Ireland on the Fly - the people & places of fly fishing in Ireland

The latest episode is both a book club edition and a fly-tying one. Mike and Tom, are joined by Barry Ord Clarke, or to use his other title, The Feather Bender, who has just published his latest book, ‘Deer Hair Flytying Masterclass’. This publication deals exclusively with the use of Deer Hair in Fly Tying. It is an extensive work, covering all aspects of deer hair from its early origins in 19th century American fly patterns, the different types of species and cuts, the seasonal variations, the tools needed and much more. It also highlights the diverse uses in fly tying with over forty patterns with step-by-step photos and QR links to videos.We spoke to Barry from his home in Norway where he is settling in for the long winter nights. We got to ask him about why he wanted to write this book which he tells us was years in the pipeline. Keep up to date with all the latest from Ireland on the Fly:Instagram: https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFlyWebsite: https://www.irelandonthefly.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089135445929

After an end of summer break we are back with another great episode with east coast angler, David O’Hagan, who joins Garrett and Tom on the show. David, aka ‘Sonar’, for reasons that Garrett explains, has developed a keen passion for migratory fish over the last number of years, both salmon and sea trout.  His early escapades in angling were for pike and river trout but he now concentrates on sea run silver when the season permits. Based on the east coast, he is involved with the Tullow club on the Slaney and with the Liffey Salmon Project which we covered before on the podcast. It’s quite evident that he's never corralled in one spot and is more than willing to get into the car and travel the four corners of the country to get some fishing.  It is not just salmon that has him fixated, he also has a fascination with sea trout and their pursuit after dark. He gives us some great insight into this quarry and some really useful tips if you’re interested in pursuing sea trout.  As the long evenings approach, settle down for the night and listen to what David has to say.Keep up to date with all the latest from Ireland on the Fly:Instagram: https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFlyWebsite: https://www.irelandonthefly.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089135445929

This week on Ireland on the Fly, we’re heading to Iceland with William Maire, who joins us to tell us about his recent trip in search of wild brown trout.William, who now lives in Mayo, cut his teeth fishing the famous sea trout loughs of Connemara. These days, he fishes throughout the west of Ireland for salmon and sea trout, while also having a particular fondness for Corrib and its wild brown trout.We’ve featured Iceland as a destination before, when Keith McDonnell joined us to talk about its sea trout fishing. This time, though, the focus is very much on brown trout.It was William’s first trip to Iceland and he tells us about some superb fishing, both on rivers and lakes, using a variety of methods and connecting with some seriously impressive wild trout.We also hear about the experience of fishing in Iceland, what surprised him about the trip, and what anglers can expect if they’re considering Iceland for their own fishing adventure.Keep up to date with all the latest from Ireland on the Fly:Instagram: https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFlyWebsite: https://www.irelandonthefly.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089135445929

This week’s show sees the return of our book club series and we are delighted to be joined by Daire Whelan for this episode.  When Daire was taking his break from Ireland on the Fly he promised that he would join us again for any book club editions so it is great to have him on the show again.In this book club edition, our guest is renowned sea trout angler, Chris McCully, who has just published his new book, Fly Fishing for Irish Sea Trout.Chris has been on with us before when two years ago he discussed his book Names of the Fish in British & Irish Waters.  We were keen to have him on again to discuss his latest publication.Chris has spent decades writing about fish, rivers and the people who pursue them, and many listeners will know him from his landmark work Nomads of the Tides, co-authored with Ken Whelan, which is regarded as one of the definitive guides to Irish sea trout.  A lot of the material in the new book comes from Nomads but as Chris explains it is not just a reprint. Many of you will also know him as a regular feature writer with Trout and Salmon over the years.As is normally the case with our book club episodes we generally go far beyond the parameters of just the book and this episode is no different as we get to discuss past, present and future of sea trout in Ireland and beyond.Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on:https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.https://www.irelandonthefly.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089135445929

Fishing for trout in temperatures over 40 degrees is not ideal but for this week’s guest it was only a matter of days ago that he doing just that.  Mike and Tom are joined for this episode by Tipperary angler, Robbie Meagher, who has just returned from the European Fly Fishing Championships in Bosnia.  Robbie tells us of fishing in extreme heat where on one session his team captain had to supply him with bottles of water just for him to keep hydrated. This was during the heatwave that affected Central Europe in June.  Robbie tells us of soft mouthed trout, cold spring rivers, chub and Mostar town, all of which were part of his experience during this competition. At 33 year of age, Robbie is a veritable young gun in the fly fishing world but he is a latecomer to the sport and this was all down to Covid.  Six years ago, when he found his normal pastimes curtailed, he tried his hand at fly fishing and has never looked back. After getting into fly fishing, he then got bitten by the competition bug and to his credit, in a short space of time qualified to fish for his country - no mean feat! Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly on:https://Instagram.com/IrelandontheFly.https://www.irelandonthefly.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089135445929