon and their country’s pristine, natural waters.

Actor, angler and passionate conservationist, Jasper Pääkkönen, and Iceland’s Programme Director of The North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Elvar Fridriksson, explain what happened, why and how it spurred a country into activism and action.

The tipping point for Iceland in their fight to save the wild salmon is hanging in the balance and the world is watching.

#thelastsalmon #Fighttosavethewildsalmon

For regular updates follow the show on Instagram at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon

Dan has also written a very popular monograph on Sidney Spencer, who was a renowned angler and author on lough-fishing for salmon and sea-trout in the north-west of Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland, and we speak to Dan about Sidney Spencer’s life and legacy and his love of fly fishing in Ireland.

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This culminated in a court case on February the 16th, taken by the I.F.I. where Uisce Éireann admitted liability for this event and were fined over €15,000. 

Tom spoke to Jane Gilleran who is an Environmental Fisheries Officer with the I.F.I. and represented them in these proceedings to find out about the background to the case and what is being done to prevent similar fish kills in the future.

 Don’t forget you can call 0818 34 74 24 to report illegal fishing, water pollution or invasive species.

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John’s new book, ‘Fish Scéalta: Game Fishing from Alaska to Lapland and the Swedish Arctic’ covers his remarkable fishing life beyond Tipperary covering many of the bucket list destinations we can only dream about – as well as some of his other favourite fishing locations in Ireland.

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Jimmy talks about his fly fishing and fly tying journey from tying flies he could fish with on his local rivers to supplying shops and customers as far afield as Australia.  

And for those of you who want to know the perfect way to mix your dubbing, it involves a Chinese takeaway carton and an air canister so listen out for Jimmy’s fly tying tips and for more from Jimmy, check out his website at:

https://irishflycraft.com/ 

Plus, Tom has an update on the opening few days on Corrib and explains how he’s hoping to someday target ferox trout on the fly.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

With most of the rivers in Cork and Kerry open for trout from February 15th, we spoke to Dave about fishing in the early season and why wet fly tactics are a particular favourite.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Conor also has some good advice on how to tempt the early season springers, plus he tells us how he fared on his recent trip to Patagonia where double figure sea trout and hundreds of brownies made up his week’s fishing down there.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

We speak to Neil about the opening few weeks on Currane, the good and the bad days for the lough, why you’ve a good chance of a springer in the coming months and how double figure sea trout can still be got – if you time it right…..

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Its range includes fly rods, reels, lines and leaders and Eamonn talks to us about the challenges of setting up and running a fly fishing company and why he wants Táin to be like the Tayto of fly fishing in Ireland.

Eamonn also talks about fishing the rivers around his native Dundalk and has some tips for how his set up can lead to better catches.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Wicklow’s Graham Reynolds tells us about the incredible fishing that’s to be had in Sweden and how, despite his early struggles in the competition scene over there, he kept at it and in a few years it led to him fishing at the Worlds and captaining Sweden in 2024.

Plus he also tells us about the incredible landscape and fishing to be had in the country known as the Land of the Thousand Lakes – but his most memorable fish on the fly still came from Irish waters.
 
 

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 
   
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Who was O’Gorman you may be asking?  In many ways he was the Izaak Walton of Irish fly fishing (albeit a lot better at writing!) whose book in the 1800s gives a glimpse of the halcyon days of Irish fishing.

This week’s guest is Patrick Gageby, barrister and fly fisherman who co-wrote the introduction to a re-issued version in 1993.  We discuss O'Gorman's life, the anecdotes and fishing covered in the book and why it's a forgotten but still important canon in the earliest writings on fly fishing in Ireland.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
  
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Shane has all the latest from the opening few days, including news of the first salmon of the season from the Leannan River which was a fresh fish off Watts Pool caught by local angler James Kenny on a pink Flying C.  The salmon was measured at 69cm and estimated to weigh 8lbs.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
 
Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

For so many of us, fly fishing is also about the people, places and experiences we have, especially whilst discovering new places.

And so, for this latest episode of Ireland on the Fly, we speak to Cork fly angler, Ronan Collins, whom Daire first met in Greenland last year.

