Spinfish Where to Go Fishing in Southern Ireland - Cavan

The Southern Ireland Where to Fish A to Z


Coarse Fishing | Rivers | Stillwaters / Loughs


The Shannon


The river Shannon is one enormous fishery running through several counties, many loughs and an associated, extensive canal system.

Sourced from Shannon Pot the river flows 224 miles through Cavan, Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, Rosscommon, Offaly, Gallway, Tiperary, Limerick and Clare forming the border between counties for much of it's length.

Google Satellite View Shannon Pots

Google Satelite View, That little spot is the soure of the Shannon. From little acorns....


The Shannon drains one fith of Ireland, 6,512 sqaure mile, passing through loughs Allen, Drumharlow, Corry, Tap, Boderg, Bofin, Forbes, Ree, and Derg. It is also linked to Dublin by the Grand Canal. There are also many canalised sections associated with the river Shannon.

Shannon is mentioned in all counties in Spinfish Where to Fish guide to fishing in Ireland but there is so much of it you really need many more references to get to grips with this famed river. Here are a few links well worth checking out:

Country Sport and Country Life Coarse Fishing in the Shannon Region

Fishing in Ireland Tulla Angling Centre

Fishing in Ireland, Shannon, Banagher

Fishing in Ireland Lanesboro Angling Centre / Shannon

Fishing in Ireland Lough Ree

Midland Fisheries Group, Waters and Permits


Rivers Game


Looking at Cavan on Google Satellite you can see that the north west is splattered with loughs, an angling maze. On the southern border there is Lough Shelin, reknonwed for its trout fishing.

Coarse Fishing | Rivers | Stillwaters / Loughs



Belturbet


The town of Belturbet is located in the north of Cavan surrounded by loughs. Have a look at this link to see what is instore:

Belturbet Angling Centre Cavan

Rivers Game


Annalee


Bonnoe and District Angling Association


Bunoe DAA have the fishing on the Annalee from Ballymallon Bridge up to Porter Bridge. They also have fishing on the Drummore river and the Bunnoe River.

Permits call +353 (0) 47 55067

Laragh Anglers


Laragh Anglers have the fishing on the river Laragh, a tributary, of the Annalee which flows through Cliffern. Permits from Bradys Bar, The Cross, Stradone Village.

Cavan Anglers Club


Cavan AC has fishing on the river Annalee and on Lough Shelin.

The Annalee waters stretch from Iron Bridge near Ballahaise (Google map 54.052081, -7.322313 to Ballymallon Bridge (Google Map 54.050872, -7.236055), about 6k of water. Permits from Dunohoe's Bar, Ballyhaise Village.

Fishing is fly only for wild brown trout with fish to 3lbs being recorded. The river has two characters, perfect riffle and pools and some slower deeper section suited to coarse fish. Good fly life with a hatch of Mayfly.

30/05/19

River Erne


Belturbet Angling Association


Belturbet AA have fishing on the river Erne between Kilconney Bridge and the railway bridge in Belturbut. Fishing is fly only for wild brown trout with some good fish caught every year.

In addition the club has a rainbow trout fishery, Holy Lake, located about 4 miles from Belturbot on the Ballyconnel / Belturbet road.

The fishery has excellent water quality providing good feeding for the fish that grow on well and are free risers.

There 6 boats and a boat adapted for disabled anglers. Permits from the house by the entrance to the lake, call 049 9522865

Google Map 54.101106, -7.513610 Holy Loch

Checked 01/06/19

Stillwaters / Loughs Game


Loch Erne


Parts of Upper Lough Erne are in Cavan other parts are in Northern Ireland. Excellent coarse fishing. Go to for more information:

Fishing on Lough Erne


Lough Gowna


Lough Gowna straddles the border between Longford and Cavan on the head water of the river Erne. Very accessible and known for it's excellent pike fishing with 30lb plus specimens caught every year. These are also good stocks of coarse fish. At just under 1200 hectares this convoluted lough offers some excellent fishing.

To find out more go to Fishing in Ireland at:

Fishing Lough Gowna


Google Map 53.861196, -7.559688

Checked 18/07/19

Lough Sheelin


Some people would say that Lough Sheelin is the best trout lough in Ireland, some might say it is the best anywhere, the statistics tend to bear this out.

