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 up 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.
