Best LastCast Media Podcasts (2025)

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Norway: Matt Hayes & Ann-Britt Bogen on the 2025 season & the future of the Gaula 1:11:16

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7d ago1:11:16

1:11:16

Norway. The legendary land of the giant salmon has been struggling of late, not least in the face of so many salmon farms throttling its beautiful coastline, but fishery and lodge owners are fighting back, trying to do what they can to preserve the wild salmon in Norway. Ann-Britt Bogen from Gaula Fly Fishing Friends, and Matt Hayes, one of the UK’…

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Cork’s Kevin McLoughlin on the good old days of salmon fishing 39:30

16d ago39:30

39:30

Kevin McLoughlin is a lifelong angler from Cork who joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to talk about the good old days for salmon when the spring run was something to behold. Kevin talks about moving to Cobh, working in the fishing industry and even spending a year on the newly formed fisheries board in 1979. He has seen it all in Irish fis…

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Ben Goldsmith: Why rewilding must succeed 57:49

21d ago57:49

57:49

Rewilding. It’s about taking a step back and leaving nature alone. But, in the 21st century how can it be achieved? Ben Goldsmith certainly believes it can – and must be done - and he is one of its foremost champions. It was through tragedy however, after the death of his teenage daughter, Iris, when she was just 15, that, in grieving, Ben found so…

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Richard Gorodecky, Throwing Feathers in the Wind 59:33

1M ago59:33

59:33

Throwing Feathers in the Wind is a new book out by Richard Gorodecky, a fly angler who moved full time to Ireland five years ago to be closer to the river fishing that he loves so much. Richard was a long-time visitor to these shores fishing all over the country before settling in south Munster but his obsession with fly fishing has also seen him f…

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Stephan & Marina Dombaj: Risking it all for the salmon 41:44

1M ago41:44

41:44

Midst the doom and gloom about the future of wild salmon, we have to believe - and have faith - that our collective actions – be it through conservation efforts, awareness campaigns, political lobbying – can and will have an effect. And it is for the long term, for the next generation, that we really have to be thinking about wild salmon and for th…

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Grilse run update - from the bad to the sublime 54:01

1M ago54:01

54:01

We’re at the tail end of the grilse run now and with the summer conditions we’ve had, coming off the back of a poor spring run, we’ve been desperately looking for some good news on the salmon front. And we found it – or sort of – because this week Johnny Casey and Yamil Turcuman two passionate salmon anglers who we’ve spoken to before – join us to …

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Sprats, overfishing, heatwaves & ecosystems in danger of collapse 55:46

2M ago55:46

55:46

You may have seen the recent campaign and news stories about the disappearance of sprat from our coastal waters and the government’s unwillingness to do enough to protect our marine habitats – but what has it got to do with you if you're an angler and only interested in freshwater? Well in the current environmental climate, pretty much everything, …

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Will the Outer Hebrides be the UK's Salmon Stronghold? 57:51

2M ago57:51

57:51

We know salmon numbers are down and we know there’s an existential threat endangering their very future, but this week on the Last Salmon, Jim Murray finds out why the Outer Hebrides could be the UK’s salmon stronghold. Jim speaks to the chair of the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust, Richard Davies, who believes that their engagement with fish farms …

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The Last Salmon: Rob Macfarlane & why rivers are alive and should have rights 49:15

2M ago49:15

49:15

Is a river alive? What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? They are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters. But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution. To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the big picture view when it comes to rivers, a…

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Rob Macfarlane: Why rivers are alive and should have rights 49:16

2M ago49:16

49:16

Is a river alive? What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? Rivers helped save me, and I truly believe they are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters. But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution. To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the …

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The Last Salmon: Season 2 Launching July 25th 1:13

2M ago1:13

1:13

Wild salmon are in a perilous state. But we can’t and won’t give up.The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon.It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we. The Last Salmon, pr…

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Season 2 Trailer 1:13

2M ago1:13

1:13

Wild salmon are in a perilous state. But we can’t and won’t give up. The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon. It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we. The Last Salmon, …

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‘If the rod doesn’t talk to you, you’re not doing it right’ Packy Trotter on a lifetime of fly fishing teaching and learning 59:03

2M ago59:03

59:03

We should never stop learning – and in fly fishing especially, we’re never done. This week we hear from Packy Trotter a life long fly angler, guide and instructor who epitomises the spirit of teaching and learning in the sport. STANIC and APGAI qualified, Packy then travelled to the Catskills where he took the FFF certified and FFF masters qualific…

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The Bucket List: Ronan Collins on Fly Fishing in Africa 58:59

3M ago58:59

58:59

Continuing our fly fishing in hot waters theme on the show, this week we’re joined by Ronan Collins, a well-known and well-travelled fly angler who is just back from a trip to Gabon in west Africa. Ronan tells us why fly fishing in Africa should be on everyone’s bucket list with an incredible array of species to be caught from crevalle to snappers,…

