Trout / Salmon

tracker-man

Hey everyone,
I'm just looking for some info and advice on trout and salmon fishing in the Clare river here. I'm new to fishing and i'd really like some advice on how to catch these fish I don't have the equipment for fly fishing (I think), I already have a rod and reel etc, its the bait and method i'd like help with. Should I use worms or maggots? Spinners? Someone even mentioned Corn to me, what do you guys recommend? Where is the best place to cast for these fish? in the shade? under a bridge? where there are rocks or ripples in the water? Finally, whats the best time to go fishing? At dusk I presume? Anything else I should know!?
Thanks in advance.

paddybar

on any river with a bit of a flow try a worm first ,use just enough weight to keeep it on the bottom but keep it rolling along as the more it moves the more fish will see it.castupstream at about 45 degrees and let it rroll down in an arc until it come to rest below you.leave it about 4/5 minutes and if nothing happens try againkeep on the move the more spots you try the more fish you will come across.try cating above rock or snags (youll lose a few hooks)and try to guide your bait down the side of them trout like cover .

JMB88

Clare river ... that's around Roscommon/Galway correct?! Never fished it but have drove past it a few times. You can't go wrong with fishing a size 10 hook, (Possibly a lower hook size if youre just going for salmon) with two worms up the line and one worm on the hook (6lb breaking strain) with little weight ... this will give you a good chance of hooking both a trout or salmon. You could also try fishing a 'Flying C' (spinner) ... black or yellow or my favourite colours. Best time to go is at either dawn or dusk but to be honest if it's a dark gloomy day it doesn't really matter much what time of the day it is. Regards where to fish, try and fish places which are deep pools which you think fish will be lying in them. Ask locally the best pools and I'm sure you'll be shown where to go. Best of luck.

tracker-man

Thanks guys, I went fishing yesterday evening for about 2 hours, had just one catch which was good enough for me!



I used a size 4 hook with a worm. Did like ye said, casting upstream and allowing it to flow down. It was just as I was going to pack up and head home that I caught it I had the weight at the very end of the line and above it, a snood with the hook, much like this without the float



Is that a good setup for this type of fishing? I returned the fish to the water afterwards and it swam off happy as larry! There was no other people fishing at the time which was odd because there usually is a few along the banks.

JMB88

Congrats, what was it you caught?! A trout?! A size 4 hook is probably too big for just a single worm, try a 10 or 12 for a single worm.

tracker-man

I thought you could tell ME what I caught It was about 14cm in length and if you click on the pic it will come up bigger. I think it was a trout alright, a young one, or do they get much bigger than that?? I will experiment with different size hooks next time i'm out

coolwings

The pic above is of a brown trout.

paddybar

jaysus fella your getting way to complicated.tie a size 8 0r 10 up eyed (dry fly) BARE hook to your mainline and just bite on a spit weight about 3 to 4 feet above that.push the worm up the hook until is completely coveredand bring it out throughthe body.btw if you are not keeping the fish use a pliers and crimp the barb closed .less damage to the fish.i promise it wont come off if you keep the pressure on.well done btw

tracker-man

thanks paddybar I will try it! I was out again today and caught two Perch using the same method as before. I tried maggots after that but didn't get anything. I had some trouble getting the hook out of the second perch even though I had the pliers alright, what exactly do you mean I should do in a situation like that? The hook was quite far inside in him.

Compton

if he's deep hooked knock him on the head with a priest and take the hook out, much less pain, then u can use it as dead bait or throw it back into the middle and hopefully a pike will find him.

congrats btw for getting some fish, I've been using the worm for a long time and it's the best bait out there.

I use a size 6/8 hook with a nice jucy worm, about 20cm down the line I but on a large shot, large enough the get close to the bottom but small enough to drift along.

tight lines. :pac:

Zzippy

JMB88 wrote: »

Clare river ... that's around Roscommon/Galway correct?! Never fished it but have drove past it a few times. You can't go wrong with fishing a size 10 hook, (Possibly a lower hook size if youre just going for salmon) with two worms up the line and one worm on the hook (6lb breaking strain) with little weight ... this will give you a good chance of hooking both a trout or salmon. You could also try fishing a 'Flying C' (spinner) ... black or yellow or my favourite colours. Best time to go is at either dawn or dusk but to be honest if it's a dark gloomy day it doesn't really matter much what time of the day it is. Regards where to fish, try and fish places which are deep pools which you think fish will be lying in them. Ask locally the best pools and I'm sure you'll be shown where to go. Best of luck.

