Fishery - Lough
Owel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
OPEN SEASON: March 1st
- October 12th
SPECIES: Brown
Trout from 1.25lbs - 2lbs being the norm, trout up to
7lbs possible.
SIZE LIMIT: 30 cm (12 inches) Ref: Bye Law No: 817, 2007
DAILY BAG LIMIT: 3 trout
(applicable from 2010)
DOWNLOAD SHANNON FISHERIES REGION CONSERVATION OF SALMON AND TROUT BYE
LAW 817, 2007
ORDER YOUR OWEL POCKET GUIDE
 The
Board has produced a Pocket Guide to Lough Owel. There is information on
angling on the lake, all regulations, Angling drifts, including a
detailed map of the lake with a full depth profile. The guide is Sat Nav
friendly with several points of interest referenced. To order your copy,
please email us to
info@shannon-fishery-board.ie or telephone the Angling Section
at 057 9121777. If emailing your order, don't forget to include your
full name and postal address. Tight Lines in 2010.
LOUGH OWEL
Lough Owel lies 4 kms (c.2.5 miles) north west of Mullingar town, to the
left of the Mullingar - Longford Road, the N4. It is a high pH, mainly
spring fed limestone lake with an area of 2,547 acres (over 1000
Hectares). It has remarkable water quality and can give visibility to a
depth of 6m, over 20 feet on a bright day.
The Lake is managed by the Shannon Regional Fisheries
Board who over many decades have preserved Lough Owel primarily as a
trout fishery, although some Pike angling is available. The lake has a
resident stock of wild brown trout. The average size of trout is about
1.5lbs to 2lbs. Anglers report catching trout up to 7lbs and over every
season.
Lough Owel has few tributaries, all of which are small.
Spawning and nursery facilities for brown trout are extremely limited.
As a result, a number of wild Owel trout are stripped each year. On
average, over 200,000 ova are transferred to Cullion Fish Farm in
Mullingar and stocked back into the lake at the unfed fry stage. In
addition up to 10,000 adult brown trout are stocked into the lake on a
phased basis over the year. These management programmes seek to ensure
that Lough Owel is maintained as a well renowned trout fishery.
ACCESS TO THE LAKE
There is good public access, slipways, carpark and boat berthage
available on the southern end of the lake at Mulally’s and Tullaghan.
Hire boats are moored at Mulally’s. While access is signposted off the
Mullingar - Longford road, the old N4, we provide in our pocket guide
the GPS co-ordinates to easily locate these points.
PERMISSION TO FISH: This fishery is
part of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board's 'Midland Fisheries Group'
of managed waters and anglers require a fishing permit (ticket
charge) to fish here.
SEE MAP OF CATCHMENTS IN THE MIDLAND FISHERIES GROUP OF
WATERS
which are covered by a fishing permit. RATES FOR 2010 are Adult Annual €39.00; Pensioner Annual €20.00;. Juvenile Annual
€14.00 Juvenile 1 Day €2.00
Day Permit €12.00 Visitors 21 Day:
€20.00. You can purchase a fishing permit
ONLINE using your credit card or laser card.
  
ANGLING RULES
• All legal angling methods are permitted i.e. fly fishing, spinning and
trolling.
• Angling from a Boat only – shore fishing is prohibited.
• The use of Belly Boats is prohibited.
• Pike Angling is permitted all year round, subject to the national Bye
Laws.
• Coarse Angling is permitted all year round, subject to the national
Bye
Laws.
• Anglers can only fish with one rod per angler.
• Rods must not be left unattended.
• All under size fish must be returned to the water with as little
injury as
possible.
• Fish hooked on the outside of the mouth must be returned.
• The Board reserves the right to refuse or revoke a permit to anyone
violating Fishery Regulations.
• Do not lose your temper or behave churlishly when a Fisheries Officer
asks you to produce your permit. Remember he/she is doing the job which
you expect, looking after your interests and protecting the fishery. Be
at all times considerate.
ANGLING ETIQUETTE
Always show respect for other anglers, lake users, and the environment
you fish in. Please observe the following code of angling etiquette and
abide by the rules of the fishery. Enjoy your fishing!
• Life Jackets are required to be worn by law.
• A head lamp or torch is required while fishing late on the lake.
• Do not operate on full throttle in shallow areas, boat piers or nearby
boats on the lake.
• Do not cut in front of another drifting boat. A distance of at least
100 meters must be maintained from the nearest boat.
Please show other anglers respect and try to use the oars at appropriate
times.
• When moving from one drift to an other be aware of other anglers in
the vicinity.
• Please bring all litter home. Do not discard fishing line into the
lake or
onto the shoreline.
ANGLING INFORMATION
EARLY SEASON
(March April)
The season opens in March and during this month and into early April,
the best method of taking trout is by trolling. The trout prey heavily
on sticklebacks and local advice is to fish a 1.5 inch grey Lane Minnow.
