Hook Line & Sinker

IRELAND'S BLUE BOOKCOUNTRY HOUSES, HISTORIC HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

West of Ireland Fishing Tour

Day 1 -Galway

If you are travelling from Dublin, it is just a 2.5 hour journey on the motorway to Galway and the historic 5 Star Glenlo Abbey hotel.

Arriving at Glenlo Abbey you should arrange to meet Glenlo's resident Ghillie Jim Riddelland who has fished Lough Corrib since he was a child. Jim can bring small groups out onto Lough Corrib to fish for Trout, Salmon, Pike, Perch and Bream.

Fishing on the Corrib lasts the whole day…..starting at about 8.00am, you will be taught how to tie your own flies, cast your rod, and learn what is precious to all fishermen……Patience. There is no guarantee of catching fish but with Jim by your side, he will bring you to the main feeding grounds for Pike, Trout & Salmon.

However, these grounds change monthly especially during the Duck & May Fly Season. For lunch, why not stop off at one of the 365 Island of the Corrib. At Inchagill, one of the largest islands on the lake, you can explore the remnants of a Monastery dating back some 500 years. The famous Guinness Family use to shoot Pheasant and other Game in Inchagill, while the towering trees and Fauna of the Island will make you think you are a million miles from anyone.

After a days fishing we recommend dinner in Glenlo Abbey's famous Pullman Restaurant.

Overnight: Glenlo Abbey

Day 2-Galway

The second day's fishing will continue on Lough Corrib; being 11km wide and 43km long, there are bound to be a few "bites" you have missed and this time you will be fishing the northern end of the Lough. Tonight brings you to the old fashioned (in the best sense of the word) Currarevagh House. Currarevagh sits on the edge of the Lough and has direct access, along with traditionally built clinker boats with or without outboards for hire.

Some Details on fishing Lough Corrib:

Fishing is free – meaning that neither licences nor permits are required. The fishing season from 15th February to 30th September can be subdivided into distinct periods:

Wild Brown Trout are abundant, the average size being in the region of 1 ¼ pounds, though fish up to 5lbs are not uncommon. The current record for a wild brown trout on Corrib is 24lbs.

Mid February to Mid March – normally wet fly when the fish feed in the cold waters for small fry and shrimp;

Mid March to Mid May – the “olive season”, suitable for wet, dry or nymph set up aswell as buzzer methods;

Mid May to Early June – the Mayfly hatches, for which Corrib is famous. Dapping with live fly can be hugely entertaining and great sport, but also wet and dry are successful. Although the hatching times vary from year to year, generally fly is abundant and mayflies can be bought from local school children, whom are still given a week of school to earn some extra pocket money.

Early June to Late August – normally wet or dry;

Late August to End September – wet or dry as the fish feed on fry, sedges and daphnia.

Lough Corrib also contains Pike and Perch and gets a small run of Salmon during June and July. While there is no “bag limit”, all trout under 13 inches (32 cms) must be returned to the water

Ghillies
For anyone not familiar with the lake we recommend the services of a ghillie (Fishing Guides) which Currarevagh House shall organise for you. He has expert knowledge of the lake, knows the conditions for fishing and can give advice on flies, baits and so on. He will have his own boat and outboard motor together with a limited supply of necessary tackle.

There is also an excellent tackle shop in Oughterard. However, if you have a favourite fly rod, it would be worth bringing this, if only because you are used to its action.

Each boat can take a maximum of three anglers plus the ghillie and the daily charge is in the region of Euro110.00 per boat per day

Boat Hire
Alternatively, Currarevagh Guesthouse has its own traditionally built clinker boats. Guests can rent these, either with or without outboards

Overnight: Currarevagh House

Day 3-Mayo

Travel further North into the heartland of Mayo, situated right on the shores of Lough Conn you will find Enniscoe House.

Enniscoe Estate is ideally placed in the renowned fly fishing and game angling waters of the west of Ireland. Lough Conn is renowned for its brown trout fishing with the main season running from April to September. In addition to trout fishing, there is usually a run of Spring salmon and later, a run of grilse. Arrangements can be made for fishing on other local lakes and rivers where salmon and sea trout are the main quarry.

Overnight: Enniscoe House

Day 4 -Sligo

Wild game & coarse fish in the lakes and rivers of Sligo display great fighting qualities. Some game fishing waters are privately owned, but most are under the control of local angling clubs. We recommend the historic Coopershill House for your visit to Sligo.

