Appendix 3: Angling        

Deep Sea AnglingThere are licensed deep sea charter boats based in Duncannon, Ballyhack and Dunmore East.  Reefs yield ling, pollack, coalfish, cod, conger and pouting.  There is excellent cod fishing in the estuary October to Easter.

Shore Fishing: Some of the beaches produce catches of bass off Duncannon, Dollar Bay and Woodstown.  Codling are caught up to the Waterford Quays during the winter months.  Twaite Shad are available in large numbers at St. Mullins during spring tides in May.

The River Barrow supports a mixed fishery - game, coarse & pike.  Coarse fishing from Athy to St. Mullins yields Bream, Tench, Rudd, Hybrids, Dace and Roach.  The best spots for salmon are St. Mullins (tidal area) and Graiguenamanagh (under the weirs where the water is fast flowing). Brown trout: anywhere but, particularly Goresbridge and under all the weirs.  Fly fishing: The tributary rivers Burren, Griese, and Lerr are the best for trout and a permit is required.  Pike fishing: in the mid-section between Goresbridge and Athy, preferably in winter.  A salmon licence is required and can be purchased at tackle shops.  No licence is required for Coarse angling or Brown Trout fishing from a towpath, otherwise, enquire locally.

River Nore: Salmon, sea and brown trout season- 17th March to 30 September, with catch and release up to 11th May and open for angling from 12th May.   The Nore is a limestone river with very rich fly life.  Mill weirs are a feature of the river with deep stretches and slow-flowing water. Salmon fishing from the tidal section at Inistioge up as far as the confluence of the River Dinan above Kilkenny City. All legal angling methods are allowed subject to the rules of the particular fisheries. Some stretches are fly only.  The ownership of the fisheries is well defined, and most of the rights are either exercised by private owners or leased to angling clubs.

River Suir: Salmon and sea trout: season- 17th March to 30th September, with catch and release up to 11th May and open for angling from 12th May with a bag limit of 1 fish per angler per day and no more than 3 fish for the season.  The river channel is characterised by a series of shallow and deep glides, with occasional shallow riffles. As many of the tributaries drain large areas of limestone, the Suir has the best characteristics of a chalk stream with prolific fly hatches and big stocks of trout.  Salmon fishing extends downstream from Ardfinnan towards Carrick-on-Suir with some early fish and in August and September the Suir has runs of large grilse.  Fishing is prohibited north of Suir Island at Clonmel  but does not apply to fishing with single rod and line.

 

The river Slaney offers some good trout and salmon fishing. The salmon season runs from the 10th March until the end of August and advice should be sought locally about legitimate fishing methods or from the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board (Tel: 00 353 1 2787022).

For day permits please contact:

The manager, Ballin Temple, Ardattin, Co Carlow  059 915 5037

Tullow Salmon and Trout Anglers Association (John O’Brien, Ballybritt Big, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow;
John Duffy, Old Chapel Lane, Tullow, Co. Carlow, Tel:059 9152740).

Mount Leinster Anglers (Arthur Kavanagh or Derek Nally, Chairman, Tel: 054 77801)

Solsboro Fishing Association (Pat Lacey Tel: 054 35822)

Enniscorthy and District Angling Club (Mr. Joe Cash,Tomnalosset, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Tel:05433490).

Several tributaries of the river Slaney also provide excellent fishing, including the Boro, the Bann and the Urrin. Inquire locally for permits.

Permits:

Tullow Salmon & Trout Anglers’ Association

Tullow Fishing Club was formed in the 1960s by local fishermen, (primarily salmon anglers), including Joe O’Neill, Father Kaye and Pat Lennon of the Slaney Hotel which soon developed a reputation as one of the finest angling hotels in Ireland. A small number of anglers existed at that time and the club was formed to put angling on a formal basis and help curb illegal poaching of salmon. In those early years, salmon were very plentiful and of large size (20 lbs. being common). These were fish that returned to spawn year after year, springtime being the time of arrival of salmon in the river Slaney.

