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Fishing tours and holidays in France
General Information
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Fishing in Ireland
With the abundance of coastline and inland waterways, Ireland is the perfect
destination for all types of angling holidays. Salmon, trout and sea trout
are native species with an honoured place in Irish culture, and Ireland's
lakes and rivers have preserved their character in a landscape which has
changed very little over the centuries. The Irish coastline, almost 5,000km
miles long, is washed by some of the cleanest and clearest seas in Europe.
This together with its varied and rugged coastline offers unlimited
opportunities to the sea angler. Ireland also has some of the cleanest and
most lightly-fished freshwaters in Europe. The Irish landscape is one of
small fields and wild peat bogs, littered with lakes of all sizes and
drained by many rivers - with the result that there are over 11,000km of
riverbank for the coarse and pike angler. The pike is one of the most
widespread of Irish fish, and pike fishing is as old as Irish angling.
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Coarse Fishing in Ireland
Anglers return to Ireland year after year for quality fishing in superb scenery amongst genuinely friendly people, and that special Irish factor, the ‘craic’.
With rivers and still-waters of every size, there’s something for everybody, both pleasure anglers and match fisherman.
Springtime sees the larger lakes producing 100 pounds plus bags, and as the waters warm the fishing gets even better. Right through into late autumn the rivers and lakes offer terrific sport.
Irish inland waters have retained their pristine quality. Ireland has never
had a significant degree of heavy industry, and its inland towns are mainly
small. It is still possible to find yourself in a corner of an Irish lough,
sheltered by dense reedbeds standing in ten feet of clear water, and to feel
that you are the first person ever to have fished that particular place.
This peace can be found on any one of the many types of Irish water. There
are the big rivers, such as the Shannon, but there are also medium sized
rivers like the Barrow. There are deep loughs dark with peat stain and there
are crystal clear waters, such as Lough Annagbrnore in County Roscommon,
where you may see the fish take your bait. Some of the biggest loughs are
rugged and wild when stirred by the westerly winds which sweep over Ireland.
But there are also small quiet loughs and miles of canal sheltered by stands
of mature trees where the most delicate styles of angling can be practised
in perfect peace.
Irish coarse fishing offers this solitude and tranquillity and it can also
offer companionship to those who like to fish in company. But above all it
offers superb fishing.
Irish coarse fish are recognised as some of the finest specimens you can
fish for. Always in excellent condition and for the most part co-operative
with the anglers' efforts they ensure big bags are just a few casts away.
The specimen fisherman and specialist angler will not be disappointed
either. Huge hybrids, bream and tench are never in short supply, and of
course where ever you can find good shoals of coarse fish you will always
find some fine pike.
Some of the most popular Irish Coarse fish are as follows:
Carp
here are four varieties of carp in Ireland. These are the fully scaled
Common Carp, the Mirror Carp, which has relatively few scales and a smooth
body surface, the linear carp, with scales along the lateral line only and
the Leather Carp which are totally scaleless and also very rare.
Bream
Bream are one of the most common coarse fish species in Ireland. They range
from relatively small canal fish (although big specimens can be taken from
stretches of limestone canal) to Shannon shoal fish sometimes averaging over
5lbs each, to the small groups of specimens in limestone loughs where
individuals can exceed 10lbs.
Pike
Ireland has produced legendary pike; several fish over 50lbs have been
caught. The rod and line records of 39lbs 3ozs for a lough fish, and 42lbs
for a river fish, do not fully give the measure of the biggest Irish pike,
for greater fish swim in Irish waters. Pike can be found in every part of
the country and they may be sought from boat or bank, in very big waters and
very small ones. They can be fished for in every season, and they can also
be caught by a wide range of methods; recently fly-fishing for pike has
become very popular. It is important to sustain the high quality of Irish
pike fishing. For this reason conservation regulations have been introduced
to encourage the live return of all bigger fish.
Tench
Tench are found all over the midlands and also in the canals - the Royal,
the Grand and the Barrow - which connect Dublin with the Shannon and the
Barrow systems respectively. The stretches of the Shannon at Lanesborough
and Shannonbridge which are artificially heated by water from power station
outflows, have produced several Irish record tench and tens of specimen
fish. Limestone loughs in County Clare have also recently produced many
specimen tench.
Sea Fishing in Ireland
The Irish coastline, over 3000 miles long, is washed by some of the cleanest
and clearest seas in Europe. It is also one of the most varied, with
dramatic cliffs such as those in Donegal, Mayo and Clare; many miles of wide
strands with their arresting contrast of blue sea, white surf and pale
sands; and stretches of rugged rocky coastline and quiet estuaries.
This variety offers unlimited opportunities to the sea angler, who can find
somewhere to fish almost all the year round.
Some popular Irish sea fishing regions are as follows:
Shannon Region
The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board coastal boundaries extend from Hags
Head on the Co Clare Coast, and includes all of the Shannon Estuary to
Limerick on the north side of the river, to Kerry head on the south side of
the river.
The region's scenic and rugged coastline offers exceptional shore angling.
There are 40 shore angling marks where excellent Ballan Wrasse can be taken
as well as Mackerel, Pollack, Dogfish, Bull Huss, Ling and Conger. The
current Irish record Bass of 17lbs 13ozs was landed at Doughmore strand near
Doonbeg Co Clare on the 21st October 2000. There are many piers along the
Irish coastline with miles of sandy beaches to tempt you. Good sign posting
to the popular angling marks, will assist locating fishing spots.
Dublin Region
Dublin and Dun Laoghaire (Co Dublin). On the northside of Dublin, Howth
Harbour is popular venue: from piers it is possible to catch whiting,
pollack, coalfish and codling. From the rocks, mackerel, flatfish and
others. Good boat fishing for large spurdog. Howth club holds an annual
festival. The Estuary at Sutton is a good place to dig lugworm and clam.
Ragworm can also be found. In Dublin Bay good points are Dollymount Strand,
(some large bass, flounder, eels, codling, good in autumn at evening); sea
wall running south, (pollack, codling, whiting, bass and flounder). Along
the River Liffey between Ringstead Basin and Pidgeon House Power Station
(mullet and bass in large numbers); spinning below Poolbeg Lighthouse (bass,
mackerel); Sandymount Strand, a large beach with gullies and pools, with
bass, mullet, big flounder. This beach can be dangerous at flood tide. The
Ferryport at Dun Laoghaire provides pier fishing from West Pier: dabs and
conger are abundant in summer, whiting, codling, pouting, coalfish in
autumn/winter; also Coal Quay, for mullet fishing.
Wicklow Region
Generally the Wicklow beaches are best fished after good strong easterly
wind. Long casts are not necessary after stormy conditions in contrast to
summer requirements. Success in summer can be best achieved with casts
around 100m. Boats can be launched easily at Wicklow Harbour and there is
good inshore fishing around Wicklow head. Boat anglers can hope to encounter
ray, tope, spurdog and codling. Fishing from the pier can also produce an
array of species including pollack, coalfish, dogfish, ray, rockling and
flatfish. The Silver Strand is located approximately 3.5 miles south of
Wicklow Head. There is good fishing early in the year for bass, flounder,
dogfish and plaice.
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