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to the end of October, is one of the best rivers in Ireland 

 for autumn salmon fishing. This river has a distinct run 

 of late fish, heavy fellows, clean and full of fight. But 

 rod fishing- now closes at the end of September. 



This Kilrea section of the river is the favourite location of 

 those ang'lers who fish the ' guinea water," and as I have 

 o]ily missed visiting it one season, out of the past sixteen 

 years, I ought to know something about it. But first let me 

 say, for the information of English anglers, that the very 

 Avhen it reaches the ]a^t weir, at Coleraine. Helow this 

 best route to the Bann is via Liverpool to Belfast, and 

 thence by Northern Counties line. If you Avant to go to 

 Loleraine, this is the direct route, and if you decide upon 

 going to Kihea, book to Cullabackey from Belfast. The 

 mail car will take you to Kilrea for half-a-crown., or you 

 can charter a private car to carrj^ you the ten-mile drive 

 for five shillings. After a long journey, by rail and sea, 

 this drive on an " outside " car — taking care to sit on 

 the left side — is most enjoyable. As you leave Culla- 

 backey pull up on the bridge, and have a look at the 

 course of the River Maine. It is an exceedingly pretty 

 stream fi'oni this point up to Carryford, running through 

 a richly wooded valley, and it holds some splendid trout, 

 the fishino- beino- free. Later in the autumn the salmon 

 come up fi'om Lough Neagh, and I have had fair sport 

 in the Maine after rain, when the Bann was too high and 

 too thick to fish. 



The scenery on the road to Kilrea will gratify both the 

 eye and mind of an angler escaped from the toil and 

 moil of City life, and the panorama of moor and moun- 

 tain wjll amply compensate him for adopting this route 

 instead of travelling to Kilrea by rail. Yes, you can do 

 it by rail from Belfast, if jou possess your soul with suffi- 

 cient patience, and can find any recreation either of mind 

 or body in a weary railway journey. But you will save 

 nothing — or next to nothing — in money by Avasting half 

 a day in doing a train journey, which can be done in half 

 the time by the Cullabackey road route. As regards 

 quarters at Kilrea, to those who take their ease at their 

 inn, there is the Mercers' Arms, newly rebuilt, where 



