The 'ZIZZZ' Factor
Phil Boyd fishes the River Agivey - in the heart of the Sperrins, to find it's 'Zizzz' factor.
'SO LAID BACK AND EASY GOING', the Sperrins is undoubtedly one of Northern Irelands most beautiful regions. This region has attracted many visitors through the years, drawn not only by the exhilarating landscapes and unique history, but by the warmth of its people and tradition. Visiting anglers flock to this part of the world every year - yet you can still drive and walk for miles and perhaps never pass another living soul.
A magnificent waterway for unrestricted cruising and angling, the Lower Bann takes its time to get from Coleraine in the north and flows into the largest fresh water Lough in Europe, Lough Neagh, before narrowing into the Upper Bann about 1.25 miles south-east of Coney Island flat, and the River Blackwater west of Derrywarragh Island.
The River Agivey, and as we Irish call it, The Wee Agivey are both tributary's of the Lower Bann and meander through to the townland of Garvagh and beyond whilst the Wee Agivey turns right just up from the Glasgort Bridge and heads towards Aughadowey. Both are renowned for their fine head of Salmon and large Brown Trout and with miles of river to explore, and over twenty named pools to cover, my expectation was riding high.
When you set out to campaign a river you have never fished before it can be very disappointing when the conditions aren't just right. I had telephoned Bert Atkins at his tackle shop in Garavgh to get an up-to date report on the state of the river the day before, but things weren't looking good for my trip. With my luck it's either a feast or a famine, the river will either be in flood or carrying barely enough water to soak your leader. I was praying that it would rain the day before, whilst every other right minded person in Northern Ireland was hoping to see the sun if even for the little summer that we have in this country - they don't call it the Emerald Isle because of the lack of rain. But my love of fly fishing can be both a joy and an affliction, and when you have the day booked off work, you really hope that the conditions will be perfect and you'll be in with a chance of hooking into sizeable Atlantic Salmon.
After Bert had sorted out the necessary paper work and I had handed over the rather inexpensive fee of £15, he introduced me to Jeremy Graham, the manager of the fishery, who was to act as my ghille for the day. Shortly after talking to Bert and Jeremy I quickly realised that these men regarded the Agivey and their involvement in its management as privilege and not as so many of there colleagues do, as just a means to an end. The Agivey with its very illustrious heritage is more than a job to Bert and Jeremy; it seems to me that the river runs in their veins. They know each lie and boulder, when to fish and what to fish, so even though the conditions weren't as perfect as they could be, my confidence in Jeremy as a guide wasn't weakened.
According to Bert and Jeremy the early runners continue to well into May when they are joined by the smaller Grilse shoals. By July, every pool will hold a good head of Salmon in all sizes jostling for the best lies with September seeing the arrival of the bigger Autumn Salmon. These early fish will sometimes take a fly but most are caught on small blue Mepps and black Flying-C's, cast up and across the flow and retrieved fluttering at the slowest of pace being lifted and allowed to drop to different depths.
I was advised to fish either side of the bridge from the Bann meeting to the Wee Agivey section, but even as we walked down the bank we were met by the wonderful sight and sound of several Salmon jumping. I (did) as so many of my fellow angling brethren have in the past, arrived at the rivers edge rearing to go and assuming that I could wade and cast with my double handed rod. But bearing in mind that the usually shallow banks were exposed with the main channel dropping to a depth of around sixteen feet just inches from where we stood, I decided to talk tactics with Jeremy. Agivey anglers very often will fish from the bank so, I put up my single handed Lureflash Cobra* 6/7 with a floating line and a 9ft. tapered leader and tied on a Curry's Red Shrimp.
The Curry's Red Shrimp has become one of Irelands mainstay flies for both lough and river and is used to great effect in other parts of the world as well. In 1930 the late Pat Curry created this deadly fly then tied on a single hook, although today's fly tiers have a preference for doubles and trebles on no larger than a size 6. Pats use of silver tinsel ribbed on a red and black body in addition to several hackles made for a highly visible and mobile fly. Infact one of my Mothers brothers, who left Ireland to find his fortune in Canada just after the second world war, ties his own version of the CRS and has had great success catching Salmon at Vancouver Island.
Jeremy and I walked up to the mouth of the Bann, where the river stumbles into the Agivey to scour a deep run below. This was the only point where I was able to really enter the water at the shallows and launch my CRS across the deep channel by the far bank to let the current swing it round and hang on the dangle. As the little fly swung round I detected a healthy tug. I was thrilled my first cast in the Agivey and I was on, but in my enthusiasm I struck too soon and lost whatever creature I had encountered. But I had just felt my first Agivey fish and encouraged by this I plugged away with great determination trying to cover any likely looking spot or rising fish for an hour or two, but to no avail.
