Fly Fishing on the Dodder

coolwings · 17-05-2011 8:25am

A few come into it.
Unfortunately with the weirs impeding upstream migration, their spawning areas are very limited.
If the weirs were modified, there would be cracking sea trout in the Dodder, which is perfect in all other ways for sea trout, and more salmon too.
Dodder weir fish passes is a project which I would hope to lobby for at some time in the future.
The weirs are spaced in such a way, that each weir breached, starting from downstream, will double the spawning area for migratory fish. Since the spawning area is the limiting factor on their numbers, they will double their numbers by themselves with no stocking required if the fish passses were built.
Amazing that fish passes have not already been fitted, but that's how it is right now, and why it's a trout stream with the occasional rare seatrout/salmon.
It needs pressure put on, and maybe a sponsorship by private sector, like eg some fund raising to match public funding, and motivate/ease the constraints on the powers that manage our waterways.

jack01986 · 17-05-2011 9:07am

coolwings wrote: »

A few come into it.
Unfortunately with the weirs impeding upstream migration, their spawning areas are very limited.
If the weirs were modified, there would be cracking sea trout in the Dodder, which is perfect in all other ways for sea trout, and more salmon too.
Dodder weir fish passes is a project which I would hope to lobby for at some time in the future.
The weirs are spaced in such a way, that each weir breached, starting from downstream, will double the spawning area for migratory fish. Since the spawning area is the limiting factor on their numbers, they will double their numbers by themselves with no stocking required if the fish passses were built.
Amazing that fish passes have not already been fitted, but that's how it is right now, and why it's a trout stream with the occasional rare seatrout/salmon.
It needs pressure put on, and maybe a sponsorship by private sector, like eg some fund raising to match public funding, and motivate/ease the constraints on the powers that manage our waterways.

I think this would be a brilliant idea Coolwings, I often thought that there is some serious potential for the dodder as a sea trout river and to have one so close to a city centre would be pretty exciting as well. Ive been looking at all sorts of websites recently about improving rivers and flow etc for migratory fish. There have been some good articles in trout and salmon over the last two months on how to improve flow in rivers to make it better for spawning as well as coping with weirs.

To summarise the article about the weirs they tested a section of river in england with a weir and fished above in the slower pools and below in the faster water. The faster water vastly out fished the slow canal like stretches. I'm no expert fisherman but Ive had a similar experience while I was fishing the Dodder. I'm sure these stretches could be improved on and in combination with some fish passes the Dodder could be a serious river to fish in.

stevenmu · 17-05-2011 9:33am

jack01986 wrote: »

To summarise the article about the weirs they tested a section of river in england with a weir and fished above in the slower pools and below in the faster water. The faster water vastly out fished the slow canal like stretches. I'm no expert fisherman but Ive had a similar experience while I was fishing the Dodder. I'm sure these stretches could be improved on and in combination with some fish passes the Dodder could be a serious river to fish in.

Trout anyway love the fast water just after a weir. It's highly oxygenated which is good for them and good for insect life. And the flow will carry lots of food straight to them. They can hide out of the flow behind a rock or obstacle conserving their energy and pop out when a tasty morsel drifts by. When the water's low and clear in the Dodder you can stand and watch them, they lie almost perfectly still even in fast water, pop out to grab something, and pop back in again. It's good for fishing too because the fast disturbed water hides leaders and covers up splashes etc.

(not that I ever catch anything in water like that, but that's a different story

)

jack01986 · 17-05-2011 9:41am

stevenmu wrote: »

Trout anyway love the fast water just after a weir. It's highly oxygenated which is good for them and good for insect life. And the flow will carry lots of food straight to them. They can hide out of the flow behind a rock or obstacle conserving their energy and pop out when a tasty morsel drifts by. When the water's low and clear in the Dodder you can stand and watch them, they lie almost perfectly still even in fast water, pop out to grab something, and pop back in again. It's good for fishing too because the fast disturbed water hides leaders and covers up splashes etc.

(not that I ever catch anything in water like that, but that's a different story )

Ye Im in the same boat there as well:rolleyes: its pretty good at hiding those mistakes on my cast. What I should have said as well is that they were of the opinion that there are far fewer fish in the slower pools and that rises we can see could potentially be the same fish moving position.

coolwings · 17-05-2011 10:09am

The food production of the river is in the riffles. The pools generate much less food, but provide cover for larger fish (talking about trout here not coarse fish species).
If there are too many weirs, and the river is all deep pools, it becomes more sterile as a producer of game fish.
The ideal is almost all riffles to produce aquatic insects and the foods that eat them like minnow, stickleback, shrimp and so on. And then to have deeper rocky depressions dotted around to provide cover for big trout without having to have huge long still pools.

thehamo · 17-05-2011 10:20am

What kind if fly would you fish in the weir pools? I've tried a nymph a few times but no joy but I'd well imagine there are some big fish I'm by the weirs

coolwings · 17-05-2011 10:44am

I usually match the hatch.
But in my case that could a 16 floating midge on one extreme or a sunk 1" minnow fly on the other.

jack01986 · 17-05-2011 4:56pm

There is some good information from the http://www.wildtrout.org/ on river and habitat improvement.

