Fly Fishing on the Dodder

b.w.ollie · 13-07-2009 11:21pm

[the council know about the rubbish at Rathfarnham. hopefully weather permitting we wlll be adding to it this coming wednesday . as regards the old dump I do not know if any thing is to be done.The Irish wildlife trust called off their clean ups in protest as they felt they were wasting their time while rubbish from the old dump was still getting in the river.
As regards daytime fishing ...well if they're rising...depending on how bright it is I would fish the fast water.. you will get fish in slow sections if it is overcast, but they have plenty of time to examine your fly and cope on to the cast etc.on bright days . an Olive Klinghammer works well in fast water if there are olives hatching as it is easy to see and floats well. The fish in fast water (in the weirs) do not have the same amount of time to examine the fly as it belts past so they tend to take even on bright days add the foam, eddies,noise etc which help hide the leader.your main problem is DRAG make sure the fly looks as if it is floating with the current .watch a bit of stick, or a leaf and how it floats if your fly is not going the same way or is going across the current because another stream is affecting your main line or leader you wont get a take. This applies to slow water as well. I have to admit I don't know much about wet fly though.

LFC5Times · 22-07-2009 11:27am

PLOPS wrote: »

He looked older than that- he was the biggest fish i've seen on the dodder! i've got a picture whcih i will post up later- he made 2nd and 3rd look like minnow! He was some catch

Have you had a chance to post up a pic of it yet, cheers.

disgruntled · 22-07-2009 4:34pm

There is a photo of that fish on the CFB website, I have to say that its some fish.

http://www.cfb.ie/fishing_in_ireland/catchofweek.htm

firephish · 23-07-2009 9:34am

disgruntled wrote: »

There is a photo of that fish on the CFB website, I have to say that its some fish.

http://www.cfb.ie/fishing_in_ireland/catchofweek.htm

Big fish for a small stream! Must say it looks more like a stewpond fish than anything that has come from a river ...

stevenmu · 23-07-2009 9:42am

I don't know how deep the pool in front of that weir is, but I've fished nymphs at 11 or 12 feet and they only seemed to touch bottom back in near the bank. For most of the pool the current is very slow too so it's a pretty good spot for a trout to just sit and feed off the easy pickings swept in by the weir.

b.w.ollie · 23-07-2009 10:13pm

the fish looked like it did because it was originally a stockfish (that the maggot boys missed. it must have got sense fast) .someone reckoned it could have been in the river up to three years, it was full of minnow when it was caught.
scale samples have been sent to the fishery board so hopefully we will learn more about it.The guy that caught it would have returned it had it been a 'wild' trout.. a true angler.

flyfisher123 · 03-08-2009 11:07pm

im fishing about 4 months now im 14 and im just wondering is it anygood fishing in the dodder of the m50 spawell

coolwings · 04-08-2009 12:05am

It's a tad overgrown, in that area, but has plenty of trout.

The river is more acid upriver, and the trout don't grow quite so fast as downriver, but wild trout of over the pound have been caught further upriver in the Firhouse area.
So occasional trout there are that big if left alone.

I don't think it has been stocked this far up, at least I haven't heard of stocking there. The wild fish are a bigger challenge, being of such a size that they fit the available food supply, and are therefore not so hungry as to make mistakes easily.

A fine place to fish and find out.

JMB88 · 05-08-2009 11:29am

Any reports or even sightings of any sea-trout around the Dodder yet?.

Kippure · 05-08-2009 12:35pm

JMB88 wrote: »

Any reports or even sightings of any sea-trout around the Dodder yet?.

Ive been catching half pounders / pound fish the last 6 weeks. Lots of small sea trout to for some reason. Best place is between herbert park and the back of landsdowne road. The concill have put in a track for diggers in the river at ringesend, at low tide some great fly fishing.....

Im using alexanders, olives, butchers, wet. and hares ear dry.

Use a size 14 or 16 if you can and a size 5lb lead.

5 weeks ago a young lad took out a sea trout about 7 pound. Its was badly damage from drift nets by the looks of it.

Theres some big sea trout coming in on each tide now, along with the 40 or so mullet.

Some of the mullet are at least 5 pound, Been trying to catch them on the fly, unsuccessful so far.

remember you need a licence to catch the sea trout, or just put them back in.

Over the years the is now a huge increase in sea trout running up the dodder along with salmon too.

The only problem they have is them poxy water falls at smurfits, 2 at either side of the 9 arches, orwell falls and rathfarnam falls.

How much would it cost to put in a few fish ladders, or blow blow holes in them falls...

It would become a great tourist attraction to fish for salmon and sea trout right through out the dodder.

I know the dodder anglers are a small club, but i wonder is there any possiblity that at least one fish ladder could be priced and fitted at smurfits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_ladder

coolwings · 05-08-2009 8:16pm

I watched a shoal of small sea trout last week there. Thought of fishing for them, but decided to let them alone so far. Scanned the mullet shoals for possible bass infiltrating amongst them, but they were all mullet.

Th Dodder AA has never supported migratory fish passes for the lower Dodder. Afraid of having to buy game licenses I guess, although other reasons have always been given.
It's a big regret of mine, since that river is almost pure spawning gravel from one end to the other, and could support large sea trout fishing effort. East coast sea trout are fast growing which shows sea feeding is good.
Like I said ... a big regret they don't see the possibilities, only the potential problems.
I had an 11 pound seatrout in it a long time ago, hooked a 9 lber too and summer salmon. All these fish have only a tiny place to spawn, compared to what they should have.
It's all lost opportunities as far as migratory fish are concerned.

