Spinfish Online Magazine
BLACKWATER LODGE REPORTS
Glenda Powell Guiding & Blackwater Salmon Fishery
Call 00353 (0) 872351260
2017
Glenda Powell Guiding & Blackwater Salmon Fishery
22/06/17
Gary O'Shea catches our biggest fish in two years.
The Great Game Fairs of Ireland - Shane's Castle this weekend.
Father and Son Success.
Gary O'Shea is a regular angler to Blackwater Salmon Fishery and has fished the River Blackwater for many years. It was great to see Gary land his personal best salmon last weekend. The fish was caught on the fly after an hour of a battle and weighted 18.5lbs. Well done Gary on this special achievement but the only problem is that he may find this a hard record to beat. 20lb fish on the River Blackwater are rare and are often lost when hooked.
The weather in Ireland has been wonderful for the month of May and June, sunny with very little rain and above average temperatures. The regular tourists visiting Ireland have had a rare treat and have been enjoying the fine weather.Salmon anglers around the country however would prefer a little bit more rain and slightly cooler temperatures.
On the 11th June we had the biggest rise in water this season and the fishing afterwards was excellent.
Like we may have a drop in temperature in the coming days, with rain on Sunday.
Places and small flies. If this doesn't tempt a fish it may be time also for the Collie Dog, Sunray Shadows and Hitching Flies, possibly even a nymph.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
glenda@glendapowellguiding.com
http://blackwatersalmonfishery.com/
http://glendapowellguiding.com/
The Great Game Fairs of Ireland - Shane's Castle Co. Antrim 24th & 25th June.
http://www.irishgamefair.com/fishing.asp
This Game and Country Fair in Northern Ireland means the world to me and my family. My father and mother has taken us to this fair for as long as I can remember. In fact I cannot remember a time that my 3 sisters and myself did not go to The Fair.
We have the most wonderful memories as children which we often talk about when we meet.
We remember the ferret races and the ferret man who always gave us a ferret to take home with us and daddy enjoyed a wee dram when they met. Clay pigeon shooting was always a great way to pass an hour however Hayley always won! We watched Peter O'Reiley cast the fly in the main arena with awe, and I wished that one day I could do that. We tried to tie a fly with a lot of help from members of APGAI Ireland which caught a few trout in the put and take lake which was purposely stocked to get us children interested in fishing.
World, bumping into all sorts of wonderful crafts people that knew us as ''one of the Meredith sisters''. We talked to the walking stick man who knew our daddy, the wood turner, the man that flew the falcons. We avoided getting run over by the horses and the hounds on the way to the swing boats and the big dipper slide and somehow we always had money left over for a candy floss or a poke. (A poke can either be an ice cream cone or a few chips in Northern Irish)
Instead of ''the four Meredith sisters'' we now have our partners/husbands and children that go every year. 17 of us in total this year and Beverley with her wonderful bump.
Our children all do the same as we did when they get to the fair. They relax and have fun, meet lots of interesting crafts people, have the chance to eat game pie, play with the ferrets and go fishing.
One year when our son Ian was about 4 he announced that he wanted to go for a crepe! as soon as we arrived at the fair. I found myself dragging him to one of the portaloos before I laughed and realized quickly that he meant a crepe with nutella. This was his modern replacement for a candy floss which didn't exist in Northern Ireland when I was a child.
pCome and meet us at the fair.p We will have a stand and will be talking about fishing and people are invited to come and ask any questions that they need answers to. APGAI Ireland will be there and Stevie Munn and myself with other members of APGAI Ireland will be demonstrating in the arenas, fly tying, running fly-casting competitions and invite you to come and have a go.
We look forward to welcoming you and many many thanks to Albert and his Great Game Fairs team for making this all possible and for providing so many fond life long memories.
Father & Son Success.
What a wonderful experience for a father and son/daughter to go fishing together. These memories will last a life time as was the case on 13th June when Brad Grow brought his 12 year old son fishing with me.
They had only booked me for the morning and in this short time both father and son had caught their first salmon.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
04/05/17
Bandon Anglers/Bandon Scouts/Inland Fisheries Ireland
"All Great Successes are the triumph of Persistence''.