Got some good info from the PDF's Ive attached. The third one has some good diagrams on improvig instream flow in slower sections of the river.

love to fly fish · 24-05-2011 3:00pm

fourmations wrote: »

it still quite early and surface activity aint great
(well its last thursday since i was there)

for wets... try pheasant tail nymph preferably gold head
and spiders (snipe and purple or partridge and orange)
and tiny tiny dries (small midges or dusters)

cheers

Hi fourmations

Do you fly fish at the bridge near the old mill or down from there as im not too far from the dodder park area 10 minute walk is it good fishing spot there any luck lately and what fly is works for you in that spot.

Thanks

fourmations · 28-05-2011 5:52pm

hi there

i fish along dodder park or at the dropping well usually
ive fished under the footbridge behind mortons a few times
thats a decent little spot

i fish dry all the time and dusters are no1 choice for me
followed by small f-fly and griffiths gnats
ive had them on small elks and olives too

cheers

jack01986 · 30-05-2011 9:54pm

Was out yesterday for a bit rose a few small fish but nothing connected. They were feeding on some some tiny white flies not sure what they are called maybe caenis? There was a good hatch of dark sedges as well but the fish didn't seem to interested in them.

mf100 · 31-05-2011 1:04am

hi there,

i fish regularly on the dodder for brown trout on dry midges. i'm thinking of taking up a new challenge and heading downstream to try my luck at catching seatrout. i've no experience of this. has anyone tried this and, if so, any tips for this eg. where, which flies, what hook size and what techniques work best?

thanks very much.

jack01986 · 08-06-2011 5:22pm

Caught this today just before I got soaked in a rain shower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cZrgdfn5Ts

Not sure why thats not working.

thehamo · 08-06-2011 5:23pm

blank picture there Jack unless thats what you were getting at:p

jack01986 · 08-06-2011 5:32pm

thehamo wrote: »

blank picture there Jack unless thats what you were getting at:p

It was close enough,

jack01986 · 11-06-2011 9:21pm

Out again this evening for a session did a bit of exploring around herbert park and found some nice spots, must have rose at least 15 fish and only connected with one of them. He was very silvery and my first guess was a juvenile sea trout but I'm open to correction. Moved up towards milltown and got a few more trout from some of the faster water around there. Used klinkhammers and elk hair sedges size 18 and 20.

wgsten · 11-06-2011 11:35pm

jack01986 wrote: »

Out again this evening for a session did a bit of exploring around herbert park and found some nice spots, must have rose at least 15 fish and only connected with one of them. He was very silvery and my first guess was a juvenile sea trout but I'm open to correction. Moved up towards milltown and got a few more trout from some of the faster water around there. Used klinkhammers and elk hair sedges size 18 and 20.

Pictured is a Salmon Parr.

thehamo · 11-06-2011 11:57pm

wgsten wrote: »

Pictured is a Salmon Parr.

Would that be denoted by the thumb like prints along its side? If so ive caught a few of these on the dodder

jack01986 · 12-06-2011 12:19am

wgsten wrote: »

Pictured is a Salmon Parr.

That's pretty cool wgsten, thanks for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSkOc4WuqJU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQMo2eddcVY

wgsten · 12-06-2011 10:43am

Here is a picture of a wild Brown Trout for comparison. The thumb marks along the flanks are missing from the Trout. On the Salmon Parr the mouth is shorter and the tail fork is deeper.

jack01986 · 14-06-2011 9:21pm

Got a few more brownies this evening landed 3 of them lost about fur from their acrobatics. One was very close to the pound mark and threw the hook after a massive jump. I'll get him next time. Size 20 deer hair sedge did the damage again.

delta_bravo · 17-06-2011 2:33pm

Lads do ye know which council is in charge of managing the river? I don't fish but just run along it. A tree fell before the huge weir at firhouse and a load of rubbish built up. Also i walked along the river near the rathfarnham end of the firhouse rd and there is a strong smell of sewage.

spaceHopper · 17-06-2011 2:43pm

On the fishing club membship card it gives inland fisheries as 1890 347 424 and local council water polution dept emergent no as 087 2584174

david_1888 · 04-07-2011 9:55pm

Was up around Ballsbridge this evening for an hour or so, not many hatches at all, few rises too.
If anybody is familiar with the Ballsbridge area, theres one about 1.5-2.5lb and he has a very strange marking near his tail, its like a white patch or stain on him, anybody know what this could be or see this chappy around?

