angling antrim

Lough Neagh has been described as a huge fish factory. It is the biggest lake in the British Isles, and it covers 153 square miles (400 km). Its uncanny similarity in size and shape to the Isle of Man gave rise to the legend that the mythical giant Fiann McCool scooped out a huge lump of earth and threw it into the Irish Sea - the lump of earth formed the Isle of Man, and the hole filled with water became Lough Neagh.

For the tout angler its main interest is the dollaghan, a unique...

Fishing is plentiful in the Glens of Antrim. Its superb variety of rivers and lakes are home to most kinds of freshwater fish. Salmon, sea trout and brown trout frequent the Margy, Carey, Glenshesk, Dun, Dall and Glen rivers. The lakes and reservoirs at Larne, Dungonnell and Fair Head are also good for brown trout. You can fish off the rocks, beaches and piers around Larne, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Cushendall and Ballycastle for plaice, cod, pollock, dogfish and mackerel. Boats can be hired at...

The 4,000 year old tradition of eel fishing is still strong on Lough Neagh, with many local communities dependent upon the 'harvesting' of the eels. The eel's life cycle begins when the tiny elvers set out from the Sargasso Sea on a mammoth journey to the mouth of the River Bann near Coleraine. During the final leg of their journey downstream to Lough Neagh many of the maturing brown eels are caught by local fishermen using traditional methods. The surviving eels remain in the lough and at...

The rivers Bush, Carey, Glenshesk, Margy and Roe all have salmon, sea trout and brown trout. The Agivey river and Dungonnell and Altnahinch reservoirs are good for brown trout. Check that you have the right licence and, where required, owner's permission....

Brill, bass, coalfish, cod, conger, dab, dogfish, flounder, gurnard, haddock, mackerel, mullet, plaice, megrim, pollack, ray (cuckoo, homelyn), skate, turbot, whiting, wrasse. First-class sea boats are avalable. There is also excellent rock and beach fishing....

The lower Bann drains the 250 square miles of Lough Neagh and all the salmon entering the huge system pass through it on their way upstream. In contrast to the Foyle, much of the river is slow flowing but at certain points there are weirs and lock gates which create holding pools for the fish. Most of the fish are caught between mid-June and the end of September. The river gets a small but significant spring run and fish are caught from 1st March to the middle of May when the first of the...