Ronan has fished in many far flung places around the world and is a particularly keen salmon angler with incredible stories from Russia and elsewhere, plus he also introduced Daire to the wonders of yacht-rock, but more on that later in the show…

Speaking to Ronan and hearing his stories about fly fishing around Ireland and the world is a reminder that it’s about fly fishing and about so much more.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  

Plus you can sign up for our newsletter on IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Sit back, listen and enjoy as some of our guests from the past year bring us on a journey across lakes, rivers and oceans to tell us the story of the fish that means so much to them…..

Our thanks to all of our guests for joining us on the show throughout the year, and to you our listeners who listen, follow and get in touch.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and join us again in 2024 when we’ll be bringing you more guests, more interviews, more insights and maybe even a road trip or two along the way if we’re lucky…..

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

It's got a unique voice run by its founder, publisher and editor, Tom Bie, who is also a regular visitor to these shores, sampling the brown trout and salmon fishing to be had.

Soon after Tom visited Ireland earlier this year, we caught up with him to get his impressions of the fishing and how some of it compares to the waters he fishes in the States.....plus of course, we had to ask him about Drake mag and its 25 years of success……

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

Mick McShane is a well known fly angler from Dundalk who will throw a fly at pretty much anything that swims, but he has a special grá for the sea trout around Carlingford Lough and he joins us on this week’s episode to explain the rise in popularity of fly fishing for sea trout in the salt – inspired in no small part by the Danes.

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

So, for this week’s episode we wanted to concentrate on salmon flies and fly tying and we’re joined by Tony McCann from Belfast who, although only taking up salmon fly tying four years ago is an accomplished salmon fly tier appearing at fairs in Ireland and the UK.

His flies are catching salmon on rivers in Ireland and abroad and he joins us to tell us how he developed his fly tying skills so quickly and why his flies are doing so well.

For more from Tony visit https://www.instagram.com/irishsalmonflies/

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

Sean joins us on this week’s show and having fished three Worlds already in his 20s, he gives us some real insights into the elite level of fly fishing, and what he’s learned from the leading countries such as France, Spain and the Czechs.

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

*** 

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….
 
Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week. 

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection. 

 From Dozens of exciting new dubbings, chenilles, yarns & wools, to perfectly prepared and packaged marabou, zonkers, deer belly and Bucktail – the range is going down a storm. 

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

‘What country were the 2023 World Fly Fishing Championships held in?’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will announce the winner on next week’s show

While he still fishes the Western Loughs, Mike’s other great love is Montana.  He has fished the fly fishing spiritual home of America over a dozen times and has some incredible stories about hiking into the wilderness, catching trout to 10lbs and even fishing the famous Blackfoot river from A River Runs Through It.

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

***

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….
 
Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week. 

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection. 

Anyone wanting to see them in person and handle them could do well to get along to the Irish Fly Fair in Enniskillen Co. Fermanagh, of which Fulling Mill is one of the sponsors. 

Held over the weekend of 18th, 19th November they can not only see these materials being put to masterful use by the likes of Jackie Mahon, but they can stock up from Fulling Mill dealers, like Rodgers Tackle, who will be laden with new stock.
 
From dozens of exciting new dubbings, chenilles, yarns & wools, to perfectly prepared and packaged marabou, zonkers, deer belly and Bucktail – the range is going down a storm. This week’s top mover is their New Eco Warrior Dub – be sure to check it out.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

‘How many times did Mike Cosgrave touch the ball when playing rugby against the All Blacks?’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will announce the winner on next week’s show.

For this week’s episode we’re joined by John Murphy from Salmon Watch Ireland, to tell us more about the work the organisation does as well as some recent cases they have been fighting.

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

***

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….
 
Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week. 
With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection. 

Anyone wanting to see them in person and handle them could do well to get along to the Irish Fly Fair in Enniskillen Co, of which Fulling Mill is one of the sponsors. 

Held over the weekend of 18th, 19th November they can not only see these materials being put to masterful use by the likes of Jackie Mahon, but they can stock up from Fulling Mill dealers, like Rodgers Tackle, who will be laden with new stock.
 
