COARSE ANGLING IN IRELAND - Fishing in Ireland
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COARSE ANGLING
IN IRELAND
or
orhabitat
habitatmanagement;
management;nature natureprovides
providesthethe ideal
ideal environment
environment forfor
each
eachwithout
withoutinterference.
interference.Angling Anglingpressure
pressure in in
Ireland
Ireland is also
is alsolowlowso so
even
eventhethebest
bestfisheries
fisheriesare arenotnotovercrowded
overcrowded andand it isit quite
is quitepossible
possible to to
spend
spendaaday dayfishing
fishingonona awild wildfishery
fisheryin inIreland
Ireland without
without even
even seeing
seeing
another
anotherangler.
angler.On Onthe theother
otherhand,
hand,if ifyouyou enjoy
enjoy thethe hustle,
hustle,bustle
bustleandand
banter
banterofofcompetition
competitionfishing,
fishing,there’s
there’sa afullfull
calendar
calendar of of matches
matches andand
festivals
festivalsfrom
fromMarchMarchthrough
throughtotoOctober,
October,enabling
enabling youyou to to
testtest
youryour
angling skills against the best of
angling skills against the best of the rest... the rest...
OfOfcourse,
course,it’sit’snot
notallallabout
aboutthe thefishing.
fishing.Ireland
Ireland is ais beautiful
a beautiful country
country
and
andthe thescenery
sceneryofofthe theIrish
Irishcountryside
countryside cancanbebe breath-taking,
breath-taking, making
making
ititaafantastic
fantasticplaceplacetotospend
spendsome sometime timeenjoying
enjoying thethe natural
natural environ-
environ-
ment.
ment. Then,
Then,after
afteraalong longday dayfishing
fishing(and(andmaybemaybeeven even a keepnet
a keepnet
full
fullofofbig
bigbronze
bronzebream,
bream,tench tenchand andhybrids),
hybrids), where
where better
better to to
gogo to to
celebrate
celebratethan thantotoaagenuine
genuineIrish Irishpub
pubwhere
where youyoucancan share
share youryourfishing
fishing
stories
storiesover
overaapint pintorortwo…
two…
This
Thisbrochure
brochurecontains
containssome somebasic basicinformation
information to to
helphelp youyou getgetstarted
started
ononyour
yourIrish
Irishcoarse
coarseangling
anglingtrip. trip.There
Thereis isaa short
short description
description of ofcoarse
coarse
fishing
fishing ininIreland
Irelandand andaabrief briefintroduction
introductionto tosome someof of thethefisheries
fisheries
that
thatconsistently
consistentlyproduce
producequality
qualityfish. fish.The
Themap map onon thethe flipflip
side of of
side thisthis
brochure
brochure highlights
highlightsthesethesefisheries
fisheriesand andthethekey keytowns towns in in
which
which youyou
could
couldbase
baseyourself.
yourself.
There
Thereis ismuch
muchmore
moredetailed
detailedinformation on on
information thethe
www.fishinginireland.info
www.fishinginireland.info website
websiteand on on
and thethe
accompanying
accompanyingGoogle
Googlemap:
map:
https://goo.gl/NCxRte
https://goo.gl/NCxRte
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Ireland
Ireland is one
is one of ofthethe
toptopcoarse
coarseangling
anglingdestinations
destinationsininEurope
Europeandandevery
every year
year anglers
anglers
come
come to to
thethe Emerald
Emerald IsleIslefrom
fromaround
aroundthe theUKUKand
andEurope
Europetototrytryand
and catch
catch that
that elusive
elusive SEASONS
SEASONS
100lbs+
100lbs+ bagbag of of wild
wild Irishcoarse
Irish coarsefish.
fish.With
Withover
over12,000
12,000lakeslakesororloughs
loughs on on the
the island,
island, Ireland
Ireland has
has aa mild
mild climate
climateand
andnonoclosed
closedseason
seasonforforcoarse
coarsefishingfishingwhich
whichmeans
means thatthatit isit is
Ireland
Ireland hashas a wealth
a wealth ofof wildwildcoarse
coarsefisheries
fisherieswhich
whichareareboth
bothwidespread
widespread inin number
number and possible
possible toto fish
fishfor
forcoarse
coarsespecies
speciesall allyear
yearround.
