Podcasts by Ireland on the Fly

East Coast Sea Trout with Mick McShane from 2023-12-07T11:39:53

We hear plenty of stories of sea trout on the west coast of Ireland, but what about sea trout in the salt on the east coast where the fish are bigger, and if recent catches are anything to go by...

Tony McCann’s Salmon Fly Tying Journey – from spectator to tying at fairs in 4 years from 2023-12-01T07:11:38

As we head into December and are stuck in winter – although fear not, the opening of the Drowes is only a few weeks away – you’re also probably stuck at the vice dreaming of the fly to tie to ca...

From Athlone to fly fishing on the world stage with Sean Dempsey from 2023-11-23T17:19:33

You might remember we covered the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships back in September with daily updates from Ireland team captain, Dec Conlon, and one of the star Irish performers fro...

Mayfly on Corrib to trout madness in Montana with Mike Cosgrave from 2023-11-16T12:38:07

If you’re not into rugby, stick with us as we do also cover fly fishing on this week’s episode with Mike Cosgrave, the former coach and centre for Connacht who is also a passionate fly angler an...

The rise of salmon farming&the decline of wild salmon and sea trout in Ireland from 2023-11-09T13:05:16

Last year we covered the impact of salmon farming on the famous Loch Maree in Scotland, but what about its impact on the wild salmon and sea trout here in Ireland and just why is the government ...

From Patagonia to the Ponoi – Matthew Solon, the Clare man guiding around the world from 2023-11-02T09:10:28

We’ve all seen the pictures of far flung fly fishing destinations with anglers holding huge fish and a guide beside them looking just as happy to have seen such a monster fish landed, and I’m su...

Davie McPhail’s fly tying – and fly fishing - life from 2023-10-26T06:15

For those of you kicking your fly tying season into gear over the coming weeks and months we’ve a special guest on this week’s show.

Davie McPhail, the legendary Scottish fly tier, joins u...

The Saltwater season in review&why more anglers are targeting mullet on the fly from 2023-10-19T11:26:54

With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having lately – although this is probably going to be the new norm anyway – it’s also a good time to be casting a fly in the salt with bass fishing ...

Lough Neagh will become 'an open sewer' if nothing is done from 2023-10-12T17:00

You may have seen the disgraceful stories in recent weeks about the terrible pollution of Lough Neagh that has been occurring unabated and which has been poisonous for humans and animals, since ...

Pike on the Fly with Stuart Wylie from 2023-10-05T17:00

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 r...

The 2023 Salmon Season on the Moy from 2023-09-28T17:00

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, ha...

Denis Goulding&the 12 Fly Fishing Days of October from 2023-09-21T17:00

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...

Bonus Ep: The Final Day from the World Fly Fishing Championships from 2023-09-18T22:00

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,...

Bonus Ep: Day 4 from the World Fly Fishing Championships from 2023-09-17T23:00

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 u...

Bonus Ep: Day 3 from the World Fly Fishing Championships from 2023-09-16T23:00

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...

Bonus Ep: Day 2 from the World Fly Fishing Championships from 2023-09-15T23:00

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 co...

Dries v Streamers – Keith McDonnell’s advice for September from 2023-09-15T17:00

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 y...

Bonus Ep: Day 1 from the World Championships from 2023-09-14T17:00

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 w...

Maddy Kelly - the Irish woman behind International Women's Fly Fishing Day from 2023-09-07T17:00

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...

Restoring the Salmon to the River Liffey from 2023-08-31T17:00

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 ...

Dec Conlon, Irish Team Captain, looks ahead to the World Championships from 2023-08-24T17:00

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 ...

Irish youths win 3 golds in-a-row from 2023-08-17T17:00

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 consecuti...

Cian O'Boyle: A Salmon Obsession from 2023-08-10T17:00

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 Turc...

‘Fallen off a cliff’ – will the 2023 salmon season become the tipping point for real action? from 2023-08-03T16:03:08

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 sal...

Guiding on the River Nore with Dan O’Neill from 2023-07-27T09:09:36

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 ...

The Bucket List #3: Brown Trout Heaven on the Orkneys from 2023-07-20T06:00

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 northe...

