fast boats and coarse angling competition stands. competition angling coarse and boats fast injury or inconvenience sustained by any person as a result of information or advice given in this guide. this in given advice or information of result a as person any by sustained inconvenience or injury OSNI 1:50000 map. The publishers, authors and contributors can accept no responsibility for any loss, any for responsibility no accept can contributors and authors publishers, The map. 1:50000 OSNI • Water skiers and anglers also use this site – be aware of of aware be – site this use also anglers and skiers • Water The information on this guide may not be 100% accurate – it is designed to be used in conjunction with an with conjunction in used be to designed is it – accurate 100% be not may guide this on information The Disclaimer: ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: ESSENTIAL Design: g2 design g2 Design: 6km point access/egress Next Photography: Alan Pentland, CAAN, Think Studio Think CAAN, Pentland, Alan Photography: Acknowledgements: Grade 1 flat water flat 1 Grade Paddling www.discovernorthernireland.com NITB: ine docks. docks. ine Colera and Slipway Access www.canoeni.com CANI: ntic Ocean ntic Atla the een betw er riv of stretch what you thought of the trail! the of thought you what Curlew. Coarse Fish including Roach, Bream, Perch and Pike. and Perch Bream, Roach, including Fish Coarse Curlew. that sea-going vessels use the use vessels sea-going that aware be Also, what’s old, what’s new and and new what’s old, what’s Breeding Waders including Redshank, Lapwing, Snipe and Snipe Lapwing, Redshank, including Waders Breeding and tell us us tell and on log Please them. Look out for: out Look clearly indicated on the map. the on indicated clearly are these of All are made aware of of aware made are we as site clothing, hung on a tree, rots away. rots tree, a on hung clothing, ates. g sluice and weirs the avoid to channels will be updated on our web web our on updated be will occur person’s ailment will disappear when a piece of their of piece a when disappear will ailment person’s Any changes to the trail that may may that trail the to changes Any Updates: Information ation navig the into paddle fely sa to possible covered with scraps of clothing. It is said that a troubled a that said is It clothing. of scraps with covered T: 0845 6008000 0845 T: non-emergency: - Police all times it is it times all at However, dangerous. Church Island is home to a number of ‘rag trees’ – trees – trees’ ‘rag of number a to home is Island Church Magherafelt T: +44 (0) 28 7963 1510 7963 28 (0) Magherafelt+44 T: extremely be can which er riv the on gates Coleraine T: +44 (0) 28 7034 4723 7034 28 Coleraine (0) +44 T: Newferry East Newferry 3: Point Access Please note: There are 5 weirs and 3 sluice 3 and weirs 5 are There note: Please Ballymoney T: +44 (0) 28 2766 0230 2766 28 (0) Ballymoney+44 T: Ballymena T: +44 (0) 28 2565 7161 2565 28 Ballymena(0) +44 T: fast boats and coarse angling competition stands. competition angling coarse and boats fast Antrim T: +44 (0) 28 9442 8331 Antrim9442 28 (0) +44 T: • Water skiers and anglers also use this site – be aware of of aware be – site this use also anglers and skiers • Water Tourist Information Centres/Accommodation: Information Tourist Enjoy the trail! Happy paddling! Happy trail! the Enjoy FURTHER INFORMATION FURTHER ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: ESSENTIAL 6km point access/egress Next 13. Leave details of your journey with a responsible adult. responsible a with journey your of details Leave 13. useful facilities ranging from parking to toilets. to parking from ranging facilities useful Grade 1 flat water flat 1 Grade Paddling Rivers Agency: +44 (0) 28 7034 2357. 2357. 7034 28 (0) +44 Agency: Rivers tool, highlighting the access/egress points and points access/egress the highlighting tool, Slipway and jetty with canoe step canoe with jetty and Slipway Access detailed information on the river and its levels contact: contact: levels its and river the on information detailed We hope this guide will be a useful trip-planning useful a be will guide this hope We and should be avoided by inexperienced paddlers - for for - paddlers inexperienced by avoided be should and resemblance to the ringlets of an Irish maiden! Irish an of ringlets the to resemblance extremely dangerous – these are clearly marked on the map map the on marked clearly are these – dangerous extremely rise the areas above the weirs and flood gates become become gates flood and weirs the above areas the rise Barmouth. Irish Lady’s Tresses Orchid – named for its for named – Orchid Tresses Lady’s Irish 12. Water levels can rise very quickly on the River – when levels levels when – River the on quickly very rise can levels Water 12. Beg in October and departing in April. in departing and October in Beg National Trust and approximately 1.5 km from the from km 1.5 approximately and Trust National in rough conditions). rough in Icelandic Whooper Swans migrating annually to Lough to annually migrating Swans Whooper Icelandic beside a beautiful nature reserve owned by the by owned reserve nature beautiful a beside poles is a sensible precaution (rafted canoes are more stable stable more are canoes (rafted precaution sensible a is poles Look out for: out Look Coleraine. The trail finishes at Ballywoolen – Ballywoolen at finishes trail The Coleraine. 