round.However,
However, thethe
best fishing
best fishingcancanbebe hadhad from from
wide-ranging
wide-ranging in indiversity,
diversity,from fromlarge
largeloughs
loughswith
withhuge
hugeshoals
shoals ofof bream
bream and and hybrids
hybrids April
April to
to June
June before
beforeand andafter
afterspawning
spawningand, and,then
thenagain,
again,from frommid-August
mid-August through
through to theto the
to to intimate
intimate pondscontaining
ponds containingtench tenchand andrudd.
rudd.AsAswell
wellasasthese,
these, there
there are
are thethe myriad
myriad end ofof October.
October. The Thelonglongdays
daysofofsummer
summercan canbeberewarding
rewardingforfor those
thosewhowho areare willing
willing to to
of of medium
medium sized
sized loughs,a anumber
loughs, numberofofrivers
riversand
andover
over300km
300kmof of canals
canals running
running across
across fish into
into the
the night
night ororfrom
fromfirst
firstlight
lightininthe
themorning.
morning.Whatever
Whateverthethe season
season there
there is always
is always a a
Ireland;
Ireland; these
these fisheries
fisheries providea avariety
provide varietyofofoptions
optionsforforthe
thematch
matchangler,
angler, the
the pleasure
pleasure good
good chance
chance of of rain
rainso socome
comeprepared;
prepared;the thegood
goodnewsnewsis isthat
that big
bigbream
bream and
and hybrids
hybrids love love
angler,
angler, thethe specialist
specialist and andthethespecimen
specimenhunter hunteralike.
alike. dull days
days and
and choppy
choppywater watersosodon’t
don’tletletthe
theforecast
forecastputputyou youoff. If If
off. youyoudodo find yourself
find yourself
TheThe most
most popularcoarse
popular coarseanglinganglingtarget
targetspecies
speciesinclude
includebream,
bream, roach,
roach, roach/bream
roach/bream fishing
fishing aa warm,
warm,still,
still,summer’s
summer’sevening,
evening,then thentry
trya awaggler
wagglerfished fished close
closeto to
thethelilies forfor
lilies some some
hybrids,
hybrids, perch,
perch, tenchand
tench andrudd.rudd.DaceDaceand andcarp
carpare
arealso
alsopresent
presentinin some
some fisheries
fisheries but hard fighting
fighting Irish
Irishtench
tenchororaapinch
pinchofofbreadflake
breadflakeononlightlighttackle
tackle forfor
a beautiful
a beautiful Irish rudd.
Irish rudd.
they
they areare
notnot widespread.The
widespread. TheIrish
Irishfreshwater
freshwaterenvironment
environmentisisso so rich,
rich, and
and thethe climate
climate
so so temperate
temperate thatthat noneofofthese
none thesespecies
speciesneedneedany
anyhelp
helpfrom
frommanmaninin terms
terms ofof stocking
stocking
COARSE
COARSE
ANGLING
ANGLING
FESTIVALS
FESTIVALSAND
ANDCOMPETITIONS
COMPETITIONS REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
Ireland
Ireland hashasseenseena resurgence
a resurgence in inthethepopularity
popularityofofcoarse
coarseangling
anglingfestivals
festivalsand
and internation-
internation- majority of
The majority of coarse
coarse angling
anglingininIreland
Irelanddoes
doesnotnotrequire
requirea alicence/permit.
licence/permit. Coarse
Coarse
al competitions
al competitions in in
recent
recentyears
yearswith withupuptoto60 60being
beingheldheldannually
annuallyacross
across the
the country.
country. Irish species are
fish species are protected
protected bybylaw
lawand andthere
thereare
arerestrictions
restrictionsasasto towhat/how
what/how many
many
angling
angling festivals
festivalsareareunlike
unlikethose
thoseheld heldininother
othercountries
countriesininthat
thatentry
entryisisopen
open toto anglers
anglers of an angler
fish an angler may
may take.