From Dozens of exciting new dubbings, chenilles, yarns & wools, to perfectly prepared and packaged marabou, zonkers, deer belly and Bucktail – the range is going down a storm. This week’s top mover is their New Eco Warrior Dub – be sure to check it out.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answering the following question:

‘Which county is holding this year’s Irish Fly Fair’?

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will announce the winner on next week’s show.

Working, living and fishing in some of the most incredible fly fishing destinations in the world, how could you not love it?

But what’s it really like?  Beyond the Instagram pictures of giant fish and smiling guests, it’s also a nomadic life cut off from society for most of the year and certainly not a life for everyone.

Matthew Solon is a Clare man who has followed this path guiding on the Ponoi, in Patagonia, the Seychelles and Iceland and he joins us on this week’s show with some tall tales and insights into the guiding life.

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

 ***
Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….
 
Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week. 

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection. 

Anyone wanting to see them in person and handle them could do well to get along to the Irish Fly Fair in Enniskillen Co, proudly sponsored by Fulling Mill. 

Held over the weekend of 18th, 19th November they can not only see these materials being put to masterful use by the likes of Jackie Mahon, but they can stock up from Fulling Mill dealers, like Rodgers Tackle, who will be laden with new stock.
 
From Dozens of exciting new dubbings, chenilles, yarns & wools, to perfectly prepared and packaged marabou, zonkers, deer belly and Bucktail – the range is going down a storm. This week’s top mover is their New Eco Warrior Dub – be sure to check it out.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answering the following question:

‘Which hotel will play host to this year’s Irish Fly fair?’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will announce the winner on next week’s show

Davie McPhail, the legendary Scottish fly tier, joins us to discuss his career in fly fishing, how he got started in fly tying, his huge online following via YouTube, and he gives us some tips and advice for improving your fly tying…..

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

 ***
Fulling Mill Competition
 
If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week.

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection.

The selection of dubbing materials is comprehensive to cover whatever you want to dress, from tiny dries to Saltwater Streamers, it is all there and some great UV mixes as well.

From the individually preened marabou feathers to the top-secret treatment applied to their NEW Ultra Dry Yarn, the whole range is packed with stand out new products, all generously served up for your benefit in a neat array of colours and sizes.

From Zonkers to CDC, Bucktail to Deer Belly, they’ve done a fantastic job, just be sure to check it out for yourselves.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:
How many subscribers does Davie McPhail have on his YouTube channel?

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we’ll announce the winner on next week’s show.

For Ts&Cs, go to IrelandontheFly.com

But how has the 2023 saltwater season been overall?  Were the bass biting and what about other species like pollack and mullet?  Guide and instructor, Jason O’Riordan, joins us on this week’s episode to give us some insights into how his season went and why his success targeting mullet has been a stand-out highlight for him on the Copper Coast.

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

 ***
 Fulling Mill Competition
 

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

 Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week.

 With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection.

 The selection of dubbing materials is comprehensive to cover whatever you want to dress, from tiny dries to Saltwater Streamers, it is all there and some great UV mixes as well.

 From the individually preened marabou feathers to the top-secret treatment applied to their NEW Ultra Dry Yarn, the whole range is packed with stand out new products, all generously served up for your benefit in a neat array of colours and sizes.

 From Zonkers to CDC, Bucktail to Deer Belly, they’ve done a fantastic job, just be sure to check it out for yourselves.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

Name the species of fish that was Jason’s most memorable fish on the fly this season for him?

 Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we’ll announce the winner on next week’s show.

 Click here for Ts&Cs.

Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in Ireland or the UK and due to an overload of nutrients, with agriculture mainly responsible, scientists are saying it could take 20-30 years for the lake to recover.

On this week’s episode we find out how this was allowed to happen, how it can be stopped and what it has meant for local anglers as well as local communities around the lake.

We’re joined by Dr. Les Gornall who did his Phd with Prof. R.B. Wood  on Lough Neagh and by Seamus Donnelly who is Secretary of the Moyola Angling Club, and while Lough Neagh would not be known for its angling, Seamus has caught fish on it fly fishing from a drifting boat.

Seamus tells us of his experience of the thick algae bloom that is suffocating the water while Les gives the scientific background as to why this is happening and how it can be stopped.

Lough Neagh will be an open sewer if nothing is done, Les tells us in stark terms.

