“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
–Henry David Thoreau
Time moves at a different pace for the angler. Whether knee-deep in galoshes or sitting in a boat on a lake with nothing but the sound of lapping water for company, patience pays dividends. Though many passionate anglers admit that catching a fish is only part of the fun (and for some, not even a requirement of a successful outing), few would argue against the enhanced pleasure of a day on a river, lake or at sea where that bite on the line yielded a catch. For many the pleasure is in sitting still in one place, surrounded by nature, or studying the habitat of the fish. The pleasure is in having fished well.
The outdoors life is one many covet but few have. The benefits to health are manifold, from breathing deeply of fresh clean air in an unspoilt environment, to engaging with nature, slowing down the pace and taking time for yourself.
Whatever your philosophy, you will find not only like-minded types in Mayo, but between the jagged-edged coast and the plentiful inland lakes and rivers you will find the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of fishing, including sea fishing, pier fishing, lake and river fishing. And expect to find salmon, trout, pike, pollack, mackerel, dogfish and much more.
Fishing on Lakes
With dozens of lakes dotted about the landscape, you are never very far from one in Mayo. The county’s lakes offer a wide and interesting variety of vegetation, from woodland to grassland, fen, peat bog and heath with an abundance of flora and fauna as well as animal habitats. Popular fishing and boating spots include Lough Mask, Lough Conn, Lough Carra and Lough Corrib, the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. In this 44,000 acre fishing paradise you will find brown trout, salmon, eels, pike, perch and roach. A relatively shallow lake, Lough Carra has a 70km long limestone shoreline which was once part of the Moore Family estate in Muckloon. Any of its numerous inlets, bays and peninsulas entice anglers and painters alike. For brown trout, peace, tranquillity and boundless natural beauty, Lough Carra is a favourite.
The deeper, more rugged Lough Mask--with its picture-postcard scenery, jagged rocky shores surrounded by gentle sloping hills--draws people from near and far. Sitting out in the middle of Lough Mask, fishing rod in hand, waiting for the brown or ferox trout to bite, with nothing but the wide open skies and quiet sounds of lapping of water, is paradise itself to the passionate angler.
Rivers
Mayo’s rivers offer a different experience. The River Moy is a destination in its own right as people travel from all parts of the globe to fish its world-class waters for salmon. The sight of fishermen here are a permanent feature during the season. With 17 separate fisheries which oversee the fishing practices, it is estimated that some 8,000-12,000 salmon are rod-caught during each season. Rising out of the Ox Mountains in Sligo, the Moy takes a circuitous route, meandering first south, then west into Mayo before turning north towards Ballina to complete its 110km journey in Killala Bay where it spills out into the Atlantic Ocean. The presence of freshwater pearl mussels in this and all the rivers in Mayo is testimony to the quality of water found in Mayo's rivers.
Sea and Pier Fishing
There are so many wonderful sea fishing opportunities that you can more or less take your pick around the coastline. In the north of the county, near the prehistoric farm is Balderg Harbour, a fairly sheltered spot with flounder, turbot, pollack and mackerel. Down the road in Ballycastle is a good place for low water fishing in the early morning or at night. Flounder, Coalfish, Flatfish and Dogfish are among the catches here. Spinning from Lacken Pier produces Coalfish, Mackerel and Pollack while at Lacken Strand you may find Dogfish, Bull Huss and Conger. Float fishing yields Wrasse, while Bass might be found near the river.
For deep and pristine water, few places present more breathtaking scenery than Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord, in south Mayo on the Galway border. At Roonagh Pier, where the ferry goes to Clare Island, skippers will tell you the best fishing anywhere in Clew Bay is to be had under the island’s cliffs. Bertra Beach has a deep water channel with a swift current. Other choice spots include White Strand, Old Head and Rosmoney where you can watch sea otters while you fish. Achill Island has too many marvellous and beautiful fishing areas to list them all, but some special spots include Cloghmore Harbour, Keel Strand, Keem Bay or Dugort Harbour.
Whether for you the thrill is in the chase, like Ismael pursuing the whale, or you won’t come home without a catch, in time, memories of what fish you catch may recede, but the beauty and majesty of Mayo’s waterways and coastline will never leave you.
Between the wars Vaudeville entertainer Will Rogers once quipped,
“If all politicians fished instead of spoke publicly, we would be at peace with the world.”
World peace may be a stretch, but inner peace is a distinct possibility. And who wouldn’t be hooked by that?