The Loughs
Lough Corrib
Located in Co Galway
The Corrib, as it is affectionately known, has to be one of the world’s great game fisheries. It stretches crescent-like around Connemara from Galway City for over 30 miles to Maam Bridge and offers a magnificent variety of angling challenged over a long season. That season begins on 15 February and the first trout are taken on trolled baits, though artificial flies will also give results in sheltered bays, even this early in the season. Serious fly fishing begins in late March with the first fly hatches – large chironomids, known locally as duckfly. This fly hatches in sheltered bays with good weed growth on the bottom and a depth of from 4 to 12 feet approximately. The angler can fish chironomid pupa imitations in calm conditions, but traditional fly patterns in sizes 10-14 are much more productive with a nice breeze blowing. Favourites are Blae Sooty Olive, Red Arrow, Fiery Brow, Mallard and Claret, Connemara Black, Peter Ross, Bibio, Watson’s Fancy and Coachman. This fishing can be enjoyed along the west shore from Birchall Bay to Rinnerroon Point and on the east side from Rabbit Island almost to Cong, in Carrick Bay to the north of the Doorus Peninsula and on much of Lower Corrib. Depending on water conditions, the lake olives hatch in late April. The trout again feed freely and can be taken on nymphs, dry fly and wet fly. Popular wet-fly patterns at this time are Greenwell’s Glory, Blae Sooty Olive, Olive Bumble, Sooty Olive, Cock Robin, Invicta, Green Olive and Claret and Olive.
The mayfly hatch begins around 20 May and is undoubtedly the high point of the season, when anglers come from near and far to enjoy its delights. The mayfly fishing lasts for nearly a month. Dapping the natural mayfly – collected and sold by the local schoolchildren – is by far the most successful method and well over 5,000 trout are reported for the mayfly season every year. After mid-June and into early July, the trout can be very difficult to attract, but by mid-August they are back on the move again and a dapped daddy is once more the most successful approach. Natural grasshoppers can also be dapped at this time and, with the onset of autumn and September, wet-fly fishing around the islands, along by the shore and across the various headlands will once more get a response from the trout. Useful patterns are Green Peter, Invicta, Black Pennell, Murrough, Bibio, Watson’s Fancy, Sooty Olive and Raymond.
Corrib gets a good run of both spring salmon and grilse and the majority of fish taken are caught by trolling. The standard baits are Tobys and copper and silver spoons. The majority of spring salmon are taken in the Cong – Carrick shore area, while the grilse, which are much more numerous when they arrive in June, are likely to take either a fly or a bait in any shallow area. Favourite grilse areas on Lower Lough Corrib are Billybeg, Muckrush, Rabbit Island and the Narrows, while on the upper lough they can be taken anywhere along the west shore from Inishgarraun to the mouth of the Fallomer River. Hot spots in this area are Bog Bay, Oughterard Bay, Inishdawee and along the Glaun shore. Another good area is around Inishdoorus and along the west side of Doorus Peninsula, with special emphasis on Hut Bay. The other good area is the Carrick Shore, east past Cong to Inishmicatreer. It is generally agreed that more grilse are taken along the west shore – Inishgarraun to Fallomer River – than anywhere else. They can also be taken on a fly when they come in fresh, and favourite patterns are Green Peter, Silver Doctor, Black Goldfinch, Black Doctor and Thunder and Lightning – sizes 8 and 10.
Access to Upper Corrib is good, with numerous car parks, public quays and slipways. Among the better ones are Derrymoyle, Oughterard Pier, Hackett’s Pier, Birchall, Collinamuck, Knockferry, Rinnaknock, Greenfields, Derries, Golden Bay, Lisloughrey and Cornamona. Access to Lower Corrib is more limited and is easiest from Annaghdown Pier and the Streamers Quay in Galway. There are a number of well-recognised angling centres around the lough. Oughterard is probably the best known, but Cong, Cornamona, Headford, Knockferry and Annaghdown are equally well established. There the visiting angler can obtain accommodation and hire boatmen, boats and outboard motors, as well as sharing the company of all those who have come to enjoy the marvellous sport and endless angling variety that is available on Lough Corrib.