take. As
Asthese
theseregulations
regulationsare
aresubject
subjecttotochange,
change,wewe advise
advise all all
all all
abilities,
abilities,andandthere
thereis no
is norequirement
requirementtotogogothrough throughaaqualifying
qualifyingprocess;
process;this
this means
means that anglers to
anglers to consult
consult the
the latest
latest regulations
regulationsusing
usingthe
thefollowing
followinglinklinkprior
priorto tofishing:
fishing:
all all
entrants
entrants arearein in
with
witha achance
chanceofofclaiming
claimingtop topprize.
prize.Irish
Irishfestivals
festivals generally
generally consist
consist of http://fishinginireland.info/regulations.htm
http://fishinginireland.info/regulations.htm
3 to3 to5 days
5 days of of
competition
competitionfishing,
fishing,with withgood
goodhospitality
hospitalityand andgreat
great banter,
banter, making
making them
thetheideal
ideal angling
angling holiday
holidayforforthethehigh highnumbers
numbersofofUK UKandandcontinental
continental anglers
anglers who
who return
return CATCH && RELEASE
CATCH RELEASE
annually
annually to toparticipate.
participate.The Thefestivals
festivalsare areusually
usuallyrunrunvoluntarily
voluntarilyby by coarse
coarse angling
angling clubs all have
We all have aa responsibility
responsibilitytotoprotect
protectand andconserve
conserveourourfisheries
fisheries
soso
thatthat they
they cancanbebe
andand local
localcommunities
communities across
acrossIreland;
Ireland;AllAllsponsored
sponsoredmoney moneyand andprizes,
prizes, pools
pools and
and section
section enjoyed by
enjoyed by future
future generations.
generations.MostMostfisheries
fisheriesface facemultiple
multiplethreats
threats including
including pollution,
pollution,
pools
poolsareare 100%
100% paid
paid out.
out. water abstraction
water abstractionandandillegal
illegalfishing,
fishing,allallofofwhich
whichhave
havea anegative
negative impact
impact ononfishfish stocks.
stocks.
Favoured
Favoured methods
methods forforfestival
festivalanglers
anglersdepend
dependononconditions
conditionsand andvenue,
venue, but
but anglers
anglers usu- that reason,
For that reason, we we would
would ask
askthat
thatallallanglers
anglersconsider
considerpracticing
practicingCatch
Catch && Release
Release
allyally
prefer
prefer polepoleor orwaggler
wagglertototarget targetsilvers
silvers(which
(whichare arepresent
present inin very
very large
large numbers
numbers the majority
for the majority ofof fish
fishthey
theycatch.
catch.Record
Recordany anytrophy
trophyfish
fishwith
witha a quick
quick photo
photo and and then
then
andand makemake upup thethebulk
bulkofofmost
mostbags) bags)ororfeeder
feederatatdistance
distancewith with aa long
long hook-length
hook-length to carefully return
carefully return to
tothe
thewater.
water.Remember:
Remember:#CPRsavesfish
#CPRsavesfish
trytry
andand pickpickoffoff
aa fewfewlarger
largerbream breamororhybrids;
hybrids;favoured
favouredbaits baits include
include maggot,
maggot, caster
caster
andand chopped
chopped wormworm butbutbring
bringcorn,corn,bread
breadand andpellet
pellettotocover
coverall allthe
the angles.
angles. Top
Top venues
venues
forforcoarse
coarse angling
anglingevents
eventsin inIreland
Irelandinclude
includeInniscarra
InniscarraReservoir
Reservoir inin county
county Cork,
Cork, Lough
Lough
Muckno
Muckno in Monaghan,
in Monaghan, Loughs
LoughsOughter
Oughterand andGowna
GownaininCavan,
Cavan,Lough LoughGaradice
Garadice
in Leitrim,
in Leitrim, Templehouse
TemplehouseLake Lakein inSligoSligoand andthetheErne
Ernesystem
system nearnear Enniskillen.
Enniskillen.
