Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

With the beginning of the 2009 angling season, eager anglers all over Ireland will be getting out their gear and stocking up their armoury of new flies.

Last year’s season was one of the least productive for the rivers and Loughs and to add to a poor season it saw one of the worse pollution incidents occurring on the six mile river resulting in a massive fish kill, and decimating the invertebrate life in the river. 

This year I believe Lough Sheelin will be one of the few Loughs that will excel in producing a good head of fish for those prepared to venture out on the Loughs. If it is anywhere as good as it was last year there will be many a happy angler leaving its shores eager to return.

Lough Neagh is also one of the Loughs that has been underestimated over the years, Fantastic fishing is to be found on this Lough, and the likes of Sam Andrews and Tom Woods of A.P.G.A.I. who regularly organise angling trips and gillie on the Lough, had a good year in 2008. 

A word of safety anyone wishing to fish this Lough is advised to make use of Sam and Toms services as these guides are well experienced and qualified boat men for fishing on the Lough and can ensure a safe and pleasant days angling for a whole range of species. 

On a sadder note, it was reported by the Sion Mills club last week that dead and mutilated spent fish were found yet again around the Hydro plant and we are not even into the season. The Sion Mills club has nearly finished preparations for a campaign to request an independent and thorough environmental audit of the hydro plant to ensure the safe passage and return of all migratory fish. 

With the increasing amount of interest in green energy Hydro power is becoming increasingly popular.  I am by no means against hydro power, as a means of green energy it can be of immense benefit to the community if installation of such equipment is carried out in a correct manner.

All game angling clubs should be aware of the dangers of these installations being introduced to our waters without proper Environmental studies being carried out, as in the case of Sion Mills the failure of the current installation has had a profound effect on angling. Currently the Sion Mills club is asking all stake holders on rivers all around Ireland to support them in this campaign by e mailing the club a letter of support,

This in turn will hopefully make the powers to be aware of the concerns of anglers who in reality are the watchdogs and guardians of our precious recourse and pave the way to ensuring Hydro schemes currently being proposed throughout the province and the whole of Ireland are thoroughly reviewed before any approval given. 

Remember you may be the next river system to encounter such a scheme, so I urge all interested clubs and fishing organisations to participate in this cause. Their e mail address is   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

A.P.G.A.I. (Ireland) has been busy over the closed season especially for the fly dressing instructors, who met earlier this month in Navan to hone their skills on the art of fly dressing. A.P.G.A.I.(Ireland)  will be carrying out fly dressing and casting tuition at the Loughs Agency this year, and welcomes all who are interested in learning to cast a fly or are interested in fly dressing.  Workshops have also been organised this April for anyone who is interested in fly dressing, and those wishing to apply for this should contact Tom Woods via the APGAI web site. A.P.G.A.I. will also be running the angling events at the Ballywalter, Moira and Ballinlough game fairs this year.

Free fly dressing tuition and workshops will be on offer as well as free fly casting tuition and workshops over the week end at both venues. Competitions for the best up and coming fly dresser and fly caster will be held, and prizes will be awarded to those lucky ones.

Also at the Moira Game fair the pike society will be coming over from England and carrying out demonstrations on tying pike flies. Brookhall trout fishery will be in attendance with A.P.G.A.I. providing information on this year’s casting for recovery.

Brookhall was awarded the venue last year and with the huge success of the event it culminated in Cathryne Boyce co owner of the fishery being invited by Sue Shaw and Sue Hunter to be one of the guides at the Mount falcon Venue down the South of Ireland, an honour for any angler.