When fishing, you want lures that track well, hold in current, and get results. 

Plastic blanks chip, roll, and die in spate water. Balsa doesn’t. PAN Lures are hand‑made, tank‑tested, and tuned one by one to track true current. The bodies are carved balsa with a single stainless through‑wire, aluminium foil for flash, hard fibreboard lips, and multiple coats of resin for strength. 

You’ll feel it from the first cast.

This guide shows how the range is an asset for you while out on those rivers and lakes. Get exact lure picks for brown trout, sea‑trout, and bonus pike/perch, and setups that just work. 

What You’re Struggling With (and How Pan Lures Fix It)

Short strikes, skittish fish, and coloured water ruin days. Add fickle flows and tight access, and the margin for error shrinks. Here’s how the PAN range tackles each headache.

• Lures that won’t track in current

Many plastics roll and blow out when the Dodder or Nore jumps a foot overnight. PAN bodies are carved from balsa, then foiled and resin‑sealed. Every lure is hand‑tuned and tank‑tested so it runs true at speed and in pushy water. That tuning matters more in Ireland than most places because our flows change fast after rain.

• Weak hardware after three fish

Wire‑through construction keeps fish on, even if a treble bends. Many PAN trout minnows use a one‑piece stainless through‑wire and a hard fibreboard lip, with an epoxy skin over the foil for abrasion resistance Like with the Trout Set and Charteuse green fluo. You’re not tearing out screw‑eyes.

• Trout sulking in small windows

Irish trout feed in short bursts as levels settle. You need a lure you can twitch, dead‑drift, and wake without swapping boxes. The Trout Minnow and Vairon Minnow cover that window cleanly: tip‑down twitches, a tight roll on a steady retrieve, and enough buoyancy to hang in the kill zone without dumping depth.

• Colour that vanishes in peat‑stained water

The foiled finish throws a flash you can track at range. Patterns like Gold Trout, Gold/Black colour‑shift & pink, and Orange Yamame punch through tea‑stain and overcast light.

• Too many boxes, not enough bank time. 

Sets cut faff. A Minnow set x3 for €40 gives you proven natural patterns in 60mm; a Trout set x5 covers sizes from 45–72mm; an 8 Lures Set from €99 fills colour gaps in one hit..

• Silt, rock, and wood that chew lips

The fibreboard lips are tougher than fragile clear plastics. Drag a PAN crank across a stony riffle and it still tracks. The Trout Crank in floating or sinking versions lets you bang rock, pause, and re‑start without the dreaded helicopter roll.

• Conservation rules and access headaches

Ireland has ~74,000 km of rivers/streams and ~128,000 ha of lakes under Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) care. That’s huge water, but with rules that matter. You must fish single or barbless on some salmon C&R rivers, carry a state licence for salmon/sea‑trout, and follow biosecurity steps. PAN helps practically here: the maker fits single hooks on request if you want to run barbless singles on C&R water.

• Gear contamination and invasive risk

Dragging wet waders between catchments spreads trouble. Ireland’s national Check, Clean, Dry protocol says to dry gear for at least 48 hours or disinfect if you can’t dry fully. Small, hard balsa minnows dry fast, and split rings let you pop hooks off for quicker cleaning.

You need lures that behave in fickle water and comply with Irish reality. PAN gives you that without blowing your budget.

The Build — Why PAN Lures Feel “alive”

Balsa is buoyant, responsive, and dampens harsh vibration. That’s why old‑school minnow plugs still catch on rivers where plastics wheeze. Here is PAN’s process:

• Carved balsa body from two pieces, then a one‑piece stainless through‑wire is set inside. No screw eyes to rip out.
• Aluminium foil adds scale flash and a defined head/gill plate.
• Three hardener layers and two epoxy coats armour the body, finished with a hard fibreboard lip for durability and bite.
• Every lure is hand‑tuned and tank‑tested so the action is right before it ships.