Ralph Emerson
Persistence, never give up, keep on going through good weather and bad, knowing and believing that you are one cast closer to your prize.
This was the mindset of one of our fishery friends - Sergej Kapustin - who would not give up. He started fly fishing for salmon last year and didn't have any success. We first met Sergej when he came to the fishery in February of this year. Sergej had lost fish on his first visit;to the fishery, and finally after a lot of hard work, 2 hour drives from Dublin, determination and skill, he has caught and released his first ever salmon.
It was such a pleasure to see the smile on his face, enjoy the moment and have a well deserved cup of coffee after the event.
The weather in Ireland has been wonderful for the month of April, and we certainly did not experience ''April Showers''. In fact the last rise in water in the river was on the 4th April when the river rose to .82 on the Ballyduff gauge. There are lots of fish showing themselves in the pools and this evening I have had another report of a ''long distance catch and release'' fish which was hooked on a Stoats Tail, played and fell off at the net.
The river is now at .26 on Ballyduff gauge, and this coming week looks as though the weather will be dry also.
It is time for floating lines, intermediate tips in places and small flies. If this doesn't tempt a fish it may be time also for the Collie Dog, Sunray Shadows and Hitching Flies, possibly even a nymph.
We have had some cancellations on our Hitching courses this month on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May. We also have one space left on our Low Water Salmon Fishing Course on 27th May.
30/03/17
Every Cast is One Cast Closer
Experience the World Of Fly Fishing Show Germany
Fly Fishing Courses
"There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment."
Norman Vincent Peale
Salmon fishing, and the Fish itself, can teach us so much about life.
Persistence, never give up, keep on going through good weather and bad, knowing and believing that you are one cast closer to your prize.
Over the years I have found that it is the person who keeps on fishing, cast after cast, that will catch the fish. However, I have also found that salmon fishing is sometimes not fair. We sometimes ''will'' that a Salmon would take the fly or spinner for a friend, that has been trying so hard with no success. We realize that life is also sometimes not fair, and we must learn to deal with the disappointments as well as the successes.
We are fishing for a fish that doesn't feed in fresh water. How much more difficult can we make our sport? At least trout eat, pike eat, and we can blame ourselves if we haven't chosen the correct bait or fly.
The Salmon that comes into the river today will wait in the river patiently without eating until after it spawns in the Autumn and hopefully makes it's way back to sea to recover and repeat the process. For any of us who struggles with our weight, just think about the Salmon when your tummy is grumbling, they sometimes don't eat anything for over nine months.
We often talk about beginners luck. I do believe this exists, and is proven over and over again. We had a client who came to the fishery last June. On his first ever day fishing he caught a salmon on the fly, which is a huge achievement. On his second day fishing he caught the largest Salmon of the season at 17.5lbs on the fly.
This week we had two Salmon caught in two days and four Salmon lost. We thought that Summer was here with temperatures of 16 degrees and we were fishing is shirt sleeves. The weather is back to normal again today with overcast sky and soft rain.
The river is at a wonderful height for fishing. Anna (my daughter) and I are leaving for the EWF Show in Germany this evening and will be back on Monday.
To book fishing over the weekend please contact Noel on 085 7220923.
07/03/17
The Promise Of Spring
Fly Fishing Shows & Fairs
Current Weather/River Conditions
Spring has come suddenly, bringing the sunshine and the rain. The sweet yellow daffodils remind us of joy. The shackles of winter have been broken. With this comes freedom to get out, to cast a fly, and breath the crisp fresh air. The promise of Spring is here.
The weather in Ireland has been very wet and windy for the past two weeks. The River Blackwater has been unfishable this week, and the river is still very high at the moment with the gauge at Ballyduff Bridge reading 1.88m but dropping. The weather forecast for the coming week is mixed and changeable with rain at times, but drier and brighter interludes also. Continuing relatively mild, with a risk of windy weather also.
Congratulations to Noel Fitzmaurice who caught our first fish in February. Noel caught and released this beautiful, sea-liced fish on the fly in high water.
The Skagit Course on 4th February was a great success. We have cleared some of the bramble bushes on the banks to make fishing the fly from the bank easier in high water.