Johnny Casey&Yamil Turcuman on chasing salmon around Ireland&abroad from 2023-07-13T10:09:24

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 sa...

The Feather Thief Part 2 - Edwin Rist&the underworld of classic salmon fly tiers from 2023-07-06T06:00

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 Brit...

Book Club Ep #5: Kirk Wallace Johnson&The Feather Thief Pt 1 from 2023-06-29T09:36:37

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.

  Listen

With nitrogen levels increasing in Irish rivers, what will it mean for our fishing? from 2023-06-22T09:20:35

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 secret's out - the rise of Lough Arrow from 2023-06-14T22:27:32

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 th...

Paddy Gargan on fisheries’ management&Connemara sea trout from 2023-06-08T06:00

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. Listen

Fly fishing on the River Boyne&the custodians protecting this historic river from 2023-06-01T12:34:09

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 Ath...

Getting ready for the Moy’s grilse run from 2023-05-25T11:59:23

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 ...

Mayfly Season on Lough Sheelin from 2023-05-18T11:22:46

Continuing our mayfly episodes, on this week’s Ireland on the Fly we hear how the season is going so far on Lough Sheelin and we’re joined by Eamonn Ross from the Lough Sheelin Trout Protection ...

Corrib Mayfly Update&Tactics with Mike Keady from 2023-05-11T11:23:26

If you’re a loughs angler, there’s probably only one thing on your mind for the next few weeks – the mayfly fishing - be it on Derg, Corrib, Mask, Sheelin or elsewhere.

Later this ...

The Bucket List #2: New Zealand on the Fly with Ronan Creane from 2023-05-04T10:45:26

For our latest bucket list episode we catch up with Galway man, Ronan Creane, whose love of fly fishing and big brown trout led him to New Zealand where he hasn’t left and is now firmly establis...

River Tactics With Ireland Captain Darius Simkus from 2023-04-26T14:09:02

For this week's Ireland on the Fly we’re joined by Darius Simkus, who only started fly fishing after he moved to Ireland from Lithuania and within a few years he was fishing for Ireland, winning...

Sea Trout on the Fly with Steffan Jones from 2023-04-20T11:02:05

While we may be still a few weeks off the summer runs of salmon and sea trout, in advance of that, we thought it would be worth finding out more about catching sea trout on the fly in both dayti...

The Salmon Summit from 2023-04-12T14:19:43

This week we wanted to find out about the Salmon Summit that was held recently in Iceland.

It’s an annual get-together of NGOs, scientists, policy-makers, researchers and scientist...

Book Club Ep #4: John Gierach, All the Time in the World from 2023-04-06T11:07:17

It’s a very special guest for this week’s episode of Ireland on the Fly.  He was an inspiration for us  as well as thousands of other fly anglers around the world, and with every new release, hi...

Frankie McPhillips - how he was nearly lost to newspapers instead of fly tying from 2023-03-29T16:06:02

We’re turning our attention to fly tying for this week’s episode and our guest is a bit of a legend in Irish fly tying circles it has to be said and yet his flies might never have graced our wat...

When the rains subside here's where to target a salmon in March/April from 2023-03-23T13:06:07

With all this rain the last while I’m sure many of you are still itching to get out fishing and for this week’s episode we’ve got some great insights and advice on where to fish for those early ...

Unlocking the secrets of the Suir with George McGrath from 2023-03-16T11:12:08

It’s St. Patrick’s week and for so many fly anglers this really is the start of the brown trout season in Ireland, especially on the rivers, including the River Suir, which has been called the f...

Salmon Fishing on the Upper Caragh from 2023-03-10T07:42:29

Continuing our focus on spring salmon fishing, this week’s Ireland on the Fly podcast turns its attention to the Upper Caragh Fishery in county Kerry and we speak to Mike O’Shea the fishery mana...

From fly fishing with US Presidents to Tiger Woods - Sean McManmon’s life on the fly from 2023-03-02T10:30:36

For this week’s episode we speak to Sean McManmon, a hugely experienced fly angler, and someone known as Mr Salmon in some circles in Ireland.

After decades working in the K Club h...

Mullet on the fly in early season from 2023-02-23T11:05:36

It's a first for us this week on Ireland on the Fly as we find out about catching mullet on the fly in early season.

