Ireland’s County Sligo and District Game Angling Guide THE NORTH WESTERN REGIONAL FISHERIES BOARD BALLYCASTLE DERRY FROM Campbeltown FROM Britain LARNE FROM Stranraer Cairnryan Fleetwood BELFAST A2 FROM Stranraer Douglas N56 Heysham A2 A2 Liverpool DONEGAL N56 FROM Dublin A29 Introduction N13 ANTRIM A2 BELFAST DONEGAL N14 A5 N56 Co. Sligo, and the wider Sligo District, possesses N56 DERRY A6 FROM Britain Europe a wide variety of game fisheries, set in some of N15 N. America Ireland’s most scenic locations. From the productive Belfast M2 N15 Ballysadare and Easkey salmon rivers to the quality TYRONE A5 N56 A505 A26 wild brown trout fishing in Lough Arrow, this area Ireland West Knock A29 Dublin County Sligo & District has fisheries to please almost every game angler. A32 N15 A26 This guide covers the main game angling waters in the district. It contains information on the 0 20 40 60km A4 location of each fishery as well as details in relation to contacts, permitted angling methods, Shannon A5 M1 angling seasons etc. For up to date information on angling conditions and water levels, intending A32 N15 A1 anglers should contact the Fisheries Board or the fishery owner. A3 In the west of the district, the River Moy rises in the Ox Mountains and flows to the sea on the A4 A4 A3 A1 DOWN Sligo/Mayo border. East of the Moy Estuary is the spatey Easkey River which is well known for Sligo N16 salmon fishing. The Easkey River drains Easky Lough, a mountain lake, which contains only very ARMAGH FERMANAGH A28 small brown trout and the occasional sea trout. Also in the Ox Mountains, is the picturesque N59 N54 Lough Talt which contains a nice stock of brown trout which can weigh up to about .45 kg (1lb). SLIGO N54 Further east, the Ballysadare River boasts an impressive salmon run and annual rod catch of N2 up to 1,027 salmon. MONAGHAN N59 N17 Ballina N4 A1 Close to Sligo town is Lough Gill, a popular spring salmon fishery which opens for fishing on New N57 N59 Year’s Day. The inflowing Bonet River also gets a reasonable run of salmon later in the season. N3 MAYO At the northern end of the district is Glencar Lough, a fine sea trout fishery, located in one of the LEITRIM most spectacular settings in Ireland. On the Sligo/Roscommon border, Lough Arrow’s rich waters M1 N52 have a reputation for producing some top quality brown trout; this lough has traditionally been N5 CAVAN rated among the top brown trout lakes in the country while the outflowing Unshin River also N5 N3 LOUTH holds some fine brown trout. N17 ROSCOMMON N55 N60 N52 M1 N2 LONGFORD N60 N60 N3 N51 N59 N17 M1 DUBLIN N83 N55 N51 N4 FROM Douglas N84 MEATH M1 Liverpool & N63 N2 Holyhead N61 N55 N3 N59 N4 WESTMEATH N59 N63 DUBLIN N17 DUBLIN GALWAY M4 GALWAY N52 FROM Britain N6 M50 FROM Dublin Europe N. America N6 N6 KILDARE N7 OFFALY DUN LAOGHAIRE N52 M7 FROM Holyhead N18 N66 N7 M9 N11 N67 N62 N9 N81 WICKLOW N52 LAOIS N18 N7 N11 SHANNON N78 N85 N62 FROM Britain N8 Europe N18 CLARE N67 N77 N. America N9 N68 N7 CARLOW N18 N8 N10 N11 N80 N69 N20 FARRANFORE KILKENNY TIPPERARY WEXFORD N10 N9 FROM Britain Europe LIMERICK N74 N76 N79 N8 N21 N9 N11 N20 N24 N69 N24 N25 N8 N25 ROSSLARE N21 N25 FROM Fishguard N21 Pembroke N73 N8 N25 Cherbourg N20 WATERFORD Roscoff N70 N72 N22 N72 N72 KERRY N20 N25 WATERFORD CORK N71 N22 N8 FROM Britain N25 N25 N22 N70 N71 N71 e CORK CORK n thlo A FROM Britain FROM Swansea 227 elfast N71 141 B Europe Roscoff 219 424 rk 136 264 Co 209 117 428 y Distances in Kilometres (blue) err 130 73 266 D 69 egal 183 180 402 n o and in miles (red) 114 112 250 43 D 127 167 256 237 233 78 104 160 147 138 Dublin alk 156 d 144 84 323 157 85 n u 90 52 202 97 98 53 D y KILOMETRES 93 306 209 272 204 212 237 130 148 Galwa 0 20 40 60 80km 58 190 169 127 136 y 116 284 335 n Motorways 148 309 114 197 172 lken i M50 Coastal Sandy Beach K 78 177 92 208 192 73 123 107 0 10 2 0 30 40 50mls 232 436 87 441 407 304 350 193 198 ey Motorways (under construction) Killarn M50 MILE S Airports 144 271 54 274 253 192 219 120 123 ick 121 323 105 328 296 193 242 104 113 111 er im National Primary Routes N22 L International Car Ferry 75 201 65 204 184 123 150 65 70 69 n o 32 224 251 211 151 156 151 80 158 264 149 m Roscom National Secondary Routes N71 Local Car / Passenger Ferry 20 139 156 131 94 91 94 51 98 164 94 slare s 201 330 397 Ro r 208 391 153 245 274 98 275 211 241 ou Harb Other Routes (selected) 130 205 129 247 243 101 153 170 62 171 131 150 on n an h S 133 346 128 351 282 218 264 93 135 135 25 154 234 rt rpo Ai Railways 83 215 80 218 176 138 165 57 85 84 15 96 146 o 117 206 336 135 66 214 166 138 245 343 232 85 325 218 Slig 73 128 209 84 41 135 104 86 152 213 144 53 203 136 County Boundary ford er at 164 333 126 383 357 163 242 220 48 193 129 208 82 152 293 W 108 207 78 238 222 98 151 137 30 120 80 129 51 95 182 Northern Ireland Border ord 184 309 187 378 372 135 226 253 80 254 190 222 19 213 307 61 Wexf 117 192 116 235 231 88 141 157 50 158 118 138 12 133 191 39 Catch-and-Release Fisheries Regulations On some fisheries, angling may only be carried out on a “Catch and Release” basis, General for all, or part of the angling season, in Game angling regulations, especially in order to conserve stocks of salmon. Where a relation to salmon angling, can change from “Catch and Release” regulation applies, worm year to year and it is the responsibility of fishing is prohibited and only flies or spinners anglers to familiarise themselves with the fitted with a single barbless hook may be laws and regulations governing each fishery used. This regulation also applies to anglers before commencing angling. Anglers can get that have caught their daily/yearly bag limit up to date information on fishing regulations of salmon and wish to continue fishing. In by contacting the North Western Regional all such cases, fish should be played firmly Fisheries Board or by visiting the Board’s and brought to the net as quickly as possible website www.northwestfisheries.ie. in order to avoid over tiring the fish; the fish should then be handled in a gentle manner and promptly returned to the water Licences and Logbooks unharmed. Fish should be unhooked in the water where possible; if removed from the Anglers engaged in fishing for salmon or water, hands and unhooking mat should be sea trout must be in possession of a valid wetted first. The use of a forceps will greatly Bag Limits Environment state salmon licence and must have it on assist in removing a hook and a landing net their person at the time of fishing. Licences with a knotless mesh should be used. At the time of publication of this guide, a Please protect the environment of the Sligo/ can be purchased from most tackle shops, seasonal bag limit of 10 salmon (any size) Leitrim area by taking your litter home. the Fisheries Board or online at www. or sea trout (over 40 cm) applies for angling northwestfisheries.ie. An angler’s logbook Closed Fisheries with daily bag limits also in force. As salmon Safety is issued with a licence as well as a number regulations may change from year to year, The law requires that persons venturing out of gill tags and an angler must also be in Some rivers or lakes may be completely anglers are advised to familiarise themselves on to lakes and coastal waters, in a boat less possession of the logbook when fishing. closed for angling for salmon and sea trout with the current salmon angling regulations than 7m in length, wear a properly fitting, Salmon, or sea trout over 40 cms., which are over 40 cm. in order to protect salmon stocks before they commence fishing. Up to and approved, personal flotation device or killed must be tagged immediately. Additional that have fallen below a safe level. For an up date salmon and sea trout regulations are a lifejacket. Anglers should also consider tagging requirements may apply in the case to date list of open and closed rivers, please available on www.northwestfisheries.ie. A wearing a personal flotation device when of some fisheries. contact the Fisheries Board. regional daily bag limit of 6 sea trout applies fishing on large rivers, rivers in flood and in but salmon bag limits apply incase of sea estuaries; it could save your life! The use of Conservation trout over 40cm. Where a brown trout bag a wading stick is recommended when wading Permission/Permits limit applies, details are provided in relation in larger or swollen rivers. Where a fishery is privately owned, All anglers are asked to consider “Catch and to each fishery concerned.