Kerrykeel

Hi I have just booked a caravan at Kerrykeel for 10 days, I will be taking my 18ft wilson flyer with 50hp. I have several questions if anyone knows the answers.
What is launching like in the area, I have a 4wd, how much does it cost, day/week?
How deep is the lough and does it have good sea fishing that far in?
If to rough out at sea is the lough relatively settled and fishable
Can you get out to open sea with little trouble?

Any other information welcome, i dont mind towing to the coast if needed.


Cheers
Nick

first of all, welcome to the site nick
interesting place to be basing yourself nick, beautiful part of the world i assume that you are talking about Kerrykeel on Mulroy Bay, Co.Donegal? and i reckon that you are not going for this wee holiday next week..?? bcos its freezing out there..!
im not an expert myself as i have only fished the area a little but i reckon Shambo is the man you want to contact, he lives up that way and could provide some info. you can send him a private message from his profile page, here: memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5672
should be some interesting fishing round Melmore Head and beyond, once out of the Lough
need to be careful of the flow of the tide when its rushing in and out of the mouth of the lough though maybe?!

The mouth of the bay is good for flats and plaice...I wonder if you could launch the boat from rathmullan instead??..into the swilly as it is not that far away from kerrykeel!!..

Are there any local fishing guides for the area, fish reports etc.

What time of year are you visiting?

Mulroy Bay, past the Narrows, is sheltered. There could be a near gale outside and it'll be a millpond inside. But it does have lots of features like shallows, holes, reefs and channels that make navigation interesting. It's not a place for nightfishing unless you really know what you're doing with charts, or you know the waters. Running the Narrows against the flow of a Spring tide is alos interesting, but if you pick your launch slip right you shouldn't need to do that.

Launching is free. I've never paid anywhere in Donegal for that. For the bottom of the Bay there's a slip just North of Kerrykeel on the East of the Bay, and one on the West at Woodquarter. That's probably the better one. If you want to fish the mouth of the Bay and open water outside it, drag the boat to Meevagh or Downings. Downings is perfect for Sheephaven Bay. Drag it across to Rathmullan if you want to fish the Swilly. Kerrykeel is pretty much perfect for basing yourself if you want to keep your options open.

Fishing inside the Bay doesn't give as many species as the outside. There's the chance of Sea Trout down at the bottom around Milford, but the numbers of ST in the Bay are devastated compared to what they used to be like. There's good Thornie fishing around the mussel farms opposite the slip at Kerrykeel, anchor up for best results there. Up around Morris Castle there's coalies, and that's about it really for inside the Bay. There's always the chance of stray species like a Gurnard anywhere in the Bay, but they're scarce.

At the mouth of the Bay opposite the caravans is good for flatties and Rays like Cuckoo or Small-Eyed. Nudging around Melmore (and close into it, so be careful of your boathandling) are big Ballans, Pollock and Coalies. If you know what you're doing, and where and when to do it, there's the chance of a Bass. Past that you've got open ocean and the world's your oyster. If it's settled enough a punt out to the Limeburner can be productive, but watch yourself out there. I've seen massive swells break out of nowhere on that rock in the best of conditions. Don't go anywhere closer than 300 yards to it.

Tangerlat has covered most things, but just to add my tuppence worth, insted of launching at rathmullan you could use the slip at scraggy (halfway between rathmullan and portsalon) this will get you to the lighthouse far quicker where there is some good reefs and also the wreck laurentic a wee bit further out (2 miles approx) if you want to leave the boat on a swinging mooring for a few days there is 3 visitors moorings at portsalon that were laid by the council and checked every year. when have you booked you caravan for? If you need any more info let me know and I will try to help

The mouth of the bay is good for flats and plaice...I wonder if you could launch the boat from rathmullan instead??..into the swilly as it is not that far away from kerrykeel!!..

Rathmullan is crap, stick to Kerrykeel, try to get to the limeburner!

Hi there, what species are around the limeburner, what sort of depths are there, How far from kerrykeel. Any tips fishing and boating, would I get there on any tide from Kerrykeel or should I launch further up?

Hi All, thanks for all the information, I am trying to put it all together. All information is very very welcome. I intend to go on the 7th of June for ten days.
Cheers

Nick

For the Limeburner, launch from Downings or Meevagh. It's foul ground so expect pollock, coalies & ballan. Outside chance of a Porgie. Possibility of a tope too. The place has been littered with red gurnard the last couple of years, with the odd gray & tub gurnard thrown in. Strangely, huss are rare enough thereabouts. 3 hook 4/0 patenosters with a leak link connecting the weight is the least loss-intensive way to tackle it. Get your mackeral bait inside Sheephaven (Downings) or off Melmore (Meevagh). fish it on the drift unless you don't like your anchor and don't want to see it back onboard again.

Thanks for that.I think I had better start drawing a map and mark stuff down! Can you launch at Downings and Meevagh at any state of the tide?
Cheers

Nick

Any stage of the tide at Downings, but it gets busy in the summer. Sometimes you have to wait as long as 10 mins before you get your turn. Not so sure about stages of the tide in Mevagh, I rarely launch from there, but I think it's all stages too.

10 minutes! That would be bliss where I launch in Aberystwyth I have a launching/retrieving window of about 4 hours otherwise a 12 mile trip to the next slipway. Do they charge at Downings?

How far from Downings to limeburner, do they charge for launching. Sorry for all the questions but I want to make the most of my visit. Nick

It's about 6, maybe nearer 7 miles from Downings. It's an underwater pinnacle that doesn't break the surface so you have to know what you're looking for. There's a navigation marker 1/4 mile north of it that a lot of people assume sits right on top of it. There's a good 3D representation of it somewhere out there on the www, if you can find it.

There's no charge anywhere for launching (well, maybe at the marina in Faughan, that's privately owned and I don't know about them)

There's a good 3D representation of it somewhere out there on the www, if you can find it.

This one below?

Also yes it is possible to launch from Mevagh at all states of the tide, it's approx 7.5 mile to the limeburner from there. It is a private slip but there's no problem using it, you just might want to ask first to be polite

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That's the one. It's a fantastical physical mark, and I've caught some stonking great pollock there. If it's 7.5 miles from Mevagh then it's probably a bit more from Downings - I must dig out the chart and dividers to check that.............

What about launching from Ballyworiskey in Fanad its about 30 min from Rockhill caravan park and has a nice wee pier and slip that is quiet at the best of times otherwise I would still look at scraggy bay on the swilly. both places have plenty of room to leave your trailer and 4wd. Frome scraggy you have knockalla (small pollack/Mackeral ) next swilly rock (flatties,pollack mackeral) the brown george (pollack mackeral coalie.some dabs,skate, the lighthouse (pollack,coalie.mackeral,maybe a cod/ling red gurnard,ect) after that if the weather is good you could still do the lime burner, scraggy bay is about 15/20min tow from kerrykeel towards glenvar. on your way back you can leave the boat on a mooring in portsalon subject to availability and that would save you launch and retrive for a few days

That's down the bottom of Fanad - easy to get lost trying to find the place if you take a wrong turn!

Ask me how i know........

U must have got the wrong directions we like to see people touring around to view the scenery over here