Fly Fishing and Fly tying Instructor. FFF master and THCI qualified as well as GAIA APGAI trout , salmon and Fly Dressing. Munsters largest fishing and hunting store. Prime private beats on River Suir and Blackwater.For up to date reports on Angling in Ireland and tackle advice please feel free to...

"The season statistics for the waters controlled by Philip Maher make impressive reading. The first salmon of the season was taken in March, however the fishing did not really get underway until the rain/runs in June. These two beats produced 464 fish with the Kilsheelan yielding 316 fish and the Newcastle beat another 148. The size of salmon ranged from 2.5 lbs - 29.5lbs with the size breakdown being

• 2 fish 25lbs +
• 7 fish 20-25lbs
• 53 fish 16 to 20lbs
• 169 fish 11-15 lbs
• 205 fish 6-10lbs
• 28 fish 2-5lbs

9 fish weighing over the magic 20lbs (Irish Specimen Salmon) were caught by rods with the best weighing in at just less than 30lbs. At 29.6lbs to be precise and this leviathan was caught on prawn and returned on the Newcastle beat in July. Unfortunately though weighed and witnessed no one had a camera to record the mighty fish.

With lots of excellent fly water it is not surprising that 57% of the fish were taken on fly, a further 26% fell to the allure of the prawn and 17% on spinner. The figure for fly caught salmon is increasing and Philip believes that this was due in part to the low water levels experienced for most of the season. By early September it was being said that the river Suir was the lowest it has been for some 60 years.

Catches were fairly evenly spread between July, August and September. It was extraordinary the river was able to fish in such low water and given a normal year August could have been a superb month. As the season closed sea liced fish were being taken up and to including the last day of the season."