Angling
for Salmon on
Ireland's Cork Blackwater
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Beat 8 - Upper Kilmurry
| Distance by road from the Lodge: | 6.8 miles. |
| Distance by river from the Lodge: | Approx. 4 miles upstream. |
| Beat situation: | North side - Left bank |
| Beat Length: | Approx. 1 mile. |
Section 1
Beat Map: (click here to view)
Description:
There are two points of
access to the Beat:
- The first is a vehicular access, where you can drive in the
gate at the Sycamore Tree, which has a sign marking the Beat
Entrance, down the track across the field, turning left along the
river bank past the Old Boat House, & continue towards the
Fishing Hut, and park under the trees. If the electric fence is
open, you can go to the right after the Boat House onto the river
bank itself.
If you use this entrance & are heading to the upper part of the beat, walk past the old Boat House & keep close to the side of the field next to the electric fence. Do not walk along the top of the bank, you are very likely to frighten fish in the Half River as you are on the sky-line. Go to the top of the field & over the wall in the left hand corner, or the steps to your right in the trees. Approach all of the pools in the Half River with care.
- The second entrance, (which you should use if the ground is too wet & soft to use the first access, or if there are cattle in the field where you would park the car), is to be found by driving on around the bend, from where you can see the river across the field, & going on another 150 yards, until you see a gateway on your right, opposite a sign for the Lodge. Park discreetly, so as NOT to block the farm entrance.
The head of the Beat begins where the Duke of Devonshire's famous Careysville Beat ends, as the sign states on the tree at the start of the bend, where the road comes close to the river. The actual limit is marked by the small stream that flows into the river just below the Careysville sign. The river flows around the bend from under the road, & the very tail of the pool just at the stream at the Upstream Limit can be an excellent low water lie, fished with fly, spun shrimp or upstream Condom, but PLEASE BE SURE NOT TO TRESPASS ABOVE THE STREAM INTO THE PRIVATE CAREYSVILLE FISHERY.
To start from the top limit, go to the top of the Inches, & follow the gravel bank around the curve until you come to the small stream under the sign. The vee just at the upstream limit is an excellent place to take a running fish, especially with a Flying Condom fished up or across.
The stream then heads across towards the far bank, in a lovely ripply run which is easily waded & fly fished. Below the gravel bank, where the high bank straightens out along the Inches, there is a deeper pocket where, in higher water, the stream has more tendency to come towards our bank. Fish this from just below the fence above the bench seat, as fish will often lie in the slack water just outside the back eddy which forms under our bank. This a favourite high water Spring lie.
The river continues down a wide straight known as the Inches, & passes over a shallow sill half way down the field. Just below the Sill, the river evens out & deepens to about 5 feet for much of the width. Below the boulders in the Sill is lovely fly water, fished either from the high bank, or by rather difficult wading under the bank due to the large rocks. This water fishes well with all methods, especially in high water. At the tail, just before the river splits around the Island, there is a rock about 15 m out from our bank, which is an especially good Spring lie, where fish rest after running the fast water either side of Kilmurry Island below.
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The river then splits either side of
the large Kilmurry Island. On our side, the channel is narrower,
deeper and faster, thus attracting most fish to run this side.
The small flat at the tip of the Island, known as the Split,
where the stream comes to our side is a superb taking spot,
especially with upstream worm. There is one rock at the head of
this, which is an excellent spot to take a fish on the fly. |
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From halfway down the Ghillie Pool, a walkway was
built in June 1995, which makes for very easy fishing all the way down the side
of the Island. Three more pools have been created before you reach the Hut Pool.
In the first of these, Middle Pool, a croy of large rocks throws the flow out
towards the Island, with lovely slacker water to our side. Depth is quite even
about about 5 feet over the whole pool. At the next, Sir Richard's, there is
deep water below the large rocks at the head of the pool, across the whole width
of the river, & a beautiful slack in the centre between the two streams
either side. This pool widens & shallows towards the tail - a great place to
pick up running fish. Smaller rocks forming a croy lead into the next Pool on
the Half River, which was dug out in late 1994, & has the depth close in on
our side in a faster rushing pool called the Ladder. The deepest part is just
below the croy, & there is another pocket in the second half. The opposite
half of the river is very shallow. |
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