Spring Water Trout
Linen Country Trout
As a child I can recall the winding back roads of west Down lined with big stone walls, mature beech and chestnut trees, reminders of the once great estates that made this area prosperous. The Lisburn countryside is still crisscrossed with sparkling rivers and lakes even today, with the same whinstone bridges marking each tributary of the rivers Bann and Lagan. Angling in this region has developed greatly from when I was a child and they proudly boast that here in Linen Country "there's no day unsuitable for fishing".
Fashion comes and goes and our sport isn't exempt from this phenomena. Hungry anglers are keen to get their hands on the next best thing, the next thing that will have them catching fish from dawn to dusk is a must have. Companies are increasingly marketing new products with the aim of helping us cast further, catch more or see more.
I started to fish at a very tender age under the watchful eye of my Grandfather. He didn't have the ability to buy what tackle he wanted nor was there the same variety available. A retired man then, whose working life, had been spent digging roads around Belfast to feed my Mother and my three Uncles. After the war he made his own tackle and still had some old pieces in use years later; I can recall seeing him catch fish with a rod that was made from a 2nd World War tank aerial with rod rings fashioned from the brass eyelets of old leather boots. Many times as a child I sat on his knee as he patiently tied his own flies and tried to explain what he was doing. They say necessity is the mother of invention and perhaps it was back then but he caught plenty of trout.
Don't get me wrong I believe that anglers need to be flexible to change and should adapt, by adopting new or improved methods if it's to their benefit. True innovators are few and far between in the angling world so when Larry Gibb told me that he had developed a flie that was a sure thing to catch when everything hadn't I was unimpressed.
"Larry’s Caterpillar" as it is known was turning out to be one of those niggley things that I needed to scratch. I invited Larry to Springwater Trout Fishery just outside the City of Lisburn to put his "sure thing to the test".
Springwater regulars have a pretty good idea of where the fish will be feeding given a particular direction of wind or time of the season, but for those of us who have never fished there before, fishery owner Colin Thomas is always on hand for up to date information. Colin has a broad bank of knowledge on which to draw, yet the manner in which he helps is attentive but unobtrusive. Colin, himself accomplished angler did let me into a secret though; he also fishes with a Larry's Caterpillar quite often. Well I was waiting to be converted but as the good book says "the truth shall set you free" or "the proof of the pudding is the catching".
The name of the fishery: Springwater comes from the fact that the lake is fed by a natural spring some 17 meters below the lake bed. The water is absolutely crystal clear and, if your eyes are sharp enough, fish can be easily targeted at great distance. Springwater's clarity makes for a pleasant change from some landlocked waters in which trout live. Such places are filled with minute plant and animal life reducing visual clarity and unless you put a big gaudy lure on your quarry's nose, they will have very little chance of seeing it at any distance. Trout living in this type of water rely more on sensory means to locate their prey and thus stripping back lures at high speed will account for fish. No need for this tactic in Springwater.
The clay base combined with an average depth of 9ft to 18ft provides a rich source of aquatic insects and other fauna that the trout feed on. Two major sources for the Springwater trout are the larvae and pupae of the Caddis flies and Midges (Chironomids). Colin assured me that during late summer evenings the water literally boils with rising trout either feeding on emerging Caddis or Midge pupae trapped in the film. A variety of small green snail is common and easily spotted floating just below the surface film. Trout tend to take these snails with a head to tail rise not unlike the way they take Midge pupae so many anglers are easily fooled.
Upon inspecting the water I found a significant amount of sedge larva present along with frog spawn and sticklebacks almost all among the weed beds. The sedge that I picked up had constructed a case from heavy materials such as vegetable debris, tiny sticks, discarded shells and small stones. This variety of sedge is to be found close to the lake bed, crawling rather than swimming, and provided can be reasonably and accurately copied and off course presented in a life like manner, I have no doubt would be readily accepted by the trout in Springwater.
Trout are strongly predatory creatures and will feed avidly on sticklebacks, fry or other smaller fish given half the chance. The best time of year for stickle back feeding is now late spring to early summer and Springwater seemed stuffed with them. Spurred on by this, I tied on a single Sinfoils Bronze Fry on a floating line and after an hour or so was into my first fish. A strong 3lb of silver and red Rainbow eventually came to hand, these Rainbows winter well in Springwater.