There are big wild Brown Trout in the river Unsin, which flows through the grounds of Coopershill House. But they are canny, mainly bottom feeders in the limestone fed water, and are really only caught on fly between late April & mid June. Brown Trout are more accessible, and for a longer period, on Lough Arrow, 6 miles up river from Coopershill. Coopershill can arrange the hire of boats with or without ghillies.

The best time for fishing on the lough is also April through to June. There is salmon fishing on the river Easky, 30 minutes down the coast and also on the river Moy at Ballina, a further 20 minutes along the same road.

Ireland's western seaboard attracts many species of sea fish drawing keen shore and sea anglers to Sligo each year. Fully equipped sea angling boats can be hired at Rosses Point and Mullaghmore with many centres for excellent game angling.

Overnight: Coopershill House

Day 5 -Fermanagh

Belle Isle offers some of the best boat and bank angling in Europe. Catches of 200 pounds of bream are common, roach can be caught every cast, and one party of four reeled in more than 70 pike in less than two days, with the biggest nearly 30 pounds. Authorities such as John Bailey rate it very highly indeed. Swims at Belle Isle can be booked and pre-baited.

Course

Pike

Belle Isle guests enjoy a combination of river-style, small, and large lough fishing at their doorstep. There's also a great deal of bank available for static bait fishing or wandering with a spinning rod. Pike come readily to all techniques: fly, jerk baits, lures, and traditional methods. This is tremendous ‘doubles' water.

Bream

A two-minute walk puts you in legendary bream swims that can be exclusively reserved. Bream here aren't shy, so there's no need to fish lightly. Feeder fishing is the most successful method, along with float fishing, which can be great fun once the fish have moved into the swims. With so many bream, the action can be fast and furious.

Roach

Roach, perch, and hybrids are prolific. Catches of 70 pounds can be taken without putting a bream in your net, double that in May and June

Game

We're within striking distance of Lough Melvin, renowned for salmon, trout, gillaroo, and sonaghan, and ten minutes from the pristine Colebrooke River, which has excellent fly-fishing for trout. The River Mourne, famous for salmon fishing, is an hour away. We're happy to organise game fishing and specialised packages.

Sea

We can arrange fishing excursions for three to ten people on the beautiful Donegal coast, abundant with mackerel, pollock, tuna, dogfish, ray, ling, conger, turbot, tope, fluke, flounder, and blue shark. (Boat hire and tackle from £100 per day.) There are miles of excellent shore-fishing locations nearby, from Bundoran to Rossnowlagh Beach.

Overnight: Belle Isle Estate

South of Ireland Fishing Tour

Day 1 & 2-Cork

Longueville House has superb fishing on the River Blackwater and where brown trout and salmon fishing is at its best. William O'Callaghan, the owner of Longueville, will arrange for the local ghillie to bring you to some secret pools where you can fish to your heart's content.

The fishing season opens at Longueville House on 01st February and it closes on 30th September annually. Longueville House is approx. 50 miles from the sea. In recent years we have had some good runs of spring salmon during the month of April and the beginning of May.

For fly-fishing, a double-handed rod is best. Fly sizes, 4,6 & 8 are best suited here. The best flies to use are Shrimp, Garry Dog, Cascade, Willie Gun and Thunder & Lightning.

For spring fishing the best lines, a full sinking or a sink tip.

For summer salmon or grilse fishing we normally get a good run of fish in June & July, depending on the volume of rain. We recommend using smaller baits & flies, in sizes 10 & 12. Light tackle & a floating line are for better sport during the summer fishing.

During the month of September we also get a good run of autumn fish. We have a very good stock of wild brown trout, which can be very good, particularly, if the salmon is not..

All fishing tackle and Ghillie can be supplied & arranged if required when given a little notice.

Charges:
A rod licence (statutory) can be supplied by the hotel to our guests at €36.00 per day as Longueville House Hotel is a distributor of rod licences.
The fishing fee is €85.00 per rod per day for resident guests & is charged to the hotel guest account. Juvenile fishing fee is €26.00 per rod. Trout Fishing fee is €30.00. For “Non Residents”, Salmon fishing fee is €100.00 & Trout fishing fee is €50.00

NB: Ghillie/Fishing Guide fee is paid directly to the Ghillie by the Guest. This fee is €100.00 per day from one to four rods and €75.00 for half a day.

Overnight: Longueville House

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