Coarse Fishing in Northern Ireland
Lower River Bann
Over the last few years, the Lower River Bann at Portglenone, Ballymena, has become one of the top coarse fishing venues in Northern Ireland. Featuring more than 80 purpose-made stands with excellent access, this area offers superb fishing for roach and skimmer bream. While pole to hand is generally best, most methods will produce catches, although it is obviously important to match your tackle to prevailing river conditions. Best baits to use here include loose-feed with plenty of fish and hemp and red maggots, as well as ground bait (when the Bann is coloured).
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Cleenish Island
Cleenish Island on the River Erne, a venue near Bellanaleck village, Co. Fermanagh, features more than 50 comfortable pegs sheltered from prevailing winds for some excellent fishing for bream, hybrids, perch, roach and skimmers – especially during the spring, summer & autumn. All methods produce catches and top baits include dark ground-bait, casters and maggots. For bream, worms on the hook or chopped worms mixed into the ground-bait work extremely well. Enniskillen stretches on the River Erne also offer fantastic opportunities to catch plenty of bream, roach, perch and hybrids. Top spots include the Queen Elizabeth Road stretch and the Cornagrade, Sligo Road, Portora and the renowned Broadmeadow sections. Here, the best baits to use include small worms and red maggots.
Image from: http://www.fermanaghlakelands.com/History-and-Heritage-Trails-A371
Lough Erne
Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh offers a wide range of exquisite fishing locations, including the Dulrush Fishing Lodge, Belleek, which offers direct (private) access to the Lough, equipment & boat hire, as well as excellent accommodation; Trory, where 30 purpose-built, easy to access concrete stands provide some of the world’s best waggler fishing, and Rossahilly Airport section, an easily accessible venue close to Enniskillen. Species you can expect to land at these venues include bream, roach, perch, hybrids and more. Top baits include maggots with regularly fed soft, dark ground-bait; casters, red maggots and red maggot-tipped worms.
Other outstanding coarse fishing venues include:
- Derradd Quay, near Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh – Species: bream, hybrids, pike, roach, rudd, skimmers & tench. Best baits: casters, corn, red maggots and red worms.
- River Erne at Belturbet, Co. Cavan – Species: bream, hybrids, pike, roach, rudd, skimmers & tench. Best baits: casters, corn, red maggots and red worms.
- Upper River Bann at Portadown, Co. Armagh – Species: roach, bream and hybrids. Best baits: casters, corn, hemp, maggots and – in the summer – worms.
Pike Fishing in Northern Ireland
By law, coarse licences covering pike fishing are required for any person over the age of 12 fishing anywhere within Northern Ireland. Coarse rod licences and coarse dept. permits entitle holders to use 2 coarse rods. Separate licences/permits are required for any additional rods to be used. Juvenile permit holders are also entitled to use 2 coarse rods.
Only one pike weighing under 4 kg may be retained per day and all pikes exceeding 4 kg must be returned to the water alive and unharmed.
Upper and Lower Lough Erne
Both the Upper and Lower Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh offer magnificent pike fishing opportunities. Situated on Lough Erne’s shores, the Dulrush Fishing Lodge near Belleek offers fantastic pike fishing, as do popular spots between Newtonbutler and Enniskillen (which include the Broadmeadow, Schools and Scotch Store stretches) and Ballinaleck Quay. Popular methods include plugs, spinners and spoons, as well as trolling (where a maximum of four rods & lines/hand lines is permitted in any boat occupied by two or more people). Fishing from non-mechanical & mechanical boats is permitted; the daily bag limit is one pike/day (pikes over 4 kg/8.8 lbs must be returned unharmed to the water) and DAERA Coarse Fishing Permits and Rod Licences are required (see www.nidirect.gov.uk/angling for more information).
Killyfole Lough
Killyfole Lough and the Colebrook River near Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, offer numerous large pike providing great sport. Daily bag and size limits are as for Lough Erne, but boat fishing is not permitted. Here, too, DAERA Coarse Fishing Permits and Rod Licences are required.
Image from: http://www.fermanaghlakelands.com/Where-to-fish-A388
Other marvellous pike fishing spots can be found at:
- Upper Lough Macnean, Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh – DAERA Coarse Fishing Rod Licence required, but no permits necessary (free fishery). Anglers not holding game rod licences must gently return any trout taken to the water. Daily bag and size limits for pike as above and all legal pike fishing methods are permitted.
- Lough Scolban, Belleek, Co. Fermanagh – Fishing is only permitted from non-mechanical boats and anglers without game rod licences must gently return any trout taken to the water. Daily bag and size limits for pike are as above. DAERA Coarse Fishing Rod Licences and coarse fishing permits (coarse fish only) are required.
- Clay Lake, Keady, Co. Armagh – All legal pike fishing methods, but fishing from boats, are permitted. DAERA Coarse Fishing Rod Licences and Fishing Permits are required.
- Lough Beg, Lower River Bann, Portglenone, Co. Antrim – See nidirect.gov.uk/angling for detailed information
- Movanagher & Portna Canals, Kilrea, Co. Derry/Londonderry – DAERA Coarse Fishing Rod Licences and Fishing Permits are required.
- Creeve Lough, Benburb, Co. Tyrone – See www.nidirect.gov.uk/angling for detailed information