Ian Powell - Blackwater Lodge

New Best Day of the Season – 18 fish caught! Yesterday’s Best Day of the Season record of 15 fish caught lasted only 24 hours! Today, 18 fish were landed for 19 rod days. 9 fell to the fly & 7 to spinner. Conditions. There was no rain in the catchment for the last 24 hours. The forecast is now dry right through until the end of next week. The upper river at Millstreet is falling steadily. The clarity is about 3 feet. At Killavullen the river is down to 1.28 this evening. Excellent fly height & clarity which is ~3 feet & slightly peaty. The Ballyduff gauge is down to 0.40 by nightfall. Again excellent fly height & clarity which is ~3 feet & slightly peaty. Water temperature at Ballyduff: 12.6ºC / 54.6ºF. Catches. Today recorded the New Best Day of the Season. Eighteen fish to 8lb. were caught. Seven fell to spinner & nine to the fly as the water is fining off to superb order. Prospects. Absolutely superb as the river is fining off & there is an excellent run of grilse & a number of double figure fish are being seen as well. Almost all the fish caught (even on the topmost beats) on our waters were extremely fresh.

And what better way to make your own Christmas than to book a few days fishing at Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery for 2015! Only 38 Days left until Opening Day on February 1st.

Blackwater Lodge & Salmon Fishery News - December 10, 2014 Prices Unchanged for 2015. We dropped our prices significantly two years ago to combat the economic climate and to encourage more anglers to come to the Blackwater. We are keeping the prices the same for 2015. Salmon fishing on the renowned Cork Blackwater for between €15 - €80 per day depending on the season. Please see our website for details: Angling for Salmon on Ireland's Cork Blackwater at Blackwater Lodge and Salmon Fishery and don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like any further information or would like to make a reservation for the coming season. Winter spawning There is an excellent stock of spawning fish on the upper Blackwater according to Fisheries officers. Interestingly, their behaviour this year is unusual in that they are running to the spawning grounds & spawning immediately which is rather early especially as we have had a mild winter so far. Perhaps they know more about the coming weather than we do! 2015 Fishing Season There are no changes in the fishing regulations for the coming season, apart from the fact that the season will revert to closing on September 30th.* For the last 3 years, the Blackwater benefited from an extension to the salmon season to October 12. The Minister has decided not to continue this in 2015. The quota for the river is 5,752 which is the second highest in the country next to the Moy. For anyone who would like to see the full Draft regulations for the coming season, please go to:*** http://goo.gl/j2JHEL Opening of the 2015 Season The season will open as usual on February 1st., 2015 Book Early for 2015!: It's always advisable to book early to ensure your place - especially for the prime weeks. Early Payment Discount: Book and pay in full now & benefit from a 1% per month discount. 2015 Prices: These are now available on our website:* * Angling for Salmon on Ireland's Cork Blackwater at Blackwater Lodge and Salmon Fishery Christmas Gift Vouchers Stuck for that last minute present? If you'd like to give or receive a special gift, now is the time to get a Gift Voucher from us - for anything from fly-casting tuition to fishing, accommodation or tackle. Very prompt service with vouchers created to order & delivered to you by return by email. Pre-Season Preparation As always, Glenda is available for tuition as the new season approaches, so if you'd like to hone your skills before Opening Day then get in touch with her. Social Networking: Twitter Facebook - Ian Facebook - Lodge page FaceBook - Glenda For any further information, please contact: Blackwater Lodge & Salmon Fishery Upper Ballyduff County Waterford Ireland Skype: bwlodge Ireland: Phone: 058 60235 Mobile: 087 235 21 20 (Ian) 087 235 12 60 (Glenda) From UK: Phone: 0844 202 33 33 International: Phone: +353 58 60235

A small rise, a couple of fish & more rain to come.......... Upper river rose 8cm & 2 rods landed 2 fish to 10lb. today. Lower river rose 12cm but clarity not great. Please see my latest Blogpost: http://ireland-salmon-fishing.blogspot.ie/