Google Street View Lough Sheelin

Google Street View Lough Sheelin


In a recent study the lough, which is only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide (4654 acres), was found to hold over 100,000 fish over 8 inches of which 40,000 were between 2 and 4lbs. Now that is phenomenal. The average for the lough is 3lbs with fish up to double figures taken every year.

What makes Sheelin so productive? As with many of the famous Irish loughs, Sheelin lies on limestone giving the water a high Ph. Alkaline water ensures fertility which means everything grows fast, there being so much to eat that the lough sustains a fish population way above what its size would suggest.

The lough doesn't just hold trout, there are substantial pike and a large population of course fish which becomes important to the trout angler later in the season. Off course there is the fly population which is plentiful making Sheelin a top dry fly venue, then there is the Mayfly which brings the lough to the boil.

The fishing season extends from 1st March to 12th October. Given the statistics you would think that you would be into good bags of fish, well it does happen but Sheelin also has a reputation for being hard going. Maybe its because there is just so much for the fish to feed on.

The fishing starts in March with trout feeding on shrimp and water louse along the rocky shores.

By mid April the Duck Fly starts in the eastern side of the loch for about four week. Olives start in early May followed by the Mayfly hatch and a hatch of green and olive buzzers.

The Murrough


A big red sedge, hatches from the start of May for about 6 weeks and can attract the big fish of an evening. Caenis appear in June and July in amazing numbers which can drive the fish into a feeding frenzy (and the angler to despair) such that they are next to impossible to catch. I've seen trout cruising along with their s out of the water filtering out the caenis like mini basking sharks, the only way the catch them is to put the fly in their mouths or break the mould and use something silly like a big daddy longlegs. Worked for me.

By mid June the coarse fish fry are around in great numbers and the trout hammer into the shoals. August sees an other olive hatch and hatches of sedge fly, towards the end of the season dapping with grasshoppers or daddies is exciting and effective.

There is a positive feast of food for the fish throughout the season representing serious challenges for the 'match the hatch' fisherman, the best kind of fly fishing, where hard work, good presentation, knowledge of flies and fly life and a bit of luck can combine to give a rewarding fishing experience.

Best fly patterns are: March, GRHE, Mallard and Claret, Sooty Olive; April, Duckfly Pupae, Sooty Olive, Small Mallard and Claret, Dunkeld; May, Olive Nymph, Spent Gnat, Murrough; mayfly patterns; June / July Green Nymph, a light coloured Greenwells Glory, Sooty Olive and silver and gold bodied flies or white lures to represent the perch and roach fry; August to October, Bibio, Green Peter, Sooty Olive, Connemara Black.

For all of that the fishing permit is inexpensive. Youy must have a Midland FisheryGroup permit, Shelin is on of the waters where you need a license to fish for trout. Day and 21 day tickets are available on line or from tackle shops around Sheelin.

There is 14" size limit and a 4 fish per day bag limit. Boats can be hiredr and their are several Ghillies you can hire to guide you round the 4,000 acre lough and advise you on flies and techniques. Google Map Reference 53.805992, -7.325783

Buy you Midlands Fisheries Group permit on line:

Midlands Fisheries Group Permits

Checked 26/07/19

Coarse Fishing


Pike Fishing in Cavan


Fishing in Ireland have describes a number of locations in Cavan that would be suitable, have a look at this link:

Fishing in Ireland Pike Cavan

Ballieboro


There are 4 lakes in the area with mixed coarse fishing, hybrids some specimens:

Castle Lough Google Map 53.934502, -6.987762.

Skeagh Lough 53.951185, -7.008851, Drumkerry Lough 53.947745, -6.991168

Galloncurra, not found.

Castle lake has a stand for disabled anglers

Google Street Disabled anglers stand Lough Ballieboro

Google Street View Disabled stand at Castle Lough near Ballieboro


There are some stands on the other lakes.

Checked 28/07/19

Loch Erne


Parts of Upper Lough Erne are in Cavan other parts are in Northern Ireland. Excellent coarse fishing. Go to for more information:

Fishing on Lough Erne


Lough Shelin


Lough Shelin is not just a trout fishery, it has a very good population of course fish including very big pike.

You will need a Midlands Fisheries group Permit to fish on Sheelin for coarse fish and pike.

For more information go to:

Midland Fisheries Group Permit


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