To celebrate the holiday, here’s a lovely slideshow about fishing in the Emerald Isle, featuring a soundtrack by the wonderful Waterboys. I had a chance to fish in Ireland in 2006, and I was blown away by the quality of the fishing, how inexpensive it was, and the skill of some of the Irish anglers I met.
The IGFA has certified a fly-caught 26-pound, 12-ounce landlocked Atlantic salmon as the all-tackle world record for the species. The huge fish was taken by angler Tom Aufiero of Lafayette, Indiana, who was fishing with guide Matt Supinski.
Supinski and Aufiero had spent several successful days fishing steelhead on the Muskegon River, then opted to go to Torch Lake for something different after the Muskegon turned muddy following a big release of water from Croton Dam.
“I was pulling my hair out, running out of hope having tried everything,” said Supinski about Aufiero’s fish. “I’d changed flies 16 or 17 times. Then I decided there must be some mysis shrimp in the lake and put one on figuring to give it one more try.
“Tom dead-drifted the shrimp and she saw it, then moved three to four feet off the bottom and just engulfed it. Tom, being a good steelhead fisherman, knew not to set the hook too early. Then he stuck the fish and all hell broke loose.”
Aufiero chose to release the fish, but the IGFA recognizes catch-and-release records now, as long as there is a preponderance of evidence to support the claims of the angler.
Maryland’s famed Gunpowder river has a new advocate, and this profile of riverkeeper Theaux Le Gardeur tells the interesting story of how a Lousiana-based fly-rod rep became the overseer of a trout river a thousand miles away.
Anglers in the Mid South are kicking off the annual Sowbug Roundup in Mountain Home, Arkansas today. Hosted by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers, the event features fly-tying demonstrations by more than 100 tiers from 25 states and Canada. There are also seminars on learning to fly fish, techniques, and local waters.
The American Fly Fishing Trade Association announced this week the formation of a matching fund to be used to support the Utah Stream Access Coalition’s challenge to the constitutionality of Utah’s Public Waters Access Act. “We are going to match up to $2,500.00 in contributions from our members who contribute to the fund,” said AFFTA president Randi Swisher. “We know our members care about access, we have heard that loud and clear and we are asking them to join with us in this financial support.”