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

***
Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week.

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection.

The selection of dubbing materials is comprehensive to cover whatever you want to dress, from tiny dries to Saltwater Streamers, it is all there and some great UV mixes as well.

From the individually preened marabou feathers to the top-secret treatment applied to their NEW Ultra Dry Yarn, the whole range is packed with stand out new products, all generously served up for your benefit in a neat array of colours and sizes.

From Zonkers to CDC, Bucktail to Deer Belly, they’ve done a fantastic job, just be sure to check it out for yourselves.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

Name one of the feeder rivers on Lough Neagh?

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we’ll announce the winner on next week’s show.

Click here for Ts&Cs.

But for those of us forced to hang up the trout and salmon rods, you may be thinking of some pike on the fly action to keep you from the DTs and so for this week’s episode, we speak to pike on the fly guide, Stuart Wylie, to find out more and to help get you started as we head into the winter period.

You can find out more from Stuart on Instagram.com/pikeontheflyguide and pikeontheflyguide@gmail.com

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

***
Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week.

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection.

The selection of dubbing materials is comprehensive to cover whatever you want to dress, from tiny dries to Saltwater Streamers, it is all there and some great UV mixes as well.

From the individually preened marabou feathers to the top-secret treatment applied to their NEW Ultra Dry Yarn, the whole range is packed with stand out new products, all generously served up for your benefit in a neat array of colours and sizes.

From Zonkers to CDC, Bucktail to Deer Belly, they’ve done a fantastic job, just be sure to check it out for yourselves.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

What lough system does Stuart Wylie guide on?

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we’ll announce the winner on next week’s show.

Click here for Ts&Cs.

Garrett Ruigrok, who we spoke to back in May, is a casting instructor and guide, as well as a committee member of the East Mayo Anglers Association and he joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to tell us more about the 2023 season on the Moy.

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

***
Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly have teamed up with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week.

With more than 1,400 products to choose from, each perfectly packed by hand, their new range of fly tying materials warrants closer inspection. From the individually preened marabou feathers to the top-secret treatment applied to their NEW Ultra Dry Yarn, the whole range is packed with stand out new products, all generously served up for your benefit in a neat array of colours and sizes.

From Zonkers to CDC, Bucktail to Deer Belly, they’ve done a fantastic job, just be sure to check it out for yourselves.

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

“Where was Garrett Ruigrok’s most memorable fish of 2023 caught?”

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com  and we will pick a weekly winner for the next twelve weeks….

Click here for Ts&Cs.

And so for this week’s episode of Ireland on the Fly, we’re joined by international angler, Denis Goulding, for his tips and advice on where to fish if you are looking to extend your season into October. 

Plus he gives us a report on how Ireland fared at the recent Home International on the lake of Menteith in Scotland.

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

***

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly are partnering with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week for the next twelve weeks……

Known for producing world class fishing flies—including ranges from the likes of Davie McPhail, Jackie Mahon, Ronan Creane and our very own Tom Doc—Fulling Mill has been perfecting the art of fly tying for decades.

And they are now launching their NEW range of Fly Tying Material including Marabou, Bucktail and Zonker Strips to Dubbings, Chenille, Yarn & Wool, it’s a complete offering….and each item is processed and packed by hand, ensuring it arrives in perfect condition….

With fly tying season around the corner, what are you waiting for?

Their products are available online and in-store from your local Fulling Mill dealer, so check it out at FullingMill.co.uk….

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

‘Galway man, Ronan Creane, guides in what country?’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will pick a weekly winner for the next twelve weeks….

For full Ts&Cs click here.

Heading into the final day tomorrow, it will be all to play for in the race for the individual medals and can Ireland improve on their 14th position?

Friend of the show, Keith McDonnell, from Impact Fly Fishing, joins us with some expert late season advice and discusses his preference for when he fishes dries v streamers.

Plus Keith also tells us about a recent trip to Iceland that saw him land three double-figure sea trout.

For more pictures and news from Keith’s trip visit StreamerFishing.com

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

***

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly are partnering with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week for the next twelve weeks……

Known for producing world class fishing flies—including ranges from the likes of Davie McPhail, Jackie Mahon, Ronan Creane and our very own Tom Doc—Fulling Mill has been perfecting the art of fly tying for decades.

