extensive lakes.



There are two lakes in the neighbourhood, or environs of Mullingar,

which are "Lough Ennel" and "Lough Owel," to the north of the town; the

first named one is the best for large trout. There are good boats and

fishermen to be had here. A little farther northward is Lough Iron, and

the river Jenny, which takes its course to the Shannon. The best lake of

them all is "Derevaragh," still further to the north; the town of

Castlepollard is the best station to stay to fish this fine lake; the

trout run twelve and fourteen pounds in it.



Lough Lane and Dromore are close to the last named lake. The angling in

May is most excellent, with the green drake; it is called the drake

season, and at this period the largest fish are caught; the green drake

which I have described, is the right sort for the lakes, with large

whole upright wings double the ordinary size.



The trout flies in general are brown, green, grey, red, black, hare's

ear and yellow, hare's ear and brown, hare's ear and olive, fiery

brown, claret, orange, and yellow flies, and in rough weather gaudy

grilse flies are good.



The flexible minnow would be a capital bait, drawn after the boat, when

the trout are not inclined to take the fly.--See an angling tour of the

lakes by "Jeffery Green Drake."



There is very good salmon and trout fishing to be had in the County

Tipperary, at the town of Cahir, situated on the Suir; Kilcommon Cottage

on the river side, is a place of great beauty, and the angler may amuse

himself in the demesne of Lord Cahir, which contains 560 acres; this

place and Clonmel may be reached by railway from Dublin, and on arriving

at Kilkenny there is very good fishing in the river Barrow at the town,

on the road to Cahir.



There is a small river called Killmacow, two miles above Waterford,

running into the Suir, in which there is beautiful trout fishing, in the

Spring and June.



There are some nice streams in Wexford, for salmon and trout fishing.

The "Slaney," at Scarrawalsh Bridge, near the Barony Forth, is capital

for sea trout, in August and the early Spring; there is good trout

fishing the higher you proceed up this fine river.



In Lord Courtown's demesne, beyond Tara Hill, there is good grilse and

sea trout fishing, the river runs through the town of Ballycannew, a few

miles above Gorey; Lord Courtown's is not far from Gorey, who will allow

any gentleman to angle with the fly in his charming demesne. They say

that his lordship can contrive to "fish these fish" into the kettle

alive out of the river, part of which runs under the mansion; I cannot

tell how true this may be, the river runs close to the house, in which

there are plenty of salmon and trout.



The flies used here are rather gaudy, sea trout size; and the list of

flies for the season will answer admirably for trout fishing.



From the above place the angler may conveniently visit the rivers in the

County Wicklow, which are all trout streams, arriving at Arklow, on the

river Ovoca.



There is a very nice river[D] running along the southern side of the

Wicklow Mountains, passing by a place called "Little Aghrim," from

whence to the wooden bridge, three miles from Arklow, there is excellent

trout fishing in March, April, and May; it passes through a long lough

or piece of deep water, out of which the trout issue in the spring into

the river; there is no obstruction on its banks from the Wooden Bridge

Inn up to Aghrim. There is a bridge crosses the river three miles up

from the Wooden Bridge, where the angler may fish up to Aghrim or down

to the "Meetings." The Wooden Bridge is called the "Lower Meetings of

the Waters,"--this is the most beautiful place of any in the

neighbourhood of the Vale of Ovoca, as you can see fine vales from the

mount behind the Inn; although from the grounds of Howard Castle, where

the little and great Avon meet, the views are sublime,--this is Moore's

"Sweet Vale of Ovoca, where the bright waters meet."



From the town of Rathdrum to the Meetings there is good fly fishing in

the spring; through the vale there is no angling in the river, in

consequence of the copper mine water running into it from the hills on

each side, Cronebane, and Balymurtagh.



There is very little fishing in the river Dargle, as the stream is so

small, but the scenery is magnificent, particularly in the vicinity of

Powers Court Waterfall, it is about two miles and a half from the

village of Powers Court.



The best way to go from Dublin to fish the rivers "Avon" and "Derry,"

would be through Bray and Rathdrum; begin here to fish the Avon, to the

Bridge at Howard Castle; and from the Wooden Bridge angle up the Derry

to Aghrim, I never saw so many small trout in my life as there are in

this beautiful stream, in the spring; there are numbers of small rivers

descending the Wicklow Mountains, towards the east, south, and west, in

which the trout run small.



We will return to Dublin and pay a visit to the once celebrated "salmon

leap," at Leixlip, a few miles west of the City--this is a charming

place, where a few days may be spent to advantage; the groves and rocks,

and the romantic glen are the theme of admiration. And the Park of

Castletown, the most beautiful in the Kingdom; from the ancient castle

at the end of the town there are views of the river and waterfall. The

salmon fishing has been spoiled here by the sewers of the City running

into the Liffey.



At New Bridge, on the banks of the Liffey, the station before you come

to Kildare, on the Cork railroad, close to the celebrated "Curragh of

Kildare," a race course of 3000 acres of verdant plain, there is capital

trout fishing in April and May, and pretty fair sport may be had

throughout the summer; the flies to suit the river Liffey are very

small, and those little ones in my list for the season will answer well.