| Mighty River. Wonderful Sport. Superb Lodge |
| The Cork Blackwater is Ireland's second largest river
next to the mighty Shannon. It rises in the mountains of East Kerry,
flowing eastwards for 105 miles and entering the sea at Youghal
in East Cork. It has a catchment area of more than 1,200 square
miles. It's also an extremely beautiful river and has well deserved the title "the Irish Rhine". As a large mature river, it is not subject to the whims of the weather, like a typical spate river, and consequently can provide excellent fishing even in low water. It has extensive tidal reaches, stretching for approximately 20 miles from the estuary mouth at Youghal to Lismore. This provides a unique haven for salmon and seatrout in low water conditions when they are waiting to run the main river. Although the river is well down South, it is readily accessible from most parts of Ireland, including the North. Taking the main Cork road from Dublin, you meet the Blackwater at Fermoy. It is only 2½ hours drive from Dublin or even 5 hours from Belfast. The best of the salmon fishing is to be found between the tidal limit just below the bridge at Lismore and up as far as Mallow (approximately 45 river miles upstream). |
Proprietor Ian Powell
with the first fish of the season on fly. A sea-liced 10 pounder
on a Foxford Shrimp from the Grange Stream on Bridgetown Abbey
- Lodge Beat 12 on May 6th, 2001
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| Below Fermoy, there is an excellent mixture of fly
runs, glides and deeper pools. The fish can run unhindered through
the lower river until they encounter the weir at Careysville. The
Blackwater Lodge has seven beats downstream of the weir. The lower river - from the Careysville weir downstream to Lismore is renowned for spring salmon fishing. The season opens on February 1st. Spring salmon usually run as far as Careysville. The perfect conditions for spring fishing are low cold water. This means that the fish only run very slowly and tend to remain below the Careysville weir - concentrated in the lower beats. |
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| In years when the early months are mild
and wet, higher warmer water encourages the fish to run further
- often as far as Ballyhooly and Castletownroche in the middle reaches,
and even as far as Mallow. They are then more spread out through
both the lower and middle reaches of the river, which can make them
less easy to find. Springers are mainly fish in the 8 - 12 lb. class,
but with a good share of fish to 18 - 20 lb. February can be a contrary
month, but the river and the run are usually settling and more consistent
by March. The best spring fishing is normally in March and early
April. Under way in May The prolific grilse run gets under way in mid-May, though the
first grilse can usually be spotted from Mid-April. The early
grilse tend to be larger (5-6 lb) and their arrival is accompanied
by a run of double figure fish which appears for the latter part
of May and the first week or so of June. These fish are in the
10-15 lb class. Thereafter, the grilse run builds up and peaks
in late June and early July. |
A bedraggled but happy
proprietress Glenda Powell with her first fish of the season. A sea-liced 11 1/2 pounder on spinner from the Barrels on Bridgetown Abbey - Lodge Beat 12 on May 6th, 2001 
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Backend Sport |
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| Compared with most other Irish rivers (notably the
Moy), the fishing pressure is very light. Nevertheless, it is estimated
to yield an average of between 5,000 - 6,000 salmon to the rods
each year. It was declared Ireland's most prolific salmon river
in 1998. Statistics issued by the Central & Southern Regional
Fisheries Board confirm that the Cork Blackwater had the highest
rod catch of salmon of all Irish rivers that year. The total was
a staggering 8,063 - over 35% higher than the Moy. It was reputedly
the third highest of all the rivers in the North Atlantic (Canada,
Iceland, UK, Norway etc.) - beaten only by two rivers on the Kola
Peninsula in Russia. Blackwater Lodge - a haven for salmon anglers. Unique - a word not to be used lightly, but one which is probably an accurate description of the Blackwater Lodge fishery. Where else in Britain or Ireland would you find a fishery on a major salmon river with sixteen beats spread over 40 plus miles of river starting only a couple of miles above the tidal limit? |
"This could be You"
Putting a fly down the Abbey Stream on Bridgetown Abbey - Lodge Beat 12 
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| Lodge proprietor Ian Powell is married to Glenda (nee
Meredith) who hails from Comber, County Down. Both are fanatical
salmon anglers. Glenda is also unique - where else would you find
a female fly casting instructor who can teach you right up to the
most advanced forms of spey casting? Of excellent pedigree, she
has fished for the Scottish Ladies Fly-Fishing Team & managed
the Irish counterpart before settling with Ian at the Lodge &
adding Staff Manageress to her credentials. Couple all this with a lodge dedicated to salmon fishing and you have something very special indeed. The Lodge is the "compleat" angling centre. It offers hotel and self-catering cottages (both at the Lodge & in the surrounding area). The bar has a superb panoramic view over the river, and there is a lovely restaurant. In keeping with the emphasis on fishing, the excellent cuisine is aimed at the outdoor appetite. Superbly cooked food in ample portions - well presented and served, is balanced by an enticing wine list. There is a well-stocked tackle shop, and tackle hire and gillies are available. |
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| No need to worry about your catch when you return to the Lodge.
Wrapping & freezing is a free service to all Lodge guests. For
a small charge, you can have your fish steaked, filleted, marinated
or smoked in the Lodge' own smokery and vacuum packed. Yet another unique feature is the Lodge's website. It is packed with information on every aspect of the Lodge & fishery. It has a daily updated River Report page - for years the only site on the WWW to do this - which gives up to date information on the river, fishing conditions and catches. The Cork Blackwater's consistent fishing is well demonstrated by the very accurately kept catch records from the Blackwater Lodge Hotel fishery, which has 15 miles (16 beats) of fishing between Mallow & Lismore. Last year will certainly be remembered for the chaos caused by the Foot & Mouth epidemic in the UK. Whilst there was only one case in the Republic, our fishing was closed from the end of February to the 5th May. |
"The Stumps Pool"
Putting a fly down the Abbey Stream on Bridgetown Abbey - Lodge Beat 12  |
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| Consequently, the number of anglers fishing on the
Blackwater Lodge fisheries was much lower than normal. There were
only 65% of the rod days compared to the 2000 season. In that light,
the total for the 2001 season of 773 salmon & grilse was an
excellent catch. It compares favourably with the Five Year Average
of 943 & the Ten Year Average of 922. Also, very low water kept the June, July and September catches lower than would otherwise have been expected. |
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| Whilst the Cork Blackwater has the reputation of
being an exclusive river, the Blackwater Lodge invariably has fishing
permits readily available on its sixteen beats for residents and
non-residents alike. For reservations or information, contact Ian
Powell at the Lodge. Contact: Ian & Glenda Powell (Proprietors) Blackwater Lodge Hotel Upper Ballyduff County Waterford Telephone: 058 60235 (00353) Fax: 058 60162 (00353) Email: info@ireland-salmon-fishing.net Website: www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net |
"Beat That then!"
Colin Macduff-Duncan with his first ever salmon and gillie Glenda Meredith. Weight 15 lb. Taken on May 13th 2001 on the Island Stream - Lower Kilmurry.  |
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