The Northern Region has a wealth of opportunities for the game angler. It extends from Malin head on the Inishowen peninsula to Mullaghmore in Sligo taking in County Donegal (excluding the Foyle catchment) and parts of Sligo and Leitrim. It also includes a large part of the Erne system running through counties Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal.

The Erne System is best known for its coarse fishing but also offers excellent game angling. There is some good river trout fishing on the Annalee River upstream of Cootehill and on its tributaries the Laragh and Bunnoe Rivers. The main river Erne between Lough Gowna and Lough Oughter has good early season fishing for trout to over 4lbs (1.8kg).

Recent reports have shown that Spring Salmon are again turning up in anglers catch returns while rod catches of grilse have also been excellent in recent years. The Glen River in Carrick (Co. Donegal) returns salmon up to twenty pounds (9kg) early in the season and has an excellent run of grilse from late May to the end of September. Lough Eske near Donegal Town has improved in recent years to provide consistent sport for spring salmon and has recovered in recent years to provide consistent sport for spring salmon and has a late grilse run. The Budrowse, as one of Ireland's premier spring salmon fisheries, regularly provides the first salmon of the year and is a prolific spring salmon and grilse fishery with good catches recorded right through from January to September. The Lennon River in North Donegal was historically one of the best spring salmon fisheries in the country and in recent times has begun to recover from disease problems. Good numbers were recorded returning to the fishery in the spring of 1996. The Lackagh system with its headwaters in Glenveagh National Park continues to produce quality spring salmon. It has also excellent sea trout fishing centred on the two lakes in the system, Glen Lough and Lough Veagh.

The Eany fishery in South Donegal and the Owenea Fishery in West Donegal are two premier spate salmon fisheries. Both are owned and managed by the government and have been developed to a high standard in recent years. Annual rod catches for both fisheries commonly average three hundred to five hundred salmon with similar numbers of sea trout. Fishing may be booked on these rivers through the Northern Regional Fisheries Board. The best time to fish these rivers is June to September although the Owenea has a small run of salmon averaging eight to twelve pounds (3.6 - 5.4kg) in the months of April and May.

Other notable salmon fisheries in Donegal are the Tullahobegley and Ray in north west Donegal, the Clady, Crolly and Gweebarra in West Donegal and the Oily and Murvagh Rivers in South Donegal.

The Rosses in West Donegal is famous primarily for its sea trout fishing but good brown trout and some salmon fishing is also available. This area is centred around Dungloe and just off the cost is Arranmore Island on which there is a lake with Irelands only self sustaining population of rainbow trout, Lough Shore.

Donegal's little known estuarine sea trout fishery, the Erne Estuary at Ballyshannon, has fished well in recent years with sea trout to 10lb (4.5kg) not uncommon. Many other estuaries in Donegal provide excellent angling opportunities for sea trout, the best known being the Gweebarra and Lackagh estuaries and Trawenagh Bay.

Lough Melvin on the Donegal/Leitrim border is famous for its unique fish community and has long been a place of pilgrimage for trout and salmon anglers. Three species of trout are found in lough Melvin. They are Sonaghen, Gillaroo and Ferox and have evolved naturally through the use of separate spawning areas. The Sonaghen feed primarily in mid-water on plankton and hatching nymphs, the Gillaroo are bottom feeders for most of the year and the Ferox are, from the age of three years, predominantly fish feeders. Melvin has a large stock of free rising fish and there is always the chance of a salmon in the shallows. The Rossinver Fishery situated at the south eastern end of the lough is an excellent lake salmon fishery.

New lake and Sessiagh Lake in Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal have good quality angling for trout of a high average size and are particularly good for evening dry fly fishing. Another notable trout fishing lake is Kiltooris in Rosbeg, West Donegal.

Apart from these well known destinations, there are literally hundreds of rarely fished mountain lakes and rivers in the region. The Abbey and Murvagh systems in the Ballintra /Pettigo area in Donegal boast a myriad of lakes which provide a variety of trout fishing opportunities. Parts of these catchments are on limestone and have therefore higher long distances of bog and mountain. In such places solitude and wild fish are easily found.

The presence of Arctic Char in many waters in Donegal is a little known fact. This relic of the last ice age is present in a number of lakes where the pristine water quality has allowed them to survive. To our knowledge, the only rod fishery that exists occurs on Lough Eske in the survive. To our knowledge, the only rod fishery that exists occurs on Lough Eske in the latter part of the year when char migrate to suitable shores in preparation for spawning. The traditional method for rod fishing for char involves the use of downriggers to get the fly/bait down to the deep feeding char. The opportunities for this type of fishing are excellent in Donegal as recent surveys conducted by the Regional Board show stocks of char to be very good in a number of lakes. These include Lough Eske, Lough Nalugraman on the Glen System, Glen Lough on the Lackagh System and Kindrum Lake in Fanad. There are also many other waters where char have been recorded in the past and where conditions have not changed significantly.

For further information contact:- Northern Regional Fisheries Board, Station Road, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. Republic of Ireland

Head Office Ballyshannon Phone 072 51435 072 52053 Fax 072 51816
Cavan Office Corlesmore Phone 049 37174 Fax 049 37193