It’s a fish known as the Irish bonefish and not one that has be...

Book Club Ep #3: Dan O’Donovan&the Salmon of the River Lee from 2023-02-15T23:23:34

We’re into February, spring is in the air and slowly the season is starting to kick into gear.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we get updates on the salmon rivers and loughs around Ireland an...

Duck Fly Tactics&Spring Fishing on Lough Corrib from 2023-02-09T08:49:29

With the start of the season on Corrib only around the corner – it opens next week on February 15th - we catch up with Mike Keady, the Corrib expert and Irish international angler, to get his in...

The best lake for spring salmon on the fly in Europe? from 2023-02-02T11:35:18

Although the salmon season has only just got under way, some of you may be looking to make plans for your spring fishing and one fishery that has always caught my eye that I’m hoping to fish is ...

Does fly tying make you a better fly angler? Ryan Houston on his fly tying&fly fishing career from 2023-01-26T10:43:16

While the salmon season has officially begun, we’re still in the thick of it so to speak with the long nights still hanging over us and many of you are getting busy at the vice in anticipation o...

The Fight for Wild Salmon&Sea Trout from 2023-01-19T10:06:08

A recurring theme of some of our podcasts recently has been looking at the disastrous effects fish farming has had on wild salmon and sea trout and we have been examining Scotland in particular ...

Ronan Collins on a lifetime of curiosity&learning whilst fly fishing around the world from 2023-01-12T11:37:50

For so many of us, fly fishing is also about the people, places and experiences we have, especially whilst discovering new places.

And so, for this latest episode of Ireland on the...

Opening Day Update from the Drowes from 2023-01-04T17:03:30

It’s January 2023 and a Happy New Year to all our listeners and to those of you especially who have been in touch with ideas, suggestions and for the competition as well.

We’ll be ...

Most Memorable Fish on the Fly Vol 1 from 2022-12-28T06:02

Christmas 2022 has been and gone, the presents opened and too much eating and drinking gone on I’m sure and you’re probably counting down the days to the salmon season starting, or getting back ...

Book Club Ep #2: The Catch: Fishing for Ted Hughes&the influence of Ireland on his fishing&writing from 2022-12-20T12:39:46

As it's the run-up to Christmas, we’ve got another instalment of our book club this week on the show and we’re discussing Ted Hughes and the influence of Ireland and Irish fly fishing on his poe...

Pollock on the Fly – and why more&more fly anglers are focusing on this fish from 2022-12-15T09:58:27

If you’re into saltwater fly fishing, by all accounts, 2022 seems to have been the year of the pollock with large numbers and large sizes of the fish being caught right throughout the season. Listen

Catching Irish Pike on the Fly from 2022-12-08T12:48:32

Another fish to target over winter is pike, with pike on the fly becoming increasingly popular in Ireland.

For this week’s episode we wanted to find out more about the set-up, the ...

The 2022 Salmon Season with IFI's Kevin Crowley from 2022-12-02T09:45:11

You might be wondering why we’re talking about salmon for this latest episode in December, but as we get closer to the start of the season on January 1st, the IFI are busy finalising the data fr...

Catching Rainbow Trout over Winter with Denis Goulding from 2022-11-23T12:57:36

Although it’s winter time it doesn’t mean you have to hang up your rods in the close season with a number of stocked fisheries around the country a great place to still catch fish - even if it i...

Bonus Ep: Fish farms&sea lice on Loch Maree from 2022-11-22T09:49:14

On last week’s episode we spoke to Eoghain Maclean, a ghillie on Scotland’s famed Loch Maree which has collapsed as a fishery since the arrival of fish farms.

We wanted a ghillie’s...

The collapse of Scotland's Loch Maree - a warning for Irish anglers from 2022-11-17T09:34:59

As fly anglers we have become all too aware of the environmental dangers and unwanted consequences of fish farming and what was once touted as an answer to more productive fish production has no...

Book Club Ep #1: Kingsmill Moore’s A Man May Fish from 2022-11-10T11:15:57

We wanted to start a bit of a book club here on the Ireland on the Fly podcast to discuss the best Irish fly fishing books and so, for this the 50th show, we’re beginning with an episode on King...

