Lough Sheelin is situated in Counties Cavan, Meath and Westmeath. The lake is located northeast of Finea, Co. Westmeath. It is 7km long and has a surface area of 1900 hectares. Old village stories tell that She Linn, meaning fairy pool was used by surrounding folk as its water supply. However, there was a restriction on the use of the well. The lid had to be replaced every time water was drawn from it. Nevertheless one day, a woman neglected to replace the lid and the waters rushed out, drowning the entire village of and thus creating the lake.
Lough Sheelin is steeped in history dating back to 400AD.Church Island the largest island in the lake, has the remains of an early Christian Oratory. Crover Castle, which is built on a small island in the lake, dates back to the 14th Century. Ross Castle on the eastern side of the lake, was built in the sixteenth century was used by Myles O’Reilly (Myles the Slasher) who was killed at the battle of Finea in 1644.
- OPEN SEASON: March 1st – October 12th
- SPECIES: Brown Trout averaging about 1lb to 6lbs with fish to 10lbs and larger possible.
- SIZE LIMIT TROUT: 14 inches.
- DAILY BAG LIMIT: 3 trout.
- PERMISSION TO FISH: Lough Sheelin is a SHRFB managed trout fishery, a fishing permit is required. A permit can be purchased at the local outlets around the lake or online at www.shrfb.ie and can be printed off once purchased.
EARLY SEASON (March-April)
The season begins in March at which time the trout are feeding mainly on freshwater shrimp and freshwater louse. Fishing a team of wet flies along rocky shores can take a fish or two, especially if the day is faintly mild. Useful fly patterns are Hares Ear, Claret & Mallard, Sooty Olive, Dunkeld: even a large black lure e.g. Sweeney Todd, fished on the point on a sink tip line. Areas worth trying, depending on wind direction, are Sailors Garden, the south shore of Derrsheridan, Ross Bay and all of the north shore of the Lough from Chambers Bay to Crover.
The Duckfly – a large chironomid – gives the first major fly hatch and this generally commences around April 15th, peaks around April 25th and continues into early May. This Hatch of flies is mainly confined to that part of the lake east of a line from Merry Point to Inchicup Island. The biggest hatches are usually around Goreport and Bog Bay and the hatch begins around 11a.m. and may continue into early afternoon. The feeding habits of the trout are very unpredictable at this time and seem to be governed by weather conditions and water clarity. Under conditions of mild weather and poor water clarity, the trout feed on pupae at the surface. In cold weather and clear water, they feed deep and are difficult to locate. By far the best fishing at this time of year takes place at dusk.
The conditions must be right with a gentle ripple or calm waters and the evening must not turn cold. Even the hint of a cold breeze can put the trout down for the night. Surface feeding fish will take a duckfly Pupae, or Sooty Olive (Size 12). A small Claret & Mallard, Fiery Brown or Dunkeld may also take fish. For the evening rise the angler must determine if the trout are feeding on adult flies as they return to the water to lay their eggs, or if they are taking a pupa as it emerges. For feeding fish on adult flies returning to the water, fish a Sooty Olive size 12 on the bob, a Duckfly on the middle and an Olive Variant on the point. For those fish feeding on pupae as they emerge, fish a Sooty Olive and a couple of dry buzzer. In either case, the flies are fished on a float line and cast in the path of a feeding trout. The line is not stripped back. All that is required is an occasional twitch of the rod tip to give the flies life.
The Lough gets two hatches of Lake Olives each season and occasionally the trout feed on them. The first hatch occurs in early May and the second in late August and September. The body colour of the autumn insect is a lighter shade of green than that of the May time hatch. Trout feeding on Lake Olives are difficult to catch, though some anglers have a measure of success with an Olive nymph pattern. The area of the Lough producing Lake Olives stretches crescent – like from Rusheen Bay via Derrahorn to Watty’s Rock. Chambers Bay gets a small hatch in the south west cornerand Bog Bay is a good area at this time of the year.
THE MID SEASON (May – June)
The middle of May usually sees the start of the Mayfly season, with the first flies between May 12th and 15th, depending on weather. Sheelin brown trout can be caught on the dun with patterns such as fan wing mayfly or green drake mayfly fished dry. The major angling activity is located in an area south and west of a line from Curry Point to Wilson’s Point.
Trout will also feed on the ascending nymphs; try a wet mayfly or golden olive. However, it’s all about careful covering of a fish after watching for surface movement. The cream of the Mayfly fishing is with the spent gnat which begins when the mayfly hatch is in full swing and few days or a week after the first mayflies appear. The smaller male spinners dance over the islands, sometimes from early afternoon. To mate, the larger females fly up into the swarm of males. Some time after, she flies with the wind over the water and proceeds to lay her eggs, dipping and touching the water. She will lie in places before dying. The dead mayfly is known as the ‘spent gnat’. During the Mayfly hatch, most fishing boats sit on the lee side of the shore, where the flies are dancing and wait. When the flies start moving out onto the lake, the boats follow wind lanes or ‘slicks’, carrying huge numbers of spent gnats from behind the islands. On a reasonably calm night, the lanes may stretch out far into the lake. They might even cross it. Experienced Sheelin anglers do more watching and waiting than casting and fishing. Electric motors are popular but very careful approach is critically important not to spook the fish and put them down. Many anglers are on the move trying to spot a fish moving up the wind lanes and feeding on the gnats. Trout usually swim into the wind, up these slicks, but not always!
