Feale Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing

While being encouraged by the recent change in trend according to the last few years fish counter numbers I am deeply disappointed and do not want to have my name associated with an article stating that fish numbers are booming in Kerry this could not be further from the truth. In the last 25 years salmon numbers have decreased by 75% which is alarming. In 2015 only 2877 fish went over the fish counter in Scartlea. This is figure would equate to less than 20% of the what salmon used to run the river in the early 2000’s. We have seen a slight increase but it’s nothing something to get carried away with and if we are to have salmon running our rivers for years to come we must conserve what’s left.

Complete disaster during the main spawing season. Could have a massive knock on effect in years to come

Save Kerry on Twitter “The spillage is flowing into the River Clydagh which provides thousands of people with drinking water https://t.co/LkGjM0VaTv”

Feale is catch and release again for next year hopefully we see a continued improvement in runs of fish and get it back somewhere to what it used to be.

Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2020 and Conservation Measures for the 2021 Season Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, gives statutory notice of his intention to make the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations, 2020 to provide for the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery by Inland Fisheries Ireland from 1 January 20...

Unfortunately there has not been much to report lately due to the severe lack of rain which is very concerning yet again this year. Apparently it’s been the driest spring in 119 years meaning few salmon are being tempted to run the river at the moment. I hope it doesn’t follow on the same as the last few summers where the lack of freshwater has led to a sizeable amount of salmon being killed illegally in the tidal stretches. On a more positive note the main sea trout run or white trout as they are known here isn’t far away and they should provide good sport. A few stragglers have been accounted for already.

With the drought like conditions persisting from the end of March all through April salmon have been a small bit scarce to say the least. Small drops of fresh along the way ment a few fish were encountered. I was lucky to land this beauty yesterday evening. Was using my trusted 11’9” Redington Prospector switch rod and barrio switch line along with a 5ft slowing sink tip, 10ft of 12lbs mono leader and the trusted Calvin shrimp. Having fished the same area earlier in the day I was aware of how dirty the river was so I stuck with the Calvin and even with the barbless double the fish was extremely well hooked and went back to fight another day. Hopefully we get more rain soon cause unfortunately I’d say this fish had a run in with a net along the way.

Unfortunately with the current low water levels a sad and very common sight reveals itself on the Feale. It’s becoming an all too common story in rivers around the country at this time of the year and it’s very worrying. The pristine clear water of March and early April is replaced by dirty, scum filled toxic s**t. It’s embarrassing in this day and age something more can’t be done. Current environmental conditions and changing weather patterns don’t help the situation, the lack of rain in late spring and early summer months the last few years has clearly showed up the severe pollution problem we have on the river. It’s hard to believe that this water is used for drinking, imagine the cost it takes to turn such polluted water into drinking water. Here are a few photos I took the other evening

After a few missed fish I finally got off the mark with a nice sea liced springer of around 8lbs this evening. I was using the the guideline 4D set up which consisted of the floating body along with a sink1/ sink 3 tip, 4 foot of guideline egor fluorocarbon and an inch long Calvin Shrimp tied on a tungsten tube. After a cracking fight the fish recovered quickly and made its way back into the river to continue its journey to the spawning grounds.

Yesterday was the day the first Salmon was caught, a beautiful bar of silver landed by my good friend Brian Mcguinness, an absolute belter covered in sea lice. He is also the inaugural winner of the Dan Joy memorial trophy.