Boiled bluebottles and more - the fly tying secrets of Jackie Mahon from 2022-11-02T09:52:01

It’s officially winter and that means, for many fly anglers, the longer nights will see the vice dusted down and plans made for new flies to be tied for next season.

On this latest...

Review of the 2022 Brown Trout Season on the Irish Lakes from 2022-10-27T10:22:07

The 2022 salmon and trout season has come to a close and so, for this episode of Ireland on the Fly, we’re doing a review of the brown trout lakes around the country to find out how the fishing ...

Keith McDonnell on catching his 22lbs Iceland Sea Trout from 2022-10-06T07:39:02

Keith McDonnell is well known in this country for being one of the early advocates of streamer fishing and his many incredible catches are a testament to his skills and use of the tactic.

...

‘To be known as fly anglers, not just female fly anglers’ Irish internationals Almha McDonnell&Rebecca Moffitt-McGinn on their rise in the sport from 2022-09-30T06:48:43

With International Women's Fly Fishing Day held recently, for this latest episode of Ireland on the Fly, we wanted to speak to young Irish female fly anglers to find out about their love of fly ...

Peter Driver on Trout River Tactics for September plus Winning the National River Championship from 2022-09-14T16:30:53

We’re into the last few weeks of the salmon and trout season and for this week’s Ireland on the Fly, we’re joined by Peter Driver, founder of Piscari Fly in Kilkenny, and a highly accomplished t...

Tenkara in Ireland from 2022-09-07T16:38:11

For this latest episode of Ireland on the Fly, we're focusing on, what some might say is a bit of an esoteric branch of the sport – tenkara - and the art of fishing on mountain streams with mini...

The Bucket List #1: Fishing for sea-run Arctic char – Greenland on the Fly from 2022-08-24T14:55:15

This latest episode is a little bit different and a bit more far flung as I’ve recently returned from a week’s fly fishing for sea-run Arctic char in Greenland and what an experience it was.   Listen

Fishery Focus: The River Bandon with Jason Nash from 2022-08-10T06:00

One key aspect of the Ireland on the Fly podcast is to also bring you information and insights into the different fisheries around the country and so, every few weeks we will be bringing you epi...

Weed Growth on Irish Rivers&Lakes - What's Going On? from 2022-08-02T11:14:15

River Suir angler George McGrath got in touch about an issue that has energised him and many of you in the Irish fly fishing community in recent weeks in relation to weed growth in Irish rivers ...

Finding the Soul of Angling with Garrett Fallon from 2022-07-27T09:28:16

This week’s guest is Garrett Fallon - someone who grew up in Ireland fishing the Boyne, Corrib, Deel and other rivers and lakes around the country but since the 1990s he has been in England work...

Remembering the glory days of Connemara sea trout fishing from 2022-07-20T12:27:47

The mid-summer St Johns Eve celebrations at the end of June signalled the traditional start of the sea trout run in Ireland and if you’ve read Kingsmill Moore’s A Man May Fish you’ll get some id...

Fly Fishing for Bass with Jason O'Riordan on the Copper Coast from 2022-07-06T12:04:55

It’s summer and while brown trout anglers might be taking a hiatus and salmon anglers complain of low rivers, these summer months are an opportunity to escape to the ocean in pursuit of a differ...

Reviewing the Mayfly Season on Lough Sheelin with Eamonn Ross from 2022-06-22T13:14:41

To hear how the mayfly season went this year on Lough Sheelin, for this episode we spoke to Eamonn Ross from the Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association.

Eamonn describes it as ...

Bonus Ep: Habitat Restoration on Irish Rivers with the IFI's Declan Cooke from 2022-06-15T12:26:08

To celebrate and raise awareness of the recent #WorldEnvironmentDay the IFI’s National Fisheries Habitat Development Manager, Declan Cooke, gave a webinar on ‘Habitat Restoration in Irish Rivers...

From Guide aged 10 to Irish Captain at 33 - Darren Maguire and the Next Generation of Fly Anglers in Ireland from 2022-06-07T13:22:13

Darren Maguire is not just a good angler, he’s also the youngest captain of an Irish loughs team to date and for this episode, we spoke to Darren about his mentorship under his father, how he st...