And they are now launching their NEW range of Fly Tying Material including Marabou, Bucktail and Zonker Strips to Dubbings, Chenille, Yarn & Wool, it’s a complete offering….and each item is processed and packed by hand, ensuring it arrives in perfect condition….

With fly tying season around the corner, what are you waiting for?

Their products are available online and in-store from your local Fulling Mill dealer, so check it out at FullingMill.co.uk….

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

‘Name one of the Irish Fulling Mill Signature Tiers…..’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will pick a weekly winner for the next twelve weeks….

For full Ts&Cs click here.

Dec will tell us how the fishing has been for the Irish as well as the rest as the leading countries and he gives us the update for Day 1.

Wherever you are in the world, women are asked to post photos on social media at 11am showing themselves enjoying fly fishing and already in its fourth year, it’s hoped it’s a day that will grow and grow.

But did you know that an Irish female fly angler is one of those behind the project?  Maddy Kelly is an Irish international angler who teamed up with Pamela Dunlap from West Virginia to form a truly international initiative and we spoke to them about the day and how the obstacles to women in fly fishing are finally breaking down.

To find out more, visit:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/573597536965118 

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

***

Fulling Mill Competition

If you’re a fly tyer or want to get into fly tying then this is for you….

Ireland on the Fly are partnering with Fulling Mill to give away a box of fly tying materials – with free shipping – to one lucky listener each week for the next twelve weeks……

Known for producing world class fishing flies—including ranges from the likes of Davie McPhail, Jackie Mahon, Ronan Creane and our very own Tom Doc—Fulling Mill has been perfecting the art of fly tying for decades.

And they are now launching their NEW range of Fly Tying Material including Marabou, Bucktail and Zonker Strips to Dubbings, Chenille, Yarn & Wool, it’s a complete offering….and each item is processed and packed by hand, ensuring it arrives in perfect condition….

With fly tying season around the corner, what are you waiting for?

Their products are available online and in-store from your local Fulling Mill dealer, so check it out at FullingMill.co.uk….

So, to be in with a chance of winning the £50 worth of materials, just answer the following question:

‘Name one of the Irish Fulling Mill Signature Tiers…..’

Email your answer to info@irelandonthefly.com and we will pick a weekly winner for the next twelve weeks….

For full Ts&Cs click here.

Between trying to deal with extremes of wet and heat, and then when conditions did come good, the numbers of fish arriving were far below expectations.

It’s easy to blame climate change and what’s going on out in the oceans, but what about some of the impactful actions we can take closer to home and what kind of positive effects can it have?

Conor Arnold previously told us about increased salmon numbers in the Baltic, so, can anything be done here in Ireland?

Mark McAndrew is a passionate fly angler and conservationist who, in his own time, has decided to see what he can do and how he can help through the Liffey Salmon project and he joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to discuss the attempts to restore the salmon back to the River Liffey.

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

Dec gives a very honest assessment as to why Irish teams haven’t featured in the medals at the Worlds and what can be done to fix it, plus he has some brilliant stories and insights from the Championships and what it’s really like……

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 
   
You can also sign up for our newsletter on www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

It’s also the first time this has been achieved and so for this week’s episode we catch up with their captain, Eanna O’Leary, and coach, Denis Goulding, to find out the secret to their success.

Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 
   
You can also sign up for our newsletter on www.IrelandontheFly.com and get regular updates on Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.

Johnny Casey and Yamil Turcuman were two recent guests whose love of salmon was infectious and likewise, this week’s guest, Cian O’Boyle, who fishes on the Moy and Owenmore regularly throughout the season and is no stranger to landing salmon judging by his videos on social media, joins us on this week’s show.

Cian tells us about his fishing exploits as well as some of his tips for consistent catches, plus he has some thoughts on getting young people into the sport as well.

A youths event worth highlighting is taking place on 16th August and it is being run by the East Mayo Anglers Association who want all interested boys and girls to come along to try out salmon and trout fishing.  Find out more at eastmayoanglers.com.

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Conor Arnold is a guide and casting instructor on the Blackwater and he paints a stark picture of this season in sobering terms.

