IRELAND. 157 



a level country ; its chain of mountains being of no great length, 

 and the elevation of them slight. 



Numerous lakes, rivers, streams, Lays, havens, ^ harbours, and 

 creeks, diversify the landscape, and produce a pleasing effect upon 

 the mind of the traveller. 



Ireland stands next to Scotland in angling resources ; but, in the 

 estimation of many sportsmen, the Emerald Isle is equal to the 

 latter. My own opinion is, that Ireland is greatly inferior to 

 Scotland as an angling country, but that the Irish trout are vastly 

 superior in quality to those of Scotland. There is a peculiar rich- 

 ness about all trout in Ireland ; whereas in the norm of Britain, 

 the fish are, speaking with many exceptions, white and poor. And 

 this difference is easily accounted for. The Scotch rivers have a 

 great deal of the impetuous mountain torrent about them, flow 

 over great tracts of country of an open and rocky character, and 

 therefore the food for trout is but scantily provided. On the other 

 hand, the rivers in Ireland are less rapid, and flow through a com- 

 paratively level country, which yields a more regular and certain 

 supply of those things on which trout generally feed. 



Like Scotland, the angler feels the same pleasure in traversing 

 Ireland with his rod, from the absence of all kinds of restraint. 

 The country as' a whole is thrown open to every sportsman ; and 

 this makes ^all movements pleasant and agreeable. 



Ireland ^is divided into four provinces, which are divided again 

 into counties. In our description of the rivers, we shall take each 

 province, and give a general outline of all the most approved 

 fishing waters which it contains. These provinces are Ulster, Con- 

 naught, Leinster, and Minister. 



PEOVINCE OP ULSTER. 



This province has some most excellent trout and salmon rivers 

 and lakes. It is the northern province of the island. t The best 

 route for an angler to go to it is by way of Belfast, which lies on 

 the coast, nearly in the centre of the province, when you are in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of excellent fishing water. The 

 eastern coast of the province is very scantily supplied with rivers ; 

 for there are none worthy of an angling; tourist's attention, from 

 Callingford Bay to the mouth of the river Bann ; a distance of 

 more than one hundred and fifty miles, and embracing all the range 

 of sea known by the name of the North Channel^ There are 

 certainly little rivulets in the course, but no river bringing down 

 the waters from the interior of the country. In most of these 

 rivulets, trout will be found, and even a few salmon. 



This district embraces the two counties of Down ancl Antrim. 

 The rivers in the county of Down are the Bann, Lagan, and Neicry ; 

 and those of Antrim are Bann, Lagan, and Busk. In the Lagan 

 and Bush, good trout are taken, and salmon in spring and autumn ; 

 but not in such quantities as to induce an angler to go much out of 