These
These venues
venues have
haveallallundergone
undergoneinfrastructural
infrastructuralimprovements
improvements toto allow allow an-
an-
glers
glersmuch muchbetter
betteraccess
accesstotoswimsswimswith withdrive-to-peg
drive-to-peg access
access available
available for for
manymany of of thethelarger
largerevents.
events.ForFormore moreinformation
informationononIrish Irishfestivals
festivals see
see here:
here:
http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/coarseevents.htm
http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/coarseevents.htm
ANGLING GUIDES,
ANGLING SERVICE
GUIDES, SERVICEPROVIDERS
PROVIDERS& &BOAT
BOATHIRE
HIRE
There
Therearearea small
a smallnumber
number ofofguides
guidesand andservice
serviceproviders
providersoperating
operatingininIreland
Ireland
whowhospecialise
specialise in in
coarse
coarsefishing
fishingand andit itis isa agood
goodidea
ideafor foran
anangler
angler visiting
visiting
a venue
a venue forfor thethefirst
first
time
timeto to
contact
contactone oneofofthese.
these.This
Thisisisparticularly
particularlythe
thecase
case
withwith
thethe
larger
larger loughs
loughs asasaa guide
guidewillwillhave
havethe thelocal
localknowledge
knowledgeofofthe thewater
water
andand
thethefishfish
holding
holding areas
areas which
whichwill willgreatly
greatlyincrease
increasechances
chancesofofhooking
hookingup. up.
YouYou
willwill
need needto tocontact
contact andandmake makeyouryourown ownarrangements
arrangementswith withguides
guides and and
to help
to helpwithwiththis,
this,
there
there is a
is a
listlistofofangling
anglingguides guidesavailable
availableat: at:
www.fishinginireland.info/guides/index.htm
www.fishinginireland.info/guides/index.htm
Fishing
Fishing
on on thethelarge
large sized
sizedloughs
loughsin inIreland
Irelandcan canbe bevery
veryproductive
productiveusing
using aa
boat
boatand andfishfish
finder
finder to to
locate
locatethethelarge
largeshoals shoalsofoffish,
fish,and
andthere
thereisisaalist
list of
of
boat
boathirehire
locations
locations available
availablehere: here:
www.fishinginireland.info/boathire/lakes.htm
www.fishinginireland.info/boathire/lakes.htm
##CPRSavesfish
CPRSavesfish
FURTHER
FURTHER
INFORMATION
INFORMATION General
General Tourism
Tourism
Angling
AnglingInformation
Information Ireland
Ireland also
also has
has aa general
generaltourism
tourismwebsite
websitewww.ireland.com
www.ireland.comthat thatwillwill
help
help
youyou
plan
plan
your
your
ThisThis
guide
guide provides
provides a abasic
basicintroduction
introductiontotocoarse
coarseangling
anglingininIreland
Ireland and
and gives
gives aa sum- trip to
to Ireland.
Ireland. ItItprovides
providesaawealth
wealthofofinformation
informationonontravel
traveland
and
accommodation
accommodation as as
well
well
as as
marymaryof of
some
some of ofthethekey
keyangling
anglinghotspots.
hotspots.However,
However,there
thereare
areaa number
number of of resources
resources information
information on on things
thingstotodo
doand
andsee
seewhile
whilevisiting
visitingthe
theisland.
island.
where
whereyouyoucancan
find
findmore
more detailed
detailedandandup-to-date
up-to-dateangling
anglinginformation.
information.Firstly,
Firstly, there
there is a Leave
Leave No
No Trace
Trace
dedicated
dedicated angling
angling website
websitewhich
whichhas hasmore
moredetailed
detailedinformation
informationon on individual
individual fisheries
fisheries
andand service
serviceproviders
providers at:at:www.fishinginireland.info
www.fishinginireland.info Please
Please adhere
adhere totothe
theseven
sevenprinciples
principlesofofLeave
LeaveNoNoTrace
TraceIreland:
Ireland:
If you
If you
areare
planning
planning onon fishing
fishingin inNorthern
NorthernIreland
Irelandororononthe
theFoyle
Foyleand
andCarlingford
Carlingford area Plan ahead
ahead and
andprepare;
prepare;Travel
Travelandandcamp
camponondurable
durablesurfaces;
surfaces; Dispose
Dispose of of
waste
wasteproperly;
properly;
on oneither
either
side
side
of of
thetheborder
borderyou youshould
shouldconsult:
consult: Leave
Leave what
what you
you find;
find;Minimise
Minimisecampfire
campfireimpacts
impacts(be
(becareful
carefulwithwith
fire);
fire);
Respect
Respectwildlife;
wildlife;
www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/outdoor-recreation-and-sport/angling
www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/outdoor-recreation-and-sport/angling Be considerate
considerate ofof other
othervisitors.
visitors.
andand Vehicles
Vehicles should
should bebeparked
parkedinindesignated
designatedareas areasand
andininsuchsucha amanner
manner that
that
they
they
dodo notnot
www.ufishireland.org/
www.ufishireland.org/ cause
cause obstruction.
obstruction.