The salmon-fishing season opens on 1 February and the trout season on 15 February, and both end on 30 September. There is a statutory 12-inch size limit for trout.
To help the angler find the best fishing grounds, the following is a guided tour of the lough, starting first at the mouth of the Maam River and coming south along the western shore and its islands.
Maam River to Fallomer River: Salmon lie close to the shore, but this is an area that is not often fished for trout.
Fallomer River to Conor’s Point: Holds a good stock of trout. Has a mayfly hatch and can be fished out approximately 500 yards off shore around the mouth of the river. Salmon lie close to the shore and on the shallows. There are dangerous underwater rocks in this area and they extend approximately 400 yards west of the river mouth.
Conor’s Point to Curraun Point: Good salmon lie close to shoreline.
Seanavach Point to Seanavach Islands: Fair trout grounds off Seanavach Point and all around the islands. Good salmon ground.
Sullivan’s Point – Charlie's Shallows – Bob’s Island – Lydon’s Point: There are very good trout-fishing shallows all over this area for approximately ½ mile off shore. From Sullivan’s Point to Lydon’s Point is known as the Glann Shore and is a favourite salmon lie. The most prolific salmon grounds are from Lydon’s Point to Glann church. Bob’s Island is good all around for trout for approximately 50 yards off the shore. This area fishes best in a west wind and it has excellent mayfly hatch.
Bay east off Lydon’s Point: Good trout and salmon grounds with the shallows stretching approximately 100 yards off shore.
Rinnerroon Point to Lydon’s Point: The shallow which runs north from Rinnerroon Point for approximately 100 years off shore past the Red Brick House is very good trout water. Very good mayfly and olive hatch. Good salmon lie close to shore.
Rinnerroon Bay: This bay gives very good trout fishing in all seasons. It has excellent hatches of duckfly, olives and mayfly. The extensive shallows extend well out to the Snadaun Islands and there is a very good shallow running from Rinnerroon point almost to Brickeen Island.
Cannaver Island; there is good drift from Rinnerroon Point to Cannaver Island during the mayfly hatch. Wet-fly fishing is limited around Cannaver and Brickeen Islands. Best suited to trolling.
The Snadaun Islands: Surrounded by shallows. Exceptionally good trout fishing to wet fly, mayfly or dapped grasshopper or daddy. There is one very long shallow, which runs from the most south-westerly island towards Brickeen Island.
Annaghbeg Point: The trout fishing extends from the Point north-west along the shore and there is a good shallow approximately 30 yards off shore and parallel to shore. This area is best fished in a north wind. Fishes well in April and has a very good mayfly hatch and some olives. There is also a long shallow extending from the point for approximately 500 yards towards the Snadaun Islands. There is a good salmon lie at the point. There are dangerous rocks underwater, which extend well out.
Kitteen’s bay: This bay consistently gives good trout fishing from late March onwards. Has an excellent duckfly hatch, also mayflies and olive. Some spent-Gnat fishing may also be obtained here in the mayfly season. This bay may be fished along either shore or across the middle.
Park Point: very good wet-fly and mayfly fishing for trout. Good salmon lie. Dangerous underwater rocks extend 50 yards off shore.
Illaundabreach: There is good wet-fly fishing for trout all around this island and also at the shallows Above and Shallow Below. Dapping the mayfly, grasshopper or daddy can be very successful here.
Currarevagh Bay – Moon’s Bay: Extensive trout-fishing shallows all along the shore and there is also a good drift from Currarevagh Point to Glann Wood Point in a north-west wind. There are some hatches of duckfly and good hatches of mayfly and olives. It also offers Spent-Gnat fishing at mayfly time. Salmon lie along the shore and a noted hot spot for salmon to the fly is at the mouth of the Currarevagh River in Moon’s Bay. The same area holds larger than average trout.
