Internationally renowned fishery scientist, Ken Whelan, issues a call to action on the latest episode of The Last Salmon.   He says that ranching can and will work to help improve salmon numbers in relation to supporting a rod fishery for anglers and he explains to us the background to its successful development and implementation – albeit with caveats and cautions.   Likening it to racehorse breeding, he points to the Burrishoole ranching programme and the work of Dr. David Piggins and says...

It’s time for our second and final mayfly update from around the country and this week we’re hearing how Lough Sheelin and Lough Arrow fared with Eamonn Ross and Jackie Mahon.     Eamonn explains how the fishing was fantastic the first week the mayfly was up with some incredible fish being caught, but it’s been tougher since then.   Meanwhile on Arrow, Jackie describes it as patchy, and similar to many other places, if you were able to hit it at the right time, the fishing could be top...

Hatcheries.  It’s a contentious issue amongst the salmon angling community and with numbers of salmon continuing to drop, more and more anglers are asking can and should it be introduced to their river?   For this week’s episode of The Last Salmon, we wanted to find out more about the pros, cons, nuances and science behind it and are joined by David Summers, Fisheries Director of the Tay Fisheries Board, where they run the very successful Kelt Reconditioning Project and Professor Phil...

This week’s episode is a fascinating look at the famous Castleconnell Fishery on the River Shannon in Limerick with Pat O’Connor who is chair of the Castleconnell River Association.   It’s a fishery steeped in history when it was internationally renowned for its huge salmon in the 1800s to the early 1900s and it became a thriving centre for tackle development including the Castleconnell rod.   But since the Ardnacrusha development dammed the lower part of the Shannon in 1929 to provide power...

Simen Saetre is the co-author (along with Kjetil Ostli) of ‘The New Fish: The Truth about Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore’ and joins Jim & Daire on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about their years of research into the salmon farming industry and the shocking information they discovered along the way.  #thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon  The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire...

We’ve our first update of the mayfly season for this week’s show and Mike Keady joins us to tell us how Corrib has been fishing.   The weather has been unsettled and cold which hasn’t helped things, Mike tells us, but he does expect it to pick up for the next 1-2 weeks so if you have the opportunity do try and make the most of it before it finishes up on Corrib.   On Derg, Shane Creamer was out fishing for the week but he did send in an update with word that it has been very slow.  However,...

The Owenmore Fishery has been in the news recently with the State buying up the river and lands that are situated on the Dingle peninsula in Kerry.   So what does the future hold for the fishery and what is the fishing like on the river and lakes in one of Ireland’s most scenic locations?   Frank Maunsell has been the fishery manager there for over a quarter of a century and he joins us on this week’s show with tales of poachers, fishing and tactics that you’d scarcely believe but are well...

Matt Harris is the angler you want to fish with and hang out with in the hut or bar afterwards.   He has a lifetime of stories of fish caught, every one as good as the last, but despite having thrown a fly in practically every corner of the globe, it’s still the Atlantic salmon that holds a special place in his heart.   He talks to us about his favourite places and battles won – and lost - with the mighty Atlantic salmon, as well as his ongoing efforts to help fight for their future.   Pour...

Rory's.  It’s a famous name with a famous owner, Rory Harkin, of Rory’s Tackle Shop in Temple Bar in Dublin.   But did you know it opened its doors in 1959 when there were just warehouses around the area and trout and salmon could be caught by the bucketful within Dublin’s environs?   Rory Harkin may have passed on the running of the shop to his daughter Mary but he joins us this week to talk about his love of fly fishing, meeting and fishing with so many household names – including Charles...

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, wanted to live life and do things his own way.  In his 80s now and having given Patagonia away to help save the planet, Yvon is more likely to be found near a river bank fly fishing and he joins us to talk about his love of the sport and what anglers need to do help the plight of the salmon and of the planet. But he's also critical of anglers and their lack of action in helping to save the fish.  'Fishermen are not true advocates of fish,' he says....

This week we’re turning our attention to first editions of Irish angling books.   The Ireland on the Fly Book Club is an important part of what we do here on the podcast and Muiris Huston, the medical contributor to the Irish times, is also a fly angler and fly fishing book collector and he joins us on the show to discuss the books everyone should have on their shelves.   If you are interested in collecting, here are some websites that Muiris...

He’s the Swedish salmon maestro who fished 250 days a season in his younger years, but he’s more than an expert salmon angler, he’s an ardent conservationist who says he will never stop fighting for the wild salmon.   Mikael Frödin joins us on the latest episode of The Last Salmon with revealing insights into the perilous state of the salmon which he believes could be gone within two decades if current fish farming practises are not stopped.   He also talks about his memorable days of 30lbs...

It might be hard to believe, but mayfly season is starting soon and it’s expected on Lough Derg from around April 20th onwards.    This week’s guest is Shane Creamer from the Garrykennedy Angling Club and he gives us some great and honest insights into fishing Derg during mayfly and the rest of the season. And here's the link to the 2004 article on the thriving hatchery at Mountshannon that is discussed during the...