Kippure · 05-08-2009 9:03pm

coolwings wrote: »

I watched a shoal of small sea trout last week there. Thought of fishing for them, but decided to let them alone so far. Scanned the mullet shoals for possible bass infiltrating amongst them, but they were all mullet.

Th Dodder AA has never supported migratory fish passes for the lower Dodder. Afraid of having to buy game licenses I guess, although other reasons have always been given.
It's a big regret of mine, since that river is almost pure spawning gravel from one end to the other, and could support large sea trout fishing effort. East coast sea trout are fast growing which shows sea feeding is good.
Like I said ... a big regret they don't see the possibilities, only the potential problems.
I had an 11 pound seatrout in it a long time ago, hooked a 9 lber too and summer salmon. All these fish have only a tiny place to spawn, compared to what they should have.
It's all lost opportunities as far as migratory fish are concerned.

If i ever won the euro millions i,d pay for it myself, State of the art fish ladders and flood control. Theres huge potential there.

b.w.ollie · 17-08-2009 8:14pm

The reason given by Dodder A A for lack of interest in migratory trout has to do with policing the river, any fishpass would become a poachers paradise, ( thats what I was told) ps Coolwings Hi from an old Friend ! I remember that big Seatrout..

david_1888 · 19-08-2009 7:44pm

Most of you have mentioned from the Dropping Well upwards, another decent spot is from Herbert Park down to Lansdowne Road Dart Station, plenty of fish, mostly small but there is the few nice ones along the way. Havent been out this area in a few weeks, has anyone else been?

It wasn't me! · 20-08-2009 4:23am

Anyone ever fish it up as far as Bohernabreena or even further, and if so, is it worth trying?

Kippure · 21-08-2009 3:40pm

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Anyone ever fish it up as far as Bohernabreena or even further, and if so, is it worth trying?

I use to fish the upper lake alot. Lots of small fish, good sport. I wandered above the upper lake above the bridge, Again lots of easly spooked small fish. Best to fish in the evening time. Be carefull of cattle etc. I used a small dung fly on the upper and lower lake. Fish 2 if possible. At the dam i used a fast sinking line and a buzzer on the end. Rainbows went mad for it.

berman · 18-09-2009 1:02pm

Nice evening hatch last night from 6 til dark... lots of action - but I was too slow for them all

Kippure · 18-09-2009 1:24pm

berman wrote: »

Nice evening hatch last night from 6 til dark... lots of action - but I was too slow for them all

What part of the dodder were you on. Have you tryed down around ballsbridge....back of herbert park area?

berman · 18-09-2009 1:30pm

I was up from Milltown... I'l try behind herbert park next time...

stevenmu · 18-09-2009 1:36pm

Sounds good, was hoping to get out there this evening.

Kippure · 18-09-2009 1:40pm

berman wrote: »

I was up from Milltown... I'l try behind herbert park next time...

Theres alot of sea trout been caught at the moment. I was just wondering had you caught any.

berman · 18-09-2009 2:29pm

Are people getting sea-trout at night-time or during the day?

Kippure · 18-09-2009 3:02pm

berman wrote: »

Are people getting sea-trout at night-time or during the day?

From dusk on wards

Doc Farrell · 19-09-2009 8:34pm

i live down in near ringsend, do you think someone will be out tonight for seatrout? i've never seen them any further than the bridge at ballsbridge?

Doc Farrell · 19-09-2009 9:19pm

Giving very serious thought to visiting

Bohernabreena resevoirs as my final wild trout fishing for 2009. this looks like the idea for tomorrow.

(will just have a quick look at Blessington lakes)

Kippure · 20-09-2009 10:52am

Doc Farrell wrote: »

i live down in near ringsend, do you think someone will be out tonight for seatrout? i've never seen them any further than the bridge at ballsbridge?

You can catch sea trout as far up as milltown. Only when there has been a big flood though.

Usually only far as the back of smurfits. The water fall kills salmon and sea trout. They batter them selves trying to get up and die of exhaustion.

Very sad stuff considering the size of some of the salmon ive seen dead there.

The dodder anglers need to consider fish ladders on all the big water falls.

stevenmu · 20-09-2009 1:54pm

Thinking of bohernabreena myself for today, if you're up there I'll be the guy jumping up and down swearing at the fish for not taking my flies

Kippure · 21-09-2009 4:48pm

stevenmu wrote: »

Thinking of bohernabreena myself for today, if you're up there I'll be the guy jumping up and down swearing at the fish for not taking my flies

Did you catch anything?

david_1888 · 21-09-2009 11:26pm

Was fly fishing at ballsbridge on sunday morning, very quiet, got 1 or 2 tiddlers , was up there for a while, when I got out of the water there was a couple of decent sized ones about where i was but none seem to be going for the fly..frustrating when you get out and up onto the wall and see them sitting there and not budging for a fly

Doc Farrell · 22-09-2009 7:52pm

i saw u there.

i was the one who asked you if you knew where the 'kiosk' shop was in ballsbridge so i could get a permit.

i think that shop has changed it's name and doesn't sell dodder anglers' permits anymore.

just for fun i'm going to put in a couple of hours on the dodder before the 30th. probably friday after work.

when you see an angler fly fishing in the middle of the city time stops for a moment, as for the angler it's a well worn truth that one doesn't actually age while fly fishing, scientifically proven in fact.

Fly Fishing on the Dodder

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