Glann Wood Point: There is good wet-fly fishing for trout for 400 yards off the point and over the extensive shallows north-westwards. Particularly good area for mayfly dapping. Salmon can be taken on the fly as well as on the troll. It is possible, with great care, to bring a boat between the rocks and the north-west shore of Glann Wood.
Glynn’s Bay and Back of Foorannagh: This is an extensive bay with an island in the middle. Good trout fishing from March onwards. Good mayfly hatches and olives with Spent-Gnat fishing on suitable evenings. It is not possible to navigate between the island and the shore except in very high water add there is a dangerous underwater rock 25 yards off shore opposite Glynn’s house.
Island off the Wood: Best suited to trolling for trout in springtime.
Derrymoyle River to Foorannagh Point to Sandy Island: Best fished in a west or east wind. The fishing ground extends out to and around Sandy Island and 150 yards east of it. Good all season with duckfly hatch around Cormorant Rock and mayfly all over. It is possible, with care, to navigate between Cormorant Rock and the shore.
Barrusheen Shore: Can best be fly fished with a north or south wind. Wet fly from April. Very good mayfly dapping over wide area of the bay. There is very good trolling for salmon close to the shore and salmon can be taken here on the fly.
Roeillaun: There is good fishing all around the shore but the fishing is best along the wet and south shore. Good mayfly hatch.
The Shallows off the Island: These shallows extend between Roeillaun and Inishdawee and back west for approximately 200 yards past Scoth Point. Prime duckfly fishing in March – April. Good mayfly dapping. Excellent for salmon.
Inishdawee: The best fishing at Inishdawee is west to east along the northern shore and 200 yards approximately out past eastern point of the island. Good hatches of duckfly and mayfly. Salmon can also be taken on the fly or by trolling in this area and also in the gap between Scoth Point and the island especially in a strong north-west wind.
Creeve Bay: Fishes best in a strong west wind due to its sheltered position. It has olives and a good mayfly hatch and fishes well to the dapped grasshopper and daddy as the season progresses. Fishes well to wet flies in September. The mouth of the bay between the point of Inishdawee and out beyond the point of Creeve Island fishes very well for salmon in June.
Oughterard Bay: This is a large bay with extensive fishing shallows stretching two-thirds of the way to Inishanboe Island. It gives excellent trout fishing to wet flies, mayfly and dapping the grasshopper and daddy. Salmon lie all over the bay and can be taken on trolled baits from the end of May though June and early in July. It has numerous dangerous underwater rocks, many of which are marked by iron bars.
Carbry Island: Good trout shallows run from east to west on each side of the island. There is a mayfly hatch. The channel between this island and Malachy’s Island holds pike.
Annaghcloon Point: The fishing grounds off this point run in an east-west direction and very long drifts may be taken in a suitable wind from this point up to and beyond Carbry Island. It offers excellent wet-fly and mayfly fishing. Salmon lie on the point.
Bog Bay: This is an excellent bay for trout and salmon in season. It is very difficult to fish because of the numerous shoals of dangerous underwater rocks.
Portacarron Bay: Unlike Bog Bay, this is a very safe fishing area. There are some dangerous rocks close to the shore but the remainder of the bay has a sand bottom stretching almost half the way to Inishcash. A sand bar runs from off Portacarron Point to Lee’s Point. It has a mayfly hatch and trout fishing can be very good right through to the end of the season, both along the shore and on either side of the sand bar. Salmon lie on the sand bar and on a line from the big rock inside Lee’s Point as far as Malachy’s Island.
Malachy’s Island: Fishes well for trout all round but best on west and south-west shores where there are some dangerous underwater rocks.
Inishcash: good wet-fly fishing all round and there is a duckfly hatch on the eastern shore. The area south-east on Inishcash is a noted pike-holding area.
Lee’s Point: Good for trout and an excellent Salmon lie.
Lee’s Point to Inishgaraun: Wet-fly fishing close in to shore. Drifts farther off shore give good results to dapped flies. There is a good salmon Lie from the western point of Inishgaraun to Lee’s boat quay.
Corrib View Bay (George’s Bay): Bream shoal here in May and June. No trout or salmon. Very narrow entrance from main lough – shallow and difficult to navigate.
