Bumping into the Irish Angler at Southern County Fishing Resort

I was out at the Southern County Fishing Resort http://www.southerncounty.ie/ with Noel during last week. The resort is situated at the foot of Mt. Leinster some 250 foot above sea level which offers truly spectacular views of Carlow, Kilkenny, the Wicklow mountains and the Blackstairs mountain range. The lakes have now stocked some Salmon as well as the hard fighting Rainbow Trout offering some pretty good fishing on a fly rod. The resort breed their own fish at the on site hatchery making the resort the only site in the country to provide such a service.

Noel went off to bait fish the big middle lake whilst I was chatting to mr Pat Foley who owns and runs the family business. After chatting to Pat for an hour or so I headed off to find Noel and bumped into a chap who was fly fishing on the top lake. After introductions and fishy talk I learned that the chap I was talking to was Mike Shanks from the Irish Angler magazine. I stayed with Mike for a wee while and watched as he caught and netted fish after fish and picked up a few wee tips as Mike was very curteous and informative so much so that he gave Noel tuition on his own fly rod complete with a Hardys reel.

Mike Shanks (Irish Angler magazine) giving Noel tuition.

Below: Mike releasing one of the many Salmon he caught

You could be forgiven for thinking that the day couldn't get any better, Well after all the fishing and chat related to fishing off course Mike's lift arrived and we headed up to the car park and he came over to Noel and gave him a couple of free magazines. A truly nice and 100% genuine chap altogether would be my guess at the character of the man I met fishing that day. Fair play Mike, well appreciated.

Below: Mike giving Noel a few free Irish Angler magazines.