 |
A weekend with Hardy Greys Academy Instructors on the famous Lough
Melvin and River Drowse Photography
by Gardiner Mitchell
On the first weekend
of April, Hardy Greys Academy instructors Stephen Kennedy, Stevie
Munn and APGAI Ireland instructor Pat Mulholland presented a comprehensive
practical guidance weekend on all aspects of trout and salmon fly
fishing for Irish river and lough. Places on this course were scarce,
with anglers enrolling from all corners of Ireland and even one
from America. Michael McCormack from Kentucky decided to experience
Irish style lough fishing while tracing his ancestors, some of which
had fished on Lough Melvin many years before with the famous Kingsmill
Moore. |
 |
Michael had a memorable weekend
with his first fly caught Irish salmon, an 8lb springer, while being
guided by Stevie Kennedy. He was using for the first time the new
10ft 7wt Gem rod and reel, complete with one of Stevie Munn’s
superbly dressed salmon flies. It was a great start to what was to
be a fantastic weekend.
With the first day
of salmon casting tuition on the Drowes over, our host, Shane Gallagher
provided the barbeque dinner in the old courtyard of Lareen Park.
This famous sporting estate is situated in a beautiful part of Ireland
just where the river enters the lough. Throughout the day everyone
had worked well together and this was reflected in the banter and
excellent ‘craic’ as everyone enjoyed the food, drink
and Stevie Munn’s entertaining yarns.
Saturday morning
started with a light wind blowing from the west and Lough Melvin
looked irresistible. The focus of the day was to be Irish style
lough fishing but only after an introduction to boat safety, weather
forecasting and a ‘match-the-hatch’ session. Then it
was time to drift this jewel of a lough and with instructors and
boatmen divided amongst clients, the tuition never stopped.
Incredibly, trout
were being caught from the first cast. Walter from Co. Antrim, guided
by Stevie Munn, caught his first ever wild brown trout on the fly,
and if his expressions were anything to go by he will probably never
forget. Stevie Munn’s boat and fly box continued to do well
with Paul de Hann, a Dutch client boating his first ever fish on
the fly. It was a beautiful sonaghan (a species of trout indigenous
to Lough Melvin), caught on his new Hardy Sirrus rod and followed
by two more fine trout. Andy Kennedy broke in his new Angel 10ft
7wt with half a dozen sonaghan. With most clients catching and returning
all their fish, all were thrilled. . even through the Irish climate
made sure of a few good downpours!
The clients also enjoyed sessions
of kick sampling, entomology and casting clinics with one-to-one
sessions with the instructors.
After the final briefing, all were let loose on the river to put
their new found skills to good use. With heavy hearts and happy
clients saying goodbye, the question on everyones mind was, ”When’s
the next one?”
|