Compton · 04-07-2011 10:53pm

its fungus that generally grows on wounds

jack01986 · 24-07-2011 10:08pm

Fished on the dodder this evening up by milltown and got a couple of fish. Decided to move down below the waterfall in clonskeagh to see if I could get something else. Managed to get about six small trout as well as a tiny trout about 2inches long. Hooked something that took me into my backing but lost it after a few head shakes sea trout maybe had the heart pumping though.

Doc Farrell · 24-07-2011 11:29pm

I saw three different foxes around the lansdowne dart station last night. they stood within a few feet of me. people are feeding different sets. i got a feeling its going to end badly for them.

also saw a rat whose body was a foot long and a small trout jump six inches out of the water. the heron nearby was not impressed.

thats a serious amount of city wildlife for a ten minute walk along the dodder from the small bridge from lansdowne to ballsbridge.

jack01986 · 31-07-2011 10:40pm

Sorry about the crappy picture it was starting to get dark. My biggest wild trout on the dodder to date he was about 3/4 of a pound not a huge fish but it put up an impressive fight. Got two other fish as well earlier on but nothing of any size.

If anyone found a green foam fly box over the last few days its mine I must have left it down somewhere. Have to get a marathon tying session in now to restock the box.

Spotted what I thought was an otter, it looked a bit bigger than a mink.

jack01986 · 11-08-2011 10:36pm

Managed to get out a couple of times this week already seem to getting a better stamp of fish the last few times out mixed in with some smaller ones. Managed another fish around 3/4 of a pound no picture as it was dark enough. Here are some others though. Anyone else been out recently?

thehamo · 11-08-2011 11:46pm

jack01986 wrote: »

Managed to get out a couple of times this week already seem to getting a better stamp of fish the last few times out mixed in with some smaller ones. Managed another fish around 3/4 of a pound no picture as it was dark enough. Here are some others though. Anyone else been out recently?

I was hyming and hawing about goin down tonight ended up hitting the Liffey instead. Got feck all wasn't anything happening. Should have hit the dodder! What parts do you fish?

jack01986 · 12-08-2011 6:18pm

thehamo wrote: »

I was hyming and hawing about goin down tonight ended up hitting the Liffey instead. Got feck all wasn't anything happening. Should have hit the dodder! What parts do you fish?

I fish around the milltown area mostly but do some around Clonskeagh as well.

peter74 · 12-08-2011 6:33pm

thehamo wrote: »

I was hyming and hawing about goin down tonight ended up hitting the Liffey instead. Got feck all wasn't anything happening. Should have hit the dodder! What parts do you fish?

I tried Liffey yesterday as well, but water has been released from Golden Fall dam. Not fishable at all. So l moved to Dodder. What a surprise, river was flooded. Water was released from Bohernabreena

jack01986 · 12-08-2011 6:37pm

peter74 wrote: »

I tried Liffey yesterday as well, but water has been released from Golden Fall dam. Not fishable at all. So l moved to Dodder. What a surprise, river was flooded. Water was released from Bohernabreena

Ye it was fairly high to be honest but I still managed to get some fish out of it last night. There was a good hatch of fly going on.

Kippure · 22-02-2012 8:46pm

De La Salle College Churchtown Dublin 14.

Sports Complex

Monday 27th February 2012

7.30 pm

Dodder Angers AGM.

Evac101 · 14-03-2012 2:44pm

Was checking my browser bookmarks and while I still have the address for Clonskeagh Angling (which seems sadly quite dormant) I couldn't find the web site for the Dodder fishing website which Tony (the bailiff at the lakes) used take care of - does anyone know if it's still live and if it is, what the address is?

On a secondary note can someone inform Red that I'm fairly sure there has to be some members used to maintaining websites (even myself at a pinch) who could maintain/update that site for free? While Tony did (does?) try to maintain it, it's not one of his responsibilities and, in all fairness, he shouldn't be asked to do it. It would be a pity if the largest fishing club in the country couldn't maintain it's own website.

jack01986 · 15-03-2012 12:39am

Evac101 wrote: »

Was checking my browser bookmarks and while I still have the address for Clonskeagh Angling (which seems sadly quite dormant) I couldn't find the web site for the Dodder fishing website which Tony (the bailiff at the lakes) used take care of - does anyone know if it's still live and if it is, what the address is?

