Well, at this stage we’re already half-way through the month and we have had an excellent start to the season with 7 fish landed. It is indeed great to be up and running again and welcoming customers in February. Fishing pressure is unprecedented for the month, with all rods taken. It must be post Covid; in that people are at the stage where they just want to get out and enjoy themselves. We are actually very busy right up to the first week in June, with just the odd half day available here and there.
We didn’t have our normal group for Blast and Cast this year, it was a mush smaller group of Irish, who covered themselves in glory at the Blast, but they couldn’t manage to do the same at the fishing, although they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We can always say they left a day early as the first fish was caught on the 3rd. Jurgen Mantel from Clonbur managed to land our first, a beautiful sea liced 8lbs fish from the Horseshoe on a Willie Gunn, with the river running at 30.
We actually had 5 fish in the space of four days, which is excellent for this time of year. Simon Cassidy had the second, on the 4thfrom Cooleens of 7lbs14ozs on a Monkey Dog. He also had the third the following day from the Meadow pool, a wild fish of approx. 7lbs, again on a Monkey Dog. Luke Drea and Jack Rogers were successful the next day, with one each from the Meadow pool, weighing in at 8lbs8ozs and 7lbs14ozs respectively on a Cascade and a Willie Gunn.
We had a lull then for a few days, until Denis Quill landed a cracker from the Meadow Pool again, on the 10th on a Willie Gunn, weighing in at 10lbs15ozs. Our seventh fish was landed on Valentines day by the top Delphi angler, Urs Leibundgut. I think I would be safe in saying that it’s Urs’ first ever February fish here, although it is his first ever February visit. The fish was taken in Duck Run on a Junction Shrimp and weighed 9lbs9ozs.
Valentines is often a good fishing day here as my own wife Sarah got a memory on her phone from Valentines Day 2001 when there were 4 landed, 2 of which she landed in the Whin Pool on a Collie Dog in the space of half an hour. That year we actually had 28 in February. God time flies.
We are full for the rest of the month and have some hardened Delphi veterans fishing in the next few days and they will be truly tested as we await the arrival of two severe Atlantic storms, with heavy rain and high winds forecast, which will test their angling ability to the limit. Once again, it’s good to be back and hopefully I’ll see many of you in the not too distant future. D.McEvoy
Bookings can be made through our website or give us a call on +353 (0) 954-2222 and we will be delighted to look after you. 
