Ireland on the Fly

If you’re lucky enough to be heading out during the last 12 days of fly fishing in October on Currane, Ennell, Leane, Owel or Sheelin, tight lines to you and don’t forget to listen back to our recent episode with Denis Goulding who has some great advice for fishing the midland lakes at this time of year. But for those of us forced to hang up the trout and salmon rods, you may be thinking of some p...

Before we say goodbye to the 2023 salmon season this week – and many anglers will like to say good riddance we’re sure – we wanted to find out how Ireland’s most iconic salmon river, the Moy, has fared, and what good news, if any, can be gleaned from that part of the country? Garrett Ruigrok, who we spoke to back in May, is a casting instructor and guide, as well as a committee member of the East...

September 30th might be the end of the season for most of our loughs and rivers around the country, but don’t forget there’s another twelve days before it closes on Currane and the midland lakes. 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. ...

It was the fifth and final day at the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia to decide who went home as Individual and Team World Champions and Dec Conlon, Ireland Team Captain, joins us for the final update. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

Dec Conlon, Ireland Team Captain at the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia, joins us again for the latest update on Day 4 with the Irish team faring much better and moving up the table while France cemented their position at the top. 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 posit...

Dec Conlon, Ireland Team Captain at the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia, joins us for an update on Day 3, to take us through how each section fared with the Irish anglers and leading contenders at the top of the table. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

Dec Conlon, Ireland Team Captain at the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia, joins us for an update on Day 2, where it was a mixed set of results for the Irish in changing conditions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.irelandonthefly.com

It’s hard to believe, but we’re into the last few weeks of the brown trout season – and in many ways it feels like the season has slipped away from us this last while – but to make the most of your time remaining on the rivers and loughs, we’ve got some tips and advice for you for September. Friend of the show, Keith McDonnell, from Impact Fly Fishing, joins us with some expert late season advice...

With the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships being held in Slovakia this week, we’re bringing you the updates from each day’s fishing from Ireland Team Captain, Dec Conlon.  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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscrib...

This Saturday, September 9th, is International Women’s Fly Fishing Day, a worldwide initiative to encourage more women to take up fly fishing and for fly anglers around the world to show support for women fly anglers as well. 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...

There’s no two ways about it, but 2023 has been a tough year for salmon anglers.  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 posi...

Continuing our focus on competitive fly fishing, on this week’s Ireland on the Fly we’re joined by Dec Conlon, the captain of the 2023 Irish fly fishing team that is travelling over to Slovakia for this year’s FIPS Mouche World Championships from 12th-18th September. 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...

Winning any kind of gold on the international scene fly fishing for Ireland is quite an achievement, but the Ireland Youths have done it three years in a row now, capturing their third consecutive title this month against England, Scotland and Wales. 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 Gouldi...

Despite the current doom and gloom, the one thing you can’t fault salmon anglers for –and especially younger salmon anglers – is their enthusiasm for the sport. 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 salm...

This week we’re turning our attention back to salmon.  It’s been a very tough year to say the least, not helped by the weather conditions, and a dramatic fall-off in the numbers of returning salmon, so will the grilse run give us hope for what’s left of the summer or are we just clutching at straws? Conor Arnold is a guide and casting instructor on the Blackwater and he paints a stark picture of t...

This week on Ireland on the Fly, we’re speaking to Dan O’Neill who guides on the River Nore to tell us more about the fabulous brown trout fishing to be had on the river, plus Dan gives us some insights into what it’s like trying to make a career out of fly fishing in this country.     Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with all the latest Ireland on the Fly episodes on Apple Podc...

With Tom recently returned from his busman’s holiday on the Orkneys, what better time to record another bucket list episode, this time focusing on the brown trout fishing to be had in the northern Scottish islands.   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,...

This week we’re focusing on salmon and speak to two young anglers who travel around Ireland and abroad in pursuit of their favourite fish. 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...

This week it’s the second part of our fascinating Book Club interview with Kirk Wallace Johnson, the author of the best-selling, The Feather Thief, about the heist of bird feathers from the British Natural History Museum by an obsessive American fly tier.   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 s...

We’ve a special book club episode this week for you – and indeed over the next two weeks – as we speak to Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of the acclaimed, best seller, The Feather Thief.   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 i...

Last week saw the release of the EPA’s Water Quality report which provides an update on the water quality of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal, and groundwaters for 2022.   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 M...

This week we’re discussing Lough Arrow, which if the mayfly season is anything to go by, is on the up in terms of numbers and size of trout being caught there.   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...

For this week’s episode we’re joined by Paddy Gargan, the recently retired IFI fisheries scientist who has a wealth of knowledge about fish conservation, habitat restoration and stock numbers.   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 fishe...

This week’s episode sees us go to the eastern part of the country to find out about the ongoing fight to protect and save the historic River Boyne.   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 con...

It really feels as if the season is now kicking into gear – from the mayfly season on the Irish loughs to the coming grilse run – and for this week’s episode we focus on the salmon on the River Moy.   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...