I’ve been fly fishing for my entire life and traveling around the world in search of the best fly fishing destinations. One thing is for sure, Ireland is always near the very top of the list.
It may be believed that fly fishing didn’t begin to be popularized until the 15th century and was based primarily in England, but Ireland and Scotland quickly followed suit, and today, Ireland is likely the best fly fishing destination in all of Europe.
Glistening lakes are interconnected by crystal clear rivers and streams that meander their way through the green farm pastures and natural meadows until they reach the wave-battered coast.
This is a place where trout and bass frequent the waters, and where large Atlantic salmon come in from the ocean and haunt the dreams of anglers who visit here.
Hooking into a 25 lb salmon on the end of an 8 weight fly rod is the dream of most fly fishermen who make the journey to Ireland.
If you’re an angler and fly fishing in Ireland hasn’t been on your bucket list, it should be after reading this.
In this post, I’m going to list 5 of the best places for fly fishing in Ireland. Here it goes.
In This Post:
1. Waterville
- Species: Mainly Brown Trout, Sea Trout, Salmon and Bass
- Nearby Camping: Manix Point Camping & Caravan Park (from €8.50 pp)
- Best Spot: Lough Currane
Most of the best fly fishing in County Kerry, Ireland will be along the Owenmore River, which passes through 9 lakes inside of 300 acres of pristine countryside.
Salmon, grilse, and sea trout start their run in April and continue on through the spring, the summer, and right into the fall in October.
The higher altitude lakes of Kerry are home to large brown trout and Arctic Char. The fisheries in this part of Ireland are wild stock and fully self-sustaining their populations.
There are more than 33 named fly fishing pools in a 5 miles stretch of the Owenmore, but that’s not all Kerry has to offer anglers.
The Coomcalle Mountains have fantastic fishing opportunities and the lakes, rivers, and streams around Waterville have plenty of sea trout, brown trout, and salmon to present your fly to.
The broad rivers found in County Kerry are a good place to break out the two-handed Spey rod, to get to those further to reach pools where the big trout lie in wait.
If you’re coming to Ireland as an Angler, you really can’t miss the incredible fly fishing in this part of the country. The sheer number of healthy, beautiful fish per square mile of water will be hard to beat anywhere in the world.
2. The Great Western Lakes
- Species: Ferox Trout, Salmon, Pike
- Nearby Camping: Cong Camping (from €30 / tent)
- Best Spots: Lough Mask, Lough Carra, River Clare
While Waterville is in County Kerry and near Lough Currane, the entire region around The Great Western Lakes of Ireland (or Lough in the Irish language), are home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes and incredible trout fishing in Ireland, and all of Europe.
This is a place where you’ll want to come on a road trip to find the many different fly fishing spots, so give yourself a week or so if you really want to explore the Loughs.
Made up of mainly Lough Corrib, Mask, Carra, Conn, and Cullin, these are some of the last remaining limestone lakes that hold wild trout.
The high alkalinity of the waters here means that these are some of the most productive lakes in the world, often keeping large stores of fast-growing and strong fighting Farox Trout that top the scales at 20+ lbs.
The average catch size here is maybe two to five pounds, but here are some beasts hidden in these deep waters. While Farox Trout are the target of most anglers here, there are also plenty of Pike and Salmon found in these lakes.
One of the best parts of fishing in The Great Western Lakes is that there is no license required and there are plenty of affordable camping options all around the region, some of which are as little as €9 per person.
The fishing season here runs from February 15h to September 30th, so you have plenty of time throughout the spring, fall, and summer to cast or troll for massive Ferox.
3. The River Moy
- Species: Salmon, Brown Trout, Sea Trout
- Nearby Camping: Carrow Keel Camping (from €12)
- Best Spots: Mount Falcon, Cloongee, Armstrong’s Fishery, Pontoon Bridge
We’ve finally left the trout-haven Irish southwest and moved to another part of the country. If you’re in for salmon fishing, The River Moy is the place you’ll want to come.
While The River Moy does have great populations of sea and brown trout, this is likely the most prolific salmon fishing river in the entire country, if not in all of Europe.
While the best salmon fishing on the Moy runs from February to September, it is said that these beasts are running in these waters every single month of the year.
There are plenty of accommodation options around the River Moy, but if you’re traveling on a budget, in a caravan or just plan to do some camping, then you can’t go wrong with Carrow Keel Campground, which is one of the highest-rated campgrounds in the country.
4. The River Boyne
- Species: Salmon, Sea Trout
- Nearby Camping: Rock Farm Slane (Glamping from €100)
- Best Spots: The lower reaches of The Boyne River between Drogheda and Navan
Running through County Kildare and alongside the famous Boyne Castle, The River Boyne and its tributaries are easily some of the most productive wild trout fisheries in all of Ireland.
Here you can expect beautiful wild trout averaging around 2 pounds, with many reaching up to 4 or five pounds, especially those found around Kells Blackwater.
Early in the season, you’ll likely find a reasonably-sized run of grilse and sea trout, which continue on into the summer and early autumn.
The best areas on The River Boyne for salmon fishing will be in private fisheries at the lower ends of the rivers around Navan and Drogheda. The average size of these species is 7 – 10 lbs, but there are plenty of reports of people pulling 20+ pounders out of these rivers.
The season here runs from March 1st to September 30th. Bring along your best 8 weight fly rods and some colorful shrimp patterns for your best luck at the larger salmon and trout.
5. The Dingle Peninsula
- Species: Sea Bass, Pollack, Wrasse
- Nearby Camping: Rock Farm Slane (Glamping from €100)
- Best Spots: The lower reaches of The Boyne River between Drogheda and Navan
Who doesn’t want to take a drive along Ireland’s breathtaking Wild Atlantic Highway with stops for fly fishing in some of the country’s most scenic spots?
This is the first place on this list where you’ll likely bring your saltwater fly rod and saltwater fly reel and head to the coast.
Here you’ll have opportunities to hook into large sea bass, wrasse, and Pollack.
The best part of fly fishing on the Dingle Peninsula is that you can cast your line out and watch the sunset in the late evening, hoping to hook into massive 20-pound sea bass, while sipping a beer and enjoying the view.
Enjoy Fly Fishing in Ireland
Ireland has long been one of the best fly fishing destinations in the world. Perhaps every angler dreams of wandering around the rolling green hills and craggy coastline of this Atlantic island, casting their rod in the pools and waves of this historic landscape.
For me, it has been a dream for many years. To explore the history of Ireland, taste the food, go on hiking trips in Ireland, take a road trip, and travel around this fascinating country.
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