Cork Blackwater

[bwlodge]

The river continues to fine off well from last Saturday's flood.


We had five fish caught yesterday. Four were taken on spinner on the upper river & one on fly on the lower river.
There's a great mixture of fish running - mainly grilse in the 5-7lb. bracket, but there are still double figure fish running (heard of at least 3 to 16lb caught on other beats on Tuesday) plus some smaller grilse around 3lb. - Great sport.

With dry weather continuing, the river is fining off into cracking fly order.

[bwlodge]

A Cracker to start July!



This 14lb. fish was caught today (July 1) by Gary Pickett using a prawn on Beat 10 on the upper river.
It is the Second Biggest Fish of the Season.




June went out with a bang with six fish caught yesterday (30th) - all between 8 & 11lb. as reported yesterday.
This was the Third Best Day of the Season so far.
The fish above weighed in at 11.1lb. & was taken by Willie Kett (Dungarvan) on Beat 3 on the lower river.

It has been the best month of June since 2005.
The average weight of the fish for the month is the third highest since 1988 at 7.1lb., beaten only by 2008 & 2009.
The total catch for June was 61 of which 38 were caught on the upper beats. The season total to date is 119.
For June, just 15 grilse in the class up to 5lb were caught - averaging 3.4lb.
In the class from 5-10lb., 29 fish averaging 6.7lb were caught.
In the 10-15lb. class, 17 fish averaging 11.1lb have been landed.

The forecast is still for dry weather up to Tuesday, when there is a break due.

[bwlodge]

Grilse run gives a major improvement!




July had been ticking along quite steadily, with fish caught most days.
There were only 4 blank days which were all at the beginning of the month.
The last flood on July 18th. got the grilse moving in good numbers,
and we have seen good runs of fish going through both the lower & upper beats.
The river has fined off beautifully with clarity now about 4 feet.

So far for July, 54 fish to 14lb have been caught.
Of these, 24 have been caught in the last 3 days where the daily count is 10, 5 & 8 fish respectively.
Fly, spinner & worm have all caught almost exactly the same number of fish.
The 20th was the Best Day of the Season with 10 fish caught as reported below.
On the 21st., 5 to 10lb. were caught - and no less than 3 were First Ever salmon.
Husband & wife Jake & Jess Hiltz (USA) both caught their first guided by Glenda on the upper river,
& Marino Bellini (Italy) took his first also on the upper river.
Yesterday (22nd.) nine were taken (7 grilse & salmon of 10 & 11½lb.) including another First Ever,
with more now being caught on the lower river as it fines off.


This picture says it all! Seven year old Tommy Quinlivan with his First Ever Salmon!
4lb. sea-liced. Taken on worms on the Island Stream on Lower Kilmurry

With the forecast dry for the coming week, prospects for sport are superb!
Rods and accommodation are available for the coming weeks.

[bwlodge]

Big fish still running hard!


Three grilse were caught on Saturday on the lower river.
Today (Sunday) - five fish were caught. One grilse on the lower river, 3 grilse on the upper river where I also released this superb 13 pounder that the sea-lice had only just fallen off of.
The July total is now 60 & the season total 178. The river will be in superb order this week as there is no rain forecast.

[bwlodge]

Another Excellent Week & Three Firsts for three young brothers!
Not withstanding low water and less than half a dozen rods per day fishing,
we have taken 36 fish for the week to August 11th.



During this week, Mark Allsop (UK) caught - and released - 7 grilse for 3 days fishing,
Daniel Mueller (Switzerland) also caught 7, & Franco Brustio (Italy) had 11 to 10.3lb.
Daily catches were as follows:

Aug. 5: 3 grilse including 2 for one rod.
Aug. 6: 3 fish including two of 7.5 & 8.2lb for one rod.
Aug. 7: 3 fish including 2 for one rod to 10.3lb.
Aug. 8: 7 grilse, including 2 each for 2 anglers.
Aug. 9: 5 grilse including 2 for one rod plus a First Ever!
Aug. 10: Second Best Day of Season. 9 fish including 3 each for 2 anglers (one of whom had fish of 6.3, 7.4 & 8.2lb).
Aug. 11: 6 fish to 6.5lb. including 3 First Ever salmon.

The three Firsts on the 11th. was a remarkable story. Pat Casey brought his 3 young sons - Tom (9), Rory (11) & Jamie (13yrs) - none of whom had ever fished in fresh water before - for a half guided day with Glenda. All three caught their First Ever salmon & Jamie caught two. At one point, two of the lads were both playing fish at the same time!

The July total was 71. For August, we have already taken 42 to the 11th., and the season total to date is 231.



Prospects
With a little fresh on the river, fish have livened up, and a lot more grilse are now running.
Rods and accommodation are available in the coming weeks.