However, he’s also trying to do something about it and he explains what he hopes to gain from meeting politicians and ministers and why he’s not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Plus he gives some insights from what can be learned in Denmark and Sweden who have been pro-active and helped increase salmon numbers there.

For fly fishing and casting instruction, you can contact Conor on ConorArnold.com.

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On this episode you’ll hear from some of the guides and boatmen that Tom met and fished with during his stay and relive the frenetic action that he saw on the lakes each day.

Plus, find out more about the landscape and history of the Orkneys and why Tom describes it as brown trout heaven.

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Johnny Casey and Yamil Turcuman not only catch salmon regularly but are also willing to try new methods to do so and will be revealing some of the secrets of their success on the show.

Plus, Tom is back from the Orkneys and gives a taste of what the fishing was like on the island.

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Johnson comes across the story whilst fly fishing in Texas and looking for a new direction in his life after suffering from PTSD due to time spent in Iraq with USAID.

He details how he followed the story bit by bit, uncovering the sometimes nefarious online world of classic fly tiers, which ultimately led to him confronting Edwin Rist, the man behind the heist.

Continuing our conversation, Kirk explains why he chose not to reveal the name that Rist now goes by………

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For those of you not aware of the story or the book, all I can say is go read it – and I’m sure after listening to the interview with Kirk you’ll be even more interested in it as it’s a story about a crime heist involving the fly tying world, and specifically those tiers wanting to get their hands on extremely rare feathers from the 19th century.

As for the Irish angle?  Well, there is of course the Irish influence on fly tying in the 1800s, and in the context of the crime investigation, it was an undercover PSNI officer who first became aware of the stolen swag that was being offered to the fly tying world.

Prior to becoming obsessed with the story and writing the book, Kirk Wallace Johnson had discovered fly fishing as a therapeutic sport that helped him recover from PTSD after time spent in Iraq.

And it was while standing in a river in the US that he first heard about the fly tying robbery of the British Natural Museum and the thread of the Feather Thief began to unwind…..

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The main headline from it was the fact that there has been no improvement in water quality of rivers or lakes with nitrogen levels increasing in rivers overall and to find out more we spoke to Mary Gurrie, Programme Manager with the EPA who gave us more details from the report.

There has been a steady decline since 2012 she told us, which has been somewhat arrested in the last two years, however, farming and waste water are the key issues in the problem of water quality which must be addressed in the coming years.

You can read the EPA report at:

https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/freshwater--marine/water-quality-in-2022-indicator-report.php

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So, what’s behind the great catches so far this year, what can anglers expect for the rest of the season and is Arrow going to rival Sheelin in the long term as a high-profile fly fishing lough's destination?

Jackie Mahon, the fly tier and guide on the lough explains why he saw the good, the bad and the ugly on Arrow so far this year.

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Paddy talks to us about the huge changes he has seen during his career as well as his own love of sea trout fishing and he lets us know about a book he is currently working on detailing the sea trout fisheries of Connemara.

Paddy is also asking for help from people who have any archive material relating to sea trout in Connemara – be it photos, catch records, stories, maps, anything that will help him in researching and writing the book.

If you have something that you think might be of help you can send it on to him at paddyggargan@gmail.com.

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Pat O’Toole is from the Trim Athboy & District Angling Association and he joins us to highlight how local clubs have been tirelessly working to reverse the damage done by drainage and pollution down through the decades and why the fight still continues to this day.  To find out more visit SavetheBoyne.org.

Pat also talks about the large numbers of brown trout and the importance of the salmon run on the river, especially for springers, with his own personal best of 23lbs caught in 2015.

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It’s Ireland’s iconic salmon river, as well as being its most prolific, with the Ridge Pool in Ballina standing out as a special and unique place to land a salmon on the fly.

To find out more about fishing the river, how the spring run went and what to expect for the coming grilse fishing, we’re joined by Garrett Ruigrok who is a casting instructor and guide who guides in Ireland, Scotland and around the world and is also a committee member of the East Mayo Anglers Association.

To find out more about fishing the Moy go to:

https://eastmayoanglers.com/

https://fishinginireland.info/salmon/northwest/river_moy_system/moy_fishery/ 

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