Sunday Morning Musings

We've had plenty of rain here on the East coast of Ireland. My local rivers all have plenty of fresh water in them so if there's ever going to be a chance of catching an elusive east coast springer, it could well be over the next few days. My fishing buddy, Simon, has already winkled a March fish out of the Boyne and there are reports of springers arriving in many of Ireland's rivers. I intend to avail of the good conditions over the next few days and put the hours in in search of silver. 

A beautiful evening on the Dee.

The OPW website, www.waterlevel.ie is an excellent source of information for anybody intending to fish and it can make extremely interesting reading. The readings for the River Glyde show that it has been rising steadily for the past seven days, despite the fact that there's been no rain for the past two days. This is due to the fact that there are a large number of lakes at the top of the system and once these are filled, it takes a long time for that water to permeate down through the river. The downside is that the eager angler has to wait a while until the river settles and begins to drop, the plus side is that the river remains at an ideal height for a long period of time. 

Trying an Orange Monkey on my trusty Loop Opti

Then there's the Dee. The Dee rises and falls at a much quicker rate than either the Glyde or Fane so anglers don't have to wait long before it's fishable. The Dee gets very coloured up while it's in spate and can stay coloured for a few days while it's dropping, which can be frustrating.

I crossed the Dee while doing an airport run yesterday and found that it was too coloured, yet upon my return in the evening, it has cleared sufficiently to warrant a cast. 

Yesterday evening was beautiful and warm, and to be honest, I found myself sitting on the bank chilling and mulling over a number of things that have been going on in my non-fishing life. This brings me to the question of why do we fish? Is it purely for the thrill of catching something or is the 'getting away from it all factor' more important? I must admit that when things in life get rough or when I feel under pressure, I get a really strong urge to be at the river. I sometimes wonder whether I'm running away from things but in honesty, I think that angling provides a sort of therapy to a cluttered mind. The simplicity and rhythm of cast and step can be a welcome antidote to the complexities of life. 

Sitting at the river yesterday watching a beautiful sunset and pondering on recent and current life events has made me grateful that I'm a flyfisher.

So today it's back to the river and here's hoping for enlightenment and success.