Angling in County Fermanagh
Fishing around Enniskillen
BALLYDOOLAGH
Expect to catch roach, perch, pike and eels. Ballydoolagh is a sheltered fishery easily accessed lake five miles from Enniskillen. A limited number of pegs are fishable close to the minor road that runs parallel with the western shore. With average depths of about 3 mts the lake fishes best for quality roach and pike from late June to October. Although there are no Bream in the lake the roach fishing can be very good with roach from 10oz to 1 lb. Fish feeder for roach at distance during the colder weather and the pole during July and August when the water temperature
rises. Take the B80 Tempo road from Enniskillen, turn left at Garvary Church (3 miles). The lake is easily visible on the right hand side of the road 1mile from the cross. There are 20 unmarked pegs are available along the roadside.
TRORY ON LOWER LOUGH ERNE
Expect to catch bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike. Trory is a large shallow sandy bay that fishes best between April and September and is one of the best known of Lough Erne’s coarse angling sections. It has over the years produced some huge catches of bream, roach and hybrids to competition and pleasure anglers alike, on a variety of methods. Pole and feeder fishing are most effective with worm, maggots and casters. There are 30 permanent pegs and all have produced good catches over the years, most noted being one and two pegs, and between pegs 20 and 30.Try to avoid pegs 4 to 8 as these rarely produce. Trory has been recently upgraded with a new pathway and car park at the top end of the section giving excellent access to this popular part of Lough Erne. From Enniskillen take the A32 Omagh Road, at the junction of the B182 after 3 miles/4.8 km turn left following the brown tourist sign for Devenish Island. Peg 1 is at the end of the lane.
ELY LODGE ON LOWER LOUGH ERNE
Expect to catch bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike. A very picturesque part of the lake set in forestry land, with a pathway adjacent to the pegs for easy access. Large catches of bream, roach and hybrids are regularly caught during April and May with the feeder and waggler being the best methods, although all pegs will produce when pleasure fishing. During competitions pegs 12 to 16 seem to be the most productive. There are 25 pegs with good car parking. From Enniskillen take the A46 Belleek Road. After approx 5 miles/ 8 km turn right into Ely Lodge Forest. Pegs 13 to 25 are on the right of the car park with 1 to 12 to the left. Pegs 1 to 5 are more easily accessed by parking in the lay-by, further along the A46 Road.
Feeder fish around the point (pegs 13 &14) for bream or try floating maggots on a long tail for the hybrids.
CORNAGRADE ON LOWER LOUGH ERNE
Expect to catch bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike. One of the Erne’s more popular sections with a bank side path and purpose built jetties, this stretch of the river often produces large nets of bream and roach. The depth and flow changes from peg to peg as the river meanders its way along the section. Always a favourite with visiting anglers because of the easy access. Fishes best for the roach between April and the end of May when the fish migrate through the town centre. August to September can be good for bream, caught mainly on the feeder with a worm and maggot cocktail. Best pegs 21 to 34 for bream and Roach, 6 to 8 for bream. Try the middle of the section, or last couple of stands pegs 33 – 34for pike. Situated just outside Enniskillen’s town centre. Enter the Cornagrade housing estate opposite the main hospital entrance, and turn immediately left for the low peg no’s. For the high peg no’s drive straight on until you reach the bend at the top of the hill – the river is on the left.
SCHOOLS ON LOWER LOUGH ERNE
Expect to catch bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike. A popular section of the river set in farmland eight miles from Enniskillen, Schools is frequently used in competitions. Recent work has improved access to the pegs, all of which can produce good catches of bream and roach. As with most of the Erne’s river sections the fishing can be unpredictable as the fish constantly move from one area to the next, if you catch this section on the right day a good days fishing is guaranteed. All methods work at times with the pole and feeder dominating the competitions at schools. The pegs in the first field on the left of the car park usually produce the best catches. From Enniskillen head south on the A4 towards Belfast. After 3 miles/4.8 km Turn right for Carrybridge on the B514. From Carrybridge head west for one mile towards Derrylin, turn right at the brown tourist angling sign and you will end up in the car park at the water’s edge.
Fishing around Belcoo
LOUGH MACNEAN
Expect to catch bream, skimmers, roach, hybrids, rudd, perch and pike. Set within some of Ireland’s most scenic countryside this lake can offer quality fishing in picturesque surroundings. Both the Upper and Lower Lough are spring fed with the Lower Lough running into the Arney River. Although the margins are fairly shallow the Upper Lough reaches depths around 70ft.Whilst the generally shallower Lower Lough reaches a maximum depth of around 40ft. Both lakes are under-fished and contain quality bream, roach, and perch. Both venues respond well to pre – baiting, and fish well all through the year for ream and Roach. The Pike fishing is exceptional during winter and spring with fish of 35 and 39lbs being recorded from both waters recently.