Lough Sheelin May Fly
The two major chironomid hatches occur during day time this time of year. The species concerned are Campto chironomids and the Blagdon Green Midge – called the ‘Apple Green Midge’ locally. Trout feeding on the Apple Green Midge can be taken on a green nymph (size 12 or 14) or a small Greenwell’s Glory dressed with a pale olive body and a very pale Greenwell¹s hackle. The trout will also occasionally take a dry pattern dressed on a size 16 hook. The body of this dry fly can be of pale olive floss silk or pale insect green seals fur and a hackle is a cream cock hackle tied full circle.
The other major chironomid hatch – the Campto Chironomid and other related, mostly olive coloured species are present at this time. The Campto is recognised by its distinctly yellow head with black markings and olive body. The trout take them as pupae, as adults after hatching and as females when they return to lay their eggs, (which can occur sometimes during the day but mainly at dusk). Nymph tactics with olive, claret and black and red nymphs will work sometimes. Alternatives, it will be found that small wet flies score well and the Sooty Olive, Olive Variant and Greenwell’s Glory are most popular.
When the trout take the adult or egg laying Campto, a dry Buzzer or Grey Duster, size 12 or 14 can get a response. If the Campto roll into clumps, then a balling buzzer fished dry can take a very big fish. The main areas for this activity are from the Long Rock through Church Island, Derry Point, Goreport and Corru Bays, also Chambers Bay and sometimes from Derrahorn to Watty¹s Rock.
Reed smut can be so prolific that trout often go into a frenzy of feeding in quiet corners on hot sultry June days. They will take any small Black Gnat imitations, providing it is small enough, preferably size 14 or 16 and is presented delicately on a very fine leader. This is a very exciting fishing; stalking big trout on such fine tackle.
Late in the evening
The Murrough – the Great Red Sedge – hatches at dusk from late May well into June. The hatch can last for up to six weeks. Some anglers only fish a single Murrough dry while others the Murrough and a balling buzzer on the dropper. It is claimed that the balling buzzer takes most trout.
Some of the largest fish of the season are taken on the Murrough and the most likely places are behind the Stony Islands, Gaffney’s Bay, Ross Bay, Rusheen and the bottom of. Goreport Bay and Bog Bay.
Small hatches of Alder take place and they are especially visible as they sit motionless on the water near the shore on calm sunny days in May and June. Occasionally a trout may be seen to take one and it just is possible to tempt a fish with a natural artificial fished dry.
June and July bring big hatches of Caenis, often referred to as the fisherman’s curse. When conditions are right, the trout feed extensively on these hatches and are difficult to catch at these times. The best time to fish the Caenis is in the early morning – 5 a.m. – 7.30a.m. Fishing conditions must be calm and mild and the angler should seek out quiet sheltered corners with a patch of calm water close to the shore. Goreport Bay, Sailor’s Garden and around the islands in Chambers Bay are particularly good locations. A small nymph will sometimes work, but most success is achieved with an imitation fished dry on a fine leader.
Perch fry make their appearance around mid June and can become an important food item on a trout’s menu. The trout appear to feed exclusively on the shoals of small fry and the angler’s attention is generally attracted to the scene of the action by a succession of noisy, splashy rises, as the trout lash the fry with their tails in an apparent effort to stun the tiny fish. They then feed on the dead fry lying on the surface. This activity usually occurs early in the morning about 8a.m. and again in the early afternoon. The areas noted for it are from Plunkett’s Point to Kilnahard Point, and along the Derrysheridan Shore and into Goreport Bay. Silver and gold bodied flies or white lures fished very slowly or even stationary can get results.
DAPPING
The dapping season begins in early August and a Grasshopper or Daddy dapped during the day can often take a few good trout, right through the season to October 12th).
END OF SEASON (Mid June to October)
Sedge fishing is said to be the cream of the season on Sheelin and this commences in full swing from about mid June and continues right through to the end of the season in October 12th. Small brown sedges hatches become prolific as the season advances. Best methods are fishing dry in a small size from 14 to 16’s. Anglers fishing sedges this time of year are advised to look for calm spots on the lakes, sit and wait for rises. Anglers will also catch fish fishing blind, so vary tactics. The Lough also gets hatches of Silverhorn sedges and small dark sedges in August and early September. A small size 12 or 14 fished dry close to the shore especially towards dusk can often take a good trout. Useful fly patterns are Green Peter, Murrough 9Great Red Sedge and smaller brown sedges. Trout will be caught by various methods and using flies not mentioned above. The fly angler should bear in mind two points: Best results are generally obtained along sheltered shores in a small to moderate wave. Fishing the evening rise into the night usually gets better results than day time fishing. Be careful and get to know your lake. Lough fishing buddies actively encourage all anglers to return as many fish as possible in order to safeguard the welfare of the fish for years to come.
Book an experienced guide with www.loughfishingbuddies.com
Visitors to the Loughs might feel able to find the way their way through the waters with no difficulty but don’t forget that the local fisherman knows not only where the best fishing areas are but also the location of treacherous rocks that lie in wait just beneath the surface. Local knowledge is invaluable in determining day to day timing and location of hatches, which in turn leads to locating the prime areas for fly fishing in the late evening. As an experienced Guide, I can advise you on the right fly selection and methods for fishing in all conditions. If you are interested in booking a fishing holiday, then please review our Information page. However, as there is limited availability in an already short season, we would strongly suggest making bookings well in advance of your desired dates to avoid disappointment.
For more information, please feel free to contact us.
