Slipstream Hosted Trip to Ireland in September of 2025
My fall trip to Ireland is always one I eagerly anticipate. Having fished it countless times over the years and with great friends living in and around where we fish, Ireland is much a social call as it is a fishing trip. At least for me! I generally go 3 days before my group arrives, so that I can get the socializing out of the way, early. The Irish can be so hospitable that they often won’t take no for an answer and this often leads to many large meals and late nights.
The September 2025 group arrived in rain and left a week later in the rain, which pretty much sums up the wettest trip to Ireland that I’ve ever done. The year before in September of 2024, I had my raincoat on for a total of 5 minutes during the week. In September of 2025, I never took the dam thing off. It rained fairly consistently throughout the week, including a hellacious thunderstorm that arrived about 2 hours after my guests got to the hotel.
The River Suir was so high that for the first time in 10 + trips to the Emerald Isle, I never got to fish her. I love the Suir because it has the largest trout in the country, with the odd 7-9 pounder lurking in the depths and under the banks. This also meant that there was no Salmon fishing to be had for the week due to the high water and dangerous conditions for anglers.
Fortunately, all was not lost and my favorite river in the country, the Nire, ran fairly low for the duration of our week and we fished it exclusively for the 6 days. It did not disappoint! The largest fish of the week was a lovely 6-pound Brown landed by Leanne Forrester, a smart, funny and kind lady, from Montana. Her guide for the week, Connie, apparently had trouble holding the fish and it flopped out of his hand before any photos could be taken. What can you do? We had a nice mix of dry fly fishing and nymphing during the week and the Nire produced some lovely pale-yellow fish that are a photographer’s dream. Beats both below and above the Bridge consistently produced some good numbers of fish in the 2–4-pound range.
The social side of this trip when combined with pretty easy wading and fishing, makes Ireland such a rewarding experience. It may be the fish that gets anglers on the plane, but it’s the incredible Irish warmth and generosity that really makes this week so special. From the moment that guests walk into the hotel, to the dimly lit and intimate pub, Pil Carroll’s, where we spend almost as much times as on the river, Ireland delivers a level of hospitality that is hard to match. The live music at Bakers Pub on Mondays is always a highlight of the week. Local musicians just show up and start playing around a table and you just never know what you’ll be listening to. Regardless of the musical instrument line up, the music is always fantastic. The real Ireland that very few tourists ever get to enjoy.
The Guinness flows and the conversation and dinners are what make our time off the water so unique and special.
Ireland dates for 2026 are September 15-22, 2026