FISHING UPPER LOUGH ERNE
Expect to catch bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike. Pleasure anglers willing to turn out early in the day manage to catch good numbers of bream, roach and hybrids along the shoreline and from the fishing stands here. Fishing is at its best on Loughs Erne from from Easter through to early June. Fishing picks up again in July, improving through August, September and October with pole, waggler and feeder
The top venues on Lower Lough Erne include: Corradillar, Derryad, Belle Isle Estate and Carrybridge.
Special Feature – Fermanagh by Barry Smith
IT’S a good bet that more than 90 per cent of anglers arriving in Fermanagh are match fishermen.
This is the ‘lake district’ of Northern Ireland and made famous by the many spring and autumn angling festivals and the publicity stemming from prestige events like the Fermanagh Classic has created an aura that attracts fish-hungry anglers from across Europe.
But there is change in the air and a big push to provide alternative lake fishing to the mighty Erne system and Fermanagh District Council, who take a huge interest in providing attractive fishing for visitors, are now beginning to see reward for several years of negotiations with local landowners to provide land-locked lake coarse fisheries.
Laragh Lake at Ballinaleck is already getting tons of attention, according to Leigh fishing tackle dealer Barry Smith.
Barry, who won the Fermanagh Hotels Festival earlier this month, is about to take up permanent residence in Northern Ireland and rubbed his hands at the prospects of the new waters.
“This is the future for Irish tourism”, he said of Laragh Lake.
“Anglers can drive to the waterside and fish from brand new platforms and catch bream to 7lb – fishing as good as anywhere in the country.
“In fairness, this massive lake has clear water and responds best to pre-baiting and fishing early or late in the day for a good catch that will also include some hybrids, roach and perch.
“Last week I was talking to a local specimen hunter who reckoned he had 50 big bream in a single session!”
The development of ‘new’ fishing waters and promotion of existing, but little known venues, is certainly going to entice more interest from pleasure anglers.
For instance the latest angling guide to Fermanagh and Tyrone pinpoints Upper and Lower Lough MacNean at Belcoo, which has stocks of good bream, roach, hybrids and rudd, along with the capture of pike weighing 35 and 39lb reported recently.
However, there is no stopping the army of matchmen who begin arriving at Easter; return in early May for the Fermanagh Classic – Ireland’s biggest single festival with up to 400 taking part – and often stay for several weeks to try and win a share of the massive cash prizes.
They are also tackling the Upper and Lower Lough Erne when fishing is at its easiest.
If everything slots into place weather-wise, the roach and bream pack into the River Erne around Enniskillen town and the shallow bays of Lower Lough Erne and often provide staggering catches.
Like so many places on the Shannon-Erne Waterway, zebra mussels have contributed (or coincided with) to exceptionally clear water of the last few years.
So during the day the fish often staying in the deeper water, and that can mean fishing at long distances, with the added aggravation of wear and tear on you line by the sharp edged mussels.
It was something that Barry Smith had to combat to win the Fermanagh Hotels Festival over five days of fishing at Cornergrade, Killadeas, Maco and the airport section. His best single catch was 43 kilos (95lb) and his total haul amounted to 106 kilos (235lb).
“All the decent fishing consisted of bream to 2 kilo and kilo-size hybrids on the largest rocket Nisa feeder and casting 60 metres”, he reported.
“The feeder is 35 grammes and perfect for accurate casting in windy conditions; it can be cast longer but accuracy is much more important.
“My groundbait mix was 50 per cent brown crumb with Jan van Schendel JBS and Van den Eynde’s Beet along with some casters and chopped worms.
“My reel is loaded with braid but more important is the shock leader, which is 15lb mono to cut down on chaffing from the mussels. It is especially a problem for my style of fishing because I like to work the feeder by edging the tackle if there is no bite within a couple of minutes and I’m constantly recasting.
“Hook sizes vary from a 12s if the fish are really having the bait, though most of the time it is a size 14 with caster and worm hookbaits.
“There are as many bream, roach, perch and hybrids, in the Erne as ever but we all have to adapt to the conditions to get a decent catch”.
FISHING IN NORTHERN IRELAND
There is no close season for coarse fish but anglers must hold a current rod licence, which can be obtained at all fishing tackle shops, many hotels and guesthouses. Under 18's fishing with one rod do not require a rod licence.
|
