Fishing experts offer advice on how to present a fly to fish and how to cast a line long and short.
The first professionally taught fly fishing course in Ireland takes place in Oughterard near Lough Corrib in County Galway. There are only about 30 fully professional fly fishing coaches in Britain and Ireland.
People who have been trained to teach people how to cast a fly with a fly line and a fly rod.
Two qualified instructors, Tommy McCutcheon and Seán O’Brien are hosting the two day fly fishing course at Oughterard. A professional fly tying instructor Peter O’Reilly is demonstrating how to create artificial flies.
The guesthouse for the course is run by Lal Faherty who sees the business potential in hosting the course attendees. He limits them to March, June and September which is outside the peak fishing times. The entire weekend, including tuition, costs £60.
Weather conditions on Lough Corrib are not suitable for fishing and Seán O’Brien is making the best of the situation by teaching on grass. He uses an overhead cast which is useful for most occasions.
It simply involves, lifting the line, a little bit of power, another little bit of power and drop. Well, if you learn how to control the loop, you’ve learned how to cast.
The double haul method was devised to put the line over the trout and an expert like Tommy McCutcheon can put a line 63 metres. Casting a short line is all about fooling the fish.
If you don’t present the fly to the trout, he’ll not take it, so you have to present it in a way that he’ll think it’s natural.
At the end of two days instruction, the course participants are casting well. One of them, Margaret feels she has benefited greatly from the course and is hoping to catch a fish.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 4 April 1984. The reporter is Derek Davis.