Inishgaraun: Mainly wet-fly fishing for trout along shore with dapping productive off north-west shore. The channel between the island and the mainland is navigable only at high water. The shallow off the eastern point of Inishgaraun is very light and should be given a wide berth – at least 150 yards – with an outboard.
Inishgaraun to Molly’s Rock: Good wet-fly fishing for trout south-east past Ard Point. Mayfly hatch.
The Long Shallow: This extensive shallow lies about ½ mile north-east of Inishgaraun and extends for approximately 1 mile in a north-westerly direction. It offers good wet-fly fishing, is productive to the dap at mayfly time and also to the grasshopper and daddy. It is a good trolling area in spring time. Local fishermen sometimes refer to it as ‘The Pig’s Shallow’.
Inchagoill and the islands to the south-east of same:
Inchagoill: This island and its neighbouring island, Inishannagh, can be fished on all sides. It has a good mayfly hatch. From the point of Burr westwards along the northern shore and southwards to The Doe, with its two rocks – one marked by a red bar, there is a sandy bottom and the sand continues eastwards from the Doe to Kinneavy’s Bay. A narrow shallow, which is worth fishing in a suitable wind runs southwards from Dinneavy’s Bay to Ilaundalaur. The shallows at Ishanagh extend over 200 yards in an east – north-east direction.
Islaunalaur: Good wet-fly fishing on all sides and wet-fly and dapping on shallow to Inchagoill. Has a mayfly hatch.
Morgan’s Island: Good wet-fly and dapping especially on rocky western shore. Has mayfly hatch.
Illaunacloch: May be fished all round but the best drift is over the shallows on the south-west shore for approximately 150 yards off shore. Good wet-fly fishing. Dapping can be very productive.
Bilberry Shallow: This shallow begins approximately 1,000 yards north of Bilberry Island and extends to a red stake and for approximately 100 yards around the stake. The fishing is most productive if the drop-off around the shallow is trolled.
Bilberry Island: The fishing is best along the northern shore. Fish wet-fly close in and dap in mayfly season.
Urkaunmore: Extensive shallow on northern shore. Fish close to shore on western, southern and eastern shores. Good dapping area. Troll on drop-off.
Bronteen Islands: This is a group of three islands. Good wet-fly and dapping area and the fishing shallows extend for approximately 600 yards to the north-east.
Inishanboe: The north-western shore and back by south-western point are the most productive fishing grounds. Very good mayfly hatch.
Urkaunbeg – Cussafuara – Inishool: The waters around these islands offer very good trout fishing, both to wet-flies and dapping. An extensive shallow runs westwards from the islands to within approximately 500 yards of Inishanboe. The whole area has a good mayfly hatch. This area should be navigated with great care as rocks come close to the surface in some places and there is only one narrow boat passage between Inishool and Cussafuara. This passage is closest to Inishool.
Maam River to Doorus to Scallop Island:
Castlekirk – Clagan Point – Drumsnauv Bay – Doon Wood: Good trout fishing close to shore in north-west or south-east wind.
Corker Bay: The bay can give excellent trout fishing especially during the mayfly season. It is best fished around the islands and out along the northern shore to Farnaught Point. This shore and point are also excellent salmon lies. Dapping is considered the most successful method of fishing this bay. There are dangerous underwater rocks off Farnaught point, south of Conor’s Island and off the point to Doon Wood.
Farnaught Bay: This area includes the water between Farnaught Point and White Goat Island. Excellent trout water with numerous shallows. Good hatches of duckfly, olives, mayfly and sedges. It can be fished in all winds and is equally good for wet fly or dapping. The deep water east of the islands can also be dapped towards Tootoge Islands.
White Goat Island – Hut Bay: Excellent trout water. Good mayfly catch. Fishes best in a west wind to wet flies or dapped mayfly, daddy or grasshopper.
Hut Bay: Probably the best salmon lie in the lough. Trolling baits is the most successful angling method.
Hut Bay to Cassidy’s Point: Excellent for salmon along the shore but not so good for trout.
