Angling in the Midlands
Lough Derravaragh
Lough Derravaragh is located about 14km north west of Mullingar with the village of Multyfarnham on its southern shore and Castlepollard to the north-east. It is a long narrow Lough almost 8km in length with an area of over 1080 hectares. Public access is available at several locations, including Donore. The northern part of the Lough is broad and shallow while the long neck towards Crookedwood is narrow and deep.
Lough Derravaragh is an exceptionally good pike lake and holds stock of big pike up to specimen weight. It can be fished from the shore but a boat is recommended. Large stocks of coarse fishing including roach and bream. Big trout up to 7ks can be taken on the troll.
Lough Owl
Lough Owel is located beside the N4, 4km North West of Mullingar. Access is provided at several locations. It has a high pH, mainly spring fed limestone lake with an area of approximately 1000 hectares. The water is very clear with visibility up to 7 meters. The lake has a large resident stock of wild brown trout with an average size of 2 lb. The wild fish in the lake are supplemented by a yearly stocking programme. Trout up to 6lbs are taken every year on the fly.
Large hatches of Duck Fly occur from almost mid April to the end of the month. Fish can be taken with Wet Cell 11 lines, Sink Tip and intermediate lines that carry a team of size 12 flies.
After the Duck Fly in early April, the sooty Olive and Sooty Olive Bumble fish best. Around the third week in May big hatches of buzzer occur along the Portloman shore. Fish can be caught on such flies as the OMBI (12), Fiery Brown (10) when the ribbed midges are on the water.
Small hatches of May Fly occur at the Cornfield to Brabazon Bay. All patterns of May Fly work, but the Grey Gosling is exceptionally good as a nymph pattern. With a large hatch of natural May Fly a Green Drake is worthwhile.
Lough Owel is famous for its large hatches of sedges towards the end of July to the middle of August – much to the delight of the fry fly enthusiast. There are several different species of sedges ranging from flies to 35mm in length to approximately 15mm all fished wet and fry including Green Peters, Cinnamon Peter, Black Peter and the Murrough. Dapping grasshoppers and daddy long legs in August/September can also yield good results.
The River Deel
The River Deel flows south through the village of Raharney to the Boyne. It holds brown trout to 0.75 lb at various points along its course. In the upper reaches the trout are smaller.
The White Lake
The White Lake is four miles east of Castlepollard, County Westmeath. It is stocked with both rainbow and brown trout. There is a 10 inch ( 254 mm ) size limit and a bag limit of six trout. This lake is managed by White Lake Anglers Association.
The Riverstown River
The Riverstown River is a tributary of the River Deel. It holds fairly plentiful stocks of brown trout to 0.75 lb. The fishing is at its best early in the season.
Lough Bane
The lough is situated 25km North East of Mullingar between Collinstown and Oldcastle.The lake has a shallow shoreline - is a max of 20 metres deep. Most of the productive fly fishing is along the shoreline which runs east to west. Access to the lough can be arranged through Club Ghillies only.
Banagher, Co. Offaly
This is a well serviced coarse angling centre with a number of specialist operators and plenty of angling venues, mainly on the main River Shannon. New access roads and other facilities have been provided in recent years.
Pike angling is also popular, especially around Meelick, where fish up to9kg+ (20lbs +) are reported frequently. The Grand Canal is also close by, offering easy bank fishing around Shannon Harbour 5 km (3 ml) away and at Ferbane.
Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly
This is a long-established angling centre on the banks of the mid-River Shannon in Co Offaly, about half way between Lough Derg to the south and Lough Ree to the north.
Lough Boora
Loch an Dochais
Loch an Dochais, meaning ‘Lake of Hope’, is the first lake you meet to the right (west) of the Cycle Path road when travelling south from the R357 towards Kilcormac.
The lake is just under a hectare in size, it has a maximum depth of two metres. A coarse fishing lake, it holds good stocks of tench with regular catches of fish averaging over three pounds having been reported. The lake also holds a stock of small perch. The use of maggots, worms or sweetcorn is recommended and pre-baiting is advised. There is no closed season but best results are achieved between April and October.
Loch an Dochais has been developed to facilitate anglers with disabilities. Complete with fishing stands designed for wheelchairs, a specially designed car park and a connecting concrete pathway with raised sides, it hosts an annual All Ireland Trout Fishing Match for anglers with disabilities. First prize is the Mary Robinson Perpetual Trophy.
