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

No matter the fishing and conditions, the 2025 season will go down in memory as the year of the worst ever fish kill in the history of the State, which is certainly saying something based on this country’s approach to pollution, water quality and environmental protection. 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

As we head into the final days for most of you for the game fishing season, this week we find out about the Boyne fishery, and the superb brown trout fishing to be had on the Trim Athboy Angling Club waters. 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 McLoughlin is a lifelong angler from Cork who joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to talk about the good old days for salmon when the spring run was something to behold. 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.

Throwing Feathers in the Wind is a new book out by Richard Gorodecky, a fly angler who moved full time to Ireland five years ago to be closer to the river fishing that he loves so much. 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.

We’re at the tail end of the grilse run now and with the summer conditions we’ve had, coming off the back of a poor spring run, we’ve been desperately looking for some good news on the salmon front. 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.

We know salmon numbers are down and we know there’s an existential threat endangering their very future, but this week on the Last Salmon, Jim Murray speaks to the chair of the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust, Richard Davies, who believes that their engagement with fish farms on the Isle of Lewis has resulted in helping the survival of wild salmon there. 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.

You may have seen the recent campaign and news stories about the disappearance of sprat from our coastal waters and the government’s unwillingness to do enough to protect our marine habitats – but what has it got to do with you if you're an angler and only interested in freshwater? 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/

Is a river alive?  What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? 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.

Wild salmon are in a perilous state.  But we can’t and won’t give up.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.

We should never stop learning – and in fly fishing especially, we’re never done.   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.

Continuing our fly fishing in hot waters theme on the show, this week we’re joined by Ronan Collins, a well-known and well-travelled fly angler who is just back from a trip to Gabon in west Africa. 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.

This week, with the hot temperatures we’ve been having and the noticeable lack of rainfall, we wanted to speak to renowned fisheries scientist, Ken Whelan, who gave a talk at the recent Irish Spring Angling Fair, called ‘Trout in hot water’. 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.

This week, in honour of the midsummer solstice, we’ve recorded a midseason review to find out how the fishing has been so far, the highs and lows, and what we can expect for the second half of the season. 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.

This season we’ve heard about the disastrous spring salmon run and there hasn’t been much to report yet for the grilse run – all in all, our worst fears about salmon numbers seem to be coming true – and not just in Ireland. 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.

A week ago the Irish fly fishing team was in the Czech Republic getting ready for their shot at the World Fly Fishing Championships and with a very respectable sixth place last year in France, hopes were high for the team that they might even medal – something that has never been done before by an Irish team at the World Championships.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 RaffleWe 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.

We’re nearly into June and the mayfly is finally petering out.  It’s hard to believe that it began at Easter time on Corrib, whilst recently, Sheelin has been described as being ‘polluted with fly’ where fly anglers have been left with pretty much only suntans this year. 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.

Ballisodare Fishery is a name that’s probably familiar to you from the salmon fish kill last summer that hit the headlines but after the deaths of one thousand plus salmon, why did it happen and how can we ensure it doesn’t happen again? 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.

With the salmon run beginning in earnest this month, the Blackwater’s Conor Arnold joins us this week to tell us about the unique May salmon that arrives in the river, and whether the spring run’s decline could actually herald an increase in the back-end? 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.

Stan Headley is a fly angler and fly tyer who would be known to so many people in Ireland and the UK.  A regular contributor to Trout & Salmon magazine down through the years, the Orkney angler also penned three books - The Loch Fishers Bible, Trout & Salmon Flies of Scotland and Reflections on the Loch which became the go to source for Scottish lochs' fishing – but he was also a fan of fishing in Ireland too and was a regular visitor to these shores. However, due to illness, Stan says that his fishing days are now behind him and so this week’s interview with him is one tinged with sadness but also fond memories as he joins us to look back on an incredible life in fly fishing, what it meant to him and the similarities and differences fly fishing Irish loughs and Scottish lochs.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.

This week we’re delighted to bring you our first episode from the river bank.  Only a few days ago Daire was lucky enough to fish the Slaney River for the first time on the Ballycarney Fishery beats in the company of the fishery manager, Peter Wadding. 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.