Larry had by this time
twice that and when I reached him in the bay next to me, he was into his third. I could hardly believe it Larry's Caterpillar really was doing damage. It seemed to me that every third or fourth cast hooked fish, there were others catching as well and none of them were on Larry's Caterpillar, not to my knowledge anyway. Sam Armstrong a regular and club member of Springwater had just landed a nice 5lb fish. Gareth our photographer asked Sam's permission to take his picture and as they were chatting I went over to investigate. Sam was using an olive coloured damsel nymph on the dropper and a pheasant tail nymph on the point: just as I thought no Caterpillar to be seen. Mean while Larry had moved closer to the centre island and was changing his fly, over I went as my curiosity was getting the better of me.
"So what's the secret" I asked him and off course I was waiting on the smug "I told you so" but no, that's not his style, very calmly he popped a little green and black spotted torpedo shaped fly with a marabou tail into my hand. "That's it, that's what all the fuss is about" I said "Yep" and off he went and caught more fish.
I tied on the fly he gave me and sure enough it wasn't very long before I was into my second albeit slightly smaller fish of the day. My son Reuben came over "I've had three Dad" and off course he was on a variation that Larry had given him earlier with a "Don't let the old man see it' whispered in his ear.
I must admit the "Larry's Caterpillar" was deadly that day it accounted for a lot of fish and I have used it on various places with excellent results. I asked him how he came by the design of the "Larry’s Caterpillar" did he receive some sort of divine inspiration or had he found an undiscovered caterpilla
r that trout loved to eat? But again the answer was quite simple "no my daughter had some old tee-shirt paints that she was throwing out and I thought that I should like to try some over a marabou tail". He went on to explain that he had read an article on trout's vision by some American Professor, who had state that trout could see spots easier than strips. "So I added the green tee-shirt paint and added her black nail polish for the spots" and the rest as they say is history.
The Lisburn west Down area has a lot to offer the angler, course or game but that day in Linen Country had a profound effect on me. I had fished various Stillwater venues Brooke Hall, Stoneyford and the neighbouring Lough Beg. I regularly fish the Lagan from Dromore to Waringstown stretch, the Ravernet River at Moore's Bridge and was a devotee to the "match the hatch" school of angling and still am, but I learnt this lesson. Sometimes it worth while trying somewhere and something new, so when you book your next angling trip make sure it's Northern Ireland and get a couple of the "Tried and Tested", "Larry's Caterpillar" it will certainly be worth the effort.
FACT FILE
Directions
Springwater Fishery
Take the Dublin Road from Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Follow the signs to the Maze Racecourse and the fishery is located on 17a Cockhill Road, Lisburn Road
Permits & Licences
Advice on licences/permits can be obtained from "Guns and Tackle" Smithfield, Lisburn.
Phone: United Kingdom +44 (0)28 92 677 975
Season starts 1st March – 31st October.
Information on:
Still waters
Stoneyford & Leathemstown Reservoir's are both regularly stocked with 10,000 takeable Rainbows & Browns and information can be obtained from phone. UK +44 (0)2890 258 873
Brookhall Fishery a privately owned fishery that has recently doubled in size and is well known for its double figure Rainbows, 2 Horsepark Road, Magheragall, Lisburn
Hillsborough Lake is situated in the Forest Park in the village of Hillsborough and regularly stocked with Rainbows
Lough Erne, Ballykeel stocked with Brown Trout
Lough Neagh the largest freshwater lake in the UK, famed for its various types of course and game fish and indigenous yet elusive Dolloghan (Lough Neagh Trout)
Rivers
River's Lagan & Ravernet can be obtained from either the DCLA "Angling Guide"
Inland Fisheries Board
Interpoint
20-24 York Street
Belfast
Northern Ireland
Tourist information:
The Irish Linen Centre, Market Square, Lisburn ph. 02892 266 0038
How to tie a Larry's Caterpillar:
Hook, size 2-10
Head, fix and glue bead
Thread, black
Body, tie on Marabou tail of the colour preferred, squeeze on Tee-shirt paint (Tulip is the make Larry uses), leave to dry.
Add spots with black nail varnish, leave to dry and then coat the body with clear yacht varnish.
Local Anglers
Local angler and regular at Springwater Sam Armstrong has only been fishing for three years. "My son started fishing and after some persuasion I eventually went with him and love it", Sam told me. The angling bug has certainly caught hold and Sam can be seen several times a week at Springwater.
Stuart Wylie who had several nice fish on a brown buzzer fished on the bung, comes from East Belfast. When I asked him why he made the journey to Springwater when there are other venues closer to him, his reply was simple. "I find it one of the best places to fish, and the crystal water is ideal for targeting fish".