Cassidy’s Point – Schoolhouse Bay – The Caol: Excellent trout water with good mayfly hatch. Schoolhouse bay to Cassidy’s Point is excellent salmon water. The Caol holds large trout and is a very good wet-fly and dapping water, especially in a strong west wind.
Illaunrua – Carraig Na gCallaigh – Black Rocks: Excellent trout water with a prolific mayfly hatch and good hatches of olives and duckfly. Trout respond well to all fishing methods in this area.
Doorus Bay: This area offers very good trout fishing in any wind, down to Cnoc Mor Shallow. It has a good duckfly and excellent mayfly hatch, especially inside Roeillaun. The Cnoc Mor Shallow fishes especially well in a south-west wind.
Roeillaun – Cornamona River: This northern shore of Doorus is all excellent trout grounds, both along the shore and around and between the islands. It has all types of fly hatches in season and Cassidy’s Bay can be especially good from early in the season.
Roeillaun to Bartragh Rock: Excellent trout drift in all seasons.
Kelly’s Island to Needle Islands: Excellent trout drift.
Cinlush to Rusheen and all the Islands east to Smith Island: This is all excellent trout water with good fly hatches in all seasons.
Finillaun to Cornamona River Mouth: Good water for both trout and salmon.
Cassidy’s Bay via Vinlush to Black Rocks to Carrigeen Doree: Excellent trout water and fishes well in all winds.
Cornamona River – Curry Point – Gibbon’s Bay: Excellent trout fishing grounds with a good mayfly hatch and also a very good salmon lie.
Carrick Shore: This is the shoreline from Gibbon’s Bay to Caol park. It is all fished close to the shore with the exception of the drifts, which run out to Illaunacric. It is very good trout water and excellent for salmon.
Shallows off the Needles: The extensive shallows run from the Needle Islands to with 300 yards of Creenillaun. It is an excellent trout-holding area but seldom fished. It is especially worth fishing in a north-west or south-east wind.
Inishdawee Shallows, Booey and Booeybeg: All very good trout water, both over the shallows an around the islands.
Ashford Bay to Golden Bay: The trout fishing here is mainly along the shoreline and around the islands. It is also a good trolling area for salmon.
Golden Bay to Coal Park: Excellent salmon and some trout lie along the shore.
Scallop Island: Good for trout along the shore especially towards end of mayfly season.
Creenillaun, Ardillaun, Coad, Conor’s Island, Sheegan: Same as Scallop Island.
Carraghmore Point to Ashford Bay, Cong:
Inchiquin Bay: Excellent wet-fly and dapping area with a very good stock of trout. It is relatively shallow all over with some dangerous underwater rock. It has good hatches of all types of fly life. It fishes well through the season and is especially good March, April, May and September. It is possible to drive and outboard motor through the gap in The Causeway into Greenfields Bay.
Back of Inchiquin Island to Tanai Island: The fishing grounds stretch from the red streamer marker on the south-western point of Inchiquin Island all along the north-western shore of the island to the northern point of Tanai Island and beyond. This very extensive area holds an excellent trout stock and some salmon. It fishes well throughout the season and has good duckfly, mayfly, olive and sedge hatches.
Curryskahan Island and the islands north-eastwards to Shannawan Point, Ballycurrin Bay and Greenfields Bay: This large expanse of water holds and excellent stock of trout. It can all be fished with wet-fly or dap, with the exception of the middle of Ballycurrin Bay, which is considered to be too deep, with a maximum depth of 20 feet. The best fishing is obtained along the shores of the islands and over the shallows. It has good hatches of all types of fly common to Corrib, it has exceptionally good duckfly fishing and also gets a hatch of summer mayfly – Siphlonurus – in July and August, which the trout sometimes feed on. This hatch occurs along the shore south-east of Shannawan Point. On occasion, trout feed freely on adult chironomids and spent gnat and on such occasions the angler is advised to fish a dry Buzzer or Spent Gnat as the occasion demands.
All of this area, with the exception of the middle of Ballycurrin Bay, has numerous dangerous underwater rocks and should be navigated with great care.