After lunch we moved further up the river to thoughts resounding in my head of ' am I a couple of weeks too early' and the tug I had 'must have been a Pike' and not the King of Fish I so longed to catch. In my opinion Pike are greedy stupid creatures that will eat anything so why not my CRS. On Jeremy's suggestion I changed my fly to a little blue Wilkinson and worked my way upstream inching line to keep just enough slack to let a Salmon take my offering. The fear of striking too early was still clearly in my mind, as I remembered what my old friend George told me when he was teaching me to Spey cast. "Phil listen for the zizz of the reel and then strike." The school of thought that George came from was to let the Salmon take the fly and swim away with it rather than just to turn down with it. In practice this means that you need to hold a lose loop of line between the butt of the rod and the reel, let the fly swing round on the stream, and when you feel a pull release your lose loop, letting the fish turn down and away until the reel gives a little 'zizz'. It's at this point that you clamp down and lift the hook. Its still amazing to me that a Salmon will hold a fly in its mouth for this length of time - but he will. It's worth while mentioning that nose hooked Salmon are few and far between and striking too early will result in you trying to hook into that boney area at the front of a Salmons mouth, so have a little patience and listen for the 'zizz'.
I always watch my line like a hawk when Salmon fishing or as much of it as I can see, but the way the Agivey was it was easy to keep in check with what was happening. Salmon were jumping very close to where we where, not loads of them but quite a few. I lost concentration for just a few seconds as another broke the surface a few feet up stream from us and the next thing I knew the line was tight, I dropped my loop and listened. 'ZIZZZZ' up went the rod, the hook was set and the fight was on. After several long runs and jumps and a few heart stopping moments of keeping him from going under the bridge, I eventually lifted him into probably the most inadequate net that I could have brought with me a trout net - but at least he was mine now.
I always keep an inch of space in my waist coat for a small set of scales - 7lb of beautiful silver Atlantic Salmon registered on it to my great delight, and to my mind fifteen pounds was never better spent.
There's an awful misconception about the cost of Salmon fishing in Ireland, but it is relatively inexpensive. Yes you have your cost in getting over here to start with, but P&O Ferries offer some great mid week deals and there is some super accommodation to be found on www.sperrinstourism.com It's also fair to point out that not all rivers are managed as well as the Agivey. I can personally testify to seeing plastic bags full of stones just waiting for the poachers to come back at night and net the river you are trying to catch on but this is not true of the vast majority of Northern Irish rivers. There are some great game waters here, well managed and receiving a good head of fish every season. Certainly the people I met at the Agivey are very dedicated to being poacher free and welcome visitors with open arms.
Northern Ireland offers the visiting angler the unique and undiminished appeal of the traditional 'Cead Mile Falite' where accommodation exceed expectations, game waters that will tempt and try the most seasoned angler and 'Craic' like nowhere else. Do yourself a favour and book a trip to the Sperrins, you'll be fishing in some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe and on one of the best game rivers that Ireland has to offer the Agivey. For me it certainly has that little extra 'ZIZZZ' factor about it.
FACT FILE
The fishing on the Agivey and the Wee Agivey is controlled by the Agivey Anglers Association (www.agiveyanglers.co.uk) or by contacting Albert Atkins on Garvagh ph. 02829557691. 71 Coleraine Road, Garvagh, Co.Londonderry, BT515HP
Tried and tested fly patterns for Salmon- May to June Bann Special, Curry's Red Shrimp, Blue Wilkinson Shrimp. July to end of season - Wilkinson Shrimp, Stoats Tail
Tried and tested fly patterns for Brown Trout - March to May Hares Ear Wet, Dark & Light Olives Wet & Dry. June to August Black Gnat Dry, Black & Silver Wet, Iron Blue Dunn. September Wickhams Fancy, Butchers Wet.
Game season starts 1st. March until 30th September
Permit options are 1,3 5,7 day permits
Prices vary depending on the time of year.
Mar-May £5,
Jun-Sept £15, £40, £60, £80
There are no beats on the river so anglers can fish anywhere they choose but out of courtesy one should seek relevant landowners permission to access the water.
There is no shrimping, prawning or fishing with maggots.
All other legal methods of fly-fishing, spinning and fishing with worms are permissible.
The best way to access the river is to drive to the roundabout at Coleraine and follow the signs post to Garvagh on the A29; Bert's shop is on the left at the beginning of the town.
For the best deals on crossing look up (www.poirishsea.com)
Accommodation deals and general information on the Sperrins region (www.sperrinstourism.com)
