The F Word - Fly Fishing
It came as a surprise to Linda Jackson to discover just how much size matters
 Duffer's fortnight had passed. The time when juicy mayflies are out in force luring big trout in abundance to the surface - the reason the fortnight is dedicated to duffers - had been and gone.
So the chance of a greenhorn, and a female one at that, landing a sizeable catch was pretty slim, especially when she would rather be slipping into a pair of sexy stilettos than green rubber wellies, and particularly as this was her very first fly-fishing lesson. It did not look promising.
Eire was the country. The inland region of County Kildare, most noted for its horse-racing, was the destination. The K Club (The Kildare Hotel & Golf Club), famed for hosting the prestigious 2006 Ryder Cup golf event, was the swish venue.
And the richly populated River Liffey, which flows from the Wicklow Mountains to the sea at Dublin, was the setting. The K Club has fishing rights along one mile of its 48-mile route, as well as nine lakes stocked with 80% wild fish (rainbow trout, brown trout, tench, and carp up to 22lb) on its 550-acre estate.
Having been home to Anglo-Norman invaders, rebellious aristocrats, a celebrated wine family, a car importer mogul, an Iranian General and a James Bond movie producer, The K Club has a colourful history: formerly Straffan House, one of Ireland's best known properties, it was modelled in 1832 on the chateau at Louveciennes, near Paris. It also employs a colourful character by the name of Sean McManmon, the Estate Manager, who has seen seven different owners during his time and who has been fishing for 55 years.
Sean has a passion for fishing like no other, is never seen without his Sherlock Holmes-style pipe and, on occasions, takes on the role of ghillie (fishing don) for VIPs such as George Bush Senior, golfers Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods - who have become personal friends - and model Jerry Hall.
Editors Note: Sean McManmon is now no longer at the K Club but is still involved in fishing in Ireland and on the River Liffey.
Jumping on the VIP bandwagon (a golf buggy), and fitted out with everything we could possibly need for an afternoon's tuition (rod, flies, tackle, waders/wellies are all included in the cost), we headed off to a large expanse of lawn (yes, lawn) with our fly-fishing guru.
After ten minutes it all started to make sense. Until we had mastered the '90-degree reverse' with 40 casts, got the feel of the prevailing wind and were able to cast accurately to an exact spot on the grass, we were not allowed anywhere near water.
With no fish to distract us we were able to focus on our casting skills so that when we (inevitably) 'lost it' on the river, we would be able to recover quickly. Apparently, ten minutes' practice a day for five days makes a good caster without even going near a river, but even after just 30 minutes our casting skills had rocketed from pathetic to passable.
Ten ghillies are on stand-by and kept busy by the hotel's guests and day visitors. Having one is well worth the investment: they are passionate about fishing so guests are guaranteed a good time; all are hand-picked and have been with The K Club since the owners bought the property: they know the river inside-out as did their fathers and grandfathers before them, and they are able to tell the size of a fish by a mere glimpse of its head, tail and dorsal fin. And if you get on well with your ghillie, it's more than likely he'll be there when you return, year-in year-out.
 The fishing lakes are located between the two golf courses, whilst the River Liffey meanders through the grounds alongside a fairway or two; and a fishing lodge provides an idyllic hideaway for guests who want to have their fresh catch barbecued in peaceful surroundings beside the river.
The chefs will also prepare and serve the fish for your evening meal in the hotel restaurant if you wish.
It was time to take on the fish. A difficult decision had to be made... would it be a deer hair's sedge or a klinkhammer? Which to choose... the prettiest fly perhaps! Check list: no movement in body, ample supply of female pheromones, arms to the side, keep it high, wide stance (ready for that 15-pounder), stock of dry flies.
 Incidentally, if anyone thinks it's all nonsense about female pheromones attracting fish, then think again. Fifteen minutes later, with deer hair's sedge and pheromones working in perfect harmony, one very slippery 2lb brown trout was caught and landed in eight minutes. My very first catch was accompanied by irrepressible excitement and jubilation on my part... and utter astonishment that someone, who before that afternoon had loathed the very mention of fishing, could feel so elated.
A 1lb rainbow trout, lured on a klinkhammer, soon followed. Two takes on a dry fly was good news apparently. Both hooked and landed even better. I was as hooked as the fish, if only it was just that little bit bigger...
 "I'll give you 8 out of 10 for your technique," said Sean at the end of the day, "and 10 out of 10 for what I saw when you hooked a fish."
We had not only discovered that instinct is the key to fishing, learned how to roll-cast in windy conditions, realised that dry flyfishing (fly on the surface so all the action is visible) was tons more interesting than wet fly-fishing (fly sinks), but that time really does fly when you're having fun.
Talking of fun. if you're lucky enough to have Sean as your ghillie, ask him about the time he fell into a lake smoking his pipe (he can't swim); when his mouth locked in shock and it took 20 minutes before he could take the pipe out of it. Or about the American guest, not used to bank fishing, who stepped into the reeds and disappeared in two metres of water, his hat left floating above his head... Who said fishing was boring?
Reproduced with kind permission from www.devonlife.co.uk
Linda Jackson is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers andGolf Trvel Writers Association
and writes travel and golf related articles for UK and European publications. |
