Angling

Entymology

Fly hatches for the Barrow
The river barrow rises in the Slieve Bloom mountains in County Laois and flows north and then east through the Bog of Allen to Portarlington. At Monasterevin it turns south and makes its way through the rich pastureland of Counties Kildare , Carlow and Kilkenny. From the town of Borris, County Carlow the adjoining landscape changes to a scenic wooded valley as the river makes its way to the tide at Waterford Harbour, where it shares a common estuary with the river Nore and the river Suir. The three rivers are commonly referred to as ‘The Three Sisters’.

In all, the Barrow is one hundred and twenty miles long and drains a catchment of one thousand one hundred and eighty five miles.

The section of the Barrow that Mountmellick Angling Association has the fishing access to extends from Portarlington to just before Monasterevin. Being a lime stone river it gets all the usual fly hatches associated with that type of water. Our section is very varied which makes it ideal for all fly-fishing methods. There is ample fast flowing water which is ideal for early season wet fly fishing, deep flowing water for nymph fishing and beautiful smooth flowing glides and slow deep pools and runs which make it perfect for fishing dry flies and emergers.

The following section will hopefully give you an insight as to what hatches occur on our water for the season.

March
Sometimes our water can be fairly full in the month of March. Our season traditionally opens on the first of March but in recent years has been postponed to Saint Patrick’s day (Seventeenth March) as a conservation measure. So early in the season can see some slim fly hatches but the following suggestions will be useful.

• Large Dark Olive – (baetis rhodani)
• Nymph: Gold Ribbed Hares Ear.
• Emerger: Parachuted Hares Ear.
• Dry: Rough Olive.

Wet fly fishing can be productive in March and any silver bodied fly such as The Priest, Bloody Butcher and the Black and Silver can give good results. Fishing is best confined to the hours between ten A.M. and one P.M.

April
As April come in we tend to see more prolific fly hatches. As well as the large dark olive mentioned above you can expect to see the following:

• Iron Blue – (baetis pumilus)
• Nymph: Iron Blue Nymph
• Dry: Iron Blue Dry, CDC Iron Blue.
• Early Stonefly – (protonemura meyeri)
• Nymph: Small Brown Stonefly Nymph.
• Shrimp – (gammarus pulex)
• Any weighted shrimp pattern
• Water Louse – (asellus)
• The March Brown (unwinged)

The above three flies when imitated should be fished slowly and deeply in or around weedbeds.

May
The month of May is really the start of our fly fishing season. We get all the olive hatches associated with lime stone waters. As with the large Dark Olives, we get the following:

• Pale Watery – (centropitulum luteolum)
• The dry fly usually works best with the pale watery: Sky Blue Dun, Blue Quill.
• Pale Evening Dun – (procloeon rufulum)
  
  As above, best in hot weather.
• Yellow Evening Dun – (ephemeralla notata)
  Wet fly good in fast water.
• Blue Winged Olive (B.W.O.) – (ephemeralla ignita)

The B.W.O. hatches on our section of the Barrow are very good and sometimes spectacular. It is, with the medium olive, the strongest olive that we encounter. Fly patterns for the B.W.O. are extremely numerous so do try your own pattern. The following is a pattern that I find works extremely well:

Dave’s B.W.O.
Hook: Daiichi 1130 size 16.
Thread: Uni thread 8/0
Tail: 3 to 4 Partridge feather fibres and 2 to 3 strands of Twinkle fibres.
Body: A mixture of dark olive and Sunil Antron mix (ratio 5:1)
Wing: 3 to 4 C.D.C. plumes.
Thorax cover: The above C.D.C. feather.
Thorax: Dark Dun mixture.

May also sees the start of the Caddis (Sedge) hatch.

• Great Red Sedge – (phrygania grandis and phrygania striata)
• Grey flag – (hydropsyche instabilis)
• Black Caperer – (seriscostoma personatum)

As well as the olive and caddis flies you can also expect the following:

• Hawthorn – (bibio marci)
• Black Gnat – (bibio johannis)
• Yellow Sally – (isoperia)
• Reed Smut – (simulium)

June
The Olive hatches will be much the same picture as May, with the addition of the Small Dark Olive (baetis scambus), which are best-fished dry in the late day/evening. The B.W.O. is of increasing importance.

Caddis hatches are also much the same as May with the absence of the Grey Flag. Do not forget to fish the Pupa patterns, which will generally out fish the dry patterns.

