Fishing in South Donegal/North Leitrim

Almost every type of fishing is available in the immediate area. Fresh Drowes salmon can be caught from the garden. Other Salmon rivers in the area include the River Duff, Ballisadare, and Easkey to the south. To the North, rivers such as the Eaney are an easy drive. Lough Melvin provides excellent salmon and trout fishing. Specialist drying rooms, equipment storage and freezers for your catch, fish cleaning facilities etc ensure that fishermen and women will have a very comfortable visit indeed.
Trout fishing in Lough Erne and Lough Melvin is fantastic while sea trout are taken early in the season from the estuary of the River Erne. Coarse and sea fishing are relative secrets and the area provides an unspoilt alternative to better known regions in Ireland. A Ghillie service can be arranged on request.

'Donegal Bay - Angling Guide' , a 74 page colour guide to all types of fishing in the area, is available by post for 10 Euros plus post and packaging.


Mr. George Matier with a 17lb salmon, caught in the sea pools in front of
'Fishery Cottages'

A view of the sea pools and Donegal Bay from 'Fishery Cottages'

On January 1st 2006, the Drowes produced its traditional 'first wild irish salmon' of the year at 9.30 am. The Drowes has produced the first fish for 22 out of the last 26 years. The fresh but lovely day brought out hundreds of fishermen to start the new season.

 

Salmon Fishing on the River Drowes

The Drowes River is one of the foremost salmon fishing rivers in Ireland. The fishing season on the opens on January the 1st and runs to late September. Visitors from as far away as Tokyo have travelled to catch the first salmon of the year. Early fish or 'Spring Fish' tend to be less numerous but larger. The salmon are most prolific in May and June when the Grilse run occurs and these tend to be 4 - 6 lbs. The numbers then decrease but size can increase too right up to September 30th. Fish up to 20 lb are possible.

Fly fishing for fresh salmon in front of Fishery Cottages

All fresh water game fishing in the area requires a Government game-fishing permit which is 15 Euros/day. A local permit for the year is available for 28 Euros or an all Ireland permit costs 60 Euros for the season. A fish tagging and log book system, which is provided with your permit, were introduced in 2001 to help prevent poaching and the illegal selling of wild salmon. This is part of the Department of Fisheries strategy to protect Irish Salmon stocks.

The River Drowes is a private fishery. The four
sea-pools in front of Fishery Cottages are operated privately, while the river from the Sea Bridge to the Four Masters bridge is operated by the Gallagher family of Kinlough (3.5 miles of river). Rates are:

The Four Sea pools (Advance booking recommended)
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Euros 40
6:00 pm - 10: 00 pm Euros 40

Between the Bridges (3.5 miles)
Daily rate of Euros 20
Weekly rate of Euros 80

Trout Fishing
The River Drowes flows into Lough Melvin, one of Ireland's top trout fishing lakes. This is a large lake bordering on 3 counties. It offers excellent fishing for 3 species of wild trout as well as the possibility of a Salmon entering Melvin from the River Drowes. Fly fishing, trolling, and 'dapping' are all used at various times in the season. Salmon too are taken in Lough Melvin having travelled up the River Drowes to spawn in the small rivers entering Lough Melvin. A boat and engine costs approximately 50 Euros and a guide with boat is available for approximately 80 - 100 Euros. A guide and boat can safely cater for 2 fishermen. Permits are available locally.

Sea Fishing
Beach fishing and rock fishing are popular in the area. Off-shore sea fishing trips can be arranged on charter boats operating from Bundoran, Ballyshannon, Creevy and Mullaghmore. These can be short trips, for
a few hours, or longer offshore trips into deeper water fishing for a range of species including shark. A 529lb Tuna was caught off Donegal Bay for the first time in 2000. This presents new possibilities for visitors who like to fish during their holidays and this record was again broken in 2001. Rates and availability depend on the time of year.
Sea trout fishing can be good on the Erne Estuary. Boats are available for hire.


Huntress Blue, operates sea fishing trips out of Mullaghmore harbour. For more information check click on:
charterboat fishing

Coarse Fishing
As well as the widely recognised coarse fishing of nearby County Fermanagh, the immediate area offers good coarse fishing for pike, bream, perch and eels. The River Erne supports a commercial eel fishery and large pike are regular catches. Boat and engine can be hired for approximately 50 Euros/day to fish the Assaroe Lake and the Erne Estuary. Other mountain lakes also offer both coarse and trout fishing in tranquil settings.

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