Torrential localised showers give a small flood........ Please see my latest Blog-post on Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery with the latest information from today

We have had higher dirtier water once again for the last week or more, but the later part of this week has seen some more dry weather & the river is once again settling down. The picture above is below the Lodge this morning with the Ballyduff gauge on 0.97m. Clarity has improved again also to 2 - 2½ feet. The conditions are ideal for spinning, but still rather too high for fly fishing just yet. The forecast has improved for the weekend with probably just some light rain Saturday & Tuesday - otherwise mainly dry. The March total so far is seven springers, which is the best total since 2006. This is a remarkable achievement considering the poor conditions & low angling effort. Prospects should be very good in the coming days.

Countdown to the Opening Day this Saturday, February 1st. We're just looking for one small weather miracle please. This was the river below the Lodge today January 29th. at 10.45am. The Ballyduff gauge height was 2.06m. It has fallen a further 25 cm by 20.00 This was Millstreet gauge above Mallow for the last week showing that it is dropping slowly at 19.00 this evening. This was the Ballyduff gauge for the last month showing the abnormally high levels we have been seeing (since mid-December). it is dropping quickly at 19.00 this evening, and is down to 1.83m by 19.30 this evening. OK - so this is where we need one small miracle please! The season will open this coming Saturday, February 1st., 2014. if current conditions continued, the river could be in moderately good order as it is beginning to clear & the level is starting to fall more quickly. However, the ground has been completely saturated for weeks, so little rain is needed to bring the level up again. Unfortunately, it looks as if the weather could be against us as yet another depression is heading towards us from across the Atlantic. This is the Magic SeaWeed forecast for 12.00 Friday with the rain sweeping in. his is the Met Eireann Forecast for 12.00 Friday which gives a similar picture. Prospects If we do get the amount of rain which looks to be forecast, then we will probably be flooded off the river for Saturday's Opening. At best, the river will probably only be in heavy spinning order, unless of course our request for just one small miracle is granted............................................................

Superb Salmon Fishing in the Last Week.................................... With the spell of dry weather, the river has fined off to summer level. The Ballyduff gauge is now on 0.26m this morning & the clarity is 4-5 feet. The forecast for the week is dry except for some light rain perhaps on Wednesday & Thursday. We have had superb fishing in the last week. For the 7 days to Saturday 10th., we have taken 108 fish to 12lb. for just 87 rod days. The August total is 118 which is already the best for the month for the last 4 years - & this is only in the first 10 days! Fresh fish are continuing to run in good numbers. One angler who was fishing our top beat just below Mallow (28 miles/45km upriver) caught 4 sea-liced grilse in one hour in the late afternoon & lost 2 more. Prospects Excellent for the coming week. Very small flies are the most successful. There's no problem for availability for fishing & accommodation for most of August.

We are having a period of dry weather now which is due continue until well into next week. Following the big flood on the 22nd., the river is now fining off very well and will only improve further in the coming days. The Ballyduff gauge is on 0.70m at 5.00pm today. Beats on the upper river are now in fly order, and some of the lower beats should be fly-fishable by tomorrow & all of them should be in fly order by the weekend. Temperatures are cold with the air struggling to get to 5C during the day & is about 0 to +2C at night. The water on the lower river is just over 7C & on the upper river it is only about 4.5C We have high (3.9m) tides for the next couple of days, so hopefully this - combined with the flood fining off - will encourage more fish to move in. Prospects are looking very good for the Easter weekend.