Reed Smuts, which are often confused with the true Black Gnat can have an impact greatly belying its tiny size. They hatch mostly in fast water in the daytime and dry imitations in the 20-28 sizes work best.

July
Blue Winged Olives, Pale Wateries and the Pale Evening Dun are the most important olives. The Medium Olive can really fish well in this month. The following is a tying that really works well on our water.

Dave’s Medium Olive.
Hook: Partridge Oliver Edwards Emerger Hook, K14ST , Size 16.
Thread: Benecchi’s 12/0 Black
Tail: Small tuft of Canadian Snowshoe Rabbit feet.
Body: Medium Olive Antron dubbing.
Wing: Divided post of Canadian Snowshoe Rabbit feet.
Thorax: Hares Ear mix with Twinkle material.

August
Much the same as July. Look for land bred insects falling onto the water including the Crane Fly (daddylonglegs). Small brown and black Caddis will fish well. Try fishing small Klinkhammer’s dressed with black feather fibres as a body in the slower sections.

September
Daytime fishing will slowly resume with the Blue Winged Olives, smaller sedges and Pale Wateries being the main fly hatches.

As with all river systems each river will fish differently. When coming to fish our section of the Barrow do bring flies in which you yourself will have confidence in, and be prepared to adapt to the conditions. The general rule of thumb on the Barrow is that flies should be small and slim.

You may have noticed that I did not mention the Mayfly (ephemera dancia ). The hatch of the Mayfly on the Barrow can be localised but good. We usually see them around the last week of May into the first week of June. Patterns that work well are the Shadow Mayfly and the Lively Mayfly.

Finally, a word on tackle. A rod of eight to eight and a half feet with a line rating of three to five will suffice for dry fly and Emerger fishing.

For wet flies a cane rod if possible, of nine and a half to ten feet, rated for a number five line would be ideal.

If you do come and fish our waters you will find a varied and challenging fishery with excellent fly hatches and some very clever and large trout. Tight lines!

Author: Dave Tuohy winner of various trophies and Medals for his Prize Fly Tying

Mountmellick Angling Area

River Review
(A) Meetings of the water
This is a stretch of water where the river Owenass meets the river Barrow. This part of the river can produce good fishing al year round to all methods. During the summer months fly-fishing accounts for approximately seventy percent of all catches.

During flood conditions the mouth of the Owenass holds a good head of fish. Fishing the worm can produce excellent sport at these times.

(B) Borness flats
This stretch of the river starts from the Borness Bridge on the Portarlington road (R4233) and stops at the river Triogue.

Due to major drainage carried out in the eighties this is a very shallow stretch of water until it meets the mouth of the Brook. From here to the river Triogue it holds good water and in spate conditions can offer the angler excellent fishing. If however water levels are low then it is recommended that this stretch is tried in the evening with a fly.

(C) Clonterry Flat
This is the flat of water from Clonterry bridge (3) upriver to the mouth of the Triogue. This flat is possibly the most productive stretch of our water and due to continuing development work all of this area has been made very easy to access.

Apart from brown trout this spot can produce the odd salmon and all methods work well here. However dry fly seems to catch the larger trout.

This would be an excellent stretch of water to bring junior anglers.

(D) Hylands flat
This flat extends from Clonterry bridge downstream to Portnahinch. The first notable point of interest is the weir, which was built to hold back water and is now producing some excellent fishing.

A good indication of the success of the weir was that the best trout caught recently was landed by Arron Coss a junior angler and weighed in at three pounds. With such good water this part of the river offers the angler they’re best chance of catching a salmon.

Wet fly works best downstream of the weir after which we come to what is known locally as Kelly’s pool. Good fish will also hold up here and a small sedge of a summer’s night will often produce a couple of good trout. Further down and we come into Robinson’s flat which can be difficult fishing due to drainage works but is still worth the effort as it always holds a good head of fish.

(E) Garryhinch Fishery
This scenic stretch of water runs through woodland from Portnahinch Bridge down to Kilnahown Bridge and covers approximately two miles. This stretch has recently had major development work carried out and as such is now a joy to fish.

Riffles groins and pools have been installed all along this stretch and have produced some excellent fishing to all methods. There is also an excellent hatch of mayfly and is well worth a visit at that time of year.

Mountmellick Angling Association.