The
Irish fishing holiday is recognized as being the most desirable
of fishing vacation
destinations in Europe. The vast variety and quality of fishing
in Ireland has given the country a reputation of which there
is no equal.
The
basis of fishing in Ireland is the discovery of native
fish in wild waters. Ireland offers a unique opportunity
to experience such fishing. Salmon, trout and sea trout
are
native species with a special standing in Irish culture.
Ireland's loughs (lakes) and rivers have changed very little
over the centuries. The fisherman on Lough Mask, one of
the great western limestone lakes, experiences a timeless
scene
in his surroundings. This is one of the pleasures of fishing
in Ireland, with the many types of Irish rivers and lakes.
Lough Mask is like an inland sea but there are also countless
smaller lakes, where one can fish in sheltered solitude.
Major rivers in Munster, in southern Ireland, offer the
sport with salmon and scenery on a grand scale. A more
intimate
experience can be found on the smaller trout streams that
wind through County Meath. While Irish fishing is a sport
of numerous landscapes and many seasons, it still offers
a rare experience in a world where it is increasingly harder
to find such a variety of choices.
The
Atlantic salmon has always been a prize Irish fish. Irish
salmon fishing is easily accessible and reasonably
priced.
The largest fish run in the early months of the year
and average about nine pounds. A spring fish from cold
water
is magnificently silver, muscular and graceful. To catch
one in a week of fishing is a triumph. They can be caught
from January onwards in rivers that flow into Donegal
Bay. As other rivers open, spring fish may be found all
over
Ireland. They can also be caught in some lakes in County
Mayo from
March onwards. Generally, salmon fishing in rivers or
lakes is best when they are fresh in from the sea but they
can
also be very active after floods.
Sea
trout can be found in rivers and lakes near the Irish coast,
with population variable in different areas. They
are closely related to brown trout, swimming to sea
as smolts, and usually returning as mature adults. They
are a wonderful
sporting fish, which can be caught by all methods in
rivers and lakes. They range in size from three quarters
of a
pound to some weighing over six pounds. Normal trout
fishing tackle
can be used when fishing for sea trout.
Brown
trout can be found in almost any Irish river and lake.
Even though it is a single species, in Ireland,
they come
in a large variety of colors and sizes. The brightly
colorful fish of mountain streams are usually small,
however, the
selective trout of limestone rivers in County Tipperary
may weigh three pounds or more. Great Irish fishing
catches
of
over ten pounds are caught every year from the larger
limestone lakes, like Lough Corrib in County Galway,
or Lough Sheelin
in County Cavan.
The
salmon and sea trout season opens on January 1st in some
fisheries. Most fisheries open at a later
date
up
to March
20th. Most brown trout fisheries open between February
15th and March 1st. Most fisheries close on September
30th with
a few exceptions that close on dates between September
15th and October 12th. Most brown trout fisheries
close on September
30th with some exceptions, which close on various
dates between September 15th and October 12th.
The
Emerald Isle has a seriously busy Irish fishing season.
There are many Irish travel and tourism
businesses offering
Irish fishing holidays everywhere in Ireland.
People come from all over the world just to fish in Ireland
for one
week. On our first trip there in 1998, we met
a
group of fishermen
from England. Their tour organizer was the same
person that we rented our self-catering accommodation
from.
He invited
us to join his group at a nearby pub on the last
night of their holiday. It was a great time,
and I'm sure
that the
British fishermen loved their Irish fishing holiday.
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