Staff Wanted
We're looking for a couple of people to work in the Lodge from now until the end of September.
Duties include preparation of breakfast/packed lunches & houskeeping. Opportunity to fish as well of course.


For all the latest info, see also:
www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net/FishingReport/fishingreport.htm
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000222088579
or follow us on
twitter.com/blackwaterlodge

[underghillie]

Hi Ian, great reports, can i put Martin forward for the job of doing breakfast in the lodge and i'll do the fishing ;D

All the best and tight lines,

Tony

[bwlodge]

Rain at Last!



A narrow band of heavy rain swept across the whole catchment yesterday (Sunday 4th.). 12mm fell in Ballyduff.
The upper river rose 35cm to 0.55m @ Millstreet this morning peaking at 10.00. It has fallen back to 0.47m by 15.00.
At Kanturk it has risen 27cm to 0.24m by 16.00, & is still rising. The level is holding at Ballyduff.

The fresh has stirred the fish up on the upper river with 4 caught & 2 lost
(including a double figure fish) by 2 rods on one beat by 4pm today (5th.)!
With more rain forecast, the prospects for the coming days look superb.

Availability
Rods are available for the remaining weeks, & also accommodation apart from self-catering in the third week which is full.

Staff Wanted
We could still require a couple of people to work in the Lodge from now until the end of September.
Duties include preparation of breakfast/packed lunches & housekeeping. Opportunity to fish as well of course.

See Blackwater Lodge Fishing Report page: bit.ly/fzavCh
See Ian Powell page: on.fb.me/dYddlZ
Follow our Tweets. twitter.com/#!/blackwaterlodge

[bwlodge]

Best Day & Best Fish of the 2011 Season - September 20th.


This superb 13 pounder was taken by Graham Reynolds
from Wicklow on spinner on Lower Kilmurry on the 20th.



This superbly fresh 5 pounder was one of five taken by Ken Tucker (Carlow)
on fly on Killavullen - 26 miles upriver from the Lodge on the 21st.

Availability
Rods are available for the last week of the season as are
ensuite B&B rooms & some self-catering accommodation.

Best Day & Best Fish this year!
On September 20th., twenty-two fish to 16.3lb were landed.
Seven were double figure fish & five were 13lb. or more.
Two upper beats recorded 6 fish each, including a couple of 10 pounders.
All but one were released.
Local rod Mick Kennedy landed six fish to over 16lb.
On the lower river where clarity was better at ~4 feet, seven fish to 8lb. were caught.
One rod had 3 on fly, and another one had one on spinner & landed another & lost 2 all on fly as well.

Current Conditions



A couple of small floods have really got things moving!
The river is now fining off into perfect order, & some excellent catches
have been recorded in the last one & a half weeks.


After yet more rain, the upper river rose 20cm @ Millstreet & 10cm @ Kanturk
on Wednesday night but it is now falling again.
The lower river rose 3cm last night but is falling away again slowly.
The clarity is very good @ ~ 4-5 feet throughout.

The Last Two Weeks
Since my last newsletter on the 8th., we have had an excellent fortnight.
For the 2 weeks, we have taken 161 fish to 16.3lb.

Sept. 12: Fourteen fish to 10lb. taken. 8 from the lower river & 6 from the upper beats.
Seven fell to fly, including a 10 pounder & six from one lower beat to 3 rods.
Sept. 13: Eighteen fish to 14lb. taken.
Fourteen fell to fly, including a 14 pounder & 5 to one rod on the upper river.
Sept. 14: Eighteen fish including sixteen on fly.
Sept. 15: Six fish to 9.3lb., including 2 on fly.
Sept. 16: Six fish to 12lb., including 2 on fly.
Sept. 17: Thirteen fish to 101b. including nine on fly for two rods on the lower river.
Sept. 18: Six fish to 8lb.
Sept. 19: No fish as river in flood, but hearing reports of fish caught upriver
where one rod took 6 in the afternoon.
Sept. 20: Best Day & Best Fish of Season! Twenty-two fish to 16.3lb.
Sept. 21: Fourteen fish to 14lb.
Sept. 22: Fifteen fish to 9.5lb.
Sept. 23: Nine fish to 8lb.

Prospects
There is some more rain forecast for Sat/Sunday which could liven things up even more.
It could be a dinger of a last week!

[bwlodge]

Season Extension Confirmed

IFI confirmed today that the Minister has signed off on the proposed extension to the salmon season on Ireland's Cork Blackwater river.
The official announcement on all the 2012 regulations will be posted on the IFI website at midnight tonight (December 23rd.).
The season is extended on the Blackwater to October 12th., on a fly-only catch & release basis.
Great News just before Christmas!

