World champion goes bass fishing

A unique Irish saltwater fishing event will take place in Cork harbour next week. Nine people from places as far away as the US, the UK and Denmark as well as a solid Irish representation will gather at the Bella Vista Hotel for three days bass fishing on the fly.

The event is a series of workshops which can be used as either a primer or indeed an advanced lesson, depending on your requirements, in the three aspects of saltwater fly fishing in Ireland.

• Fly fishing
• Fly casting
• Fly tying

The emphasis whilst not strictly placed on bass fishing is firmly based in the techniques used to catch them on the fly in Ireland. This of course also means if you wanted to catch stripers in the USA the workshops will transfer. They will also transfer between species like sea trout.

It was never going to be easy to gather a group of nine people together at the once place at the one time to achieve the workshops across all disciplines so this is testament to the keen interest that people have in saltwater fly fishing for bass and other species, and I am delighted it has happened. All of this was pitched at a very accessible cost.

Glenda Powell – World champion fly caster and fishing guide will deliver workshops on fly casting over the three days, Brian Healy who has worked with me over the past few years will facilitate the tying workshops and I will look after the guiding for bass and possibly sea trout too.

The three days will no doubt be an experience of sharing and learning many different experiences and aspects of saltwater fly fishing not only in Ireland but from other countries also. Alan is just back from Denmark, Paul fishes Montana, Johann fishes Denmark, and John fishes Florida backcountry…
Working across three small Irish fishing business’s plus Kevin Murphy’s Bella Vista Hotel which has been synonymous with bass fishing for a long while, it represents a pooling of considerable talent experience and skills that can be demonstrated as one resource and of course this can have a positive local economic impact too over the three days.

Once again it’s a small example and testament to the interest that exists in bass fishing in this country and all the positive aspects that are associated with it.
This aspect is often too easily overlooked forgotten or simply for reasons too many to mention, not promoted in any way whatsoever. This applies not only to this event but to the angling fraternity as a whole.

Who knows what may come out of this three days, maybe next year another three day event or an extended event incorporating lure fishing as well....its there to be done!

The 9 have left Minas Morgul.......... taxi....

In all seriousness cant wait to hear how they get on. The fishing is warming up nicely.

From my own personal experience of the three days it was the completion of a small ambition of mine.

It was done in great company in a great location at Bella Vista. Kevin murphy, his staff and also the Hotel are beyond doubt the best of its kind in this country. This made part of my job extremely simple – one guest on the course remarked to me that the atmosphere during the ritual lunchtime get together was better than he had experienced at five star saltwater lodges in the US!

Keeping eight people on track between three disciplines - nine in the morning to five in the evening over three days was always going to be a challenge but the schedule was adhered to and both Glenda and Brian worked seamlessly to make it sync and work.

Each guest completed two 3 hr workshops in each discipline with the objective of transfer of knowledge from one workshop to the other, how to tie a fly how to cast a fly how to fish a fly for bass. Objective achieved and much more too!

I am now even more acutely aware of how difficult the catching of bass on the fly is – it’s a serious and considerable angling challenge that nothing comes close too.

I learned a whole bunch of stuff but mostly I was reminded again that there are very capable and professional Irish people working extremely hard in the angling business in this country on day by day basis. Often in extremely difficult circumstances.

These people know it best – people like Glenda, Brian and Kevin these are the experts, the hard grafters on the ground

I’ve had a wonderful and amazing experience and already have been asked to build the intermediate version of the workshops…who knows

Thanks to everybody involved

Fair play Jim, sounds like it was a great success for you and all involved.

I had such a great time at this meet. You rarely, if ever meet another swffer when targeting bass on the Irish Coast, so meeting up with 7 other swff'ers in the beautiful Cobh was something I was really looking forward to. And also, to have Jim Hendrick, Brian Healy & Glenda Powell there to guide and teach me, and answer any question I had was an incredible opportunity for me to develop my swff skills.

I took away a lot of learnings from this primer, countless great experiences, and met some true characters who share my obsession with fly fishing for bass.
I'm a better angler after these 3 days and now feel confident for the season ahead.

I'm looking forward to doing this again