Fly Fishing
Where to Fish:
Lough Beltra Lodge is centrally located to some of the best salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing in Ireland. Most of the fisheries described below are flies-only, and a state license is required to fish all but Lough Mask and Ballin Lough. We recommend buying your license online because you can print out your license and log book, and your salmon tags will be delivered via post in 4 - 5 days.
Get your licenses for fishing here: www.store.fishinginireland.info
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Lough Beltra:
Lough Beltra is widely acclaimed as one of Ireland's most prolific salmon and sea trout lakes, and boats and ghillies are available for hire from both the Newport House and the Glenisland Anglers' Fishing Co-op. The lough is 2 1/2 miles long, a mile wide and surrounded by majestic mountains. Spring salmon run from the season's opener on March 20 through the middle of June, and grilse and seatrout run from late May through July. September sees another smaller run of salmon, too. The most experienced and cordial ghillie on the lake is Eamonn Kennedy (087 206 9136) of Newport, who has fished and guided on Lough Beltra and the Newport River (below) for almost 50 years!
Newport River:
The Newport River flows seven miles from it's outlet on Lough Beltra to its mouth on Clew Bay. The entire fishery is owned and managed by Kieran Thompson of the Newport House who limits the number of rods permitted each day. It's a beautiful stream with 24 names pools and easy walking along maintained trails with styles and bridges for crossings. Because fishing is allowed from both banks, wading is unnecessary.
Lough Furnace:
Located just west of Newport, Lough Furnace is home to the Burrishoole Fishery, part of the Marine Institute's research station. Lough Furnace receives a good run of both wild and ranched (by the institute) salmon, and boats and ghillies are available from Pat Hughes, their Fishery Manager.
Pat Hughes – 098 42300 or pat.hughes@marine.ie
Lough Conn:
Only a 20 minute drive to the east, Lough Conn is a 14,000 acre limestone lake with free fishing and good hatches of buzzers, lake olives and mayflies. The lough has a healthy population of native brown trout and receives good runs of spring salmon and grilse migrating in from the adjacent Moy River. Boats and ghillies are available on the west side of the lake from the Cloonamoyne Fishery and Gerry Murphy on Browns Bay – or through Tiernan's tackle shop in Foxford.
Gerry Murphy - 096 51294 or 087 2390409
Tiernan's – www.themoy.com
River Deel:
The Deel is the principal tributary of Lough Conn and flows through the town of Crossmolina into the lake at its north end. It's a good brown trout and salmon river, especially in the evenings between the three road bridges upstream from Crossmolina. Ghillie's can be arranged through Tiernan's tackle shop in Foxford (www.themoy.com) and the Cloonamoyne Fishery just outside of Crossmolina on Lough Conn. It's free fishing, so permits are not required, but please note that the river is closed to all fishing in September to protect the spawning brown trout that migrate up from the lake.
Tiernan's – www.themoy.com
The Moy River:
The legendary Moy is Ireland's most productive salmon, grilse and sea trout river, and the best fisheries with good fly water are located up- and downstream from Foxford, an easy 35-minute drive to the east. Michael Tiernan at Tiernan's Tackle Shop on Main Street in Foxford sells permits to all the best fisheries, state fishing licenses, provides up-to-date fishing information, books experienced ghillies and offers a large selection of quality fly-fishing equipment and expertly tied flies. They also sell fresh sea fish in a small shop adjacent to their tackle showroom, so bring a cooler when you go!
Tiernan's – www.themoy.com
The East Mayo Angler's Association manages the most extensive fishery on the Moy and offers daily and weekly permits (through Tiernan's) at very reasonable prices. We fish it frequently – and recommend wearing felt-soled waders and carrying a stout wading staff!
Owenmore River:
This prolific spate river produces good runs of grilse after every rain from June through the end of the season. A four-mile stretch up- and downstream from Bangor (a 30-minute drive to the north) is managed by the Bangor Erris Angling Club, and day tickets are available from Seamus Henry at the West End Bar .
Seamus Henry - 097 83487or 097 83543
Carrowmore Lake:
One of the best spring salmon lough in Ireland – with a good run of grilse from June to September, Carrowmore Lake is located two miles northwest of Bangor and boats, ghillies and permits are available from Seamus Henry at the West End Bar.
Ballin Lough:
This fertile, 54-acre limestone lake is located halfway between Newport and Westport and is stocked with rainbow trout, some of which grow to considerable size. It's also open for fishing in October when the rest of the region's fisheries have closed for the season. Boats and permits are available from Tom Gill who lives on the north shore of the lake.
Access through Tom Gill - 086 609 6514
Lough Mask:
Lough Mask rests in the shadow of it's more famous neighboring lake to the south, but offers some of the finest fly fishing for wild brown trout in Europe. While boats are available for hire all around the lake, we do not recommend that anglers who have never fished Lough Mask go without an experienced ghillie or boatman because the shorelines are strewn with hidden, underwater rocks and boulders, and a strong south wind can stir up dangerous waves.
Erriff & Bundorraga rivers:
These two fisheries are located in the very south of Co. Mayo and flow into Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. The Erriff is a beautiful river with permits available at the Aasleagh Lodge, located just off the N59 north of Leenaun. The Bundorraga is one of Ireland's best salmon rivers and is owned and managed by the elegant Delphi Lodge, built as a fishing lodge for the Marquess of Sligo. Because the Delphi fishery is so popular, day permits are reserved for guests of the lodge but occasionally become available so it's always worth checking.