[bwlodge]

25, 24, 23, 22, 21 .............. Countdown to Opening Day

As usual, in the run-up to the Opening Day, I am graphing the rainfall and river height
& posting it daily on my Fishing Report page on: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net/FishingReport/fishingreport.htm

Unfortunately, the upstream gauges have not been functioning since 09.15 on the 4th. January



The river has been very high for the last month & a half. It is just settling after the latest flood
& was at 1.30m this morning - down over a metre since yesterday.
It has had such a good flushout that as soon as it drops it clears very quickly.
The clarity this morning was beautiful at ~ 3 feet.
The next week looks comparatively dry but the following week from Jan. 14 looks wetter again.
Hopefully it will be in good order for February 1st.

[bwlodge]

23, 22, 21, 20, 19 .............. Countdown to Opening Day


This was the Blackwater at 10.30 this morning.
Down to 1.04m on the Ballyduff gauge & clearing beautifully.
The upstream gauge readings have still not been updated since the 4th.

Our Opening Day celebration is now fully subscribed only a couple of days after it was announced in our December 30th. newsletter. We offered free fishing & casting clinic throughout the day with Glenda, ending with a bowl of hot stew for everybody at the fishing hut on Upper Kilmurry at 4.00pm.
Hopefully, we'll have a springer or two to report.

See Blackwater Lodge Fishing Report page: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net/FishingReport/fishingreport.htm
See Ian Powell Facebook page: on.fb.me/dYddlZ
See Blackwater Lodge & Salmon Fishery Facebook page: on.fb.me/gsGQLt
Follow our Tweets. twitter.com/#!/blackwaterlodge

[bwlodge]

The First Spring Salmon of 2012 is Caught!

The First Springer was taken on the Lodge beats today by ............................ me!

There were no rods booked to fish on Friday & the weather had turned mild after only 2 days of a cold snap. Glenda was going to teach on Upper Kilmurry for 2 hours, so I decided to accompany her & go for a cast for an hour or so. I caught this 6.2lb fish on spinner at the Jole on Lower Kilmurry. It would have been released, but was deeply hooked and bleeding.
Interestingly, the fish didn't have sea-lice, so had obviously been in the river for a few days. This could mean that there is already a reasonable number of spring fish in the river, as we have had prolonged spells of high water & mild temperatures throughout January to encourage them to run.
It was only the first 2 days of February where temperatures fell to zero at night.


The river is already in excellent spinning order with clarity of approx. 3-4 feet.
At 0.78m on the gauge this evening, it would still be high for fly-fishing, but it is dropping steadily
& should be coming into fly order in the next couple of days.

[bwlodge]

February: 5 fish caught in total, all between February 3-14 for only 30 rod days.
Joint Best February total since 2004 & joint Second Best total since 1994.

March 3: First on fly & Biggest of Season. Caught by Shane Kinsella (Wicklow) - ~12lb.
on a 1 1/2" aluminium Garry Dog tube on sink tip line.
March 4: First off the upper river. A 7 pounder on spinner for Tom Donovan at Castletownroche.

Season total to date: 7 fish.

Prospects
Looking very good for the coming week with a small (12cm) fresh on the river but very good clarity.
Dry forecast for the week so conditions should stabilise.


The Blackwater today @ 17.00. Gauge 0.54. Clarity excellent.

[bwlodge]

This fish was taken at 3pm yesterday by PJ Burns from Dublin. Weight 8.2lb.
He took it on spinner on the Lodge's lowest beat - Ballygally - about 2 miles below Ballyduff.
This is the third springer for March & the eighth for the season so far.


This is the Blackwater in absolutely fine fettle this morning.


The recent rain only brought the river up 12 cm by Saturday morning to 0.46m on the gauge.
It's down to 0.36m @ 18.45 this evening.

No fish taken today, but a couple seen again on Ballygally.
Conditions are absolutely perfect. Clarity about 4 feet, water temp. 47F.
Beautiful fly height with summer level.

[bwlodge]

The First on Floating Line!


Conor Arnold contacted me yesterday afternoon to ask if he could go trout fishing to Ballyhooly.
I suggested he go instead to Kilmurry with the salmon rod as it was free.
He caught this fish at dusk (7.15pm) on a #10 shrimp fly on a floating line. It weighed 7lb. exactly.
This is more akin to summer fishing than spring with temperature in the afternoon up to 16°C.


This is the fourth springer for March which doesn’t sound a lot, but is remarkable when you consider
that there have been only 41 rod days so far for the whole month.
Total for the season so far is now nine.


This is the Blackwater in fantastic fly order at 9.00am this morning with clarity #5-6 feet.


Having held at 0.30 for about 4 days, the river is now dropping very slowly once more & was at 0.27m this morning at 9.00am.
Water temp. 48°F. Beautiful fly height with summer level.

Prospects
The forecast is for continuing dry weather for most of the week. The longer-range forecast is for a very wet start to April.
With few fresh fish running due to the summer level, a flood would be welcome.


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