In fairness, I'm not too big on St. Patrick's Day celebrations and standing amongst a million other people to maybe catch a glimpse of a parade going by. No thanks.
I do however love fishing, because the amount of people crowding is usually much less.
So this morning, after some time waiting for the Dodder fishing season to open, it was that time at last. And the solitude did not disappoint.
The river flows through Dublin, starting it's journey not too far outside Dublin. It flows into the Bohernabreena reservoirs and then abruptly enters the west of Dublin and flows down past the Aviva stadium and into the Liffey at the entrance to the Grand Canal. While not as famous as it's brother the Plodder, it is much more of a river than the Plodder.
Angling on the Dodder is managed by the Dodder Angling Association and permits can be bought from most of the tackle shops in Dublin.
Near my home, the Dodder runs through at least three parks in close succession. This morning I decided to visit a spot in the Dodder Valley Park. It's close enough to cycle there, and in fairness, I would much rather park my bicycle right next to me on the river bank than park the car at the entrance and having to walk all the way down with the fishing gear in tow.
So I packed the donkey and saddled up.
And off to the river we rode on the "Fishmobile".
I am very rusty when it comes to flyfishing. So I will chalk up today to getting the cobwebs out of the gear and re-discovering long lost muscle memory. But even though it was not a very successful trip if measured by the amount of fish caught, it was hugely successful in the clearing of the head and spending quality time in nature. There is nothing as soothing as the sound of a river. At least not today.
