Two foot plus flood on lower river peaks at 1.05m – highest level since June 2.……

Conditions.

It was dry throughout the catchment today. The forecast is now dry right through until Tuesday apart from some light rain Saturday night.
 
The upper river at Millstreet peaked at 23.00 up a metre from August 2. It’s back down 0.70m by 23.00 this evening (6^th.)  The clarity is less than a foot this evening.

At Killavullen the river peaked at 2.05m at 07.00. it is down to 1.52m by 23.00. Clarity was less than a foot & peaty through the day.

The Ballyduff gauge peaked at 1.05m at 13.00 – up 0.80m since August 2. It is down to 0.76m by 23.00 this evening. Clarity is about 1 foot & very peaty with a slight sediment colour.

The average height of the Ballyduff gauge was 0.36m for June & 0.33m for July. For the first 6 days of August the average height is 0.51m

Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.8ºC / 55.0ºF.

Catches.

The water was very dark & peat-stained throughout but with little muddy sedimenty colour. Clarity throughout was less than a foot, so it was hardly surprising that no fish were caught today!


Prospects.

Very coloured water was still coming down from above Millstreet this evening, but it is dropping fast. It will be in spin/bait order tomorrow, but may barely be fishable with fly. Fishing should be superb in the coming days once this latest flood drops and the river fines off.

Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

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The upper river has risen 70cm (2 feet) since this morning.……

 Arthur Goonan with his First Ever Salmon. 

A tide-bright grilse of 4lb. - he caught & released it with worms 

on Woodstream on the upper river.

Conditions.

There was more rain the catchment overnight. I had 8mm on my gauge at the lodge by morning. Heavy showers continued all day in the upper catchment. The forecast is now dry right through until Sunday.
 
The upper river at Millstreet started to rise at 07.30 this morning & is up 70cm by 22.00 tonight & still rising. The clarity is getting very poor up at Millstreet this evening.

At Killavullen it was falling until midday but has since risen over 30cm by 22.00 to 1.70m. Clarity was ~ 1 foot & peaty through the day.

Ballyduff gauge is up to 0.62m by 22.00 this evening & still rising. Clarity is about 1-1½ feet – very peaty with a slight sediment colour. 

 Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.8ºC / 55.0ºF.

Catches.

Even with very coloured water & only 8 rods for the day, three fish were caught including a First Ever Salmon for Arthur Goonan on Woodstream on the upper river. A lot of fish were moving through the upper beats during the day.

Prospects.

With very dirty water coming down from above Millstreet, the river will be out of fly order tomorrow, but may barely be fishable with spinner or worms. The rise is bringing the large numbers of fish that were waiting in the tidal reaches into the main river. Plenty of fish are moving especially on our upper beats.
Fishing should be superb in the coming days once this latest flood drops and the river fines off.

Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

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Eight fish to 10¾lb. finally yesterday. More rain this morning.……

Conditions.

There was more rain overnight throughout the catchment overnight. The forecast is now dry right through until Sunday.

The upper river at Millstreet was falling steadily until 07.30 this morning but is just starting to rise again.

Killavullen peaked at 1.52m at 21.00 last night & is down to 1.40m at 10.00 today & is about to start rising. Clarity is ~ 1 foot & peaty but with little or no sediment today. 

Ballyduff gauge was down to 0.41m at 22.00 last night but then peaked at 0.56m at 05.30 this morning. By 10.00 is down to 0.54m but will rise again later. Clarity is about 1-1½ feet – very peaty with a slight sediment colour.

 Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.8ºC / 55.0ºF.

Catches.

Even with quite coloured water & only 5 rods for the day, the day’s total was 7 fish to 10¾lb. Six came from the upper river.


Prospects.

The river is just about in spinning order today. The rise is bringing the multitude of fish waiting in the tidal reaches into the main river as almost all the fish caught yesterday were very fresh including the 10¾ pounder caught on the upper river. Plenty of fish are moving especially on our upper beats. Fishing should be excellent in the coming days once we get the latest rise due from last night’s rain and the river fines off.

Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

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Seven fish to 10¾lb. today……

Conditions.

The weather continued showery this afternoon. The forecast is for some more rain tomorrow & then dry right through until Sunday.

The upper river at Millstreet I s falling steadily.

Killavullen was down to 1.30m at 14.00 but then rose to 1.52m by 21.00 & peaked. It is just starting to fall at 11.30pm. Clarity was ~ 1½-2  feet & peaty but with little or no sediment.

Ballyduff gauge peaked this morning at 09.00 at 0.62m. Clarity is about 1½-2 feet – peaty with a slight sediment colour.

 Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.8ºC / 55.0ºF.

Even with quite coloured water & only 5 rods for the day, the day’s total was 7 fish to 10¾lb. Six came from the upper river.


Prospects.

The river was in fair spinning order. It was barely flyfishable throughout. It should improve somewhat tomorrow. It looks as if the rise will pull the multitude of fish waiting in the tidal reaches into the main river as almost all the fish caught today were very fresh. If so, fishing should be excellent in the coming days when the river fines off after this latest flood.
Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

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The upper river is rising again. Up 26cm by 09.3 Fish are running!

Conditions.

The weather continued showery yesterday afternoon. A band of rain cut across the NW corner of the catchment in the night. The forecast is for some more rain tomorrow & then dry right through until Sunday.
 
The upper river at Millstreet peaked yesterday morning at 08.30 up 47cm. It then fell 37cm until 03.00 this morning & is now up again 26cm after the overnight rain & still rising rather quickly.

Killavullen rose 37cm to 1.51m by 17.00 yesterday & is falling steadily. It is at 1.35m at 06.00 today. Clarity was poor on the upper river yesterday at less than a foot & muddy brown. Today it is ~ 1½ feet & peaty but with little or no sediment. Spinnable but very borderline for fly.