We take a brief departure from all things Atlantic salmon to focus on their second home - the ocean.   Charles Clover is one of the pre-eminent environmental journalists of our time, author of the eye-opening and best-selling, ‘The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat’ and most recently, ‘Rewilding the Sea: How to Save our Oceans’.   He is also co-founder of The Blue Marine Foundation, one of the leading global, marine conservation NGOs and he joins us to...

This week we speak to Nicholas Grubb who grew up in south Tipperary beside the Suir and the Tar and he tells us about the incredible catches of fish that were to be had growing up.   It’s a throwback to another age and his great grandfather Samuel also had a reported 62lber which would have been an Irish record but it was never measured or verified at the time.   Nicholas also previously wrote an article for Salmon Watch Ireland discussing some of the reasons why he thinks salmon numbers have...

Scotland.  It’s the traditional heart and home of fly fishing for salmon.  The Spey, Dee, Tay and Tweed are rivers synonymous the world over when it comes to salmon fishing.   But, long gone are the days when salmon catches were guaranteed and getting onto certain beats were next to impossible.    In the midst of the Atlantic salmon crisis, Daire and Jim speak to Robert Mitchell and Colin Bull, two Scotsmen immersed in salmon throughout their lives.   Robert Mitchell, has been a salmon...

This week we’re joined by Julie Gerry, former winner of the World Cup on Mask – and the only woman to have won it to date, she’s captain of the Irish Ladies Fly Fishing team, and now also Youth Officer with the Irish Trout Fly Fishers Association.   Julie tells us how, despite the success of Irish fly fishing teams, it is still a struggle to get more youths and women into the sport, and how maybe we should be looking to copy the successful programme in Northern Ireland based on the Foyle...

Alexandra Morton is a warrior and a shining light who has fought and won her battle against fish farms.  She has committed her life to saving the wild salmon in her local area of Broughton Archipelago on Canada’s pristine British Columbia coastline.     She joins Jim and Daire on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about her life of activism, why everyone needs to join in the fight to save the salmon and how success like hers can be achieved.   #thelastsalmon...

This week’s guest on Ireland on the Fly is a fly tyer and fly angler well known to many from fairs around Ireland and abroad and it was only when he moved to Ireland over twenty years ago that he discovered fly fishing and quickly embraced the sport, especially fly tying.   Having been originally from the Caribbean it’s no surprise that saltwater fly fishing remains his first love, but John also has more than a few interesting tales to tell, including the time he was a bodyguard to Mike Tyson...

Paul Whitehouse, the comedic legend, and John Bailey, the wizard behind the scenes of Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing, join us on The Last Salmon podcast. With their outspoken views about scientists and what actually should be done to help their beloved fish, Paul and John bring a lifetime of fishing experience – as well as their wit and humour - to this week’s episode, including the welcome return of Rowley Birkin (KC) to the conversation.   #thelastsalmon...

This week on Ireland on the Fly we’re turning our attention to the famous River Slaney.     The river that was once the doyen of spring salmon rivers in Ireland has suffered more than most in recent times but there are still anglers and custodians of the Slaney that are fighting to keep it going and recover.    And to hear more about their work as well as those halcyon days, we’re joined by Richard Burgess, former chairman of the Slaney River Trust. Plus, Tom was a recent guest speaker at the...

The Last Salmon is a new podcast series hosted by Ireland on the Fly's, Daire Whelan, and actor and activist angler, Jim Murray offering hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon. On this, the first episode of Season 1, Daire and Jim find out how the massive escape of farmed salmon in Iceland’s waters in the autumn of 2023, led to huge public protests at the damage being done to the wild salmon and their country’s...

This week’s Ireland on the Fly is another book club episode with returning author, Dan O’Donovan, whom we spoke to previously about his book, The Salmon of the River Lee.   Dan has also written a very popular monograph on Sidney Spencer, who was a renowned angler and author on lough-fishing for salmon and sea-trout in the north-west of Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland, and we speak to Dan about Sidney Spencer’s life and legacy and his love of fly fishing in Ireland.   Rate, review...

Some of you may recall the devastating fish kill that occurred last May on the Ballymacraven River in Ennistymon, Co. Clare. It is estimated that in excess of 2000 fish were killed in this incident.    This culminated in a court case on February the 16th, taken by the I.F.I. where Uisce Éireann admitted liability for this event and were fined over €15,000.    Tom spoke to Jane Gilleran who is an Environmental Fisheries Officer with the I.F.I. and represented them in these proceedings to find...

John Lalor, the well-known Tipperary salmon and trout angler, is on this week's podcast to talk about his fishing life on the River Suir and beyond.   John’s new book, ‘Fish Scéalta: Game Fishing from Alaska to Lapland and the Swedish Arctic’ covers his remarkable fishing life beyond Tipperary covering many of the bucket list destinations we can only dream about – as well as some of his other favourite fishing locations in Ireland.   Rate, review and follow the show to keep up to date with...