Famous salmon flies from Limerick feature in new book
TRADITIONAL Irish salmon flies from Limerick and across Ireland, commissioned one hundred and twenty years ago for the Cork International Exhibition in 1902, now feature in a new historical picture book from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Fly tying involves the ‘dressing’ of a fishing hook to create an artificial fly, which is then used by anglers at the end of a rod and line to catch fish.
It’s a little-known part of Ireland’s heritage but many angling shops in Ireland in the late 1800s and early 1900s employed ‘fly dressers.’
Some were considered masters of their craft, thanks to their skills, creativity and the traditional methods that they used.
The current custodians of this important collection, Inland Fisheries Ireland, has published the picture book online recently, making it freely available to new generations around the world.
‘The 1902 Cork Collection of Salmon Flies,’ including the Limerick flies, is available to view from the Inland Fisheries Ireland website, fisheriesireland.ie, and from the Fishing in Ireland website, fishinginireland.info.