On the water that translates to a tight, high‑frequency roll at slow speed, a stable track in broken flow, and a fast “re‑start” after deflecting off stone. You can die‑drift a Trout Minnow like a spent baitfish, then kick it with a 3–5 cm rod pop to imitate a panic move. The lure responds instead of tumbling.

The fibreboard lip matters in stony Irish rivers. Clear plastic lips crack and turn cloudy after a day of rock contact. Fibreboard shrugs it off. It also grips water better at low speed, so the lure keeps working while you creep a seam.

Durability also comes in. Epoxy over foil protects the finish and lets you fish crunchier spots with less fear. You can actually throw these where trout live, not just where photos look tidy.

The Range Of PAN Lures 

Trout Minnow (45–72 mm) — the Irish all‑rounder

• Use when: Rivers are at summer height, or falling after rain.
• Why: Slim roll, visible flash, and neutral buoyancy feel. It casts straight and lands quietly.
• How: Short two‑tap twitches, then a 2–3 second dead slide. In shallow gravels, point the rod high and crawl. In deeper glides, count it down a second before starting the retrieve.
• Sizes & weights: 45 mm/4 g, 50 mm/5 g, 55 mm/5.8 g, 60 mm/6 g, 72 mm/9 g in the 5‑lure set (Trout set x5).
• Colours that work in peat‑stain: Gold Trout 55 mm, Gold/Black colour‑shift & fluo pink, Orange Yamame.
• Natural looks for clear water: Brook Trout, Red Tail Trout, Black Shiner.
• Browse the full Trout Minnow collection.

Finicky browns on pressured urban rivers are no problem—if a trout is looking up in a 30–80 cm riffle, this lure will get noticed.

Vairon Minnow — for pushy current and lake edges

• Use when: Rivers are pushing, seams are tight, or you’re working lake margins and shallow points.
• Why: It’s modelled on Phoxinus phoxinus (vairon/minnow), a staple prey across Europe. The Vairon Minnow is tuned to stay in strong river currents without blowing out.
• How: Quartering casts upstream, three twitches, then track the seam. On lakes, slow roll with pauses around rocky points.
• Targets: Brown trout in rivers, sea‑trout in estuary channels, and bonus perch.
• Colours: Vairon Type 2 for natural; Silver Lake Trout x2 60 mm for brighter days.

You’ll especially like it because it holds a line in water that flips lesser plugs.

Trout Crank — float or sink to control rocks and slots

• Use when: You need to tick stone and trigger reaction bites, or the fish are deep under a tongue of fast water.
• Why: Crank body with a tight throb and options in floating or sinking. The fibreboard lip of the Trout Crank is built for contact.
• How (floating): Cast beyond the boulder, crank down, then pause and let it rise over snags.
• How (sinking): Count two, then a slow crawl through the slot. Pause every metre.
• Good sets: Crank set and Perch Crank set if you want variety.

Sets that save time and money

If you’ve ever struggled to sort a workable box for a weekend on the Shannon, the Corrib feeders, or a quick west-coast trip, you know how messy it gets—ten tabs open, ten checkouts, and still gaps in your colours. The simple fix? Buy a set, then add two brights and a black. That’s it. You’ll be covered for most days without the hassle.

• Minnow set x3 (60 mm) — three naturals with orange bellies and gold sides for flash. €40.
• Trout set x5 — five sizes from 45–72 mm. €60 with the full build spec published (balsa, foil, through‑wire, fibreboard lip).
• 8 Lures Set — from €99, rated five stars, and great if you’re rebuilding a box fast.

Ireland Rules That Shape Your Fishing

You’re fishing in a small country with generous water and strict conservation. With ~74,000 km of rivers/streams and ~128,000 ha of lakes across Ireland, you’re spoiled for choice. But rules vary by catchment, season, and species.

Brown trout — your default target

Brown trout are the most widespread freshwater fish in Ireland, present in most rivers and lakes. That’s why we’ve focused on tactics for browns first. If you dial in a 50–60 mm PAN minnow, you’ll get bites across counties.