On a secondary note can someone inform Red that I'm fairly sure there has to be some members used to maintaining websites (even myself at a pinch) who could maintain/update that site for free? While Tony did (does?) try to maintain it, it's not one of his responsibilities and, in all fairness, he shouldn't be asked to do it. It would be a pity if the largest fishing club in the country couldn't maintain it's own website.

I think this would be a brilliant idea if it was updated more regularly. I dont have too much experience with maintaining websites but would happily help out as well.

b.w.ollie · 16-03-2012 9:16pm

Evac101 wrote: »

Was checking my browser bookmarks and while I still have the address for Clonskeagh Angling (which seems sadly quite dormant) I couldn't find the web site for the Dodder fishing website which Tony (the bailiff at the lakes) used take care of - does anyone know if it's still live and if it is, what the address is?

On a secondary note can someone inform Red that I'm fairly sure there has to be some members used to maintaining websites (even myself at a pinch) who could maintain/update that site for free? While Tony did (does?) try to maintain it, it's not one of his responsibilities and, in all fairness, he shouldn't be asked to do it. It would be a pity if the largest fishing club in the country couldn't maintain it's own website.

the site tony ran was daa.com (on wetpaint) the site seems to be blocked now .if you google daa though you will get the dublin airport authority

thehamo · 17-03-2012 12:03am

an active facebook page would be a lot easier to work than a webpage. very little experience needed in editing, etc, all very self explanitary

Irish Sport Fishing · 21-03-2012 11:38pm

There are some lovely fish in the river at the moment, and hopefully they will be there for others to catch for a long time! Here's a couple from Paddy's Day (see report here - http://irishsportfishing.com/2012/03/21/river-dodder-opening-day-2012/ )

IMG_0881 by IrishSportFishing, on Flickr

IMG_0854 by IrishSportFishing, on Flickr

IMG_0853 by IrishSportFishing, on Flickr

IMG_0864 by IrishSportFishing, on Flickr

thehamo · 21-03-2012 11:58pm

some crackin looking fish there. Cant wait to get down and try a few flies ive been tying my self!

Evac101 · 22-03-2012 12:35pm

Has the height of the river improved? When we visited last (in early March to walk the dogs) the water level seemed really low for this early in the season. Still wonderful to walk/play along though

buzzardflute · 22-03-2012 3:15pm

They are some excellent browns you have caught,are they wild or stocked trout?

Irish Sport Fishing · 22-03-2012 4:10pm

Evac101 wrote: »

Has the height of the river improved? When we visited last (in early March to walk the dogs) the water level seemed really low for this early in the season. Still wonderful to walk/play along though

There hasn't been much rain over the last few weeks so the river is still quite low. I'd rather it slightly low and clear, than high and dirty.

buzzardflute wrote: »

They are some excellent browns you have caught,are they wild or stocked trout?

They are nice fish alright. They are stocked, although we did get a few smaller wild fish too.

Evac101 · 22-03-2012 4:35pm

Irish Sport Fishing wrote: »

There hasn't been much rain over the last few weeks so the river is still quite low. I'd rather it slightly low and clear, than high and dirty.

Agreed, but high and clear at this early stage of the season would be even nicer though

jack01986 · 24-03-2012 11:04am

Managed a couple of wild trout yesterday on the dry fly. River looked in great condition.

thehamo · 07-04-2012 7:46pm

Got out today for a couple of hours. Managed 4 small wild trout on a greenwells glory. Good day out tho the river is looking very low at the moment

jack01986 · 13-05-2012 6:46pm

Anyone else been out recently the river looked in great condition after the rain over the last few weeks. Managed two trout in an hours fishing on an olive klinkhammer size 14.

delux · 14-05-2012 8:27pm

Jack, whereabouts did you get those trout? I haven't tried the dodder but i go to Boharnabreena a bit.

jack01986 · 14-05-2012 10:33pm

delux wrote: »

Jack, whereabouts did you get those trout? I haven't tried the dodder but i go to Boharnabreena a bit.

Anyhwere around the dropping well is good I got those just a bit down from there.

love to fly fish · 17-05-2012 9:11pm

Would a dry adams or grey duster fly work this time of year i have a few of both paterns in small sizes and what size be best for dodder i also have few black midges. Going to get out on the dodder soon but what fly would i be best giving a shot at and would i get away with using the grey duster fly through out the coming months any suggestions please.

Fly Fishing on the Dodder

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