6lb line for salmon! :rolleyes:
Very good chance of losing a fish and leaving the hook in him then - definitely not fair on the fish. If you'r fishing for salmon use minimum 10lbs BS

OP be sure you know who owns the fishing. there are large parts of the Clare River owned/managed by clubs, and you need to be a member or buy a permit to fish. Also, if you're fishing for salmon make sure you have a salmon licence. Good chance of catching one at this time of year if you're fishing worms...

paddybar

most tackle shops will sell you a cheap (1 or 2 euros)hook disgorger(remover)closing the barb makes its use even easier.also if the worm is not working try a dead minnow .same set up as for the worm but just hook the minnow through the lips.every 5 minutes lift your rod so that it rises and let it flutter to the bottom.the movement draws the fishes attention.

tracker-man

i have permission to fish in the area, but i don't have a salmon fishing licence... Do i need to get one? Yup i'll be using worms and i've a 12lbs line. The rod i have is made for sea fishing so it'll take the salmon no bother, question is, can i !! Hmmm... Theres different opinions on the size hook that would be best. I'm using a size 4 at the moment, and i'm aiming to catch a trout or salmon...

Zzippy

tracker-man wrote: »

i have permission to fish in the area, but i don't have a salmon fishing licence... Do i need to get one? Yup i'll be using worms and i've a 12lbs line. The rod i have is made for sea fishing so it'll take the salmon no bother, question is, can i !! Hmmm... Theres different opinions on the size hook that would be best. I'm using a size 4 at the moment, and i'm aiming to catch a trout or salmon...

If you're aiming to catch trout or salmon, then yes, you must have a salmon licence. If you don't have a licence and you catch a salmon you have to put it back immediately. If a fishery officer thinks you are fishing for salmon and you dont have a licence he could confiscate all your gear and give you an on-the-spot fine (€130 I think).
Whereabouts on the Clare are you fishing?

tracker-man

claregalway... I must look into that then!

tracker-man

Oh My God! I am just after coming back from Fishin on the clare!!!!! And look what I came home with! :eek: :eek: :eek:
All I can say is the BUZZ of catching such a big salmon was unbelievable! My heart was thumping with the excitement and the fight to reel him in! I didn't weigh it cause I've no proper scales for it but you can see, thats a 12inch ruler in the pic. Is that big for a salmon?? I used worms with a light enough weight.



I like to remain anonymous on the internet as much as possible... :D

paddybar

WOW thats a hell of a nice fish dude.

Zzippy

Where's the blue carcass tag dude? Did you even buy a licence? Hope the fishery officers are there next time you take a fish without tagging it...

tracker-man

don't jump to conclusions zzippy, yes i have a licence, yes i tagged it and recorded it. I have a juvenile permit which cost me 20 euro for the year. If you look closely at the pic you'll see i was at home, i cut the tag before the pic and gutted it shortly after. I abide by the rules mate, an apology is in order.

pullandbang

tracker-man wrote: »

but i don't have a salmon fishing licence... Do i need to get one?

By your own admission, you don't have a licence. Maybe you got one since last Saturday week?

If so, well done, it's a lovely fish.

tracker-man

yup, i got it in corrib tackle in galway since. When i started this thread i wasn't sure if i needed one or not but as you can see the guys here said i
would so i went in and got one. Glad i did now! Might be 2 years before i catch another salmon though :rolleyes:
Thanks for the fish comments!

Zzippy

tracker-man wrote: »

don't jump to conclusions zzippy, yes i have a licence, yes i tagged it and recorded it. I have a juvenile permit which cost me 20 euro for the year. If you look closely at the pic you'll see i was at home, i cut the tag before the pic and gutted it shortly after. I abide by the rules mate, an apology is in order.

Actually, its an offence to be in possession of a salmon without a carcass tag. You can only remove the tag AFTER it has been gutted/filleted. I am sorry for jumping to conclusions, and fair play for tagging the fish, but you should keep the tag on for any photos - even if it was legally caught, the absence of a tag might encourage others not so law-abiding to try to get away without tagging their fish.
Well done on the fish too, its a nice grilse

Irish_Fisher

hi, i was fishing the clare river in claregalway for the last three days and most people i seen were floating worms, spinning and fly fishing.

i tried both sides of the bridge every day and the only time i see people catching fish is in the morning/evening time.

i was floating worms on a hook for trout and salmon but didnt catch anything but i did get 1 big bite in three days.

i used spinners, spoons, flying c's, jelly worms... and a big salmon was following my flying c but didnt take it

i tried sinking a worm today and i caught a small trout and i did get 2 big bites

every time i go fishing when its warm and sunny i can only catch under trees/bridges.

most people i talk to at the river cast before the rapids or after the rapids where the water slows down.

most people thet catch there are flyfishing using big brown or black flies.

good luck fishing

thefisherbuy

tracker-man wrote: »

i have permission to fish in the area, but i don't have a salmon fishing licence... Do i need to get one? Yup i'll be using worms and i've a 12lbs line. The rod i have is made for sea fishing so it'll take the salmon no bother, question is, can i !! Hmmm... Theres different opinions on the size hook that would be best. I'm using a size 4 at the moment, and i'm aiming to catch a trout or salmon...

Where are Ya Fishing Around I live in milltown... Around Tuam Is good For Trout.