Sea‑trout — estuaries that light up

The Moy Estuary is famous for sea‑trout sport. Anglers target channels and sandbars from 17 April to 10 October and must carry a state licence for sea‑trout/salmon. In 2023, 9.1% of all rod‑caught Irish sea‑trout were recorded on the Moy in IFI statistics.

Get your paperwork and check your district status before you travel. License info available on gov.ie and IFI’s licence shop.

Salmon river status changes yearly

Each year, IFI publishes salmon regulations and river status. Rivers are classed open, catch‑and‑release only, or closed, based on conservation limits. For 2025, scientific advice underpinning openings is summarised in IFI’s status paper for 2024 stocks with advice for 2025 and the Salmon & Sea‑Trout Regulations leaflet. Do not assume last year’s rules apply.

Pike conservation rules you must know

On most inland waters the pike bye‑law allows one pike per day and prohibits killing any pike over 50 cm. It’s a long-standing conservation rule, and it means that if you’re working a PAN crank for bonus pike in a trout lake, every one of them goes back.

Rods, baits, and general legal basics

• Max two rods at any time for freshwater species (Bye‑law 595).
• No live fish as bait (Bye‑law 592).
• Salmon/sea‑trout licence is mandatory when targeting those species .
• Catch‑and‑release rivers require single or double barbless and no worms, with handling rules outlined in the IFI salmon regulations leaflet.

IFI also reminds anglers each summer about rod limits and live‑bait bans in seasonal notices like the IFI regulations reminder and 2024 trolling/rod update. So don’t wing it.

Part Of A Broader Economy

Recreational angling is big business in Ireland. IFI has repeatedly reported a contribution of €800m+ to €1bn and ~11,000 jobs, much of it rural. Interest keeps rising too: 18% of Irish adults say they’re likely to try angling, and 327,000 already consider themselves anglers.

Better lures help more people catch fish. That’s good for shops, guides, and clubs.

Remember that the Check, Clean, Dry campaign directs that you dry your gear for at least 48 hours before moving to a different waterbody, or disinfect if you can’t dry fully. So for your PAN lures, pop split rings and hooks off after the session. Rinse, pat dry, and leave the balsa bodies in moving air overnight. The small profile dries quickly, so you hit that 48‑hour goal between weekend trips.

Rigging and tackle with your PAN lures

You don’t need a van of rods. You need one light spinning rod, one small box, and a leader that won’t fold.

Rod & reel

• Rod: 6’6”–7’6” light or ultralight, casting 3–12 g. A crisp tip helps twitch and recover line slack.
• Reel: 1000–2500 size with smooth drag. You’re using thin braid, so stuttery drag ping hooks.

Line & leader

• Mainline: PE 0.6–0.8 braid (8–10 lb). You’re after feel, not brute force.
• Leader: 0.20–0.24 mm fluoro for trout; 0.28–0.33 mm if pike are around. Keep it short: 60–80 cm for clean twitch control.
• Knot: FG to braid, Rapala loop to the split ring for more life. If you want single hooks, ask the maker or re‑rig with inline singles sized to match the lure body.

Hook strategy for C&R

• On C&R salmonid waters, go barbless single or double. Replace trebles with inline singles of similar wire gauge so the lure balance stays right.
• Pinch barbs even on permissive waters. You’ll unhook faster and fish more.

Retrieve recipes

• Tight riffles (40–80 cm): 50–60 mm Trout Minnow, cast slightly upstream, two short taps, then dead‑drift into the cushion. Repeat.
• Glass glides: 55–60 mm Natural (Brook/Red Tail). Long pulls, long pauses. Watch for the silver roll, not the hit. Strike on the white flash behind the lure.
• Pushy seams after rain: Vairon Minnow. Cast across, point rod at the seam, three micro‑twitches, then let the lure hold its track.
• Stony pockets: Trout Crank sinking. Count two, crawl, tick, pause. Repeat to the next pocket.

When to change

• No bumps in five minutes? Change size, not colour. Drop to 45–50 mm.
• Followed but not eaten? Switch to a non‑foil matte.
• Clipped a fish and lost it? Pause longer. They often circle and eat in the stall.