The Beginners Spey Casting Course on 25th March is full, as is the Improvers Spey Casting course on the 8th April.
I have two remaining places on the Low Water Salmon Fishing course on Saturday 27th May. This course is not suitable for beginners. This course will focus on techniques for low water such as; stripping micro trebles and large flies, nymphing for salmon and furrowing flies. Cost is €150 including fishing and lunch. Maximum 6 participants and please contact me if you are interested in this course.
I am available for individual or group lessons/guiding at all other times.
Today while driving along the flooded valley near Lismore, we noticed a magpie flying with a stick so long that it looked like she should have been in a circus, balancing herself on a tight rope. The sun was shining and we laughed.
''It was such a Spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.'' Words by John Galsworthy.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
06/02/17
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
The Early Days
Ireland Angling Expo National Show Centre, Swords, Dublin 18-19 February
Come and Meet me at DIE HOHE JAGD & FISCHEREI in Salzberg Austria 16-19 February
On the 1st February the waiting was over for us on the River Blackwater , and with great excitement and enthusiasm 17 of us made our way to our meeting place - Upper Kilmurry. Tradition is very important in our sport, and we toasted the river with a wee dram. We prayed for safety for all anglers fishing the river, that there would be many fish caught this year, and of course that we would have fun on the river bank, which is our retreat away from the busyness of life.
The River was high yet coming down from a flood and it was very wet and windy. After our breakfast roll we ventured out into the wind for some casting practice and rod/line testing. After a short while we quickly took refuge by the fire in the hut, where many a fishing story and yarn was told.
It was wonderful to have so many people turn up despite the weather to celebrate the opening day and thank you to all who came.
Skagit Course
The Skagit course on 4th February was fully booked and the day was great. The wind and the rain stopped and it turned into a glorious day on the river. The course demystified the Skagit lines and grain weights. We discussed the differences between Skagit and Scandi lines, when and where to use them, advantages and disadvantages of each, and there was lots of practice on how to cast them using the various casts suitable to Skagit fishing. This could also be the earliest I have ever BBQed.
Beginners Spey Casting Course 25th March. This is our next course and there are 2 spaces left. Course costs €150 including fishing and lunch. Please get in touch with me regarding any information about courses this year as we are running 10.
It has been a busy few days for us and it is great to get back to work on the river. I will be traveling to shows in Austria and France this month and I hope to meet some of you who live there.
Today though, I took Izaak Walton's quote seriously, and for a few hours
''I have laid aside business and gone a-fishing''.
We all need to learn how to do this more often.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
22nd August 2016
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
The Largest Flood of the Autumn has Come.
Biggest Seatrout Caught on Our Beats in Years.
A few snaps from Iceland, the Land of Fire, Ice and Salmon.
The Irish Game and Country Fair at Birr Castle.
Skating tiny hitch flies in the surface making the most miniscule of wakes, attracted our Irish Salmon to take, and we had great fun in the low water conditions on micro hitch tubes and stripping size 18 flies. I will be running a course on these methods next May along with a couple of Icelandic Guides, the cost will be €150 per person for the day and the limit is 10 people. To book a place on this course please contact me.
The low water has gone now and we have had the biggest flood since February. There is a little rain forecast for the coming days so the chances of this flood bringing in some of our Autumn fish is high as are the chances of catching one.
We welcome the rain and the change of conditions. Now is the time to use up the rest of your holidays, sick days, polish your hooks and get out there. Exciting times ahead as we near the end of the season on the Blackwater.
In September we have a few days left for fishing on our beats but we have no availability left for instruction or guiding as I am fully booked to the end of the season.
If you would like to go fishing then you can either contact me Glenda on 087 2351260 or if you can't get me then please call Noel on 085 7220923 or email glenda@glendapowellguiding.com or glenda@blackwatersalmonfishery.com
Best wishes and have a great week wherever you are fishing and please wear a life jacket.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
10th June 2016
Best May Salmon Fishing on The River Blackwater for Years.
The Great Game Fairs Of Ireland at Shane's Castle Antrim.
