Bite on the line leaves Cork man convicted of stroke-hauling for salmon in River Lee

The judge imposed fines totalling €600 or 10 days in prison in default of payment

Stroke-hauling involves using a large gaffing hook attached to a fishing line which is whipped through a shoal of fish in order to snag the side of the salmon, rather than luring the fish with bait as done in traditional angling. File picture

A bite on the line by a man ‘stroke-hauling’ for salmon resulted in him being prosecuted by Inland Fisheries Ireland for this and a series of related offences.

Solicitor Kevin Quirke described the background to the fisheries offences committed by 40-year-old Paul Russell of 9 Presentation Close, Gurranabraher, who came to the attention of fisheries officers on June 21, 2025, at Farranmacteigh, which is across the weir on the River Lee from the Kingsley Hotel.

Mr Quirke said the 40-year-old was stroke-hauling, which involves using a large gaffing hook attached to a fishing line which is whipped through a shoal of fish in order to snag the side of the salmon, rather than luring the fish with bait as done in traditional angling.

“The officers asked for his fishing licence and Mr Russell replied, ‘F*** off, I have no licence and you are not getting my rod.’

“He then bit off the line with the stroke-haul and threw it in the water,” Mr Quirke said.

Judge Philip O’Leary said: “That is a new one on me — he bit off the line?” Mr Quirke confirmed this and also confirmed that apart from the threatening behaviour there was no physical contact.

“He then ran from the fisheries officers and shouted, ‘Don’t box me in’. He held his fishing rod over his head and said, ‘If you box me in I am going to hit you with the rod’,” Mr Quirke said.

Mahon Corkery, barrister, said at Cork District Court that Paul Russell was pleading guilty to obstructing fisheries officers, having a stroke-haul on this occasion and having the implement again on two other occasions.

Mr Corkery said the accused was serving an 18-month sentence for leaving the scene of a traffic incident. He said that while Paul Russell has 149 previous convictions, none were for fisheries and none for assault.

Judge O’Leary imposed fines totalling €600 or 10 days in prison in default of payment. He refused an application to direct the accused to pay the costs of Inland Fisheries Ireland in bringing the prosecution, saying that he was not going to do so where the defendant was a serving prisoner.