Inishboanagh and the Islands North to Inishmicatreer: Another large area holding and excellent stock of trout. It offers good wet-fly fishing and has an excellent mayfly hatch. The whole area is very shallow and rocky and difficult to navigate.
Ballynalty Bay: This relatively shallow bay always holds a good stock of trout. It has and excellent duckfly hatch and good hatches of olives and mayfly. It gives good fishing to the dapped grasshopper and daddy from July and trolling can also be productive. It has some dangerous underwater rocks and access to this bay from the main lake is by a narrow passage between rocks that form a reef across the mouth of the bay.
Inishmicatreer: The western and north-western shores hold a good stock of trout. There are numerous dangerous underwater rocks. Wet-fly fishing and dapping are equally productive. It is possible to drive an outboard motor through the gap in The Causeway.
Castletown Bay: This bay is relatively deep in the centre – maximum depth 20 feet approximately. It fishes best in a west or north-west wind over the shallows and along the shore. It has a good duckfly, mayfly and olive hatch.
Salthouse Bay: This shallow bay with its weedy bottom holds a good stock of trout and usually fishes well from early March. It fishes best on dark days in an east or west wind. It has an excellent olive hatch and a good duckfly hatch well in. There are numerous dangerous shallows in this bay.
Derry Point: Good fishing along the shore and around the islands west to Holy Island.
Gortacurra and Lackafinna Bays: These bays hold a good stock of trout. They have good duckfly and olive hatches and a small mayfly hatch. The bays are very rocky and access to them is very difficult from the main lake.
Ashford Bay: This is a rather deep bay, and the best of the fishing is around the islands. It has good hatches of duckfly, mayfly and olives and offers plenty of opportunities for dry-fly fishing.
Ard Point, Carraghmore Point to Lime Island:
Ard Point – Mogan’s Bay – Devenish Island: Excellent duckfly fishing in March-April. Good wet-fly and dapping. Dry-fly evening sedge fishing in season.
Birchall Bay, The Fuidges Island, Flynn Island, Goat Island, Kid Island, Glat Island, Potatoe Island and Freheen Island: This bay provides wet-fly fishing from the very start of the season. The fishing here is at its best around mid-April during duckfly hatches. The best drifts are from Ard to the Fuidges and south and north of Goat and Kid Islands. It also has a good mayfly hatch and Spent-Gnat fishing can often be enjoyed along the sheltered shores north to Ard Point. It also offers limited sedge fishing in late August and September. Most of the water in this area is very shallow and should be navigated with great care.
Rinnaknock to Carraghmore Point: This is a shallow, rocky area holding a good stock of trout. It has numerous good drifts for both wet-fly fishing and dapping. Fly hatches include duckfly, olives, mayfly and sedges. Fishes well in any wind, even when wind is blowing off shore.
Kenny’s Bay: Fishes best in a west wind.
Rabbit Island – Goat Island – Kid Island: There are good trout shallows to the north – north-west of Rabbit Island. The rest of the fishing is scattered with areas of deep water in between. It has duckfly, a good hatch of olives and a fair mayfly hatch. The area north of Goat and Kid Islands gives really excellent duckfly fishing.
Annaghkeen Bay: This bay holds a very good trout stock and has hatches of duckfly, olives and some mayfly. Good drift from Flynn Island to shores and up to Annaghkeen Point. Good fishing to olives especially in a north wind.
Clydagh Point westwards to Annaghkeen Point: Good trout area, well suited to wet-fly fishing and dapping. It has duckfly, a good olive hatch, but the mayfly hatch is poor. Good dapping area in July, August and September.
Corranellistrum Bay: Good wet-fly and dapping water similar to Birchall Bay with a lot of shallows.
Collinamuck to Knockferry: Not a noted trout-fishing area. Rather deep water. Best suited to dapping. Trout fishing generally slow to wet flies except close to shore.
Clydagh Bay: Trout fishing is generally considered to be slow in this bay but it can be good at times.