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Trout in Hot Water – Ken Whelan on fly fishing in a changing climate 56:14

3M ago56:14

56:14

This week, with the hot temperatures we’ve been having and the noticeable lack of rainfall, we wanted to speak to renowned fisheries scientist, Ken Whelan, who gave a talk at the recent Irish Spring Angling Fair, called ‘Trout in hot water’. Ken details the impact and consequences of rising temperatures on our freshwater fish as well as their food …

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The Mid-Season Review – the highs & lows of the season so far 36:40

3M ago36:40

36:40

This week, in honour of the midsummer solstice, we’ve recorded a midseason review to find out how the fishing has been so far, the highs and lows, and what we can expect for the second half of the season. It might be the height of summer but it won’t be long before the long days start getting shorter so make the most of your fishing while you can. …

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Paddy Gargan on his Landmark Sea Lice Study 1:08:29

3M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

This season we’ve heard about the disastrous spring salmon run and there hasn’t been much to report yet for the grilse run – all in all, our worst fears about salmon numbers seem to be coming true – and not just in Ireland. One of the worst culprits of course is aquaculture and the effects that sea lice from salmon farms has on migrating salmon, wh…

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Ireland at the World Fly Fishing Championships 1:09:04

4M ago1:09:04

1:09:04

This time last week the Ireland fly fishing team was in the Czech Republic getting ready for their shot at the World Fly Fishing Championships and with a very respectable sixth place last year in France, hopes were high for the team that they might even medal – something that has never been done before by an Irish team in the World Championships. T…

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The 2025 Mayfly Review 41:15

4M ago41:15

41:15

We’re nearly into June and the mayfly is finally petering out. It’s hard to believe that it began at Easter time on Corrib, whilst recently, Sheelin has been described as being ‘polluted with fly’ where fly anglers have been left with pretty much only suntans this year. So this week, to find out more, joining us for our annual mayfly season review …

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Ballisodare Fishery and why its future remains bright 1:09:30

4M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Ballisodare Fishery is a name that’s probably familiar to you from the salmon fish kill last summer that hit the headlines but after the deaths of one thousand plus salmon, why did it happen and how can we ensure it doesn’t happen again? Despite the events of last year, the fishery is determined to showcase what it does have – namely great fly fish…

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Conor Arnold on the Blackwater’s May run and where have all the springers gone? 37:01

4M ago37:01

37:01

With the salmon run beginning in earnest this month, the Blackwater’s Conor Arnold joins us this week to tell us about the unique May salmon that arrives in the river, and whether the spring run’s decline could actually herald an increase in the back-end? Plus, Tom has a mayfly update from Corrib, and we'll be bringing you more mayfly updates from …

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Stan Headley on a life fly fishing Scottish Lochs & Irish Loughs 1:01:01

5M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Stan Headley is a fly angler and fly tyer who would be known to so many people in Ireland and the UK. A regular contributor to Trout & Salmon magazine down through the years, the Orkney angler also penned three books - The Loch Fishers Bible, Trout & Salmon Flies of Scotland and Reflections on the Loch which became the go to source for Scottish loc…

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Spring Salmon Fishing on the Slaney 40:10

5M ago40:10

40:10

This week we’re delighted to bring you our first episode from the river bank. Only a few days ago Daire was lucky enough to fish the Slaney River for the first time on the Ballycarney Fishery beats in the company of the fishery manager, Peter Wadding. Spring salmon fishing on the Slaney has been on our bucket list for a while now and although Daire…

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Patsy Peril – a Limerick netsman’s fight to save the salmon 1:08:07

6M ago1:08:07

1:08:07

This week it’s a book club episode with Patsy Peril, who co-wrote (with Deirdre Nuttall) ‘Swimming Upstream: one man’s fight to save the Atlantic salmon’. It’s a fascinating memoir about the life of a netsman on the River Shannon. Patsy talks to us about the importance of the salmon to the communities and villages along the Shannon and how the buil…

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The mystique of Donegal’s hill loughs with Ronan McWilliams 56:59

6M ago56:59

56:59

He’s The Scientific Angler on YouTube whose videos of Corrib, Arrow and Sheelin show brown trout fishing in Ireland at its best, but what’s also great about Ronan McWilliams’ fly fishing videos is his honesty. He’s not afraid to say when he’s blanked and when he’s found it tough – authenticity as he says is what it’s all about. Ronan also tells us …

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Empowering communities to be custodians of their local rivers 56:27

6M ago56:27

56:27

Education about and local engagement with rivers and water catchments are vital for empowering communities, kids and parents to be custodians of their local environments and one group that has been doing fantastic work in this area since the 1990s has been Streamscapes. It came about after Paul Kearney and Mark Boyden set up the Coomhola Salmon Tru…