11. Lough Beg can become rough in strong winds - carrying rafting carrying - winds strong in rough become can Beg Lough 11. Atlantic Ocean it passes through the town of town the through passes it Ocean Atlantic for products such as dynamite and gramophone records! gramophone and dynamite as such products for 10. Carry and know how to use a map and compass. and map a use to how know and Carry 10. explores skills, safety and environmental issues. environmental and safety skills, explores Interest due to its deposits of Diatomite, used in the 1940s the in used Diatomite, of deposits its to due Interest Antrim. On entering its last stretch towards the towards stretch last its entering On Antrim. 9. Consider attending a recognised training course, which which course, training recognised a attending Consider 9. This site is designated as an Area of Special Scientific Special of Area an as designated is site This boundary between counties Londonderry and Londonderry counties between boundary leads to hypothermia – hypothermia can kill. kill. can hypothermia – hypothermia to leads at Newferry and acts for most of its length as the as length its of most for acts and Newferry at Newferry West Newferry 2: Point Access 8. Wear adequate clothing, prolonged immersion in cold water water cold in immersion prolonged clothing, adequate Wear 8. that is rich in wildlife. From Lough Beg it narrows it Beg Lough From wildlife. in rich is that ashore safely. ashore and the breeding season from March – June. – March from season breeding the and the water confidence to deal with a capsized boat and get get and boat capsized a with deal to confidence water the the river flows into Lough Beg – a beautiful area beautiful a – Beg Lough into flows river the during the over-wintering bird season from October – March – October from season bird over-wintering the during 7. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but you will need need will you but swimmer, strong a be to need not do You 7. Mesolithic times. From the trail’s head at Toome, at head trail’s the From times. Mesolithic • Avoid landing on the west bank of Lough Beg especially especially Beg Lough of bank west the on landing • Avoid craft – carry a whistle. a carry – craft The river is steeped in history dating back to back dating history in steeped is river The variety of islands. of variety 6. Remember – a canoe may be difficult to see from a larger larger a from see to difficult be may canoe a – Remember 6. • The east side of Lough Beg offers more shelter with a a with shelter more offers Beg Lough of side east • The minimum required for most rescues. most for required minimum strong winds. strong enthusiasts of all abilities. all of enthusiasts 5. It is not recommended to canoe alone – three boats is the the is boats three – alone canoe to recommended not is It 5. • Lough Beg is very exposed. Take care crossing during during crossing care Take exposed. very is Beg • Lough the canoe afloat if you capsize. you if afloat canoe the and is suitable for canoeing for suitable is and or buoyancy aid. Canoe buoyancy should be sufficient to keep keep to sufficient be should buoyancy Canoe aid. buoyancy or on the east or right hand bank. bank. hand right or east the on experience this beautiful river beautiful this experience 4. Wear adequate buoyancy in the form of a personal life jacket jacket life personal a of form the in buoyancy adequate Wear 4. • 200m downstream are eel traps. Avoid them, by staying staying by them, Avoid traps. eel are downstream • 200m Trail is a unique way to way unique a is Trail AND SOME FASTER FLOWING SECTIONS. FLOWING FASTER SOME AND with the wake of a fast boat. fast a of wake the with ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: ESSENTIAL THE TRAIL OFFERS CANOEISTS BOTH TRANQUIL WATERS TRANQUIL BOTH CANOEISTS OFFERS TRAIL THE The 58km Lower Bann Canoe Bann Lower 58km The zones indicated on the map – expect to deal deal to expect – map the on indicated zones the note Please 7km point access/egress Next PASSING THROUGH CONSTANTLY CHANGING SCENERY CHANGING CONSTANTLY THROUGH PASSING 3.