IFI IFI
alsoalso
produces
produces a weekly
a weeklyAngling
AnglingUpdate
Updatewhich
whichprovides
providesup-to-date
up-to-date reports
reports on on what Anglers
Anglersshould
shouldfish
fishresponsibly
responsiblyand
andsustainably
sustainably– –where
where possible
possible
useuse
single
single
people
people arearecatching
catchingand andwhere.
where.You Youcan
cansign
signupuptotobebeemailed
emailed the
the weekly
weekly Angling
Angling barbless
barblesshooks
hooksand
andpractice
practiceno-weight,
no-weight,“in“inthethewater”
water”catch
catch
andand
release.
release.
Update
Update byby emailing
emailing contact@fisheriesireland.ie
contact@fisheriesireland.ie www.leavenotraceireland.org/
www.leavenotraceireland.org/
2014
2014
FISHERIES
Large Loughs
For the truly massive shoals of bream & hybrids that Ireland has long been famous for, the
Biosecurity really large loughs of the Shannon system such as Ree, Derg and Allen, or venues on the Erne
system are the places to explore. It must be said that large 100lb+ catches are less frequent
these days due to a number of factors, including improving water quality and hybridisation of
bream, so the angler has to work hard to get trophy bags of fish. These loughs are huge and
Aquatic Invasive Species and fish pathogens are readily transferred from one water- can be daunting for any angler not used to fishing large venues. Long range feeder fishing
or waggler fished at depth are the preferred methods here and patience, perseverance and
course to another on angling tackle, boats and protective clothing. These can be very
a long term approach is called for: It often takes a few days of quiet waiting before the
shoals find the bait. A big shoal of bream or hybrids will make short work of whatever you
have to offer and plenty of groundbait and loose-feed may be required to keep their heads
damaging to resident fish stocks, the aquatic habitat and the general environment. We down in your swim. One piece of advice you often hear from the experts is to bring plenty
of bait! If possible, pre-baiting your swim in advance of fishing can lead to quicker results.
Angling service providers in some areas will pre-bait a venue in advance of your visit once
would ask that all anglers inspect and clean their gear prior to travelling to Ireland the necessary arrangements are made. Information on this type of service is available at:
www.fishinginireland.info/guides/index.htm
to fish. Medium and Small Loughs
There are thousands of smaller sized coarse loughs to choose from and it would not be
uncommon for the visitor to be the only angler fishing one of these for fish that have
Full information on prevention of invasive species is available on our website at: probably never been caught before. If the angler chooses the right base, in counties
like Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan, Roscommon, Longford, Fermanagh or Clare, there can be
dozens of quality fisheries to choose from, all within a twenty minute drive. The smaller
loughs are easier to tackle than the larger loughs and you can usually fish relatively close
www.fisheriesireland.ie/Research/invasive-species.html in, using a pole or waggler setup. These areas are popular venues for competitions and
festivals so it is wise to check locally for
advice on the best locations. As ever, the
Or via Invasive Species Ireland at local pub or tackle shop (sometimes the
two are combined...) can be the best place
to ask. Access on these fisheries is normally
http://invasivespeciesireland.com/cops/water-users/anglers/
good with ample car parking and fishing
stands provided on the most popular ones.
