Fishing is a several hundred-million pound industry in Northern Ireland, with nearly two-thousand people employed equivalent to full-time in the commercial fishing industry, and some tourism companies offering chartered boats and tours. To better understand this activity, we can look at a few key locations and what kinds of fishing enterprises are carried out there.
Lower Lough Erne Is a Classic Fishing Spot
Lough Erne is one of the best places to go fishing in NI. The lower part is the most popular, with Enniskillen being the nearest town. Fish species that can be caught here include pike, brown trout, salmon, and perch. Daily bag limits in place also stop people from taking away too many fish, while you’re not permitted to use maggots or ground bait in some sections of the lough.
This spot has also enjoyed some popular attention outside the immediate fishing communities themselves. The fifth episode of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Season 2, saw the pair visiting the lough in search of pike, and the fifth series of Hooked on Fishing was also filmed here. With themed slots in online casinos now big business in the UK, fishing can be seen in the Big Bass Splash casino slot as well. This is a five-reel game by Pragmatic Play where the symbols are based on a fishing trip in the wilds. The use of modifiers on the free spins round can add extra fish or more fishermen to the screen randomly. These games show us the potential of fishing for creating business opportunities in diverse and unexpected areas.
Various Rivers Offer Different Types of Fish
There are various rivers across Northern Ireland in which fishing can be enjoyed. These include River Bush in Country Antrim, where trout and salmon are among the specimens you might land. Its proximity to the Giants Causeway and Bushmills makes this a popular spot for tourists, with salmon angling possible on three stretches of the river, according to the information on the NI Direct site.
The River Blackwater flows through County Armagh and County Tyrone. Fly-fishing, spinning, and worm fishing can be carried out here in the season between the 1st of March and the 31st of October. Salmon and brown trout are present in this river, and the daily bag limit is set at four trout each day per rod.
In the northwest, the River Foyle is a popular fishing spot, particularly in the Summer months. This river flows into Derry and Lough Foyle, making it easily accessible from various points. Salmon, sea trout and brown trout are a few of the species you might find there.
Source: Pexels
Sea Angling for Tourists and Commerical Fishing
With a coastline over 400 miles long, Northern Ireland offers excellent sea angling possibilities too. The number of species increases if you head out to sea, with cod, flatfish, whiting, and mackerel among them. A game rod licence is only necessary if you plan to catch sea trout or salmon.
Discover Northern Ireland mentions the Causeway Fisher vessel, which takes tourists on a three-hour fishing trip from Carnlough or Glenarm, with the departure point depending on the weather conditions at the time. In terms of commercial fishing, Kilkiil and Portavogie are among the most important ports.
This excellent variety means that fishing will continue to be a crucial part of Northern Ireland’s economy, as well as being a popular activity among locals and tourists.