Great day for Michel Winthrop's French Group
Salmon are now running in greater numbers and we are catching - and losing fish almost every day.
Noel has taken the children - Anna and Ian fishing for a few hours, and as I am writing this Noel is playing his third fish. This could be the shortest newsletter that I have ever written, as after all, I am a fisherwoman and feel the same as you do when you are in the office and other people are catching fish.......
The beats of Blackwater Salmon Fishery have been catching fish almost every day throughout the month of May, and the quality and size of fish has been impressive.
We had rain last night and today throughout the catchment, and this should bring the river levels up in the next few hours. The river is rising in both Killavullen and Ballyduff at the minute.
The water temperature has warmed up, and we are now using floating lines with short intermediate tips and size 12-16 flies or little tubes.
Black spinners with copper blades seem to be the favourite at the minute. We still have some availability left for this weekend and if you would like to go fishing then you can either contact me Glenda on 087 2351260 or if you can't get me then please call Noel on 085 7220923.
Best wishes and have a great weekend wherever you are fishing.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
26th May 2016
Casting Guest of Honour at the Dutch Fly Fair 28th & 29th May.
Bandon Angling Association's Annual Tuition Day.
Congratulations to Mario Corona from Italy who caught this super fish yesterday. Mario was given a birthday present by his son to come to Ireland and fish for salmon with me for his 80th birthday. Mario fished really hard for two days and just at the end of his last day he hooked this salmon. He played the fish for around 15-20 minutes before I had a chance to net it. I will never forget the look on his face during the fight, and the relief when we got it into the net. This was a wonderful experience for both of us.
The river is now 0.46 at the gauge on Ballyduff Bridge, the water temperature is 9 degrees celcius and has been dropping nicely for the last week. The river is clear and the conditions are suitable for all methods.
We have caught 5 salmon in the last 10 days and there have been several fish lost on our beats during this period. We are seeing fish most days, and yesterday (1st May) we saw a lot of fish running.
If you are looking for fishing and can't get me because I am guiding or teaching then please phone Noel on 085 7220923, send an email, or leave a message and I will get back to you.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
glenda@glendapowellguiding.com
http://blackwatersalmonfishery.com/
http://glendapowellguiding.com/
Casting Guest Of Honour at the Dutch Fly Fair on 28th & 29th May.
I was most honoured when I was asked if I would be the casting guest of honour at this event in Holland at the end of May.
This will be an exciting show with lots to see, learn and do.
I have attached the link to the website and I really look forward to seeing a few of my customers there and making more fishing friends.
Please let me know if you will be attending the show as it would be great to catch up and have a chat. I will be doing two demonstrations each day and holding casting workshops.
http://flyfair.nl/glenda-powell/
Bandon Angling Association's Annual Tuition Day.
It has been a busy April, with being at the EWF show in Germany, guiding numerous groups and families of different nationalities on the river Blackwater, and providing lessons for those who needed to brush up their skills for Spring salmon fishing. However, one of the highlights of my year is to go to the river Bandon to teach in April. First we have a group of wonderful children, and this year there were 23 new kids learning about fly fishing. In the afternoon we have a session for the older 'kids' and this was very successful with a few new faces and the old faces coming back to learn a little more.
Thank you to the Bandon Anglers for inviting me back each year. It really is a highlight to my year.
https://bandonangling.com/
http://www.erlebniswelt-fliegenfischen.de/index.php/en/
Experience the World of Fly-fishing in Germany this Weekend.
Noel Fitzmaurice joins Blackwater Salmon Fishery Team.
Anna's First Springer.