Rivers and Canals
The most famous coarse angling river in
Disclaimer
Ireland is also the longest; the mighty River
Shannon which runs over 360km long. The
Shannon is a slow, wide river, only dropping
18 metres in the first 250km of its course. It
Every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this publication has abundant stocks of all the major coarse
fish species although its big bronze bream
are what gives the river its reputation.
and associated maps and web pages. Inland Fisheries Ireland cannot accept respon- Fishing on the main stem of the Shannon
is free and access is very good for large Coarse Angling Centre
parts of its length. Improved water clarity
sibility for errors or omissions therein. Some sporting activities may by their nature on the Shannon system has seen many spe-
cialist anglers target big bream in the hours
be hazardous and involve risk. It is recommended in such cases to take out personal
of darkness, the time when the really big
fish come on the feed, so if these ‘bin-lids’
are your preferred quarry be prepared to
accident insurance. While many operators would have public liability insurance it is lose some sleep for the fish of your dreams!
The River Suck also deserves a mention as it
is a major tributary of the Shannon border-
always advisable to check with the establishment or operator concerned as to the ing the counties of Galway and Roscommon
for much of its course. The Suck holds all of
the same species as the Shannon itself but a
level of cover carried. permit is required to fish it.
Ireland has long been famous for its
Ballaghadereen
bream and hybrids but other species have
started to muscle in on the action; for the
Acknowledgements
specialist angler the Shannon also holds
excellent stocks of tench and, in places,
beautiful golden rudd. The river Barrow in
Kildare and Carlow, which has always had
© Published by Inland Fisheries Ireland 2018. P/N: IFI/2018/1-0451 – 002 a reputation for producing perch to over
3lbs in weight, also has big shoals of roach
and dace as does the River Blackwater at
Photos courtesy of: IFI, Shane O’Reilly & Kevin Lyons. Fermoy.
Canal fishing can be very productive with a
The document includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi
number of options available: The Shannon-
Erne Waterway in Leitrim and Fermanagh,
is an excellent coarse fishery with easy ac-
Copyright Permit No. MP 007508. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance cess and is well worth a trip. Also, within a
short drive of Dublin, the Royal and Grand
canals (including the Barrow Navigation)
Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland. are easily accessible and have good
stocks of most of the key species. Water
clarity has improved greatly on the Royal &
Grand canals in recent years meaning that
This brochure can be made available in alternate formats upon request. fish have become far more wary. Finding
areas with good cover, fishing on dull and
blowy days and/or fishing through dusk
and into night-time are tactics that will often
yield better results.
land
ation on fishing in Ire
For up to date inform o
ng inireland.inf
log onto: www.fishi
IRELAND/NORTHERN IRELAND
The island of Ireland consists of two separate
countries: The Republic of Ireland (also known
:
or send an email to
as Eire or Southern Ireland) and Northern
Ireland, which is part of the UK. As a result of
eland.ie
contact@fisheriesir
this, there are three separate agencies that
control fishing on the island of Ireland: Inland
Fisheries Ireland (IFI) which controls the ma-
jority of the fishing in The Republic of Ireland,
the Department of Agriculture, Environment
and Rural Affairs (DAERA) which controls
COARSE ANGLING
most of the fishing in Northern Ireland, and
itter:
DERRY
the Loughs Agency, which controls the fishing Loughs Agency
cebook and Tw
DAERA DONEGAL ANTRIM
on the Foyle and Carlingford systems that
Follow us on Fa
IFI
TYRONE
span the border between Northern Ireland Border
FERM
ireland
and Ireland. These areas are marked on the AN
AGH ARMAGH
DOWN
.com/fishing in
MO
adjacent map.
LE
NA
SLIGO
ITR
www.facebook
GH
IM
This brochure only provides information on
AN
CAVAN
MAYO LOUTH
fishing in IFI controlled waters in Ireland. RD
ROSC
IN IRELAND
FO
NG
Anglers wishing to fish in Loughs Agency or
OM
LO MEATH
H
MEAT
MO
WEST
DAERA controlled waters should check the rel-
N
GALWAY DUBLIN
e
@AnglingUpdat
evant website for information before fishing: OFFALY
DA
R E
KIL
DAERA: www.nidirect.gov.uk/information- LAOIS WICKLOW
CLARE
and-services/outdoor-recreation-and-sport/ TIP CARLOW
angling PE
RA
KIL
RY
KE
LIMERICK
Loughs Agency: www.ufishireland.org/ WEXFORD
NN
Y
For a Google map scan the WATERFO
RD
CORK
QR code or use the following web link: KERRY
https://goo.gl/NCxRte
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