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Derry North Donegal West Donegal Shore Index

Northern Donegal is famous for its fishing and will host the 2003 World Boat Championships out of Downings.  A multitude of deep inlets and channels offer a variety of fishing that is only matched by the labyrinth of roads!  A red spot indicates a known shore mark with recent information available, whereas a yellow spot will indicate a known or suspected mark with no recent data available... where a pioneering spirit is needed!

Introduction:

I had the pleasure of spending three sun-filled days in North Donegal in 2002, mostly around Lough Swilly, and it is a truly wonderfully picturesque place.  Sadly I smashed my ancient beachcaster comprehensively and beyond repair when fishing for Mackerel at Rathmullen harbour so the fishing was a bit on the short side!  What amazed me however was how forthcoming the locals were as to where and how to fish, including why the pier at Rathmullen isn't the real mark there! You have to be really impressed with the variety and quality of the shore fishing in Donegal... the weather is the only tricky bit, but when it is fine, Donegal is truly fabulous... and it will be well worth the wait!

1 - Doros Point   Doros Point is a difficult enough mark to find as there is little to distinguish it from the road, but the rock headland is directly east of a huge beach and close to (north of) Falcarragh village.  Species & Techniques: Spinning off the western point will produce Pollack, Coalfish and Mackerel. It has also been known to throw up the odd Sea-Trout. Legering rom the rocks is onto sand with Dab, Founder, Codling and the odd Bass taken. Distance casting will produce Dogfish and the odd Ray in summer.

2 - Dunfanaghy   Nestled inside Sheephaven Bay, Dunfanaghy is a boat chartering centre and offers excellent shore fishing in its own right.  Species & Techniques: Spinning the main channel will offer Sea-trout although (as with all of Ireland) the development of fish farms has happened alongside a drastic decline in Sea-trout numbers.  Flounder are caught by the bagful still in the channel, even at low water.  Surf fishing off the main beach will produce all the Flatfish, Coalfish, with Bass and Codling taken in the autumn.

3 - Port-na-blagh   The fishing mark is the rocks to the north of the pier. Species & Techniques: Wrasse, Coalfish and Pollack will fall to small red gills, spinners and float fished baits.  As in all harbours, legering offers access to the resident Conger.  Distance casting will get you out over sand for Dogfish, Ray and Flatfish.

4 - Downings Pier   Soon to become world famous for boat fishing, Downings Pier is extremely sheltered and offers good shore fishing.  Species & Techniques: Legering will produce Dogfish and Dabs, with the odd Plaice thrown in and the option of Conger.  Float fishing is mostly done in summer for the Mullet that enter the harbour, but it will also account for small Pollack, Coalfish, and Mackerel.  Pouting also reported in the past.

5 - Tra-na-Rossan   This was to have been my key fishing date for 2002 but alas my rod never made it!  You can fish off the rocks on either side of the beach but word is that the western rocks are the better platform in every sense.  Deep water access is the lure that will bring up down a steep and dangerous incline off the coast road. Species & Techniques: You can catch almost anything here!  Ray, Dogfish, Dab and Gurnard have all been recorded off the western rocks.  Spinning offers Mackerel, Pollack and Sea-Trout.  Surf fishing on the beach offers Flounder, Coalfish, Dogfish and the possibility of Ray in warmer calm conditions, whilst rock fishing over the foul ground (not sand) on the eastern side offers Wrasse to the float and Conger along the bottom.

6 - Fanad Head   A long and winding road but a wonderful spot and you can't miss it for the lighthouse - again the lighthouse is both restricted access and a private family residence so please respect this.  It also houses an air-sea rescue helicopter landing pad so park only in the spaces provided and never obstruct the gate. There is a path down from the parking spaces to the west of the lighthouse, past a deep channel.  I am told there are also paths down to the east of the lighthouse, over the field beside the car park. Species & Techniques: Spinning and float fishing over very foul ground to the north/west of the lighthouse will produce Pollack, Coalfish, Wrasse and Mackerel in season.  To the south of the lighthouse, facing Lough Swilly, spinning will also take Sea-Trout whilst distance casting over sand offers Flatfish and Codling.  Night tides are better.

7 - Rathmullen Beach and Pier   A little village nestled in a deep and sheltered bay, Rathmullen offers simple uncomplicated fishing off the pier in the flood or at low tide, where there is a surprising depth of water.  The real mark however is further up, heading north along the beach, at the first "elbow".  A fair distance out the current churns up the bottom and creates an excellent flatfish mark.  Species & Techniques: Spinning from the pier is extremely popular in summer mainly for Mackerel.  Small Pollack are taken on feathers from directly under the pilings (useful as bait).  Fishing the pier at low tide offers Flounder (worm) and Dogfish (strip).  Distance casting from the elbow on the beach (you will need waders) with either worm or mackerel strip will take Flatfish but it is the chance of small Skate, Tope in the summer, and Ray on calm weather conditions that brings sea-anglers to this mark. Rathmullen is very tidal and care is needed with strong currents.  Excellent charter boat.