Clydagh Point, Clydagh Bay to Kilbeg Pier: Trout fishing is generally slow in this area. Small hatch of duckfly, olives and mayfly. Quite a dangerous area to navigate.
Murray’s Bay, Lee’s Island, Sedge Island, Wynn’s Island, Keelkill Bay: This vast area with its numerous islands and reefs can provide excellent trout fishing to wet flies from early in the season. It has a good duckfly hatch and is probably at its best when the olives are hatching in May and June. The most fruitful areas are Murray’s Bay and eastwards along the shore, the northern and south-eastern shores of Lee’s Island and the points and gaps between islands. Keelkill Bay and around Wyn’s Island and southwards along the shore to Kelkill Point is a very good trout area. Mountross Bay is very shallow and trout fishing is nil. Salmon run north of Lee’s Island and there are occasional big pike.
Galcarrick Island: There are good drifts from Galcarrick Island to Keelkill Point and cloe in to all islands and over the shallows in this area. It has a good duckfly hatch. Olives are plentiful but the mayfly hatch is poor.
Burnthouse to Park Point: Fiarly good wet-fly fishing. This area has a duckfly hatch. Olives are plentiful but the mayfly hatch is poor.
Ballinduff Bay: This large limestone bay dotted with islands holds the largest average size of trout in all the Corrib. It has an average depth of 6 feet and is all suitable for drifting. There are no duckfly hatches and the mayfly hatch is sparse but it has good hatches of olives, reed smut and sedges. It fishes best around the end of may and again in July – August to a dapped Daddy or Grasshopper. It can be very good when the perch fry are shoaling and trout will take a Raymond, Green Peter or even a hackled Mayfly. The bay also holds a big stock of large perch. Fly hatches are about 10 days later than on Upper Corrib. The main channel is up the middle and out towards Galcarrick Island where the steamer track can be picked up. Some parts can be very dangerous.
Lime Island – The Narrows, Friar’s Cut:
Lime Island – Rabbit Point: Trolling is the most productive fishing method in this area in the early season. Annaghdown Bay has a duckfly hatch, as has the area between the The Narrows and Rabbit Point and the mayfly hatch is both sparser and later than on the Upper Corrib. This bay fishes best on dark windy days. It holds excellent trout – average 2lb – and big perch. Dapping the Daddy and Grasshoper from early July to September can be very productive. This area also provides reasonable trolling for salmon during the heavier runs of fish from March onwards. The salmon run is from Muckrush Point, through the Narrows and Annaghdown Bay to Lime Island.
Ower Bay: Very rocky and dangerous and holds a really excellent stock of trout.
Rabbit Point – Fly Island – Moycullen Bay: This area holds an excellent stock of trout. The open water is relatively shallow and fishes well, as does the area among the numerous rocks and islands. It has abundant hatches of duckfly, various species of olives in large numbers and a sparse mayfly hatch. It also has excellent hatches of Caenis in June and very good sedge hatches. Moycullen Bay is little fished due to the difficulty of navigating among the numerous rocks.
Fly Island to Annagh Point: Holds an excellent stock of trout and abundant fly hatches as above.
Litle Sca and Big Sca: Excellent trout water from Annagh Point to the Sca Isalnds and beyond to the White Beacon.
Annagh Point – Friar’s Cut: Exceptionally good hatches of duckfly and olives occur at the mouth of the old river, opposite the Friar’s Cut and in the bay to the west of the Friar’s Cut. There are also good chironomid hatches here from April to early June.
Friars’ Cut to Sea: Exceptionally good trout-fishing area.
Friars’ Cut to Cregg River: Holds exceptionally large trout, but unfishable from June to end of season due to weed growth.
Billybeg, Muckrush, Rabbit Point: From a line opposite the Cregg River, west and north to Rabbit Point is a first-class area for trout and for salmon in late May, June and July.
A detailed map and angling guide to Lough Corrib is available at a small charge from the Western Regional Fisheries Board, Weir Lodge, Earl’s Island, Galway.
Excerpts taken from "Trout & Salmon Rivers of Ireland, an angler's guide" by Peter O'Reilly.
