A must see for all anglers ....

blackstairsboy

Very interesting and enjoyable documentary by Hugh Falkus about Salmon and Seatrout, their habits and also how to catch them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZJBiU3VnHg

slowburner

I had a conversation (by letter) with the late Hugh Falkus many years ago. Back then I had the good fortune to fish for sea trout every day of the season in the West, professionally.
The thing was, that his methods simply did not work for our Atlantic sea trout. I told him this, and he said that he had always suspected that the Irish fish were different to his Cumbrian ones.

There is a fabulous book by the fisheries scientist, Edward Fahy on Irish sea trout. He informs us that there are two distinct genetic strains of sea trout which he broadly categorises as Irish Sea, sea trout - which would include his Cumbrian rivers and the fantastic Welsh sea trout rivers like the Towy and Teifi. These fish originate genetically from a pre-Ice Age race which have the Ferox gene. This gene is sustained by populations which have become isolated by way of topography, especially impassable waterfalls - this is why Currane produces so many specimen sea trout, even though it is on the Atlantic seaboard. They grow much bigger due to a combination of genetics and richer feeding in the Irish Sea.
The Slaney, however seems to only produce the Atlantic type strain - that is, fish which generally do not grow to specimen weights. A 2lb fish is big on the Slaney and I suspect they average around the 3/4 lb mark.
Probably one of the finest Irish Sea rivers for specimen sea trout is the Dargle in north Wicklow. I heard of one caught illegally which was 19lbs and I myself held another which was caught illegally of 10 1/2 lbs.

To sum up: Hugh Falkus' sea trout fishing techniques don't work in Ireland for the majority of our sea trout - and he agreed. They don't work because the vast majority of our sea trout are the Atlantic strain - his methods applied to the heavier Irish Sea strain which possess the Ferox gene.

However, you can take every word of his companion book on Salmon as gospel.

Fascinating fish.

slowburner

Part 3
Is more about sea trout. Part 2 would be so politically incorrect nowadays. Falkus catches a salmon and chats away merrily as he knocks it on the head. Salmon were abundant back then and you didn't ask someone if they caught a salmon - you asked if they killed or grassed a salmon - catch & release was rarely, if ever done.

Compton

great videos

ironbluedun

slowburner wrote: »

I had a conversation (by letter) with the late Hugh Falkus many years ago. Back then I had the good fortune to fish for sea trout every day of the season in the West, professionally.
The thing was, that his methods simply did not work for our Atlantic sea trout. I told him this, and he said that he had always suspected that the Irish fish were different to his Cumbrian ones.

There is a fabulous book by the fisheries scientist, Edward Fahy on Irish sea trout. He informs us that there are two distinct genetic strains of sea trout which he broadly categorises as Irish Sea, sea trout - which would include his Cumbrian rivers and the fantastic Welsh sea trout rivers like the Towy and Teifi. These fish originate genetically from a pre-Ice Age race which have the Ferox gene. This gene is sustained by populations which have become isolated by way of topography, especially impassable waterfalls - this is why Currane produces so many specimen sea trout, even though it is on the Atlantic seaboard. They grow much bigger due to a combination of genetics and richer feeding in the Irish Sea.
The Slaney, however seems to only produce the Atlantic type strain - that is, fish which generally do not grow to specimen weights. A 2lb fish is big on the Slaney and I suspect they average around the 3/4 lb mark.
Probably one of the finest Irish Sea rivers for specimen sea trout is the Dargle in north Wicklow. I heard of one caught illegally which was 19lbs and I myself held another which was caught illegally of 10 1/2 lbs.

To sum up: Hugh Falkus' sea trout fishing techniques don't work in Ireland for the majority of our sea trout - and he agreed. They don't work because the vast majority of our sea trout are the Atlantic strain - his methods applied to the heavier Irish Sea strain which possess the Ferox gene.

However, you can take every word of his companion book on Salmon as gospel.

Fascinating fish.

a great post slowburner, great post.

dvae

could hardly believe it when Hugh (60 ish) fully clothed and wearing thigh waders jumps into a 15` deep fast pool.

slaneylad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXuHi78Zo7o