As a child I can recall the winding back roads of west Down lined with big stone walls, mature beech and chestnut trees, reminders of the once great estates that made this area prosperous. The Lisburn countryside is still crisscrossed with sparkling rivers and lakes even today, with the same whinstone bridges marking each tributary of the rivers Bann and Lagan. Angling in this region has developed greatly from when I was a child and they proudly boast that here in Linen Country "there's no day unsuitable for fishing".
Fashion comes and goes and our sport isn't exempt from this phenomena. Hungry anglers are keen to get their hands on the next best thing, the next thing that will have them catching fish from dawn to dusk is a must have. Companies are increasingly marketing new products with the aim of helping us cast further, catch more or see more.
I started to fish at a very tender age under the watchful eye of my Grandfather. He didn't have the ability to buy what tackle he wanted nor was there the same variety available. A retired man then, whose working life, had been spent digging roads around Belfast to feed my Mother and my three Uncles. After the war he made his own tackle and still had some old pieces in use years later; I can recall seeing him catch fish with a rod that was made from a 2nd World War tank aerial with rod rings fashioned from the brass eyelets of old leather boots. Many times as a child I sat on his knee as he patiently tied his own flies and tried to explain what he was doing. They say necessity is the mother of invention and perhaps it was back then but he caught plenty of trout.
Don't get me wrong I believe that anglers need to be flexible to change and should adapt, by adopting new or improved methods if it's to their benefit. True innovators are few and far between in the angling world so when Larry Gibb told me that he had developed a flie that was a sure thing to catch when everything hadn't I was unimpressed.
"Larry’s Caterpillar" as it is known was turning out to be one of those niggley things that I needed to scratch. I invited Larry to Springwater Trout Fishery just outside the City of Lisburn to put his "sure thing to the test".
Springwater regulars have a pretty good idea of where the fish will be feeding given a particular direction of wind or time of the season, but for those of us who have never fished there before, fishery owner Colin Thomas is always on hand for up to date information. Colin has a broad bank of knowledge on which to draw, yet the manner in which he helps is attentive but unobtrusive. Colin, himself accomplished angler did let me into a secret though; he also fishes with a Larry's Caterpillar quite often. Well I was waiting to be converted but as the good book says "the truth shall set you free" or "the proof of the pudding is the catching".
The name of the fishery: Springwater comes from the fact that the lake is fed by a natural spring some 17 meters below the lake bed. The water is absolutely crystal clear and, if your eyes are sharp enough, fish can be easily targeted at great distance. Springwater's clarity makes for a pleasant change from some landlocked waters in which trout live. Such places are filled with minute plant and animal life reducing visual clarity and unless you put a big gaudy lure on your quarry's nose, they will have very little chance of seeing it at any distance. Trout living in this type of water rely more on sensory means to locate their prey and thus stripping back lures at high speed will account for fish. No need for this tactic in Springwater.
The clay base combined with an average depth of 9ft to 18ft provides a rich source of aquatic insects and other fauna that the trout feed on. Two major sources for the Springwater trout are the larvae and pupae of the Caddis flies and Midges (Chironomids). Colin assured me that during late summer evenings the water literally boils with rising trout either feeding on emerging Caddis or Midge pupae trapped in the film. A variety of small green snail is common and easily spotted floating just below the surface film. Trout tend to take these snails with a head to tail rise not unlike the way they take Midge pupae so many anglers are easily fooled.
Upon inspecting the water I found a significant amount of sedge larva present along with frog spawn and sticklebacks almost all among the weed beds. The sedge that I picked up had constructed a case from heavy materials such as vegetable debris, tiny sticks, discarded shells and small stones. This variety of sedge is to be found close to the lake bed, crawling rather than swimming, and provided can be reasonably and accurately copied and off course presented in a life like manner, I have no doubt would be readily accepted by the trout in Springwater.
Trout are strongly predatory creatures and will feed avidly on sticklebacks, fry or other smaller fish given half the chance. The best time of year for stickle back feeding is now late spring to early summer and Springwater seemed stuffed with them. Spurred on by this, I tied on a single Sinfoils Bronze Fry on a floating line and after an hour or so was into my first fish. A strong 3lb of silver and red Rainbow eventually came to hand, these Rainbows winter well in Springwater.