Micro‑adjustments that matter with balsa

• Small split‑ring swaps change buoyancy. Test in the margin.
• Heavier singles can slow the rise on a floating crank. Use that over boulders.
• In sub‑10°C water, slow right down. Balsa still breathes at low speed. Let it.

Keep it simple. One shallow box, eight to ten lures, and you’re covered.

Where PAN Lures fit by water type

Ireland gives you variety on tap. Tight urban creeks. Pacey freestones. Slow glides that look empty until they aren’t. Big lake with wind lanes that switch on in seconds. You’ll do well if you match lure, flow, and light. Do that, and you’ll cash in.

Small urban rivers (Dodder, Tolka, Deel‑type water)

You’re close to the road, tight to trees, and dealing with skittish browns that have seen every spinner in Dublin. Keep it small and subtle. A 50–55 mm Trout Minnow in a natural scheme (Brook or Red Tail) lands softly and still rolls with intent. Work upstream and slightly across so the lure meets the fish first, not your line. Keep casts short. Use bankside cover. Tip the rod high to steer the lure through shallow tongues without dragging weed. Add two light taps, then let it glide for two counts.

After rain, clarity swings fast. Café‑brown water kills weak colours. So switch to Gold/Black colour‑shift & fluo pink. The foil throws a broad flash the fish can read, while the dark back gives you outline in stain. Hit the head of each pocket once, then move. Urban trout feed in bursts and hate pressure. Barbless singles help you unhook and reset quickly on busy paths.

Medium freestones (Nore, Suir, Blackwater tributaries)

Freestones carry power. Tongues push, rocks deflect flow, and pockets reload all day. You need a minnow that holds its track when the seam bites back. The Vairon Minnow is built for that job and is explicitly tuned to stay honest in strong current. Cast quartering upstream to sink the nose, then guide the lure down the seam with small twitches. Keep mild tension so it hunts without flaring sideways. When a pocket looks perfect, plant the lure, stall for one count, then kick it forward. Many hits come on that restart.

When the river drops after a spate, fry scatter and bigger browns start bullying. That’s your cue to size up. Run 60–72 mm minnows to add presence, then mix in a sinking Trout Crank to crawl pocket‑to‑pocket without tumbling. Count two, tick stone, pause, repeat. Use the floating version to walk over boulders when you need to cross the garden without snagging. Keep leaders around 0.22–0.24 mm to resist rock. If you stop feeling bottom, slow by five percent and drop the rod point. Contact is your compass.

Big rivers and lower glides (Shannon arms, Moy lower reaches)

Broad water can feel empty. It isn’t. Fish set up on subtle shelves, behind lone boulders, and along weed tongues you only notice when the light shifts. You need search power without losing honesty. A 60–72 mm Trout Minnow in a bright foil draws attention from depth and carries in dull light. Cast at 45 degrees, let it settle for one count, then start a steady roll that keeps the lure three feet below the surface. Make long swings that cross seam lines cleanly. When you feel a pressure change, add two taps and pause.

Boulder fields on big rivers demand control. A floating Trout Crank lets you crank down, touch the tops, and then rise over each rock in rhythm. Walk it across the line like a slow metronome. If you need to track the deeper lane that skirts a bar, clip on the sinking version and count to your mark before crawling. Mix both to cover the water column in passes. And keep an eye on local salmon/sea‑trout regulations around hook patterns and methods; they matter on these mixed fisheries.

Lakes (Corrib bays, Mask shores, small midland loughs)

Wind is your ally. Work the windward shore where food drifts in and baitfish pin against points. Start with the Vairon Minnow along rocky banks. Cast tight to stone, roll three turns, stall for one, then continue. That stall makes the minnow flare and hang like a pinned baitfish. When the cloud breaks and the light lifts, switch to a Trout Minnow in gold flash to throw a stronger pulse across the chop. Glide the lure along the edges of boulders and weed tongues, not over the top. Fish often sit one metre off the structure and slide out as the lure passes.

