Right on time, our Cuckoo is back singing its tune. Unlike other places around the country, we are indeed privileged here in Delphi Lodge that every year we still hear the Cuckoo’s song. Over the last month the fly fishing here has been steady, with 46 landed for the year to date. Our March total of 26 was equaled in 2018 and before that one has to go back to 2009 when we had 28. Having said that the weather in March suited Delphi perfectly with 348.3mms(13.71”), which meant the River and Finlough were in great order throughout the month.
Following on from my last update, Hasse Dehlin’s vast experience told, as he landed 4 fish for his stay, 2 from Finlough and 2 off the River. They weighed in at 8lbs8ozs, 6lbs15ozs, 6lbs5ozs and approx. 8lbs. All were taken on a Breakfast Fly, a very popular pattern in Norway. Not to be outdone by her husband, Solweig landed a beautiful fish of 10lbs4ozs in the Holly Pool on the 25th, again on a Breakfast Fly. Fish were also landed that week by Bobby Cullen, 6lbs in the Quarry on an Allie. Denis Daly landed two, the first on the 24th in the Waterfall of 6lbs on a Red Francis, the second on the 25th from Fin Stream of 6lbs40zs on a Willie Gunn. Willie Cotter also had a fish of 6lbs4ozs from the Meadow Pool on a Willie Gunn and Gareth Byrne had one off Fin Stream of 8lbs10ozs.
We had an experienced group from Germany in week 13 and their experience showed as they landed 9 for the week. Benni landed 5, two off Finlough and three off the River, Werner had 3 all off the River and Solweig had another, of 6lbs from the Meadow. We were full again in week 14 and again the fishing was steady, with 6 fish landed. Peter Joyce was first out of the trap with a fine fish of 11lbs from the Whin Pool on a Willie Gunn, taken on the Winston fly rod that the late Mary Donovan had given to him last year. Heinz had 2, one of 8lbs3ozs from Fin Stream on a Delphi Collie and one from the Quarry of 7lbs9ozs on a Willie Gunn. Heidi had one from the Goat of 7lbs8ozs on a Delphi Collie. My nephew Hugo Mays had one of those days that make beginners think it’s easy when he landed his first ever, a lovely fish of 9lbs8ozs from the Horseshoe on a willie Gunn ably assisted by John Somerville. Finally, Barbara Ceillier was successful once again, with a fish of 7lbs2ozs off Finlough on a Cascade. There were 7 landed in week 15, despite some extreme weather conditions. On the 9th Seamus O’Neill had a fish of approx. 7lbs from the Meadow on a Willie Gunn and Gareth Beattie had one from the Turn of 6lbs11ozs on a Shrimp Fly. On the 10th we blanked due to extreme weather conditions. Peter Donnelly got us going again on the 11th with a fish of 7lbs4ozs off Finlough on a Willie Gunn. The 12th saw Stephen Hegarty land a fine fish of 11lbs2ozs from the Holly Pool on a Delphi Collie. He followed this up the next day with one-off Finlough of 9lbs4ozs, again on a Delphi Collie. Paul McFadden landed his first Springer of 6lbs15ozs on the 14th from the Whin Pool on a Badger and Stephen Hegarty finished off the week with another fish of 9lbs on a Blue Elver from Fin Stream.
We had a good fall of rain on the 15th (24.5mms) which put the river up to 60 but since then it has dropped off steadily, not helped by a strong Easterly wind. As a result, catches were well down last week with only 2 fish landed. Tara Whitley had a lovely fish of 8lbs8ozs from the Whin Pool on a Stoats Tail Variant and Angus Sutherland on the only day last week, when we had ideal conditions on Finlough had a fish of 9lbs2ozs from the Stream on Finlough on a Non-Descript. Since then the water dropped off and we experienced some extremely squally Easterly winds that made lake fishing almost impossible. Water levels are now at 15, the Cuckoo is here, and the sunshine is out, what more could one want? Ha! Till next time.
D.McEvoy
