Fishing & Angling in Wicklow

The east coast of Ireland provides the visiting angler with a wide range of top quality game, pike, coarse and sea fishing venues.

This regions strategic location close to major airports and ferryports means that quality angling is only a one-hour drive away. This enables visiting anglers to maximise their holiday and angling time. Salmon, sea-trout and brown trout fishing are available on a choice of rivers throughout the region. These include many excellent rivers within easy reach of Dublin.

There are also many excellent coarse fishing venues in the eastern region and these present great opportunities to the coarse angler. The Lakeland districts of Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and Westmeath boast hundreds of lakes in beautiful rural surroundings. There is no shortage of specimen fish in these many waters. The extensive coastline from Carlingford Lough, with its terrific tope fishing; to Wexford with its fantastic flounder and fighting bass offer fantastic opportunities for all categories of sea angler. This information has been supplied kindly by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board who have tons of great information on fishing in Ireland. To view their website please go to: www.fishingireland.net

The Avonmore River

Rathdrum, Co Wicklow The Avonmore River rises at the foot of the Wicklow mountains and flows in a south easterly direction through a mountainous landscape for approximately 20 miles before joining the Avonbeg at the meeting of the waters 1.5 miles upstream of Avoca. This river runs through plains and valleys is surrounded in some areas by forests. The river has retained its natural characteristics and is undrained.

The Avonmore is made up of stretches which alternate between deep, slow flowing glides to areas of fast flowing riffle and run areas culminating in deep pools.

The Avonmore also produces a number of larger fish annually and fish of 5lbs to 6lbs are recorded anually. The best of the fishing takes place in the early season from March to May or in the late summer and early Autumn period from August to September. The sections at Avondale Estate and Clara Vale produce good angling. The Avonmore get all the usual fly hatches including Ephemeropterans, Caddis and Diptera. The best results are obtained by wading instream.

Location: Co. Wicklow. The main towns in the area are Wicklow , Arklow , Avoca and Woodenbridge .

Season: Fishing takes place from March 15th to September 30th.

Fish Species: The Avonmore contains good stocks of wild brown trout.

Methods: Fishing must be consistent with bye laws for the time being in force as well as the current rules and regulations set out by the Angling Association and riparian owners.

Best Flies: greenwells spider, iron blue dun, silver sedge, badger quill and golden olives.

Angling Club: This water is controlled by The Rathdrum Environment and Trout Anglers Association and riparian owners

Fishing Tip: Try a gold head nymph in the early part of the season when hatches are scarce.

Permits: Permission to fish this water may be obtained from Mr. Peter Driver, Glasnorget, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. Tel: +353 (0) 404 46304 or +353 (0) 87 9787040. www.fishingireland.net for more information