The river is in absolutely fantastic order. The gauge is on 0.49m this morning with clarity ~6 feet. The water temperature is 7.6°C @ 10.00 today. Air: +7°C It's in perfect order for the fly at the moment. This kelt below was caught by 17 year old Dan Hawker on fly at the Lug Pool on Lower Kilmurry. it was an absolutely superbly conditioned fish that was duly released (and logged of course!!!!!) All the spent fish are very well mended & fight like hell. So if you are fishing here, make sure you don't confuse them with a fresh one - it's easily done. Prospects The weather looks as if it'll be broken in the run-up to next weekend but without appreciable amounts of rainfall. This means we can probably expect conditions to remain quite stable through the week. The run of springers was good the week before last when our first two were hooked. Since then we are seeing occasional ones, but none have been hooked.

One Fish – Two Firsts! The First Fish of the Season was caught on the Lodge beats yesterday. It was taken by Gary Byrne from Dungarvan on spinner, weighed 9.65lb & was sea-liced. It was his First Ever Salmon and his first visit to the Lodge. Like most special events at the Lodge, there’s a story……………………………………………. I had sent Gary & his mate Mark to fish on Upper & Lower Kilmurry and they arrived there about 10.00am. For those of you that know the Lodge, Glenda was teaching at the Hut Pool on Upper Kilmurry (her Office!). I called in to see her, then left at 12.00 to head for Fermoy. As I was driving away, I glanced into the top field (“The Inches”) of Upper Kilmurry and saw Gary - rod bent – looking as if he was into a fish. I stopped, shouted to him to confirm & then parked & hastened down the field to him. He was on the high bank at the tail of the Inches with an obviously fresh springer played out. Unable to tail it out, we nervously waited for Mark to appear having returned to the Hut Pool some 400 yards away to get the net. I landed the fish and the smile on his face really does say it all! The fish was tagged and entered into Gary’s logbook even although it wasn’t a kelt! If you don’t understand this ironic joke go and read all about the logging controversy on our Facebook pages! The river is now fining off nicely, and it is only now that we can really fish with confidence as there is already a good head of spring fish through the system even to the upper river. The forecast is for continuing dry cool weather, so the river will be coming into excellent condition & the chances of catching a springer must be very good in the coming days. I just had a phone call from the river to tell me that there are good numbers of springers showing on Kilmurry. The first fish of the season off the river had been reported on Tuesday on Killavullen club waters 20 miles upstream. This is probably the first time in living memory that the first fish of the season has been recorded this far upstream. Obviously a consequence of the high water & mild temperatures we have had since the beginning of January. On Wednesday 20th., one of our rods lost a sea-liced fish of 8-10lb at the bank - he had forgotten his net! He also saw half a dozen fresh springers. The same day there was also a report of a sea-liced fish caught on another private lower beat.

Affordable Salmon Fishing for 2013 We’ve now made the cost of salmon fishing so low, you hardly need waders! With the worldwide recession, fishery owners, lodges and guides across the globe are reducing their charges so that salmon anglers can keep fishing and new anglers can be attracted to the sport. In Ireland, the Blackwater Lodge - in conjunction with its beat owners - is leading the way by now making salmon fishing more affordable for everyone. Cast your eye on this............... For the 2013 season, fishing rates on the Lodge beats will range from €15 per day to €80 per day in the prime time. Some of these rates reflect a reduction on 2012 prices of over 50%. Click here for our 2013 Price List http://www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net/Prices/pricelist.htm We have exclusive use of 11 prime beats on the famous Cork Blackwater, all insured and each one subject to an on-going, rigorous maintenance programme to guarantee your safety, comfort and enjoyment. Stay Where You Like Just because you’re fishing Lodge waters doesn’t mean you have to stay with us. If you do, you can choose to stay in the Lodge, bed and breakfast, for only €35 per night (single supplement €10). Or choose from a variety of self-catering bungalows on the grounds for only €80 per day up to a four-bedroom version for €500 a week. Packed lunches and evening meals are available. There is also a wide selection of hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs in the area, if that’s your preference. Next Step or First Step? Whether you’ve been looking for affordable, quality salmon fishing; or feel it’s something you’d like to try, this is probably the best opportunity you’ll ever have. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s absorbing and salmon anglers are a great community to belong to. Male and female. So get in touch today and book casting tuition or a few days fishing – without getting out of your depth on cost.

