Stevie Munn Fishing The Sixmile Water River

What is the URL of your website?

www.anglingclassics.co.uk also info on www.hardyfishing.com

When did you start fly fishing?
I started at a early age about 6 or 7 years of age as my Father was a fly fisher man and thought it would keep me off the streets while growing up in Belfast .

Who has been your biggest influence?

There is many in life but in fly-fishing My Father, GEM Skues, Charles Ritz and a long list of others .

What do you consider your "home" water?

I know quite a few but The Sixmile Water a river in Co. Antrim, N.Ireland is the river which I grew up on.

What waters do you guide on?

I guide on many waters but the ones I know best are:

• Sixmile Water a river in Co. Antrim N.Ireland
• Maine river in Co. Antrim N.Ireland
• Lough Erne in Co.Fermanna N.Ireland
• Lough Sheelin in the republic of Ireland
• River Drowes in the republic of Ireland.

But also have some saltwater fishing and other rivers,

Do you have a favourite fly? And if so, tell us about it and why it is your favourite.

I have many for Salmon & Dollahgan but for trout on a river I love a Greenwells Glory Wet or Dry , Gold head hare ear nymphs , and some of my own patterns. When lough fishing for trout, I like fishing on the top dropper a Golden Olive Bumble , it is an old fly that has stood the test of time and somehow has become ageless like quite a lot of flies that where devised by the great TC Kingsmill Moore. The Golden Olive Bumble has graced the top dropper of many a lough angler over the years especially at mayfly time and will no doubt continue to do so for many years to come. The great man states that this fly was his first choice for brown trout. Kingsmill Moore's fly patterns have shaped Irish lough flies his blends and shades of colours to give his flies' translucency and is perhaps the quintessential essence of Irish lough style patterns.

TC Kingsmill Moore, originator of this and many other classic lough flies, is simply an Irish fishing legend. He was a distinguished judge of the Irish High Court and Supreme Court and fished the Irish rivers and loughs for over 50 years. Born in Dublin in 1893 he died there in 1979 aged 85. He is the author of one of the greatest fly fishing books of all time and I have even heard anglers call it the lough fishers Bible. For those of you that somehow don't know the book, its title is "A Man May Fish," a book that all anglers should read. It was once described by another fly fishing legend, the late Hugh Falkus, as the greatest book on sea trout fishing and one of his top 20 angling books.

Here's a wee quote from the great book, Kingsmill Moore describes what fishing meant to him: "What fishing has meant and means, to me may be summarized in a plea and a protest. A protest against the itch to make records, the urge to extract every possible fish in any way that is not illegal, the desire to go one better than the next man; a plea that fishing should be not so much a pursuit as a pastime, calling for concentration sufficient to put all worries out of mind, yet not such concentration as to be in itself exhausting."

Great stuff, so the next time your on a lough, try a golden olive bumble, watch it bounce across the waves and remember the great mans words, "calling for concentration sufficient to put all worries out of mind."

How long have you been guiding?

Around 20 years as a professional.

What do you enjoy most about guiding?

Seeing the joy in someone face as they hook a trout or Salmon & getting paid.

What is your most memorable or funniest experience while guiding?

Far to many to list sorry.

If you could choose any place in the world to fish at least once, where would it be and why?

Again far to many to list, fancy to travel to many great Trout and Salmon rivers in Canada, USA , Iceland , Sweden and there is still quite a few in Ireland and other parts of the world, and I want a Steelhead.

Tell us about the gear you use most often.

I am sponsored by Hardy Greys so I use their rods and reels. They have never let me down. For more info on them please take a look at www.hardyfishing.com

What species of fish do you target the most often?

Brown Trout in Rivers and Loughs, Salmon, Sea trout and a local Trout called the "Dollaghan," from Lough Neagh that I have fished for almost my entire life. The name Dollaghan comes from the Gaelic word dulach that means swift running and the translation of Dollaghan means "run of fish" or "running fish." Local names for these fish include Buddagh or Breddach which translate to "big fat fellow" and are very similar to Ferox. There is also the Salmon Trout, a silver fish giving them a sea trout appearance. This is not the only similarity they have with their sea run relations, as like sea trout they are very light sensitive and shy, also Lough Neagh where they spend most of there life is although freshwater, like a sea. The Lough itself is massive, the largest lake in the British Isles covering a vast 153 sq miles 400 sq km, I have been afloat on Neagh on Lough Neagh Fishing Tours boat and at times had to pinch myself, you can forget your not at sea as you can not see land on the horizon.

I love fly fishing at night - there is something magical about it, it's the realm not only of Dollaghan but of bats, otters and owls, the stillness and the sounds of the river and the sights you see, for me it's wonderful. But make sure if you're doing this that you know where you are walking. You don't want to end up swimming in a river at night! Wear a life jacket. Do a thorough reconnaissance on the stretch you intend to fish during the day. And I don't advise wading unless you know the river very well. For first timers I'd recommend hiring a guide. I learnt by growing up on the rivers, fishing with my father and trial and error. If you are on holiday or just visiting and want to maximise your chances of hooking a Dollaghan, a guide who knows the water and the tactics will help. And if you're not used to the rivers and have never fished them at night before, a guide can help from a safety point of view as well. Also while fishing at night I do not shine a torch on the water it spooks the fish you should turn your back to the water when tying on a fly, its also good manners as there maybe other anglers around.

In my job I have been lucky to fish in many places in the world, on many rivers and lakes, this is great and I hope to continue doing it, but it has also made me realize that what we have on our door step in the north of Ireland is wonderful and unique. Growing up on these local rivers I may have taken them and there fish for granted and I think a lot of local anglers still do, we just don't realise what we have, but to be honest we are simply blessed. Now it's not all rosy, we do have some problems, there's too many houses being built along rivers, pollution from time to time, illegal netting on the Lough, just to name a few, but that said we still have good fishing and the Dollaghan still survive. If we could get the problems stopped we without doubt have one of the world's finest brown trout fisheries. There are very few places in the world where you will catch quite a few wild brown trout over 5lb pounds every year. We need to start treasuring these wonderful fish their rivers and their Lough.

Advice to new fly anglers?

Cap and Glasses. You only get one pair of eyes, and remember be quiet and enjoy it.

Advice to those who are looking for a guided fly fishing trip?

Email me (anglingclassics@aol.com), Big Grin

Advice to those considering a career of fly fishing guiding?

You may never be rich but you maybe happy.

When you're not fly fishing or tying, what other activities do you enjoy?

Just the normal stuff. I love music and used to play in a few rock bands when I was younger. I also love sports like football, rugby, and boxing. I enjoy riding motorcycles and they have always been a big part of my life.

Having a laugh and a drink with my mates.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

What like?

Fact File
Stevie Munn has fished many places in the world but grew up fishing on rivers and loughs of Ireland where he now often guides. He is a Hardy Greys Academy indorsed game angling Instructor, and helps run teaching courses on the River Drowse in Ireland and can be contacted for World wide fishing trips . He also writes for many UK and Irish magazines ,he is a qualified Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructor in Fly Casting (APGAI) and a Association Professional Game Angling Instructor in Fly Tying (APGAI-Ireland) he can be contacted by email anglingclassics@aol.com or via the web sites www.anglingclassics.co.uk or www.hardyfishing.com

Related:

Fly Fishing With Stevie Munn On The Six Mile Water River