Ballyduff gauge peaked yesterday morning at 04.30 at 0.51m then fell to 0.46m by 10.30 & rose steadily for the rest of yesterday peaking at 0.60m at midnight. This morning at 07.30 it is down to 0.52. Clarity is about 1½ feet – peaty with a slight sediment colour. 

Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.8ºC / 55.0ºF.

Catches.

There was just one very fresh grilse from one of our lower beats yesterday. Very few rods fishing & the water very coloured especially on the upper river. Good numbers of fish were seen moving through our top beats just below Mallow & also going over the weir at Fermoy yesterday.


Prospects.

The river is in moderate spinning order. It is barely flyfishable throughout. Hopefully the rise will pull the multitude of fish waiting in the tidal reaches into the main river. If so, fishing should be excellent in the coming days when the river fines off after this latest flood.

Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

Follow me on Twitter:  http://goo.gl/QxB92R

Follow Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery  on FaceBook:  http://goo.gl/vqh7RH

Monthly Report for July & Current Prospects

Best Ever Catch per Rod Day for the Month of July!

The actual number of fish caught for the month was well above average,
but the rod effort was however much lower than normal.
The 125 fish were caught for just 216 rod days –
a superb average of 0.6 fish/rod day & the highest ever recorded for July.

The Best Ever month of July was recorded way back in 1998 when 296 were caught for 550 rod days.
This gives a catch per rod day at that time of only 0.5 fish/rod day.

The Second Best Ever month of July recorded was in 2000 when 263 were caught for 650 rod days.
The catch per rod day for that year was even lower at only 0.4 fish/rod day.
Third Best Catch for the Month of July since 2003!

125 fish were caught in total for July. The fly was by far the most productive method accounting for 73 fish.
The Best Day of the Season - which had been recorded on June 28th. when 13 fish were caught - was equalled on July 8th.
We also recorded the Second Best Day for 2015 twice in July - with 10 fish on the 28th. & then 11 fish on the 30th.
The joint Best Fish of the Month at 12lb. were caught by Chris Atkinson (UK) on the fly on the 6th. & Gavin Wishart (N. Ireland) on the 23rd. Both were taken from Lower Kilmurry & both were released.

Current Conditions & Prospects.

This was the river on July 31. Gauge height: 0.27m 

This was the river this morning at 10.00. Gauge height: 0.49m

The staggering catch statistics for July are even more remarkable when we take into consideration that the average gauge height at Ballyduff for the month of July was a mere 0.33m.
There was no significant flood during the month, & the highest level it reached was 0.60m on the 19th.

Yesterday (Sunday August 2), I recorded 20mm rain on my gauge here at the Lodge. Rain fell right across the catchment yesterday though it looks as if more fell in the middle to lower region than fell at the top of the river. Ballyduff gauge is peaking at 0.51m at 06.00 this morning - up 25cm.


The upper river at Millstreet is peaking up 45cm at 10.00. 


The upper river at Killavullen is up 30cm - peaking at 1.44m at 10.00. The clarity is about 1 foot & dirty but it was 2 feet & peaty at Ballyhooly at 09.00, so the colour is coming from right up the top.


The lower river at Ballyduff peaked at 05.00 today at 0.51m & is down to 0.45m at 11.30. Clarity is about 2 feet & peaty.

This rise in the river - coupled with high tides of 4.0m peaking at Youghal today, should encourage the first of the larger autumn fish which are already in the tidal reaches to run into the main river & also bring an even more concerted grilse run.

Availability
There is no problem for fishing & accommodation availability in the coming weeks at the moment.
Now is the time to book your fishing break as there are now only 8 weeks left of the 2015 season.
With the Euro being so weak, exchange rates against the £ sterling, US $ Dollar & other currencies are very favourable, and make a trip to Ireland extremely good value for money at the moment!

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net
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A remarkable month of July. Highest Catch/Rod Day ever!

 The river below the Lodge at 19.00 yesterday (August 1). 

Gauge height:  0.25m

The Total Catch for the Season to the end of July is the highest since 2003.
The Catch per Rod Day for this July is the Highest Ever recorded with 0.6fish/rod day.

Conditions.

The radar picture at 01.45am today.

3.5mm rain on the Lodge gauge overnight. There was rain right across the catchment during the night. The forecast is broken for the coming week.

The upper river at Millstreet is holding steady & may start to rise somewhat after the overnight rain.

Killavullen is also holding steady at 1.15m.

Ballyduff gauge rose 1cm overnight & is holding this morning at 0.26m.

Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.4ºC / 54.3ºF.

Catches.

The Second Best Day of the Season total of 10 fish recorded on Tuesday only lasted 2 days as there were 11 fish to 6lb. landed on Thursday (July 30) for just 6 rod days.
10 came from the upper river.
125 fish were caught for July for just 216 rod days – a superb average of 0.6 fish/rod day.
This is the 3^rd. highest catch for July since 2003, but is probably the best ever July in terms of catch/rod day! Even the best ever July total – which was 296 in 1998 -  only had 0.5 fish/rod day!
The total of 244 for the season to the end of July is the highest recorded since 2003 – which is truly remarkable considering the low fishing effort.


Prospects.

The river is in excellent fly order. Fishing should be good sport in the coming days though it has been inconsistent in the last 5 days. There are reports of some double figure fish caught on the lower river.
Hight tides will be peaking at 4.0m today & tomorrow which should help to bring fish into the main river.

Availability.

No problem for rods & accommodation at the moment.

For complete fishing/visitor information visit: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net

Follow me on Twitter:  http://goo.gl/QxB92R

Follow my Salmon Fishing Blog:  http://goo.gl/q0qMbo

Follow Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery  on FaceBook:  http://goo.gl/vqh7RH