With your host at Gillaroo Lodge, explore the beautiful lakes surrounding Bundoran

 

 

Lake Fishing

Lough Melvin (3 miles from Gillaroo Lodge) is a unique game fishery, it was made famous in that great Angling book, A Man May Fish by Kingsmill Moore in the chapter entitled, 'The Big House'




Lough Melvin hosts four genetically distinct species of Trout .		 Lake fishing on Lough Melvin.
  (1) Common Brown Trout: There is a large stock of common brown trout, they can be caught on the Fly or spinner.
  (2) Gillaroo Trout: Melvin is the historical home to the "red fellow" this the Gaelic translation for the Gillaroo Trout.  They feed in extremely shallow water on the fresh water shrimps and on emerging insects, a big wave is the requirement for good Gillaroo fishing. Kingsmill Moore in his book " A Man may fish" refers to Melvins Gillaroo trout "as the panther of the water".
Best Flies: Golden Olive bumbles Gosling (Orange Bodies)
  (3) Sonaghan Trout: these have been scientifically proven as being indigenous to Lough Melvin and are the main quarry for anglers on Lough Melvin. When they are "up" the fishing is fast and furious. They come "up" to feed on Duck fly in April but it is generally mid May onwards before the Sonaghan fishing peaks. It can be fished throughout the summer once the weather remains broken. Late evening approximately half an hour before dusk is the time I have found to be particularly good, the month of June is when the Sonaghan fishing peaks.
Best Flies: Hoppers Bibio (Green Tag), Dapplers Golden Olive bumble These trout will also take a spinner or a worm.
  (4) Ferox Trout: Are big cannibal trout, seldom taken on the fly but can be caught trolling if the angler is so inclined large, spoons or Repalas are the best bait.
  (5) Salmon. Salmon fishing on Melvin starts on the 1st of  February, the angler generally trolls for his Salmon early in the season. The arrival of the Grilse generally sees the first of the fly fishing for the salmon. The salmon have a tendency to concentrate in the Rossinver Bay area which is syndicated water but which is inexpensive to fish at £10 a day.

Gillaroo Lodge has boats on the lake available for hire.
Glencar Lake
This is a picturesque fishery located 1 5 miles south of Gillaroo Lodge. It nestles in the shadow of Benbulbin. It was in its day a premier sea trout fishery unfortunately the catches have deteriorated in latter years. It still gets a run of sea trout and Salmon and is well worth a visit if its only to appreciate the scenery.
 
Hill Loughs
There are numerous hill loughs to the north of Gillaroo Lodge, many hold large stocks of free rising trout, their size depends on the particular Lough the angler chooses to fish.

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Gillaroo Lodge, Bed & Breakfast, Accommodation
Bundoran Co. Donegal, Ireland.
Phone +353 72 42357, Fax +353 72 42172
E Mail : gillaroo@iol.ie This site has had visitors, thank you.
Last Edited on : 01 February 2001 19:30