Boat or bank, the rhythm stays simple: steady roll, count, stall, restart. Use the chop to hide your entry and your mistakes. If the wind drops and fish switch off, pivot to perch. The Perch Crank wakes them fast and gives you an honest hour while you wait for the ripple to return. On small midland loughs, work points that face the breeze and any narrows that squeeze water; they concentrate fish the same way a river seam does.

Estuary channels for sea‑trout (Moy)

Tide moves the table. Fish track the edges of channels, bars, and creek mouths. Keep your lure in the lane and your speed even. The Vairon Minnow on a slow roll covers most of your needs. Cast across the run, count one, then wind just fast enough to keep tension. Add a gentle stall every five seconds so the lure breathes, but avoid big twitches that flip it broadside to the tide. At last light, shorten pauses and keep the roll smooth; sea‑trout hate chaos but smash a confident, clean track.

Bring the right paperwork and hooks. A salmon/sea‑trout licence is required here, and many districts specify single or barbless in periods or zones. The Moy Estuary guide gives you the lay of the land and access points, while IFI’s online shop handles licences. Fish smart, keep handling brief, and you’ll get plenty of silver evenings.

Why this works: Brown trout are everywhere in Ireland and remain aggressive fish‑eaters throughout the season. Serve a tight, rolling minnow that holds its line where they live—riffs, seams, points, and lanes—and they eat. Simple. Honest. Repeatable.

Seasonal Guide

Spring (March–May)

You’re dealing with cool water, rising and falling levels, and bursts of colour after rain. Trout want calories without effort, so you win with compact minnows that roll tightly and hold their line. Start with a 50–60 mm Trout Minnow in a gold‑flash finish like Gold Trout when the river carries peat stain. Cast quartering upstream, count one, then begin a slow roll with deliberate two‑second pauses. Let the lure hang in the first metre of each seam. That pause sells a weak baitfish in cold water. When the flow steepens or tongues boil, switch to the Vairon Minnow. It stays honest in pushy current, so you can sweep across the seam without blow‑outs. Fish confluences, boulder fields, and the heads of runs where food stalls naturally. Keep leaders sensible at 0.22–0.24 mm fluoro to resist rock. If you clip stone, pause and let the lure lift. Many spring takes happen right there.

Early summer (June)

Levels settle, clarity improves, and fish slide towards riffles at last light. You get short feeding spells, so keep changes simple. Use natural looks that don’t spook fish: Brook Trout and Red Tail are reliable. Work a two‑tap, two‑second glide. The taps wake the lure; the glide gives fish time to commit. On sunny afternoons, stalk shade lines, bridge pools, and undercut banks. Drop to thinner leaders for stealth if snags are light. When mayfly hangovers fade on rough edges, roving trout still chase fry. Cover points with a steady roll and a long pause over weed tongues. On blazing days, perch often switch on before trout. Keep a Perch Crank handy for an hour of quick fun while you wait for evening shadows to lengthen. Then return to nature and fish the last twenty minutes hard.

High summer (July–August)

Water drops, weed grows, and oxygen dips in the heat. You adjust by fishing the bookends of the day and by reducing profile. Go to the smallest Trout Minnow in low‑flash or matte tones. Land quietly and keep retrieves slow. In skinny glides, lift the rod to clear weed tips and let the minnow glide down the lanes between fronds. Over boulder gardens, a floating Trout Crank is gold. Crank down to working depth, then pause and let it rise over the rock. Restart with a half turn. That rise‑and‑fall draws lazy summer browns that won’t chase. If you’re near estuaries, check your local rules and carry the right hooks; summer often brings stricter salmonid measures, and single or barbless is common on C&R stretches. Dawn and dusk remain prime. When swallows skim low and the light softens, your slow roll suddenly gets whacked.

