IRELAND. 159 



Donegal, and forms Lough Eoyle, before its entrance into the 

 ocean, is a good angling river in its higher departments. Some of 

 its feeders come out of the mountains and boggy districts of the 

 county of Monoghan, and are full of trout, but not of any great 

 size. 



The districts of the Eoyle best adapted for the fly, and for the 

 capture of large fish, are those which lie between Omagh, in the 

 county of Tyrone and Strabane, which is situated on the river 

 Mourne, before it enters the Eoyle. In all this range of water the 

 river is beautifully adapted for angling; and when it is in fair 

 order, and the fish in the humour, a good sized creel is soon filled. 

 Good large flies may be employed with advantage in the latter end 

 of March until the middle of May. Larger trout are invariably 

 caught with these during this season, than with smaller ones. 

 The river Mourne is also worth throwing a line into. 



The river Finn, which is the chief feeder of the Eoyle on this 

 side, issues from a lake four hundred and thirty-six feet above the 

 level of the sea, situated in the centre of the mountain chain 

 extending south from Erigal, and after a course of about thirty 

 miles eastward, joins the Eoyle at Lifford Bridge, eight miles 

 below Castlefinn, where it is navigable for boats of fourteen tons. 

 Other feeders of the Eoyle, out of Donegal, are the Derg, which 

 comes from Loch Derg, in the south-east extremity of the county 

 of Donegal, and joins the main stream in Tyrone; the Deele, 

 which has a course nearly parallel to the Einn, and descends 

 upwards of ^800 feet in its course from Loch Deele to the Eoyle, 

 which it joins a mile below Lifford; and t the Swilly Sum, or 

 Brook, which passes by Raphoe, and is navigable > for a few miles 

 above its junction. Loch Dew is about two miles and a half 

 wide each way, and surrounded on all sides by steep and barren, 

 mountains ; it is four hundred and sixty-seven feet above the level 

 of the sea, and its greatest depth is seventy-five feet. This lake is 

 subject to violent gusts of wind. It abounds in excellent trout. 

 The Swilly river, although it has a course of little more than 

 fifteen miles, brings down a good quantity of water through Litter- 

 benny to Loch Swilly. The Scannan river, which likewise flows 

 into Loch Swilly by Eathmelton, is a considerable stream, as is 

 also the Lackagh, which discharges the waters of the lakes of 

 Gartan, Loch Veah, Loch Salt, and Glen Loch, and into Sheep 

 Haven. The waters of Loch Halt, which is, perhaps, the deepest 

 pool in Ireland, descends 731 feet in a course of little more than, 

 three miles to Glen Loch. 



There are a considerable number of small rivers and rivulets 

 which flow into the Atlantic on the western side of Donegal, 

 which abound plentifully with good salmon and trout. If the 

 angling tourist keep by the coast, he will meet with all these 

 waters in regular succession. In the Gmbera, and the Oenea, 

 good sport is sure to be found in the months of April and May. 



The river Erne is a splendid salmon and trout stream. It issues 