The lake is an ideal site for supervised children to fish in safety and a number of trout matches are held for junior anglers each year. The lake is stocked with trout for these events.
Finnamores lakes
Finnamores lakes consist of Finnamores Upper (nearest to R357) and Lower. They are situated 16 km to the west of Tullamore on the right (south) of the R357 Boora road, which links Cloghan village to the N52 at Blue Ball.
The two lakes cover a total area of ten hectares and are up to three metres in depth. Bank fishing is available and stands are also in place. Both lakes have been stocked with adult tench (up to four pounds in weight), juvenile carp and adult bream. There is no closed season but best results are had between April and October. Pre baiting gives best results and sweetcorn, maggots or worms on small hooks are the most commonly used bate.
Finnamores Upper is the most frequently fished of the two lakes.
Boora lake
Boora lake is situated south of Loch an Dochais, on the western side of the Cycle Path road.
The lake covers an area of just under five hectares. The deeper side runs alongside the road and most of the angling is done from this shore and its stands. A coarse fishing lake it holds good stocks of adult tench over four pounds in weight, and roach. While there is no closed season best results are had between April and October. The use of worms, maggots, sweetcorn or breadcrumb is recommended and pre baiting is advised.
This lake is also popular for feeding ducks and geese which can be hand fed on the lakeshore.
Loch Clochan
Loch Clochan is situated 2 km east of Cloghan village on the northern side of the R357.
The lake covers an area of three and a half hectares and has depths of up to two and a half metres. A ‘put and take’ trout fishery under the control of the Cloghan and District Anglers Club, membership is open to all for a small fee per year. Members are entitled to fish Loch Cloghan at a reduced rate per day. For non-members a daily ticket can be purchased, with a reduced rate for juvenile anglers. All tickets are available from Daley’s Londis Supermarket in Cloghan village.
The lake is stocked regularly and the average fish size is three quarters of a pound but it is not uncommon to catch fish up to two pounds. The open season is between May the 1st and October the 12th, 8am to 10pm. Fly fishing from the bank or stands is the only method permitted and there is a bag limit of three fish per rod, per day. The size limit is twelve inches. Best returns are got on Nymphs and Muddlers, and there is a hatch of may flies on the lake.
Membership can be obtained from Paddy Barry, Castle St, Cloghan
Portumna, Co. Galway
Portumna features several prime angling hotspots, including a number of official match stretches on the River Shannon itself and the northern shores of Lough Derg. Rogers Island, where record bag weights up to 65 kg (143 lbs) were recorded in the Benelux King of Clubs competition, and Fairyhill are notable stretches.
The northern shores of Lough Derg around Portumna Bay have become renowned for the quality of bream fishing. On the river just north of Portumna, two adjacent fisheries, the Salmon Run and the Shibeen Stretch offer good fishing possibilities, especially for hybrids, roach and bream
There is a great choice of angling waters , with up to 12 ‘hotspots’ in the 22.5 km (14 ml) stretch, from Clonmacnoise to the north, downstream as far as Shannon Harbour near Banagher. Specimen tench are frequently recorded off the Hot Water stretch. Boats are available for hire in the village.
Carrigahorig Bay, Co. Tipperary
This is a large sheltered bay with an average depth of 4.8m (16 ft). The area is prolific with big bream and it's also noted for specimen pike. Good rudd stocks are available where the river Shannon flows into the lake. There is limited shore fishing. For best results, a boat is essential.
Dromineer, Co. Tipperary
This is primarily a leisure boating centre. There is shore fishing from the quays, slipway and harbour walls for perch, small pike and bream.
Kilgarvan (Ballinderry), Co. Tipperary
This area has a great history of fishing and is a well established fishing centre. There is limited shore fishing from the quays. It offers a great variety of coarse fishing for the boat angler. Bream, tench and pike are plentiful.
Terryglass, Co. Tipperary
An exceptionally pretty and attractive centre. It is well organised for the visitor and there is shore fishing from the pier. For the boat angler, there are especially good shoals of specimen rudd as well as bream, tench and pike in the bay.
Youghal Bay (Garrykennedy, Co. Tipperary)
This area is reputed for its specimen fish – big pike, tench and rudd for the angler afloat. There is also a good stock of bream and hybrids. Youghal Quay can be shore fished and a small boat may be launched there.