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Bonus Ep: Saol ar an tSiúr (Life on the Suir) 41:19

6M ago41:19

41:19

George McGrath is well known to listeners of the Ireland on the Fly podcast, a friend of the show he has joined us on numerous occasions. If you have listened to him before you will no doubt be aware that he and Tom Doc will at times, break out into speaking Irish. George has a great love for the Irish language and is a fluent speaker and Tom, hail…

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Evo Smyth’s fly fishing & fly tying journey from Latvia to Ireland 1:06:53

6M ago1:06:53

1:06:53

This week we’re joined by Evo Smyth, originally from Latvia, but living and fly fishing in the Irish midlands for the last twenty years. Although only taking up fly tying ten years ago, Evo quickly made a name for himself as a fly tyer of some skill and his flies have been in demand around the country. Evo tell us about his fly fishing and fly tyin…

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Salmon Watch Ireland & the plans against salmon farming in Ireland in 2025 53:35

7M ago53:35

53:35

Spring is in the air and it feels like the season is finally starting to click into gear and for many salmon anglers you’ll be thinking of trips to book and plans to make. But one of the big issues affecting wild salmon and sea trout numbers is the presence of salmon farms in some of the most pristine locations around our Atlantic coast. The issue …

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Kilbride Anglers – a fascinating history of growth & overcoming obstacles since the 1940s 42:27

7M ago42:27

42:27

This week we’re finding out about a fly fishing club that bucks the trend and continues to grow its membership in the face of declining interest in the sport. Kilbride Anglers Club has long been an innovative and forward thinking club since it was first founded in 1940 and its chairman Martin Kearney joins us on this week’s episode to tell us how t…

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Mastering fly tying techniques with Barry Ord Clarke 58:45

7M ago58:45

58:45

This week it’s a fly tying book club special with Barry Ord Clarke aka The Feather Bender. Barry’s new book, Advanced Fly Tying Techniques has just been released and is a must-read for anyone looking to develop their fly tying skills further. We spoke to Barry about his incredible fly tying career, his hugely successful YouTube channel and his unus…

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Willie Holmes' journey from Moorbrook trout to Vancouver steelhead 1:16:40

7M ago1:16:40

1:16:40

It’s a first for us I believe on this week’s episode as we speak to Ulster man Willie Holmes from the fishing shop he manages by the Ch’illiwack river outside Vancouver in British Columbia in Canada. Willie was originally a building contractor who then set up and ran the well known Moorbrook trout fishery in Coleraine before making the leap and mov…

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‘If you can tie flies you can build your own fly rod’ Brian Martin’s tips for your first rod build 58:59

8M ago58:59

58:59

While we’re into February and slowly the season is beginning to come to life, you may not have much of a chance to wet a line in the coming weeks so have you thought about building your own fly rod? Brian Martin is a Fermanagh angler based in Galway who last year set himself the goal of doing just that and as he explains on this week’s Ireland on t…

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From Greenland to the Erriff - the story of one salmon’s 2,500km journey 31:35

8M ago31:35

31:35

You may have seen the report recently about a tagged salmon that was detected in the Erriff and was subsequently discovered to have travelled nearly 2,500km from south west Greenland. It’s incredible and direct evidence showing the journey that the Atlantic salmon has to endure to spawn in our rivers and so to find out more we spoke to the IFI’s Gl…

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Sally Barnes & 50 Years of Change on the Atlantic Coast 1:01:58

8M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

Sally Barnes is a remarkable woman who has been at the forefront of the Irish artisan food revolution since the 1980s, when she first started smoking wild salmon. But what has a smoker got to do with fly fishing? Sally, who has been married to a fisherman, and lives on the west Cork coast, has seen and experienced first-hand the decline the Atlanti…

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The unique and special Lough Carra 55:08

8M ago55:08

55:08

This week we’re finding out about the unique and special Lough Carra, renowned for its marl bottom which gave the water an alluring blue and aquamarine appearance. Not only that but the fishing – and mayfly fishing especially – was pretty spectacular. But like so many things in nature, Lough Carra went into decline due to eutrophication. However, t…

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Salmon Season Opens on the Drowes 39:45

9M ago39:45

39:45

Happy New Year to you all and we’re into the start of another year and another season which can only mean one thing and that’s catching up with Shane Gallagher from the Drowes Fishery to find out how the opening days went on the river. Shane also looks back on the 2024 season, discusses the fall off in the spring run and why 2025 just might be a ye…

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From Newfoundland to Ireland with Jamie Pike 1:02:30

