Pre-Trip Info
- Season
- 17 March - 30 September
Fishing Times
One of the advantages of fishing with us is the majority of the water we fish is only 5 – 15 minutes from our shop, so there are no long commutes every morning. Glasha Farmhouse is just 5 minutes and Hotel Minella is just 15 minutes from the shop. If you are being collected we will pick you up between 9.00 and 9.15 each morning. If you have a hire car you can meet us at the shop each morning at 9.30. The normal routine is to meet at the shop go through your flies and a plan for the day and then proceed from the shop.
The day ends at 5pm where you meet back at the shop and you are returned back to your lodging or if you have a hire car you drive by yourself to your accommodation.
Meals
Breakfast is served each morning at your accommodation. In Ireland breakfast is a big affair and an Irish Breakfast is a hearty meal and famous world wide! The time can be arranged with reception at what time you would like to dine at.
Lunch is served during the day between 1-2pm. This can be on the river or at our lunch area at the shop. If the weather is poor we tend to seek refuge at our purpose built lunch area at the shop. If we have good weather then you will be served lunch on the river bank. Usually a beer or 2 helps to relax your casting style for the afternoon session on the rivers!
Dinner is served at your accommodation each evening. The food in Ireland is excellent due to the great climate that produces excellent meat and dairy products. You will not be hungry in Ireland!
Clonanav Fly Fishiing
Equipment.
Fly Fishing in Ireland is a joy and rich in history and culture. You will be walk and wade fishing on the rivers, there are no drift boats due to fishing rights. All the rivers are private and either owned by private owners or fishing clubs.
On the Rivers Suir and Nire the rivers have only native brown trout and salmon. There are very few other species except for an occasional pike.
Clothing
The weather can be very changeable in Ireland! So be prepared for rain and some cold. A good wading jacket and some warm layers are essential. Waders with wading boots with rubber soles and studs are most commonly used. If you are bringing your own gear there is no law against felt boots
and you dont have to disinfect them at the airport.
Trout Flies
The flies we use are a mix of dries, nymphs and streamers. During the year the flies do not vary hugely and there are always some essentials to have in your box. For other patterns we sell all the local delicacies in our store.
Dries – Klinkhammers, Comparaduns, Stacked Hackle BWO, CDC Duns, Elk Hair Caddis Nymphs – PTN Flashback, Hares Ear, tungsten beaded nymphs, riffle nymph, perdigons Streamers – Woolly buggers in var colours, Zonker and skulpin patterns
Trout Rods & Lines
Dry Fly Fishing – 8.5 to 9ft # 3 wt rods
Dry & Dropper Fishing – 9ft # 4wt rods
Euro Nymphing – 10ft # 2/3 wt rods are ideal. Tippet sizes are fine, in the early part of the year we use 5X but as we go through the season we move to 6X pand 7X as the water is clear and the fish are very selective.
Spey Rods & Lines
Rods- 12 – 13ft Spey Rods
Lines – Scandi style Shooting heads
Tippet – 15 – 20lb tippet
Attached on to our shooting heads we use Poly leaders or Versi Leaders, these really help with presentation and getting some depth for the fly.
SalmonFlies
The river Suir is Catch and Release only so we use either tubes or double barbless. All hooks have to de-barbed.
Doubles – Cascades, Willie Gunn, Calvin Shrimp, IBS Cascade, Purple Peril
Tubes – Pot Belly Pigs, Cascade Coneheads etc
No Equipment? No Problem - We also rent all the necessary gear!
- Clonanav Fly Fishing
Our store Offers a huge range of fly fishing gear from top brands
- Clonanav Fly Fishing
Travel
Dublin or Shannon are the best international arrival options for fishing this part of Ireland. Dublin is the most popular entry point as most major commercial airlines offer regular non-stop flights to Dublin from many major US cities.
Driving
Note that the roads in Ireland are very narrow – especially in the more rural areas of the country. Narrow, winding roads and the fact that you steer and drive on opposite sides from what we know in the US can make things a bit interesting for some drivers!
Private Transfer
We can easily organise a private driver or transfer from the airport or from a hotel to your accommodation. Early booking of this is essential.
Documents
All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of trip dates. There are no visa requirements as long as you intend to stay for less than three months. Please be sure that your passport has at least two blank, unstamped pages, and that it is not torn, delaminated or damaged in any way. One thing to note is that Ireland is the only place in Europe with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facilities. So whether you’re flying back to the US from Dublin or Shannon, you can take care of immigration and customs before you board rather than stateside, where you would otherwise have to line up with hundreds of incoming passengers.
