Where to Fish in Southern Ireland - Meath

The Southern Ireland Where to Fish A to Z


Coarse Fishing | Rivers | Stillwaters / Loughs



Rivers Game


River Boyne


Fishing for wild brown trout, permits from the local Angling Clubs / Association who control much of the fishing. The Boyne is know for it's quality brown trout fishing with trout averaging about.75lbs but fish in the 2 to 5lb range are not uncommon. Good fly water especially with the dry fly.

The Boyne also has runs of salmon and sea trout. It is classed as Catch and Release only at this time, but check annually as the status of rivers does change as stocks improve.:

Drogheda and District Angling Club


Drogheda DAA have fishing for trout, salmon and sea trout on the river Boyne from Oldbidge to Navan. The Boyne is currently Catch and Release for salmon and sea trout.

In addition they have fishing on Barnattin reservoir, unfortunatley it does not come up on Google Maps so I cannot provide a location. It is a water storage reservoir and there are a couple of option Killineer and an other nearby at Google Ref 53.734778, -6.378011

Call the club secretary on 041 9834078 or 0863413350.

Checked 21/07/19

Navan and District AA


Navan DAA have 4beats on the Boyne. The club is very active and runs a programme to attract youths into the sport.

Peter O'Reilly, recently deceased, was long term club Chairman, his name crops up in guides to fishing all over Ireland. No doubt he will be missed by all who encountered him as a mine of information or as an angler.

The club does issue day and week tickets from Rory's Fishing Tackle, 17a, Temple Bar in Dublin.

Checked 26/07/19

Deel and Boyne AA


Deel and Boyne AA have fishing on the Boyne from Navan to Longwood and the river Deel. They also control fishing on the Riverstown River, dry fly only, C & R, fish to 1.75lbs.

For futher information call 044-9374595.

Checked 27/07/19

Kells Blackwater


Kells Anglers have 14 miles of fishing on the Blackwater from Lough Ramor to Kells in Co Meath. A limestone river holding excellent stocks of wild brown trout 0.5 to 1.5lbs with 2 to 5lb fish not uncommon and a record 10lb fish caught on the dry fly. Terrific hatches of fly including Mayflies. Some salmon.

Google Street View, Blackwater at Kells


Google Street View Blackwater at Kells


Permits from Kells Angling Club, contact the Flying Sportsman, Carrick St, Kells, call +353 86 153 3487.

Or buy online at:

Kells Anglers Day Tickets for the Meath Blackwater


Google Map Reference 53.726265, -6.843683

Checked 26/07/19

Tremblestown River


A tributary of the Boyne that passes through Athboy. The river has stocks of wild trout averaging .75lbs and some salmon ( C& R at present). Much of the fishing is run by the Trim-Athboy District Angling Association.

Google Street View Tremblestown river just above the meetings with the river Boyne.


The club is actively working to enhance the conditions for spawning on the river and it's tributaries. They also have some water on the Boyne.

Membership is inexpensive for such good wild trout fishing. Permits from the The Stile Newsagents in Navan Gate St, Trim.

Google Map Reference 53.557721, -6.787745 the Stile.

Checked 26/07/19

Stillwaters / Loughs


Lough Sheelin

The borders of Cavan, Meath and Westmeath converge in the middle of the lough, a famed fishing water.

Some people would say that Lough Sheelin is the best trout lough in Ireland, some might say it is the best anywhere, the statistics tend to bear this out.

Google Street View Lough Sheelin

Google Street View Lough Sheelin


In a recent study the lough, which is only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide (4654 acres), was found to hold over 100,000 fish over 8 inches of which 40,000 were between 2 and 4lbs. Now that is phenomenal. The average for the lough is 3lbs with fish up to double figures taken every year.

What makes Sheelin so productive? As with many of the famous Irish loughs, Sheelin lies on limestone giving the water a high Ph. Alkaline water ensures fertility which means everything grows fast, there being so much to eat that the lough sustains a fish population way above what its size would suggest.

The lough doesn't just hold trout, there are substantial pike and a large population of course fish which becomes important to the trout angler later in the season. Off course there is the fly population which is plentiful making Sheelin a top dry fly venue, then there is the Mayfly which brings the lough to the boil.

The fishing season extends from 1st March to 12th October. Given the statistics you would think that you would be into good bags of fish, well it does happen but Sheelin also has a reputation for being hard going. Maybe its because there is just so much for the fish to feed on.

The fishing starts in March with trout feeding on shrimp and water louse along the rocky shores.

By mid April the Duck Fly starts in the eastern side of the loch for about four week. Olives start in early May followed by the Mayfly hatch and a hatch of green and olive buzzers.

The Murrough


A big red sedge, hatches from the start of May for about 6 weeks and can attract the big fish of an evening. Caenis appear in June and July in amazing numbers which can drive the fish into a feeding frenzy (and the angler to despair) such that they are next to impossible to catch. I've seen trout cruising along with their s out of the water filtering out the caenis like mini basking sharks, the only way the catch them is to put the fly in their mouths or break the mould and use something silly like a big daddy longlegs. Worked for me.