10M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

Newfoundland might be a couple of thousand miles from Ireland but the Irish influence is a strong one in the most eastern part of Canada in terms of people, culture, language and fly fishing. Jamie Pike is a Newfoundlander of Irish descent who is a passionate salmon angler and professional fly tyer and he visited these shores for the first time to …

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Christmas Special: Keeping farmed salmon off the table with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 30:57

10M ago30:57

30:57

Chef and sustainable food activist, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, joins Jim Murray for a special Christmas episode of The Last Salmon podcast explaining why farmed salmon should not be on your Christmas dinner table this or any year. ‘We need to hold the industry to account and provide people with alternatives,’ says Hugh. ‘The way you spend your mo…

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Why George McGrath gave up the dry fly rod for pike 59:02

10M ago59:02

59:02

‘It’s been the strangest of seasons,’ George McGrath tells us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly. George is a friend of the show and well-known fly angler based in Tipperary on the River Suir. We’ve spoken to George previously about the nitrification of his stretch of the river that has seen it clogged with weeds during the summer making it all but …

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Winter Grayling Fishing with Mark Driver 50:53

10M ago50:53

50:53

It might be the off-season for many of us, but have you considered grayling fishing in the UK at this time of year? Known as the Lady of the Stream, the grayling are best fished for in winter time and Mark Driver, one half of Piscari Fly, has plenty of experience fishing for them in Wales in the winter months and he joins us on this week’s Ireland …

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Loughs Brown Trout Review with Mike Keady & Eamonn Ross 44:27

11M ago44:27

44:27

We’ve already released our river trout and salmon reviews of the season so now it’s time for this week's Ireland on the Fly episode focusing on Corrib, Sheelin, Melvin, Arrow and other loughs. We spoke to Eamonn Ross and Mike Keady to find out how the fishing went throughout the season and what key learnings there were from the difficult conditions…

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Paddy McDonnell’s Review of the 2024 Salmon Season 1:03:31

11M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

It’s time for our salmon review of the season and who better to talk to than one of the most knowledgeable salmon anglers we know, Paddy McDonnell. Paddy gives us an excellent run through of the season on the Moy, as well as the Owenduff, Owenmore and Carraghmore, plus we get into seal predation, coping with the conditions, the place and importance…

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River Brown Trout Season Review 39:50

11M ago39:50

39:50

We’ve got the first of our season review episodes this week and we’re focusing on river brown trout with River Nore guide, Dan O’Neill, who gives us the lowdown on his local river as well as those nearby including the Kings and the Suir. Dan will be telling us about conditions throughout the year, hatches and of course some of the fish highlights a…

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Darryl Mooney, insights from the fly fishing trade 1:08:56

12M ago1:08:56

1:08:56

We’re into October, the nights are closing in, and for some of you, pike fishing awaits, or evenings fly tying at the vice. But the off season also means the Irish Fly Fair in November and this week’s guest is Darryl Mooney who tells us about his involvement as the fly manager and some of the incredible fly tyers who will be jetting in from around …

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Remembering John Gierach, All the Time in the World 1:09:00

12M ago1:09:00

1:09:00

It was very saddening to hear the news that John Gierach, the world famous and beloved fly fishing writer, has passed away at the age of 78.He was a huge inspiration to us here on Ireland on the Fly for his books, personality, style and approach to fly fishing as well as life. There was much we could all learn from him.And so, in honour of the late…

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George Kavanagh and appreciating what you have on your doorstep 51:35

12M ago51:35

51:35

So, that’s pretty much it for the season for brown trout, sea trout and salmon fly anglers. Currane, Sheelin and a few other lakes are still open until October 12th but for the vast majority of you the rods are being put away for the winter. Over the coming weeks we’ll be reviewing how the season went on the rivers and loughs around Ireland for sal…

1
‘Follow the Fin’ with Joe Quinn 57:48

12M ago57:48

57:48

This week we’re ‘following the fin’ with Louth native, Joe Quinn, who has been based in Mayo for the last fifty years, and is a well-known international angler who has fished for salmon, sea trout and his first love, brown trout. We talk to Joe about brown trout on Lough Conn, night time sea trout fishing, why he ditched the salmon rod over twenty …

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The Killary Harbour escape and what it means for the wild Irish salmon 45:46

1y ago45:46

45:46

We spoke last week about the disastrous escape of thousands of farmed salmon from Killary Harbour and the consequences that will have on the wild fish stocks on the west coast of Ireland. Billy Smyth is chairperson and co-founder of Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages which has been instrumental in fighting the development of fish farms and raising awa…

1
James Barry’s Memorable 2024 Season 59:15

1y ago59:15

59:15

For the last few weeks of the season we wanted to speak to fly anglers to find out how their season has gone.You hear different stories about how conditions have been and how loughs and rivers have fared around the country, so what has it actually been like for anglers on the ground?This week, it was great to chat once again to James Barry, the fis…