248 ANGLING 



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

 ness about all trout in Ireland; whereas in the north 

 of Britain the fish are, speaking with many exceptions, 

 white and poor. And this difierence 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 comparatively 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, Connaught, 

 Leinster, and Munster. 



PROVINCE OF ULSTER 



This province has some most excellent trout and 

 salmon rivers and lakes. It is the northern province of 

 the island. 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 Carlingford 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 