8 - Dunaff Head   The Inishowen Penninsula is a wonderful spot and very popular tourist destination during the summer.  We have little or no reports on it in terms of fishing, however Dunaff Head is a known shore mark.  Species & Techniques: Spinning from the rock platforms in smmmer will produce Mackerel, Pollack and Coalfish.  Float fishing will add Wrasse to the list.  Botttom fishing onto foul ground offers Conger and Dogfish. 
9 - Kerrykeel Pier   Our thanks to Arthur for the following report on Kerrykeel on the road north from Letterkenny. This is a shore mark on Mulroy Bay. Species & Techniques: "Bait - nothing too technical, just a side of mackerel. Rig - again, it was a simple two-hook paternoster, leaving everything on the deck and waiting for it to 'move off'.Last summer we were fishing there for an hour with the kids and even the youngsters got either ray or dogfish. At one point, what can only be described as a squadron of ray meandered right up to the pier and lazily wandered around before setting off again. The big one in front must easily have been in double figures with two smaller ones, maybe only around three pounds sitting side by side just behind each wing of the big one. I caught a reasonably good one which I would estimate above 8 lbs and in my excitement tried to lift it about 6ft up from the water rather than 'walk' it around to the jetty and well, I'm sure you can work it out." 

Postscript:

The land west of Falcarragh is largely unexplored and not pictured above - clearly access is a problem and the prevailing weather does not help but we have no doubt that it harbours some excellent shore fishing marks.  The same can be said for almost the entire Inishowen Penninsula, which is not included in the map above.  The same variety of mark from sand to very foul ground, from beach to rock exists and the waters around it are known to be teeming with fish - hence the World Boat Championships, still currently scheduled for off Downings in 2003.  With all that bait and chum going to the bottom, the fishing will be even better for maybe a week afterwards...

Introduction:

... and then there is THE penninsula!

The Inishowen Penninsula is a fishing centre all to itself. My sincere thanks to Peter McGroary and others for offering their assistance and years of experience in developing this section of the Donegal map, for whilst I have driven around the penninsula and enjoyed it, there was not time to drop a line into the water much less hire a charter boat!  with over 400 wrecks within a forty mile radius, the fishing here has not been touched.  People are more than welcome to send in reports and we will gladly give you credit for pointing anglers in the right direction.

map coming 

shortly, thanks!
1 Lennan Pier Big thanks to SIMPO off the forums for directions (very important) and advice on this mark.  "... head for Buncrana. Drive straight out of Buncrana follow the sign post for Clonmanny (17km from Buncrana). Drive straight through Clonmanny over the Clonmanny river, past the Rusty Nail bar, (excellent craic and even better food, must try). Approx 1 kilometre up the road you see a brown (tourist) sign post for Lennan Pier, listing dabs, plaice and pollock. Follow the sign for approx 3 kioometres until you come to a fork in the road - the options are left to Mamore Gap, and right to Lennan Pier. Take the road to Lennan Pier and it takes you right down onto the pier."  Species & Techniques: "Headed down to Lennan Pier with the son around midday the tide was just on the flood, weather was glorious. Local came down and was telling me that approx 100yards of the end of the pier is a massive crevice that the dredging boats dredged out last summer in order to put stantions in to extend the harbour. He tells me it is seriously deep water. The crevice is marked by a number of buoys which are within easy range. First cast landed a 3 hook flapper right in the middle of the crevice and within 10mins i landed a cracking flounder measuring approx 47cm. Next cast landed a plaice around 28cm. The local guy landed a cracking plaice over 30cm he caught his on squid. Over the next 1hr i landed 3 further flounder all around 23cm.  This local was telling me of other fishing marks around Clonmanny which is good for pollack on the float and from the size he was telling me there is some big fish to be caught. The nearest tackle shop to get rag is in Letterkenny so if your heading down make sure you have the bait sorted out." January 2006

2 - Culdaff   A little village nestled in a deep and sheltered bay, Rathmullen offers simple uncomplicated fishing off the pier in the flood or at low tide, where there is a surprising depth of water.  The real mark however is further up, heading north along the beach, at the first "elbow".  A fair distance out the current churns up the bottom and creates an excellent flatfish mark.  Species & Techniques: Spinning from the pier is extremely popular in summer mainly for Mackerel.  Small Pollack are taken on feathers from directly under the pilings (useful as bait).  Fishing the pier at low tide offers Flounder (worm) and Dogfish (strip).  Distance casting from the elbow on the beach (you will need waders) with either worm or mackerel strip will take Flatfish but it is the chance of small Skate, Tope in the summer, and Ray on calm weather conditions that brings sea-anglers to this mark. Rathmullen is very tidal and care is needed with strong currents.  Excellent charter boat.

Postscript:

There is a load more fishing on the Inishowen peninsula, so check back and we will have more marks identified for you... and a map too!  Thanks.