Congratulations to my beautiful daughter Anna who caught and released this wonderful Spring Salmon. Anna has been fishing for many years and is proficient with both the fly rod and the spinning rod. She caught this fish on a Red Rolla Lure which we have in stock for sale. Anna has caught many salmon before but this is her first Spring salmon - and I am very proud of her. The river is now 1m at the gauge on Ballyduff Bridge and has been up and down twice this weekend. It looks like there is more settled weather coming for the rest of the week so hopefully the river will be fishing well again this weekend for the fly, and the river is suitable for spinning at the moment. There have been several fish lost on our beats in the last week and I am hearing of fish caught on a regular basis up and down the river. We are seeing fish most days. I will be demonstrating at the EWF show in Germany this weekend, running workshops on Friday and honoured to be in charge of the ladies stand. It would be great to meet you there so don't forget, if you get the chance come and say hello. We are also running a fun ladies competition. If you are looking for fishing this weekend and you cannot get me on my number or email then please contact Noel on 085 7220923. Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You) Piet's First Salmon Happy St. Patrick's Day
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
glenda@glendapowellguiding.com
http://blackwatersalmonfishery.com/
http://glendapowellguiding.com/
16/03/16
Glenda Powell Guiding Blackwater Salmon Fishery
10/03/16
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
I welcome you to the third of our fishing newsletters, and I am delighted to say that Spring is in the air, and the conditions are looking more favourable for the coming weekend. We have been experiencing very high water levels since the season opened on 1 February and very few people have ventured out so far due to this. Those that have braved the conditions have been catching Kelts and brown trout and the only fresh fish caught was on 25th February. There should be very few kelts left in the system, however I would still advise anyone going fishing to be careful not to mistake a Kelt for a fresh Spring fish. The river is now 1.12 m at the gauge on Ballyduff Bridge and has dropped 20 cm over night (10.30am Thursday 10th March), The clarity is perfect for fishing. The height is great for spinning, and fly-fishing can be done from the bank with shooting heads and skagit lines and there are certain places wadeable at this height.
The 5 day forecast gives settled weather for the coming days and the water should continue to drop nicely. The conditions for the next few days and the weekend look great to catch a few more springers. If you haven't bought your salmon licence yet then it is time to get one and get out there. For your convenience I am also a licence distributer.
The gauge on Ballyduff Bridge was 1.12m. It is possible - in places - to continue to fish with the fly in high water.Recently, Nikki was using a Skagit line with a fast sinking tip and large fly. She was wading very close to the bank and waswearing a life-jacket and using a wading stick. The Skagit lines are very effective to present large flies on heavy sinking tips. They are also great when wading far from the bank is restricted due to deep water. These lines are short a bit clumsy and ungraceful but have enabled us to continue to fly-fish in high water. If you are booking fishing with me and would like to try one then let me know, you would be welcome to borrow one from me.
After a long wet winter the Blackwater Salmon Fishery Work Team, Anna and Ian, are so happy to be to get out on the river working with Noel. It is great for them to learn new skills, get fresh air in their lungs and feel part of our new business. They are both looking forward to practicing their language skills on our French and German customers over the summer holidays, and no doubt their woodwork, painting and culinary skills will also improve.
Glenda 00353 (0) 872351260
25/02/16
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
First Spring Fish Caught On Blackwater Salmon Fishery Water
I welcome you to the second of our weekly newsletters and I am delighted to say that the first spring fish has been caught on Blackwater Salmon Fishery waters. Congratulations to Ian Powell who caught and released a lovely little springer of 6.3 lbs on Lower Kilmurry at the Jole with a red Flying C spinner.
The spinner fell out in the net and the fish was safely returned.
The river is now 0.99m (2.30pm Thursday 25th February) at the gauge on Ballyduff Bridge and this is the lowest it has been since the season opened on 1st February. The clarity is perfect for fishing. The height is great for spinning, and fly-fishing can be done from the bank with shooting heads and skagit lines. There is a little bit of rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow but this should not be enough to affect the river height or clarity. Therefore the conditions for the next few days and the weekend look great to catch a few more springers. It is time to get the rods out of the cupboard, buy a licence and get out there.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
00353 (0) 872351260
19/02/16
Glenda Powell Guiding
& Blackwater Salmon Fishery
I welcome you to the first of our weekly newsleters which will provide information on the Munster Blackwater in Ireland. I will keep you up to date with Blackwater Salmon Fishery catches, water levels and fishing conditions on the river. I have provided links to our websites which will give more information on beats, tackle tips, location and tuition/guiding.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my customers - old friends and new - the very best for the 2016 season and hope to see you all soon on the banks of the wonderful Blackwater.
Sláinte an bhradáin (Health of the Salmon Upon You)
Glenda
