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Salmon Fishing Holidays Ireland

Salmon fishing holidays in Ireland are bound to be an unforgettable experience. Fishing offers close contact with nature, the perfect way to relax and envigorate.

Some suitable locations for salmon fishing holidays in Ireland

Fishing for salmon can be a community effort! The angler is still fighting his salmon while his friend is starting to net him.

I’m blessed to live in the West of Ireland, which is criss-crossed by numerous rain fed rivers and lakes rich in salmon and sea trout. The main spots for salmon fishing holidays in Ireland are all around me in Donegal, Mayo and Galway.

I will start with Galway in detail because that’s what I know best. I’m well positioned in Galway for some top class salmon fishing spots that I want to share with you here as well as an overview of some of the main Irish salmon fisheries further down the page.

The Clare River is within 20 minutes driving time from my home in Annaghdown on the shore of Lough Corrib, which also has great salmon fishing. The Clare River enjoys excellent runs of Salmon, and there are only a couple of private club stretches along its course.

Creggmore is an excellent spot for salmon fishing, as well as trout. The only requirement is to purchase a state salmon licence, and the tags that come with it. When you catch a salmon that you intend to keep, you are legally required to insert the tag in its gill case and fill out the details of its capture in a log book, which must be returned to the fisheries board at the end of the season. Fisheries officers are never too far away to enforce the law.

The ‘Galway Fishery’ at the Salmon Weir in Galway City is the entry point for any salmon bound for the Corrib system. The first beat, directly under the weir is very popular, and to fish there one must book in advance. It’s on my bucket list!

Passers-by and tourists throng the salmon weir bridge next to Galway Cathedral every summer to look down, in wonder on the shoals of salmon, holding station in the clear waters below. Every now and again the spectacle of a wading angler locked in battle with a lively salmon below, creates a fascinating and exciting diversion.

Our friend Frank with an impressive catch taken in County Mayo.

A large proportion of these Corrib salmon make their way to the Cong River in Cong, County Mayo. This picturesque little village was the main location for the filming of John Ford’s film, ‘The Quiet Man’. Ashford Castle Hotel controls some of the fishing, but there is also great fishing upstream in the village which can be enjoyed by anyone with the relevant State license. The back of the hatchery is a particularly productive spot.

Connemara is home to some world famous salmon waters, such as the Fermoyle and Costello fishery, immortalised in the the classic angling book ‘A man may fish’ by T.C Kingsmill Moore. The breathtakingly beautiful Kylemore fishery at Kylemore Abbey and Derryclare Lough are some other examples of fisheries which draw international anglers every year to enjoy brilliant salmon and sea trout fishing in the awesome wild scenery of Connemara.

Other Locations For Salmon Fishing Holidays in Ireland:

Ireland has an abundance of terrific salmon waters with some counties especially blessed; particularly Donegal, Mayo and Galway.

This following list features just a few that spring to mind.

River Systems:

• The River Moy in County Mayo
• The River Drowes in County Donegal/ Leitrim
• The Blackwater in County Kerry/Cork
• The Clare River in County Galway
• The Owenea, County Galway
• Easkey River, County Sligo
• The River Nore, County Kilkenny
• Gweebarra River County Donegal

More About Fishing In Ireland

More On Irish Culture

Some Salmon Lakes:

• Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway
• Lough Conn, County Mayo
• Lough Beltra, County Mayo
• Lough Currane, County Kerry
• Kylemore Lough, Connemara, County Galway
• Derryclare Lough, Connemara, County Galway
• Lough Gill, County Sligo
• Glencar Lake, County Sligo
• Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway
• For many of the angling enthusiasts who make the journey every year for salmon fishing holidays, Ireland is a second home.

Hi there, hope you liked our page on salmon fishing breaks in Ireland!

If you did, please pay it back and give us a social shout out using the options we provide at the top left and very bottom. Much appreciated!

Join the club! Tight lines. Regards, Colm

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Warmest regards, Colm & Susanna

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