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About Wild Salmon Carcass Tagging & Logbook Scheme

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Fishery: River Shannon, Meelick Salmon Fishery, Co Offaly & Galway

Open Season: March 1st  - September 30th

Species: Salmon and  Wild Brown Trout averaging 8ozs to 2lbs

Size Limit trout: 8 inches River Shannon Ref: Bye Law No 488  Salmon: Subject to Bye Law 781

Daily Bag Limit trout: Not Applicable  Salmon; Subject to Bye Law 781

Angling Methods: All legal methods. Prawn and shrimp are  prohibited on ESB waters which this fishery is located. Also please observe the following Bye Laws and salmon tagging scheme.

Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Bye-law No 786, 2002

A bag limit of 1 salmon or 1 Sea Trout per angler per day from January 1st to 31st May, and a bag limit of 3 fish (being either salmon or sea trout) per angler per day from 1st June to the end of the fishing season subject to a total allowable catch of 20 fish (being either salmon or sea trout or any combination of both fish) per year with effect from January 1st, 2003.  (Bye Law No 781 is revoked )

Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Bye-law No 797, 2004

This Bye-law provides for a bag limit of 1 fish being either a salmon or sea trout per angler per day from 1 September 2004 to 31 December 2004 and continues the imposition of a bag limit of 1 fish per angler per day from 1 January to 31 May, and 3 fish from 1 June to the end of the fishing season, subject to a total allowable catch of 20 fish per year.  CLICK HERE to download full Bye-Law in Word

Wild Carcass Tagging and Logbook Scheme

Anglers must be in compliance with the wild salmon carcass and log book scheme as introduced by the Dept of the Marine & Natural Resources on January 1st 2001. There are a series of leaflets for anglers on tagging their catch and recording relevant details in their logbooks. In brief,  all salmon rod licence holders shall affix a tag to 

  • all salmon

  • sea trout over 40 cms they catch and retain

These tags will identify salmon and sea trout (over 40cms), which have been caught legally, and will therefore allow for an enumeration of the catch.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANGLING LEGISLATION CLICK HERE

Salmon Fishing Licence: A Salmon licence is required. SEE ANGLING FEES and can be purchased at your local tackle store/agent or you can BUY YOUR SALMON LICENCE ONLINE CLICK HERE

Access: Access is via road on the Co Offaly bank near Lusmagh outside Banagher and the Co Galway bank  near Eyrecourt.

Facilities: Open bank fishing into fast steamy water and pools, a boat offers a distinct advantage to access many hidden waters inaccessible by land

Angling Fees: A Share Certificate from the North Shannon Development Co-Operative Society is voluntary to fish  the Shannon at Meelick as it lies downstream of Bangher bridge.  A Share Certificate can be purchased from most of the larger tackle dealers which are advertised on this site.  SEE ROD FEES  

The Fishery: Meelick is a known angling location when the salmon are running and has some lovely varied and interesting waters ranging from fast runs to glides and pools to slow deep stretches. THere are islands separating an Artificial cut on the Co Offaly with the main River Shannon at Meelick on the Co Galway bank. Both sides of the river have ideal waters for salmon and trout fishing. It has a very small spring salmon run best time April into mid  May. Grilse, summer salmon arrive generally from mid June in normal years and fishing is best up to mid July and its at this time that anglers tend to fish the area. Runs are moderate. There are no official catch statistics but feedback would suggest that up to a couple of hundred salmon could be caught here on rod and line on an average year.  If you hit it right when fish are moving and you can expect to get a salmon or two in a session. Worms, Fly and Spinning are best methods, prawn and shrimp are prohibited as per ESB policy for fishing the Shannon

Salmon Fishing Co Offaly Bank: On the Co Offaly bank access to the river involves a drive along country roads from Banagher into Victoria Lock, a distance of about 4 to 5 miles. Bank fishing is possible off the bank at the point of the Artificial Cut or the CUT as its known locally. Other than this bank fishing is extremely limited, a boat is required to get to all the known hotspots up and down river. At the top end of the Cut is generally fast streamy water, flow is controlled by sluices at Shaughnessy's Weir and flow rate  depends on the number of gates that are open at a given time. If water levels get very low, the gates can be closed by the Board of Works, so water flow will affect fishing prospects here, check conditions if you have local contacts. When a few gates are open this is a salmon fishing hotspot when the fish are running and bank space at these times is at a premium and well competed for. Again to fish and explore all the pools and runs along the river a boat is required. Boats are not generally available for hire locally and visiting anglers are advised to enquire locally to try and arrange a resident boat if possible (generally moored in the canal adjacent to the mouth of the Little Brosna River), otherwise you will have to be content to compete for the limited bank space with other anglers.

Trout Fishing Co Offaly Bank: Trout fishing can be good with dry fly in the summer months as the Croneen (lake trout start to migrate) and also for local native stock. Native trout are about 8 to 12 ozs with larger specimens possible to about 2lbs. Generally anglers wade down the pools in chest waders using dry sedges and wet flies, various olives.  Due care should be exercised while wading these or any local waters.

Salmon Fishing Co Galway Bank: Access is from Banagher on the Eyrecourt road, about 6-7 miles by road from Banagher. Follow the signs to Meelick or ask for local directions to Meelick Church. This requires driving along about three miles of small narrow country roads. At Meelick there is about 200 to 300 m of bank fishing in total. The more upstream sections are the fast runs ideal for fly fishing and spinning. You will need waders here to fish properly . Flies such as Garry Dog and Hairy Mary are popular for salmon. Spinning a brass or copper spoon or Flying C will work well. To access all hotspots a boat offers a distinct advantage to get to  those more hidden waters of which there are many.

Trout Fishing Co Galway  Bank: Fast runs at the upstream side of Meelick church and the far bank if you have a boat to access the bank below the weir at what's called locally as the Queens gap are good trout waters, producing trout averaging 8 to 12ozs generally with fish to 2lbs possible. Wet flies, Olives and sedges during the summer will work. 


Please Observe Our Country Code and Fisheries Laws.

Anglers are requested to always observe our country code

  • Seek permission from landowners before crossing private lands or property

  • Do not park cars in fields except where permission is granted and it is safe to do so.

  • Leave no litter

  • Keep our countryside clean

Normal access is over footbridges and stiles or where public access is provided.

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