Imitative lures fished on sunk lines would probably be equally
effective. The areas to concentrate on are close
in by the shore and over and around known shallows.
The first hatches of Duckfly occur around the second or
third week of April and the hatch lasts for approximately two weeks. The
best hatches are to the west of Srudarra island and in the ‘neck’ of the
lake from Mount Murray across to Kilpatrick Point - See map. Fishing is
best during mild spells of weather.
The most commonly used wet flies at this time are
Connemara Black, Black Pennell, Claret & Mallard, Sooty Olive and
Duckfly imitations.
MID SEASON
(May – June)
The fly fishing peaks around May 15th and often remains lively until mid
June, with hatches of Lake Olives, Buzzers and even occasionally hatches
of Mayfly. There is an evening response to buzzer, particularly towards
the end of May. The more popular flies this time of year are Sooty
Olive, Bibio, Greenwells Glory, Cock Robin, Claret & Mallard, Green
Olive, Gosling Mayfly, Grey Duster and various Buzzer pupa imitations.
The late evening and night time buzzer fishing can be best of all, and
it is worth noting that the Grey Duster fished dry will take more fish
than any other fly when cast to a feeding trout. This pattern should be
dressed with a good quality badger cock hackle, the tips of which must
be white and not cream or grey.
Some anglers like to fish from morning until evening,
finishing around 7pm. This can be very convenient, but often not always
very successful. The angler going out at 7pm and leaving the water at
11.30pm or midnight generally gets much better results and more action.
HIGH SEASON
(July - August)
There is generally a lull in the trout fishing season from about the
second week of June until the third week in July and few anglers fish
the lake during this time. Instead anglers eagerly await the annual
hatch of large sedge - Pyryganea species - known in Ireland as the Green
Peter. It is difficult to give an exact time of year for the emergence
of this fly.
During a hot summer, the hatch can begin as early as
July 14th, while in a cooler season it may be delayed by a couple of
extra weeks. The hatch starts about 10pm and lasts for about one hour
and may go on much longer. It is vital to remember that the best fishing
is always after dark on Lough Owel. Another point worth noting is that
the first week or ten days of the hatch always provides the best
fishing. The trout feed more avidly early on in the cycle but after
about two weeks fishing begins to slow down. These great sedges hatch in
open water. On the east side, the hatch occurs around Church Island and
along by the shallows off the Bull Ring.
The Green Peter brings up the best fish in the Lough.
During the Green Peter hatch, trout angling is at its best and trout
anglers enjoy lively sport at this time. This is the period that nearly
always produces the biggest trout of the season. It is recommended to
fish a team of wetflies in the areas mentioned above until about 10pm. A
Green Peter on the bob, an Invicta in the middle and a Green Peter pupa
on the point will do just fine. When the first fish appear at the
surface, they take the adult fly as they scuttle across the surface -
this is time for fishing the dry fly. Cast it in the path of a feeding
fish and tweak it slowly along the surface. When the fish takes, avoid
striking immediately to allow the fish to turn down before sending the
hook home.
END OF SEASON
(September – October 12th )
This can be an excellent time of year for daytime fishing using wetflies,
which
extends form mid August, September and even early October. Fish
anywhere, even out into deep water. In warm weather you should pay
special attention to the area along by the small pump house on the east
shore. There are lots of cool springs in this area and the trout tend to
congregate here. There can be very good wetfly fishing during late
evenings in August to a mixture of buzzers, small sedges, and small
black terrestrial flies. The best Autumn fishing is in September,
particularly when strong north - westerly or south easterly winds sweep
across the length of the lake. Such winds are ideal on Lough Owel.
DAPPING
Dapping can work wonderfully well on Owel from late July through August
and September and even into October. Without a doubt the favourite
‘dapp’ on Owel is the Grasshopper. This land based insect is rarely
found on the water, but for some unknown reason it can be very
productive. Local anglers consider it to be far more superior to the
‘Daddy’. Unlike dapping the mayfly, only a single insect is used,
attached to a size 8 or 10 hook. For those who have difficulty getting
in or obtaining grasshoppers or who run short of supply during a days
fishing can usually replenish by collecting them along the shore in
front of the trees at Captain’s Hill or along the shore at Portloman.
They are best sought out on a bright warm day and should be stored in a
dry, airy box containing dry grass or new mown hay.
Let us summarise the fly hatches on Lough Owel. The Lake
has a good hatch of Duckfly in spring and a good Green Peter hatch in
July and August, and fair hatches of Olives in May and again in late
August - September. The Mayfly hatch can be best described as sparse and
localised. The native Lough Owel trout are dour except during the
evening buzzer hatch in May and the Green Peter hatch in July and
August. The fish can also be fairly active in September during the day.
The stocked trout make a considerable contribution to the liveliness of
the fishing on the Lough, particularly in September.
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