Northern Ireland

 

Lough Erne

 

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Lough Erne is a large lough totalling over 15000 hectares made up of the Upper Lough to the east of Enniskillen and the Lower Lough flowing west to Billeck Lough Erne offers a mixed course and game fishery with quality trout especially in the Lower Lough where fish average in the 1.5 to 2lb range. The lower lough is shallow and 15 miles long offering an excellent environment of trout, there are a few salmon available. Salmon fishing is best near Roscorr Bridge to Heron Island and across to the Garvey River.

 

Trout fishing from the bank can be good and DCAL have erected a number of stands around the loch to improve access. The trout are all wild brown trout although DCAL also stock the feeder streams each year with native trout. Fish of over 10lbs are caught regularly by trolling with Tasmanian Devils, Rapalas and silver spoons. Fly anglers will talke fish of from 1 lb to 5 lbs. There is a good Mayfly hatch wit Green Gosling Dabblers and Grey Wulffs recommended. For the main part Fiery browns, Extractors, Green Peters and bumbles are recommended march to June and August to September while olives are best in July as there is a prodigious hatch at this time.

 

All you need to fish here is your license and a DCAL permit. All legal methods are allowed although there are restrictions on the number of rods you can use when trolling. The bag limit is 6 trout per day and catch and release for salmon 1st march to 31st may with 2 fish allowed thereafter. Boats and ghillies can be hired all round the lough, call the Visitors Centre and Tourist Information Office on 02866 323110. For further information log on to www.erneangling.com or follow this link for ooddles of useful information http://www.fermanagh.gov.uk/pubuploads DCAL permit required.

 

Bellisle Estate offers fishing on Lough Erne for top quality trout and fantastic course fishing with vast shoals of roach, great slab sided bream and massive pike (one party of 4 had 70 pike up to 30lb in 2 days). Bream swims can be booked ensuring that you will find your chosen spot free when you turn up next day. The fishing is free with the appropriate license and the estate hire boats with outboards for just £10 per day, they have a wheelyboat too. Call 028 6638 7231.

 

Mill Lough, Bellanaleck near Enniskillen, a 40 hectare lough stocked with rainbows and brown trout, fly only fishing from both the shore and boat, over wintered fish can reach 8 lbs. 4 fish limit. DCAL permit required. For boat hire call 028 6634 8313.

 

Navar Forrest offers fishing in bonny surroundings on three limestone loughs, Achork, Glencreanan and Meenameen (4, 19 and 18.6 hectares in size respectively) fishing for for wild brown trout, the loughs are stocked annually with 7000 rainbows and browns trout to supplement the wild fish fish stocks. Glencreanan is a fly only lough and boat fishing on all three loughs is also fly only, Achork and Meenemenn allow spinning and worm fishing. There are no boats for hire but you can launch your own boat. The best flies to use are olives, sedges and buzzers with some Mayfly hatching on lough Meenemeen. A DCAL permit is required.

 

White Lough near Aughnacloy, a 9.3 hectare fishery stocked with 3000 rainbows only, fish all year except January, fly, spinning and worm permitted (fly only from boats). Boat hire call 028 8778 9533. DCAL permit required.

 

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Please note: the information displayed is gathered from a number of sources to save you time browsing the net, the information and prices are indicative of what was available when we searched for data. Please confirm details with the fishery before booking as Spinfish does not accept any liability for variations and changes to terms and conditions relating to any fishery listed.

 

 

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