Ireland in April/May

[Greg Armstrong]

My son just sent a picture this morning from Dublin of the sun shining and the Daffodils blooming.

If they had Columbia Basin Lake openings on March 1st like us, they'd be happy dancing about now.

 

[Riogrande King]

This is a good website for current information
http://fishinginireland.info/news/

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

By the by, beware of driving in Ireland, most insurance and credit card insurance will not cover you driving in Ireland. It is one of the five highest wreck countries in the world.

Yup, pretty spot on.

We rented from Enterprise out of Dublin and used our Chase Slate card for the insurance on our car. It covered all the collision. We spent the extra $120US on tire and windshield. After all was said and done, using the Chase Slate card, it came out to $25US a day to rent a car the month we were in the UK and Ireland.




I didn't get a chance to fish in Ireland, though I went through the "Trout Capital of Europe" just outside of Connemara. I know I used to fish Scotland a lot for Atlantic's. Was always more of a August/September fishery. And when we finished up our trip recently in October, there were tons of Atlantic's in, but Rivers were closed as of October 1st.

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

This is that small fishing town near Galway. I wish we had more time to explore this town while we were there. We will spend more time there next trip.

 

[Ron McNeal]

I didn't get to fish, but God, I wanted to.........

By the by, beware of driving in Ireland, most insurance and credit card insurance will not cover you driving in Ireland. It is one of the five highest wreck countries in the world.

When you get there, you'll understand..........

 

[Riogrande King]

Youtube has a couple videos showing the Mayfly Festival at Oughterard. You'll get a peek inside of Tommy Tuck's shop shown in Jerry's bottom photo.
It is ridiculously inexpensive to hire a ghillie and boat on Corrib. Maybe on the other Irish Lochs, too. A frenchman who was staying at our hotel implored me to not tell the local guys how much the Montana guides get The frenchies all dapped with live mayflies. None of them fly fished- ever.
You are required to provide a lunch for each of you. Our lunches were put up in the morning by the woman at the hotel where we were staying and are supposedly among the best on the lake. The ghillies were happy to pick me and the white lunch bucket up each of the two days I fished.
As per tradition you'll eat on an island shore as the ghillie boils tea from water scooped out of the lake. My ghillie also fished which I assume is the norm when there is only one client in the boat.
"Drifting before the following wind" in one of those time-perfected lapstrake boats, was a personal long-time goal. Almost incidentally I even caught a few.

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Youtube has a couple videos showing the Mayfly Festival at Oughterard. You'll get a peek inside of Tommy Tuck's shop shown in Jerry's bottom photo.
It is ridiculously inexpensive to hire a ghillie and boat on Corrib. Maybe on the other Irish Lochs, too. A frenchman who was staying at our hotel implored me to not tell the local guys how much the Montana guides get The frenchies all dapped with live mayflies. None of them fly fished- ever.
You are required to provide a lunch for each of you. Our lunches were put up in the morning by the woman at the hotel where we were staying and are supposedly among the best on the lake. The ghillies were happy to pick me and the white lunch bucket up each of the two days I fished.
As per tradition you'll eat on an island shore as the ghillie boils tea from water scooped out of the lake. My ghillie also fished which I assume is the norm when there is only one client in the boat.
"Drifting before the following wind" in one of those time-perfected lapstrake boats, was a personal long-time goal. Almost incidentally I even caught a few.

When I lived in Germany and fished throughout mainland Europe and the UK, Rivers were considered more gentleman's area and lakes (lochs) for commoners. I'm rusty on my regs, but easier and cheaper to fish in a lake. Why the ghillies on a lake are cheaper than on a river. Plus you have to purchase a beat in most of those countries and also some require tests before you can fish (Germany was notorious for that). Can't compare a river guide to a lake guide. And I know some of the ghillies I was fishing with were making compatible fees to walk in guide in Scotland. But pricing is dictated on run timing and holding water in a specific beat.

Luckily I have several river connections in Ireland. A few river front B&B's that own private river front. One I just need to teach owner to throw a 2 hander. They have prime salmon habitat and big browns. I'm excited for that trip.

 

[Beemerrev]

Fished Loch Corrib when I was there on my honeymoon many years ago in May. The Mayfly hatch is epic, and those big browns are significant slabs! I lucked into a guide who had a cancellation and did a half day ~ would recommend it if you can manage it as the local knowledge is carefully kept.
Certainly worth bringing your rod in any event.
By the way, May is generally the sunniest (not warmest!) month there, and you will likely encounter many "local" festivals that celebrate whatever a town is known for BEFORE the tourists show up! Such a lovely country and people. Very much enjoyed the month we spent trekking around. Slainte!

 

[Gregobr]

I wish I remembered what pub I saw this in. Somewhere in or near Galway...

 

[ceviche]

I told my wife that I'd like us to travel to Ireland--especially to her ancestors' county. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, she called me out for really wanting to go fishing.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" I replied.