By mid June the coarse fish fry are around in great numbers and the trout hammer into the shoals. August sees an other olive hatch and hatches of sedge fly, towards the end of the season dapping with grasshoppers or daddies is exciting and effective.

There is a positive feast of food for the fish throughout the season representing serious challenges for the 'match the hatch' fisherman, the best kind of fly fishing, where hard work, good presentation, knowledge of flies and fly life and a bit of luck can combine to give a rewarding fishing experience.

Best fly patterns are: March, GRHE, Mallard and Claret, Sooty Olive; April, Duckfly Pupae, Sooty Olive, Small Mallard and Claret, Dunkeld; May, Olive Nymph, Spent Gnat, Murrough; mayfly patterns; June / July Green Nymph, a light coloured Greenwells Glory, Sooty Olive and silver and gold bodied flies or white lures to represent the perch and roach fry; August to October, Bibio, Green Peter, Sooty Olive, Connemara Black.

For all of that the fishing permit is inexpensive. Youy must have a Midland FisheryGroup permit, Shelin is on of the waters where you need a license to fish for trout. Day and 21 day tickets are available on line or from tackle shops around Sheelin.

There is 14" size limit and a 4 fish per day bag limit. Boats can be hiredr and their are several Ghillies you can hire to guide you round the 4,000 acre lough and advise you on flies and techniques. Google Map Reference 53.805992, -7.325783

Buy you Midlands Fisheries Group permit on line:

Midlands Fisheries Group Permits

Checked 26/07/19

Rathbeggan Lakes


4 lakes consisting of 2 large trout lakes stocked with rainbow trout for fly fishing.

There is are 2 course lakes one with carp, tench, bream, rudd the other they call atraining lake ideal for juniors, beginners, families.

Loated just a few miles from Dublin the fishery is open all year and it is wheelchair accessible in many areas.Call +353 (1) 8240197.

Google Map 53.467337, -6.509679

Checked 02/09/19

Coarse Fishing


Ervey Lough


Ervey Lough which straddles the border between Cavan and Meath is about 45 acres in size. Up to 6m deep in palces it hold some very good pike up to specimen proportions. Can find anything about other species but there must be roach or rudd, what else would the pike eat to get big?

Google Map 53.890420, -6.844259

Checked 28/07/19

Lough Sheelin


Lough Sheelin is not just a trout fishery, it has a very good population of course fish including very big pike.

You will need a Midlands Fisheries group Permit to fish on Sheelin for coarse fish and pike.

For more information go to:

Midland Fisheries Group Permit

Checked 18/07/19

Meath Hill Angling Club


Meath Hill AC have the fishing on 5 loughs which they have redeveloped over recent years to create an excellent coarse fishery. The work has paid off for the lakes have tench to over 7lbs, bream 10+ and specimen pike.

The waters are: Ballyhoe Lake 1 - a 28 acre lake up to 4m deep which can get weedy in summer. Stocks of bream, tench, hybrids, and pike.

Ballyhoe Lake 2 - 40 acres up to 8m deep and connected to Rahams by the river Lagan. River and lake have excellent stock of bream and pike.

Rahams - 75 acres and up to 6.5m deep with some good fishing stands. With permission and after proper sterilisation boats can be launched. Specimen tench, mixed coarse fish and specimen pike.

Descart Lake - 20 acres, up to 4.5m deep with 11 stands. Good parking. Tench, roach and big pike.

Derry Lough - 2.5 acres up to 4.5m deep, tench, hybrids, bream to specimens size. Some platforms.

Derry Lough, Descart and Raman are actually just over the county line in Monaghan.

The club is very active running regular competitions and are active in supporting youngster into the sport. Day tickets are available, try local tackle shops, and annual membership is very inexpensive, juniors free. Boat Hire can be arranged, call 0876899380. To contact the club call +353 876 899380.

Checked 28/07/19

Mentrim Loughs


Two lakes the larger one being about 4 hectares and up to 5 metres deep. Access down a lane to the waters edge

Good stocks of bream to 7lbs, roach, rudd, hybrids, perch, pike and eels. There are some fishing stands

Google Map 53.833434, -6.613865

Checked 20/07/19

Royal Canal


Royal Canal at 146 miles long links the Liffey with the Shannon effectivly cutting ireland in half. Building it started in 1790 and finished 27 years latter a few years before railways arrived on the scene killing the canal.

The canal fell into disuse but in recent yaesr it has been revived as an amenity for boating and off course , fishing. The canal holds masses of fish along its length, big bream, rudd, roach, 8lb plus tench, big pike and carp.

Part of the canal runs through Meath and with a good tow path along its length there is good access to the fishing.

Of particular note in Meath is the stretch at Enfield where you will encounter some good carp in the harbour.

Google Satellite Royal Canal Enfield Harbour, Meath

Google Satellite Royal Canal Enfield Harbour

Google Map 53.413941, -6.839940

Checked 28/07/19

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