Taken from "Trout and Salmon Rivers of Ireland: An Angler's Guide "
by Peter O'Reilly. © Peter O'Reilly
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Lough Corrib

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 Glann 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......

.....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.

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