Thomas McGuane wrote that we have reached the point where every fisherman must become a keeper and a steward — that we are past putting back what we take out, and “must put back more than we take out”.

after Thomas McGuane

Environmental statement

The Irish saltwater bass fishery is a very important resource — unique within Europe, perhaps — and it is critical that it is managed, promoted and protected in a responsible and connected way.

The guiding service closed after 2014, but the principles below have not. They governed how the guiding was run, and they still govern how I fish and how I run workshops today.

On the water

• One hundred per cent catch and return. Every fish goes back to the water as safely as possible.
• Single barbless hooks.
• No weighing — a fast measure against the rod, and a rough conversion.
• Fly fishing only, with lure fishing used where fly is impractical or unsafe.
• Fish are played and landed efficiently, to minimise unnecessary stress.
• Groups of two people at most.

On the coast and in the countryside

• Zero impact on any other person living or working in the countryside or on the coast.
• Narrow roads and lanes used carefully; parking respectful of residential and farming needs at all times, with permission sought where necessary.
• Countryside property — fences, embankments, signage — fully respected.
• Constant awareness of wildlife and countryside disturbance, minimised by walking and fishing across many different locations over time.
• Always cognisant and respectful of farm animals.
• Leave nature as we found it.
• Constant awareness of the danger of introducing invasive species.
• No interference with archaeological structures, and no building of structures.
• Never litter, in any way.
• Careful management of fire for the Kelly kettle during a picnic or shore lunch.
• Respect for other anglers who fish legally and fairly.

---

In this section

• Catch and Release — handling, hooks, nets and reviving a fish, and where to check the current rules.
• Leave no Trace — the wider principles for moving through the coast and countryside.
• Clean Coasts — the two-minute beach clean.
• A code of angling ethics — how fly anglers are asked to conduct themselves.

The guiding years

The guiding service is closed, and its story sits apart from this section: Coastal guiding on why it ended, Guiding for bass on how it was built, and Eco tourism & guiding on the thinking behind it.