Paddy McDonnell Unlocks the Mysteries of the Moy from 2022-06-01T17:09:43

Plus we delve a bit into the why rather than just the how of salmon fishing…..

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow the Ireland on the Fly podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get ...

The Magic of Mayfly Season from 2022-05-17T07:30:45

‘The mayfly is up’ – the four words that spark excitement and magic in a fly angler’s mind and it’s that time of year when the mayfly is now up on the jewel of Irish lakes, Lough Corrib. So to get...

Successful loughs fishing with Stan McArt from 2022-05-07T22:15:36

For this latest episode we speak to Stan McArt, a hugely successful loughs angler who has been capped 29 times for Ireland and at 78 is still going strong on the competition scene. Stan talks abou...

Paul Procter on early season river fishing from 2022-04-15T11:07:22

Paul Procter, the well-known UK river angler, whom you might recognise from his regular articles in Trout & Salmon magazine joins us on the latest episode of Ireland on the Fly. Paul talks abo...

George McGrath, Insights from a lifetime on the River Suir from 2022-04-01T12:48:02

With the rivers around Ireland having opened since St. Patrick’s Day, this episode of Ireland on the Fly is with Tipperary’s George McGrath of Gundog and Fly YouTube fame. George has fished for ov...

The Story Behind the 1902 Cork Salmon Flies Collection from 2022-03-21T14:45:35

If you've been following the Inland Fishery Ireland news recently you will be aware of their digital publication of the 1902 Cork Salmon Flies collection. These flies had been feared missing for o...

David McEvoy, Fishery&Estate Manager at Delphi from 2022-03-11T14:48:39

David McEvoy Fishery & Estate Manager at the Delphi Fishery joins us for this episode of Ireland on the Fly. It’s a fascinating interview with someone who has a wealth of knowledge about salmo...

Spring salmon fishing on the Drowes from 2022-02-24T09:19:48

Shane Gallagher from the Drowes Fishery joins us on the latest Ireland on the Fly podcast as we get an early season salmon report from the Drowes. We speak to Shane about the first few weeks with ...

Early Season Tactics on Lough Corrib from 2022-02-07T10:14:19

It's a new episode for 2022 and the well known guide and fly angler from Lough Corrib, Tom Doc Sullivan, has joined the podcast as co-presenter. Tom brings his years of trout and fly fishing exp...

COP26 and the Atlantic Salmon from 2021-12-08T13:13:22

After a bit of a hiatus, Ireland on the Fly is back for a one-off episode in the wake of COP26 In and the world’s attempts to try and halt climate change. Renowned international fisheries scientis...

What Lies Beneath - the lough trout's larder and how to imitate them from 2020-11-22T20:00

This latest episode was recorded as a video webinar in conjunction with the 2020 Virtual Irish Fly Fair which has been organising talks and fly tying demos online in place of the usual fair in Galw...

A Salmon Masterclass with Robert Gillespie from 2020-10-31T07:41:50

Earlier in the year I caught up with the casting instructor and guide, Robert Gillespie, to find out more about his life and career in fly fishing. Since then he has changed his career path as a c...

'A legacy greater than Izaak Walton' The remarkable story of Limerick's Edward Fitzgibbon from 2020-10-24T14:09:34

This latest episode is one of my favourites…..earlier in the year when I spoke to the fly fishing historian and writer, Andrew Herd, about his monumental William Blacker trilogy, he had mentioned t...

End of Season Review with Jason Nash&James Barry from 2020-10-11T09:14:17

James Barry and Jason Nash are two prominent and successful anglers based in the south of the country and for this week’s Ireland on the Fly, I caught up with them to find how their 2020 season wen...

Make Way for the Salmon - the documentary series on the River Nore salmon from 2020-09-30T15:21:28

Monica Hayes has produced a six-part radio documentary series on the salmon for KCLR called Make Way for the King. It is a documentary series that not only informs and motivates but also calls for...

High River Tactics from 2020-09-15T17:05:57

Although we’re experiencing something of an Indian summer this week in September, the rains in August were anything but seasonal and I wanted to get some more insights and tips on how to approach h...

