Top of the Lackagh Fishery.
Well, there is no dramatic tale of springers caught, lost or seen. Visited the Lackagh today, with my mate James. Weather was unusually mild for this time of year with the air temperature 10/11 degrees. There was plenty of water in the river and a couple of local anglers advised us that it fishes better in lower water.
The Lackagh flows from Glen Lough for about a mile or so until it reaches the sea at Ards.
The uppermost 1/4 of a mile, is heavy, rocky water and doesn't look all that fishable. It is easy to imagine, however, that in low water, this section might slow fish down and persuade them to linger longer in the river.
We headed to the top pool and prepared to fish down for the first time. Outfit for today was 11' Orvis Access Switch, teamed up with a 480grain Rio Scandi-Short Versitip line. I started with the 3ips. tip and tried a Broc an Earraigh. The top pool has a very heavy flow so I changed to a conehead Parkie tied on a copper tube.
Top Pool
The next pool down is called the Garden pool and has a reputation for being a bit of a hotspot. The whinbush at the head marks a lovely stream which widens out into big pool. The current flows along a steep cliff face on the left bank and looks like a nice spot to try a Frances on a later visit.
Head of the Garden Pool; young Casey reckons he's doing a great job of fishing it.
Middle Section
Tail of the Garden Pool
Bottom pool on the fly only stretch.
Mirage Sunray ready to rock.
Bottle Snaelda.
I tried stripping a Sunray though all the pools followed by a heavy Snaelda but all to no avail.
Not to worry, it was great to be back out again and the Lackagh will definitely be getting a good fishing in the coming months. It's a really nice fishery set in wildest Donegal.
Main Pool.
Looks to be a well maintained fishery. That top section is screaming out for some of me conehead tubes! Ha!
ReplyDeleteBig time lad! Tricky to fish properly at this height- especially the top pool. Pure torrent of water.
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