Autumn (September–October)

Freshets wake rivers. Seams push, baitfish scatter, and pre‑close browns get punchy. Step up to 60–72 mm minnows for presence, and don’t be shy with flash. Gold/Black colour‑shift & fluo pink cuts through autumn stain and grey skies. Work snap‑pause‑snap across the tongues to trigger aggression, then hold the lure briefly in the cushion below a boulder. On pocket water, drop to a sinking Trout Crank and crawl each slot methodically: count two, tick stone, pause, then move to the next pocket. Target junctions, feeder burns, and the first drop below weirs where food concentrates. On lakes, windward shores and rocky points switch on after blows. Long, even rolls with the odd stall keep you connected while waves push. If levels spike, give the river six inches of fall and return; autumn trout feed hard on the decline.

Winter (where open and legal)

Many trout rivers close, so your focus shifts to perch and pike, or to legal stretches where coarse fish dominate. Cranks come into their own. Fish them slow and deliberate along drop‑offs, bridge aprons, and deep marinas. Count the sinking crank down and crawl until you feel rhythmic ticks, then pause to let it hover. Pike will show up; be ready with a sensible leader and long‑nose pliers, and follow length and bag rules. Between catchments, protect your waters: clean grit off rings and lures, and dry kit thoroughly before moving. Always check IFI notices and local club guidance before planning winter sessions. When in doubt, ring the club, confirm access, and go slow. Cold fish still eat when you put a lure right.

Fieldcraft that beats “just casting more”

You won’t fix slow days by flinging further. You fix them by reading water and controlling the first metre of the retrieve. Start with the cushion—the soft pillow of flow in front of a boulder or at the head of a tongue. Cast past it, let the lure settle, then guide it into that cushion under tension. Keep the rod high, feel the roll, and pause for one count. Most trout sit high and slightly off‑centre here because food stalls naturally. If you rush past this spot, you miss the resident fish.

Shorter casts help you thread needles. On tight Irish rivers, a 7‑foot rod and twenty‑metre casts are plenty. Accuracy beats reach. Work from your feet out. Keep low, use bankside cover, and feed line with your off hand to cushion landings. If trees hem you in, slide the minnow with roll casts or a quick bow‑and‑arrow flick. Quiet entries buy you extra takes in clear water.

Probe each lie with three deliberate angles. First, across‑and‑down to search the near lane. Second, slightly upstream to sink the lure and hold it in the seam. Third, from the top to pull the lure through the lie as a fleeing baitfish. If nothing happens, move five paces. Covering water with intention beats pounding one spot. Trout feed in short windows; you want to be somewhere new when that window opens.

Contact is your compass. With cranks, you should tick stone now and then. No ticks means you’re riding too high; add a second of countdown or slow the retrieve. Constant thuds mean you’re ploughing—raise the rod or switch to the floating crank and walk it over the tops. Many hits follow a deflection, so pause as soon as you clip rock. Let the lure lift or wobble in place, then restart with a quarter turn. Check hook points after every gritty run; sharp hooks turn nudges into fish.

Know when to rest in a pool. If a fish swirls and spooks, give it ten minutes and change something small—drop one size, switch from foil to matte, or swap to a single barbless hook for a cleaner hang in current. Re‑approach from a slightly different angle and lead with a longer pause. Use wind lanes, cloud cover, and bank shadow to your advantage. When the light softens, slide upstream and repeat the circuit. 

FAQs about using PAN Lures

Do PAN lures need tuning out of the box?

No. They’re tuned and tank‑tested before shipping. But always test in the margin. If a rock bends the lip or ring, micro‑tune with light pressure.

Will balsa survive Irish rock and weirs?

Yes, within reason. The epoxy over foil and fibreboard lip are made for contact. Don’t grind concrete weirs on purpose.

Are single hooks OK with PAN lures?

Yes. The maker will fit single or barbless on request. Match weight so the action stays right.

Can I use them for perch and pike?

Perch loves the Perch Crank and small minnows. Pike will eat anything they can catch. Follow the pike bye‑law: one pike/day and no killing over 50 cm. Consider a light wire trace if pikes are thick; it may mute action slightly.

What about sea‑trout?

Carry a state licence and check district rules. The Moy Estuary is a safe bet in season. Run singles/barbless where required.

Why balsa over plastic?

Because it breathes at slow speed and tracks better in broken flow. On rivers with short feeding windows, that matters.