Larry had by this time
twice that and when I reached him in the bay next to me, he was into his third. I could hardly believe it Larry's Caterpillar really was doing damage. It seemed to me that every third or fourth cast hooked fish, there were others catching as well and none of them were on Larry's Caterpillar, not to my knowledge anyway. Sam Armstrong a regular and club member of Springwater had just landed a nice 5lb fish. Gareth our photographer asked Sam's permission to take his picture and as they were chatting I went over to investigate. Sam was using an olive coloured damsel nymph on the dropper and a pheasant tail nymph on the point: just as I thought no Caterpillar to be seen. Mean while Larry had moved closer to the centre island and was changing his fly, over I went as my curiosity was getting the better of me."So what's the secret" I asked him and off course I was waiting on the smug "I told you so" but no, that's not his style, very calmly he popped a little green and black spotted torpedo shaped fly with a marabou tail into my hand. "That's it, that's what all the fuss is about" I said "Yep" and off he went and caught more fish.
I tied on the fly he gave me and sure enough it wasn't very long before I was into my second albeit slightly smaller fish of the day. My son Reuben came over "I've had three Dad" and off course he was on a variation that Larry had given him earlier with a "Don't let the old man see it' whispered in his ear.
I must admit the "Larry's Caterpillar" was deadly that day it accounted for a lot of fish and I have used it on various places with excellent results. I asked him how he came by the design of the "Larry’s Caterpillar" did he receive some sort of divine inspiration or had he found an undiscovered caterpilla
r that trout loved to eat? But again the answer was quite simple "no my daughter had some old tee-shirt paints that she was throwing out and I thought that I should like to try some over a marabou tail". He went on to explain that he had read an article on trout's vision by some American Professor, who had state that trout could see spots easier than strips. "So I added the green tee-shirt paint and added her black nail polish for the spots" and the rest as they say is history.The Lisburn west Down area has a lot to offer the angler, course or game but that day in Linen Country had a profound effect on me. I had fished various Stillwater venues Brooke Hall, Stoneyford and the neighbouring Lough Beg. I regularly fish the Lagan from Dromore to Waringstown stretch, the Ravernet River at Moore's Bridge and was a devotee to the "match the hatch" school of angling and still am, but I learnt this lesson. Sometimes it worth while trying somewhere and something new, so when you book your next angling trip make sure it's Northern Ireland and get a couple of the "Tried and Tested", "Larry's Caterpillar" it will certainly be worth the effort.
FACT FILE
Directions
Springwater Fishery
Take the Dublin Road from Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Follow the signs to the Maze Racecourse and the fishery is located on 17a Cockhill Road, Lisburn Road
Permits & Licences
Advice on licences/permits can be obtained from "Guns and Tackle" Smithfield, Lisburn.
Phone: United Kingdom +44 (0)28 92 677 975
Season starts 1st March – 31st October.
Information on:
Still waters
Stoneyford & Leathemstown Reservoir's are both regularly stocked with 10,000 takeable Rainbows & Browns and information can be obtained from phone. UK +44 (0)2890 258 873
Brookhall Fishery a privately owned fishery that has recently doubled in size and is well known for its double figure Rainbows, 2 Horsepark Road, Magheragall, Lisburn
Hillsborough Lake is situated in the Forest Park in the village of Hillsborough and regularly stocked with Rainbows
Lough Erne, Ballykeel stocked with Brown Trout
Lough Neagh the largest freshwater lake in the UK, famed for its various types of course and game fish and indigenous yet elusive Dolloghan (Lough Neagh Trout)
Rivers
River's Lagan & Ravernet can be obtained from either the DCLA "Angling Guide"
Inland Fisheries Board
Interpoint
20-24 York Street
Belfast
Northern Ireland
Tourist information:
The Irish Linen Centre, Market Square, Lisburn ph. 02892 266 0038
How to tie a Larry's Caterpillar:
Hook, size 2-10
Head, fix and glue bead
Thread, black
Body, tie on Marabou tail of the colour preferred, squeeze on Tee-shirt paint (Tulip is the make Larry uses), leave to dry.
Add spots with black nail varnish, leave to dry and then coat the body with clear yacht varnish.
Local Anglers
Local angler and regular at Springwater Sam Armstrong has only been fishing for three years. "My son started fishing and after some persuasion I eventually went with him and love it", Sam told me. The angling bug has certainly caught hold and Sam can be seen several times a week at Springwater.
Stuart Wylie who had several nice fish on a brown buzzer fished on the bung, comes from East Belfast. When I asked him why he made the journey to Springwater when there are other venues closer to him, his reply was simple. "I find it one of the best places to fish, and the crystal water is ideal for targeting fish".
