The Freshwater Detective.... heads west!

The summer is now in full swing in Connemara, the lambs are getting big and roaming the mountains and the fishing season is picking up. With all the life coming into bloom we started thinking about all the phenomenal wildlife in the area here and how we could introduce this to the rest of the country.

With this in mind we've paired up with the lovely Ken Whelan, a Professor in the School of Biology and Environmental Science at UCD, to host a series of 'Freshwater Detective' Courses at Aasleagh Lodge & Erriff Fishery in the coming months. To find out a bit more about what these courses entail we sat down with Ken to find out what to expect and why Aasleagh Lodge is the perfect base to explore from.

"A few years ago myself and Jason O'Riordan noticed there was a real need for beginners angling and we decided to start a new initiative. It was called 'Matching the Hatch' and we began teaching people about fishing, casting and all about the equipment and the biology of the river," Ken began.

Ken Whelan and Jason O'Riordan with the group on their sucessful Salmon Angling Course at Aaslaegh Lodge in April of this year.

"To be able to catch these fish you have to understand the resident trout, these fish are feeding in specific places on specific organisms which of course has an influence on the type of ties that attract them, to be able to catch these fish you need to understand that biology."

"That July we moved on to Sea Trout - the sister of salmon. That is very interesting because it involves lots of angling at night which makes it weird and obscure. It began with 12 of us going down to Wexford together, we met up and had dinner and waited until it got dark, then we went out and fished in the dark until 2am. So this was a really novel aspect and we got a great response."

We'll be doing another course like this in Aasleagh Lodge this October - a place that is a really special place for me. I was involved in the the purchase of the estate by the IFI (Inland Fisheries Ireland) in the early 80s from Lord Brabourne."

Ken continued: "The interesting thing about night time Sea Trout angling is taking men out onto the river at night, because people so rarely get to experience the true pitch black of night – and you have a group of 'macho men' and they're not just frightened, they're scared out of their wits! And it's easy to see why, you have so many noises around you, the sound of the rushing river, the wind, animal sounds, it takes quite a bit of getting used to."

"One of the most exciting experiences was actually one night fishing on the Erriff River at night, up on beat 3 - this otter came right up beside us. The wind was blowing the opposite direction so he couldn't smell us but he could hear us and sense us in the water so he came over to investigate, he came right up beside us 2 or 3 times and just wriggled his nose, it was really wonderful!"

"I think Sea Trout fishing is going to be the next big thing - there's so little angling done at night so there's a lot of potential out there that's currently not being fished at all. The Erriff, out by Newport, Bangor and Erris all have some great potential for night fishing for sea trout and sea bass. The most important thing to remember is not to take it for granted, it's not something I would encourage doing on your won. You need to have someone with you who knows what they're doing – you're dealing with big bodies of moving water so it's vital to stay safe."

"I started angling when I was 4 years old and it basically consumed my life. The three of us, my dad, my brother and myself used to go out together. However, my brother was younger and had no real interest, he was probably a bit too young when we were going out so I was the one that ended up getting really into it."

"We used to go down and visit my aunt who lived in Wexford, she had 5 boys herself and we loved going to visit the cousins. We started being sent out poaching with them at an early age. When it started off the two of us would just go down and watch them and as the years went on we started taking part and that was the beginning."

The upcoming Freshwater Detective Courses will be dealing with river trekking and watercraft - my absolute abiding fascination is with rivers. Forget about the fish, the otters, the birds - my fascination is the river. On this course we're going to look at the river corridor. So not just the running water, everything in the vicinity; the bushes, trees, gravel and so on. On these courses what I aim to do is bring the river channel to life and show the participants how everything, from the light to the trees and plants work together.

"The light gives life to small invertebrate which the fish feed off, so all of these things give clues as to the healthy state of the river. Hopefully we might see some otters along the banks but it's more than that, it's being able to look at the river corridor and recognise their homes, their slides down the banks, evidence that they have been there. You can also get mink, otters and herons."

"This is the kind of course that would appeal to hill walkers or nature lovers. It gives a whole new insight into the life of the river so I would recommend coming only if you've no background in it."

"One of the reasons this places is perfect is the uniqueness of the landscape – ices formed the landscape and, actually, I was at the meeting where the Wild Atlantic Way came up as a concept. In fact I preferred another idea, the concept of the Ice Road – where people could follow the way the glacier had moved across the country. This path would then have to move off tarmac and take people out into the wilderness."

"This gives you two contrasting aspects. Out towards Louisburgh, where we'll be going, you have sandstone, which is softer so you have a bit of life there. Towards the Erriff you have raw rock, where you're not getting much more than one invertebrate per square mile. In a sense Ireland is shaped like a bowl, the midlands are made of soft landstone and all around they're surrounded by hard raw rock on the coast forming a sort of rim. The general idea of the course is to make our unique landscape come to life."

"There are a few provisions, - you would want to be fairly fit, so no knees or hip problems, you need good mobility. It's almost an adventure weekend rather than a course."

"In this country we're really far behind the curve. Most river catchments across Europe, and indeed the world, are a lot more developed. However, with Ireland's unique geography and glacial history we have so much to offer, it's a lifelong learning, for those with a fascination for being outside."

"Really a Connemara hill walk is only scratching the surface. So many scientists get so stuck in their specific area which can make them seem boring. I prefer to look at different areas and see how they work together, the most important thing is to understand the interactions between them, to be able to look at an environment as a whole. See how a fox fits in, how an otter fits in, how the fish fit in. And this is really what I'll be aiming to give you a taste of over the weekend."

The Freshwater Detective Courses take place in Aasleagh Lodge, Victorian Country House on the following dates:

• 7 - 9 October • 18 - 20 November

The course costs €220 per person which includes 2 lunches and 1 dinner. Add accommodation for just €79 per person for a total of €299 per person - includes 2 nights B&B at the lodge, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, and all course fees.

To secure your place today click this link or call our reservations team on +353 (0) 95 42252 who can give you more information.

Spaces are limited - booking essential.