Fishing on the River Nore Tomastown

Located just 30 minutes drive from Waterford and 15 minutes from Kilkenny this limestone fishery is a series of fast runs, rifles and glides, and is arguably the most picturesque river valley in southern Ireland. I have had the pleasure of fishing this fabulous stretch of river over the last few seasons.The quality of fishing here is outstanding to say the least.
The season starts on March 17th and finishes September 30th. There are some eight miles of river to explore; stocked with an abundance of native wild brown trout and prolific fly hatches throughout the season you are promised a memorable outdoor experience.The Brown Trout average from 20cm to 30cm in length and the deeper pools hold some fish in excess of 5lbs. Under certain conditions all of the recognized methods of wet fly, dry fly, and nymph fishing will work successfully for catching trout on this water.

 

The river is quite wide and an angler will have plenty of fishing in a single run. As you begin below the fast water on the dry dropper techniques and when you move into the heavier nymphing water you can spend hours fishing all the pockets and shelves picking up dozens of good quality fish

Salmon fishing is regulated by the local club and national bodies to find out more information on current regulations for salmon fishing please contact the local club or guides in the area. Sea trout have been known to migrate through the waters in this region and with the conditions correct there is a chance that you will connect with some using the right methods at the right time.The river and area offers the angler plenty of variety in there fishing experience and cracking sport in the long, wide glides, smooth flats and fast rapids running of the natural and man-made weirs. 

If you haven't fished here then I would recommend strongly that you give it a day this summer. Day tickets for this section of the Nore are reasonable at 15 euros and I would advise you to contact the local club before you head down. You can contact them through the local guide Noel Molly at noresideflyfishing.com and he will be happy to help you out. Also day tickets can be bought in the local hardware shop beside the town bridge. 

Thomastown Anglers will also be hosting their annual Fly-Fishing competition this July where 18 of the countries top Fly Fishing Teams compete with each other over 3 sessions and two days. This competition is a catch and release bases and it would be an opportunity for individuals to witness some of the top competition techniques in action. Everyone is welcome on the weekend and if you wish to get involved, then contact the club chairman Tom Moylan on 087 7515828 to see if there is spaces available for stewards. It promises to be a great weekend of fly fishing.

Here are a couple of good nymphs that you would want to have in your box before hitting this streach of river:

Caddis are a favorite food of the Nore trout and I would keep several sizes of this simple nymph in my box . These along with simple pheasant tails and hare's ear nymphs you wont go wrong. Over the next couple of weeks ill be getting on this section of river regularly practicing for the coming competition and  I will keep you updated on the progress. Thanks for reading if you would like any more information regarding this venue please give me a shout on my contact information on the right of the blog. 
Tight Lines....