Nowadays, salmon stocks are much depleted and the average catch size has dropped to 10lbs or less. Several factors are blamed but it is accepted that stocks began to seriously suffer with the invention of near-invisible mono-filament nets used by boats netting salmon at sea as they are intercepted returning to their native rivers to spawn. The club (salmon section) has grown to about 70 anglers at present but enlargement is not envisaged due to the condition of salmon angling in the river at the moment. The ‘trout section’ of the club has approx. 200 members, of whom about 80 are juveniles. Although numerous, trout size is generally small on the Slaney, but occasionally a trout of several pounds is landed in the locality. The club pays annual rent for waters fished. Some fishing stretches are owned by farmers but most fishing rights are owned by the Fisheries Board who grant leases to fishing clubs. For further information contact: Tullow Salmon & Trout Anglers Association, John Duffy, Old Chapel Lane, Tullow, Co. Carlow, Tel: 059-9152740

 

Enniscorthy & District Angling Club

When the Government assumed the fishing rights of the Kildavin Fishery, and placed its administration with the Central Fisheries Board, the Enniscorthy & District Anglers Association was founded and has leased the Kildavin fishery from the CFB ever since.

The Kildavin Fishery is located 3 miles northwest of Bunclody on the River Slaney and consists of: from Kildavin Bridge, looking downstream, the first field on the left and all of the right bank downstream for approximately 1 mile; and also 1/2 mile of fishing upstream of Kildavin on the right bank and a 1/2 mile section upstream of Scarawalsh Bridge.

Limited salmon and trout fishing are available using traditional fly method only. Day permits are solely available from the Millrace Hotel, Bunclody. Salmon permits are available from 7th April and trout permits are available from the Tuesday following the June Bank holiday until the 31st August.

 

Solsboro Fishing Association

The club manages two sections between Scarawalsh and Enniscorthy Bridges. To check availability contact the Club Secretary: Pat Lacey Tel: 054 35822

 

Island Angling Club

The Island Angling Club manages two sections between Scarawalsh and Enniscorthy Bridges. The Club, which started in 1991, is open to everyone. The Club Chairperson is Tony Monroe, Treasurer Bobby Bolger and Secretary Eamon Sheridan. Further information is available from the Club Secretary  78 Slaney View Park, Enniscorthy,  Co. Wexford  Tel: 054 37405

 

Mount Leinster Anglers

The Club purchased the fishery at auction from representatives of the late Captain Long 40 years ago. This beat starts at Kildavin Bridge, the left bank looking downstream for approximately 1 mile (except for the first field). The contacts are: Secretary, Arthur Kavanagh or Chairman, Derek Nally Tel: 054 77801

 

Ballintemple Fishery

The Ballintemple fishing beat is on a 3-kilometre stretch with rights to two other private beats for an additional 3 kilometres. The fishing beat is only one of many aspects to Ballintemple, which also features a lodge and self catering cottages. More details are available on the Ballintemple website www.ballintemple.com or by contacting: Robin Eustace Harvey - Ardattin, Co. Carlow, Tel: 059-915 5612 

 

Tackle Shops

Most Irish towns have fishing tackle shops where leaders and flies may be bought. Irish fly patterns for trout have long been famous and the visiting angler may wish to collect a selection to try in their traditional setting. Fishing tackle shops can be excellent centres for angling information, especially local information and will usually supply fishing permits for local waters.

Charles Camping

Blessington, Co. Wicklow

Tel: (045) 865351

Fax: (045) 891183

The Outpost

Billy O'Brien, Edward Street, Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow

Tel: 059 6482876

 or 087 2401173

O' Connor's Newsagents

Liam O' Connor, The Square, Tullow, Co. Carlow

Tel: (0503) 51337

John Maher

 

Main Street, Bunclody, Co. Wexford

Tel: (054) 77114

Miles Kehoe

 

Castle Hill, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Tel: (054) 33588

Charles Cullen Fishing Tackle

14 Templeshannon, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Tel: (054) 33478

G. McAuley Sport & Style

Rafter Street, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Tel: (054) 33317

Murphy's Fishing Tackle Shop

92 North Main Street, Wexford

Tel: (053) 24717

Hayes Cycles

 

108 South Main Street, Wexford

Tel: (053) 22462

Rory's Fishing Tackle

17 A Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Tel: 01-6772351

Fax: 01-6719986

Baumans of Stillorgan

4 Old Dublin Road, Stillorgan,

  Co. Dublin

Tel: 01 - 2108646

www.baumanns.ie

Patrick Cleere

5 Bedford Row, Dublin 2

Tel: 01-6777406