The Extension to October 12th. There are very few places in the Republic where you can fish for salmon up to October 12. We are fortunate enough to have been granted this on a trial basis for this year, as our runs of fish seem to be coming later and later each year. The extension is Fly Only, Single Barbless & Catch & release. Special Late Offer €60/day. To ensure that we have plenty of rods fishing to help collect data, we are now offering fishing from now until October 12th. for just €60/rod day. Promising Prospects. We have experienced the same phenomenon as most rivers in September with fish being very reluctant to take. We have however a very large head of fish in the system, with lots of fish being seen on most beats each day. Fly Works Best! For September, the fly caught more fish that all the other methods put together which bodes well for the Fly Only extension. The September total was 138 of which 74 fell to fly. 93 of the fish were released. The last 12 days of September saw 75 fish caught - of which 41 fell to fly. Whilst fish were elusive, some anglers managed to do very well. Gerard Bonnet's 3 rod party from Britanny, France caught 27 fish to 13lb. for their week including 8 on the fly. Terry McDermott's party from N. Ireland also had 7 to 10lb. - all on fly. This fish was taken by Terry himself on the 29th. on the lower river. It weighed 9.9lb, & was covered in sea-lice. Gauge height at Killavullen on the upper river. Moderate amounts of rain have given us a small (11cm) fresh on the upper river on October 1st. Hopefully this will encourage more fresh fish to run. Gauge Height & Rainfall at Ballyduff This translated into a 6cm fresh on the lower river. The water clarity is superb. This was the river yesterday at midday. Height 0.39m Perfect medium high summer level. Clarity ~ 5 feet. Absolutely ideal fly conditions. Just 9 Days of the season remaining! We have availability of rods and accommodation to October 12th - which is of course fly only - C&R.

The river had dropped off & started to fine down on Friday 24th., which was the joint third Best Day of the Season with 10 fish to 13.4lb. caught. Heavy localised showers caused the upper river to river yet again on Saturday. It was completely out of order for Saturday 25th. This was the picture for the upper river up to this morning. The lower river was also completely unfishable yesterday (Sat. 25th.) Today the clarity has improved somewhat to 1 - 1.5 feet on the lower river & about 2 feet on the upper river. I already have a report of a very fresh 5 pounder caught on an upper beat just below Mallow today after only 3 casts. Friday 25th. was our Third Best Day of 2012. A total of 10 fish to 13.4lb. were caught. One rod had four fish from our top beat just below Mallow. Another landed 3 at Bridgetown, keeping only a 13.4lb. & releasing 2 grilse. The total for August so far is 89 to 13.9lb. for just 129 rod days - a superb result considering the flood conditions & low rod effort! The season total to day is 375. There looks to be yet more rain from tonight to Wednesday!!!!!!!

On Monday 9th., 6 fish were caught (including the 13lb. First Salmon in last blog entry) making it the Fifth Best Day of the season. This included a couple of sea-liced fish from the lower river from Kilmurry & Kents. On Tuesday 10th., 9 fish were caught which made this the Third Best Day of 2012. Mike Whelan caught these three fish all between 9-10lb. on Kilmurry on the lower river. Stefan Kadlubowski released this 9½ pounder on fly on the Wood Flat on Woodstream. Joe Tynan caught his first fish on the fly yesterday too. It weighed 4lb. & was caught on the Castle Flat on Ballyhooly. Both the upper & lower river are dropping today but slowly due to the localised showers. Yesterday both rose - the upper by a foot to 1.81m & the lower by 15cm. They are down to 1.61m & 0.88m respectively this morning. Clarity is fair here @ ~2-2½ feet. It is similar upriver. Some quite heavy localised showers are still keeping the river topped up. The heavy rain forecast for today fell south of the catchment. Superb prospects for the coming weekend.