INTRODUCTION
Ireland is recognized as being the outstanding angling destination in Europe. The vast variety and quality of our fishing has given the country a reputation of which we are justly proud. Ours is an island of approximately 500km in length x300km wide, with a very high ratio of water to land (1:35). There are virtually thousands of lakes and 14,000km of fish bearing rivers.
The Irish climate is well suited to sport angling. It is temperate and kind to the angler with moderate summers, mild winters and adequate rainfall throughout the year. The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift lap the south and west coasts, giving us a milder climate than our geographical location would indicate. The result is a fabulous mixture of cold and warm water fish species, capable of exciting the specialist or casual angler on the annual family holiday.
In fresh water, they range from Carp, more attuned to warm waters, to the Atlantic Salmon and the Char, which are really north Atlantic and Arctic species. The marine species range from the cold water Cod and Coalfish to the Mediterranean loving Bass and the mid Atlantic Blue Shark. Many Irish people enjoy fishing but we are happy to share our "riches" with our fellow anglers from all over the world. Few of us, however, fish for coarse fish (freshwater species other than the salmon and trout family) which means that our magnificent pike, bream, tench, roach, rudd and eel fisheries are largely left to the tourist, as is much of the sea angling, particularly along the south and west coasts.
Lakes, rivers and coastal stretches are surveyed and mapped, fisheries are managed and stocked, while banks and access routes to the waters edge are developed to ensure the visitor gets directly and easily to the hotspots.
So go on "have a go" it might well result in the fish of a lifetime!!
Paul Bourke
Irish Angling Information Officer - Central Fisheries Board
