Trout Fishing Locations in Northern Ireland

Trout Fishing in Northern Ireland

By law, game licences are required for all game fishing rods to be used by any person over the age of 12 within the DAERA area. Depending on fishery rules, permits may also be necessary. By law, game licences are required for all game fishing rods to be used by any person over the age of 12 within the DAERA area.

Depending on fishery rules, permits may also be necessary. A “Public Angling Estate of Fisheries” is provided to local anglers and tourists by Northern Ireland’s Government upon payment of a minor permit fee. Such permits may be obtained at www.nidirect.gov.uk/angling. Private fisheries’ permits can be purchased as day tickets and so on at nominated outlets or on site.

Lough Erne

The only large body of limestone water in Northern Ireland, Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh is a unique and highly productive lough offering some of Europe’s best trout angling. During the 2^nd or 3^rd week of May, the lough has an abundant mayfly hatch, making this the most productive time for fly fishing.

While many of the lough’s most popular locations have fishing stands to aid access, trout fishing is best undertaken from a 5.1m (17ft) angling boat with a 4hp (at least) engine. Top fly fishing opportunities exist in the shallows around islands, shallow bays and varying drop-offs into deeper water.

Brown trout are the lough’s main quarry, with a daily bag limit of 6 trout per rod/day. Main methods include fly fishing, worm fishing and spinning, although trolling is also very popular (for trolling, a maximum of four rods & lines/hand lines is permitted in any boat occupied by two or more people). The minimum size for takeable trout is 30 cm. The season runs from the 1^st of March to the 30^th of September and DAERA trout/salmon game permits are required.

Original image by Falcon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1573318

Lower Bann

The 38-mile-long Lower Bann has four major tributaries, the Agivey, Ballymoney, Clady and Macosquin rivers – every one of which offers ideal habitat for trout. Entering Lough Neagh just a mile or so from the Lower Bann entrance, the Moyola river can, for angling purposes, also be considered as a part of the Lower Bann’s catchment area.

Sub-let to local angling clubs by Bann System Ltd due to local management providing the best method of enhancing and preserving fisheries, the tributaries and main channel are all excellent for brown trout fishing, and tributaries like the Moyola are also home to a unique trout species, the Dollaghan, migrating to & from Lough Neale.

There are brown trout in parts of the main channel and in all the tributary rivers. In the tributary rivers, such as the Moyola, the Dollaghan, a unique species of trout exists, which migrates to and from Lough Neagh. Game licences and fisheries/club owners’ permits are required for all beats.

Image from: https://discovernorthernireland.com/Lower-Bann-Cycleway-long-P16837/