FIFTH DAT.] IRISH RIVERS. 129 



formerly excellent, after a flood in September, for sea 

 trout, and later for salmon : I have had good sport 

 there, and some of my friends have had better. 



In Ireland there are some excellent rivers; and, 

 what you will hardly believe possible, comparing the 

 characters of the two nations, some of them are taken 

 better care of than the Scotch rivers ; which arises a 

 good deal from the influence of the Catholic priests, 

 when they are concerned in the interests of the pro- 

 prietors, on the Catholic peasantry. I should place 

 the Erne, at Ballyshannon, as now the first river, for 

 salmon fishing from the banks with a rod, in the 

 British dominions ; and the excellent proprietor of it, 

 Dr. Shell, is liberal and courteous to all gentlemen 

 fly-fishers. The Moy, at Ballina, is likewise an 

 admirable salmon river; and sport, I believe, may 

 almost always be secured there in every state of the 

 waters ; but the best fishing can only be commanded 

 by the use of a boat. I have taken in the Erne two 

 or three large salmon in the morning ; and in the 

 Moy, three or four grilses, or, as they are called in 

 Ireland, grauls ; and this was in a very bad season for 

 salmon fishing. The Bann, near Coleraine, abounds 

 in salmon : but, in this river, except in close time, 

 when it is unlawful to fish there, there are few good 

 casts. In the Bush, a small river about seven miles 

 to the east of the Bann, there is admirable salmon 



