We have three vast lakes on our doorstep – Corrib, Mask and Carra each with their own idiosyncrecies. Carra's water is crystal clear, much of it over a white marl bottom, and it is the sort of place where the large trout can be clearly seen coming up to take a fly.

Lough Mask is 10 miles long and about 4 miles wide but is noted for its beautiful free rising smaller brown trout, the average being 1lbs3oz but 3lbs fish are still common. The season on Corrib begins on 15 February but serious fly fishing begins in late March with the duckfly hatches. The fisher can fish chironomid pupa imitations in sheltered bays with good weed growth or one can move outside the bays using traditional fly patterns (size 10-14) in a nice breeze. Mallard and Clarets, Connemara Blacks and Peter Ross'.

The biggest trout landed, just outside the Golden Bay, weighed in at nearly 25lbs in 2012. These three lakes have their differences and weather conditions will dictate where and what time is best to fish. The Mayfly for instance arrives around the 25th April on Carra which is also famous for it's spent gnat fishing. The Mayfly arrives on Lough Corrib around the 20th May but unlike Mask and Carra also gets a good run of both spring salmon and grilse.