On a number of occasions I have been out on Lower Lough, fly fishing for wild brown trout. I do not start until after St Patrick’s Day as it is better to allow the spawned trout to put on better condition and the weather can be inclement. So it was the end of March before I ventured out. The weather was not the best as there was winds from the east and north which I find is not good as the trout are not inclined to rise as there is no fly hatching in the cold wind. There was good amounts of the first hatching fly , the Duckfly, up on the land after a spell of a couple of warm days but it did not last and despite being out on the Lough a number of times there was little fly and only the odd fish showing.
On Monday 10th April I was fishing the Costello river at Casla and beat 1. This is the lowest beat going down to the estuary and having a number of good salmon holding pools with such names as the Dinner pool, the Cabbage pool and the Cottage pool. I was meeting large numbers of silvery smolts on their way out to sea and we may need a flood to clear them out. It is always good to see large amounts of smolts as it our future stocks of fish making their way to the feeding grounds around Connemara and out to the high seas.I did not see any spring salmon but there was a report of one sighted the previous day and with high tides these days, the chances of connecting with one are high.