A hopeful time for salmon runs? from 2020-09-02T12:04

It’s been the strangest of summers what with the pandemic, lockdowns, and now reports that the salmon runs have been the best in years. Was it because the rivers and lakes had been rested earlier ...

River Life in Ireland Explained from 2020-08-24T12:10:44

For this week’s Ireland on the Fly podcast, renowned fisheries scientist Ken Whelan explains the River Life in Ireland courtesy of a webinar from Limerick’s European Green Leaf Award and over the n...

‘Building a business based on fishing is a minor form of lunacy’ Peter Mantle's Final Fishing Project from 2020-08-15T16:29:23

For this week’s episode of Ireland on the Fly, I catch up with one of Ireland’s adopted sons, Peter Mantle of Delphi Lodge fame. After success with setting up and running fishing lodges in Connema...

Robert Gillespie and why casting is the fishing from 2020-08-07T15:15:38

Apologies for the radio silence in June and July which was due to an illness. However, Ireland on the Fly is back up and running covering the people and places about fly fishing in Ireland.  This...

Irish Bass and the Call of the Ocean from 2020-06-12T09:00

With summer upon us and the next phase of Covid restrictions being lifted, I thought what better time to get some tips and advice on fishing for bass. With some justification Ireland has become kn...

Dry Fly&Night Fishing Tactics for Sea Trout from 2020-06-03T09:00

This week’s episode is a short one as I speak to fisheries scientist Ken Whelan about a forthcoming webinar from himself and Jason O’Riordan on dry fly and night tactics for sea trout that is being...

This Ghillie's Life: a documentary on the ghillieing tradition in county Kerry from 2020-05-29T09:00

In this radio documentary, originally produced for Radio Kerry ten years ago I speak to some of Kerry's leading guides and find out if their way of life is in danger of being lost to modern habi...

Fly Fishing New Zealand with Irish guide Ronan Creane from 2020-05-14T16:00

With restrictions starting to ease, many of us are making plans to get out onto local rivers or waters where possible and if you’re still not able to, well at least there’s fly tying, videos and...

Peter Driver and the Importance of Competition River Fishing from 2020-04-28T16:30

For this week’s episode of Ireland on the Fly, I speak to another fly fishing guide and instructor, Peter Driver.

Peter is a hugely experienced river angler based on the River N...

Tom Doc Sullivan and the Guiding Life on Corrib from 2020-04-16T20:30

Tom Doc Sullivan is a well known angler and guide on Lough Corrib, based out of Cornamona at the far northern end of the lake.

I had the opportunity to fish with Tom a few years back and w...

Tom Fort on fishing writing, memories of the Suir and Niall Fallon from 2020-04-03T16:00

While we can’t get outside much, enjoying nature is still an antidote to what we’re all going through right now.

That, and the thoughts of summer fishing and making plans for th...

An Introduction to Streamer Fishing with Keith McDonnell from 2020-03-17T16:00

These are extraordinary times we’re living in and while we don’t know what the future holds, I do know it’s our passions and hobbies - such as fly fishing - that can help keep us sane.

Listen

An update from the Blackwater and the IFI's new Women Try Fishing programme from 2020-03-05T08:52:29

There’s still been no let up with the rain and storms and while some fishing is being done, it is very frustrating for the majority of us who have limited time to get out on the water.

Listen

First catch and release salmon on the Drowes from 2020-02-19T18:00

So finally the Drowes has opened its account for the season with its first fish caught on Valentines Day, followed three days by later by one caught on the fly.

Despite the high wa...

Peter Mantle: the Irish Delphi Oracle from 2020-02-17T23:30

It’s still been a slow start to the salmon season for anglers - despite the first fish caught on Currane at the end of January by local angler, Kevin O’Shea - and with the country still recoveri...

Andrew Herd on William Blacker and the Irish influence on British salmon fly tying from 2020-02-09T00:30

Famed fly fishing historian and writer, and author of a History of Fly Fishing amongst other titles, Andrew Herd, is this week's guest on the Ireland on the Fly podcast.

Andrew tells me ab...

The Story of the Railway Fishery Part 2 from 2020-01-30T16:30

It’s part two of the story of the Railway Fishery and how the old Ballyduff train station in county Waterford became the famous Blackwater Lodge salmon fishery.

Ireland on the Fly is t...