IRELAND 251 



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 

 Foyle on this side, issues from a lake 436 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 Foyle at Lifford Bridge, eight miles below 

 Castlefinn, where it is navigable for boats of fourteen 

 tons. Other feeders of the Foyle, out of Donegal, are 

 the Berg, 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 Finn, and descends upwards of 

 800 feet in its course from Loch Deele to the Foyle, 

 which it joins a mile below Lifford; and the Swilly 

 Burn, or Brook, which passes by Eaphoe, and is 

 navigable for a few miles above its junction. Loch 

 Derg is about two miles and a half wide each way, 

 and surrounded on all sides by steep and barren 

 mountains ; it is 467 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 Letterkenny to 

 Loch Swilly. The Scannan Eiver, 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 into Sheep Haven. The waters of 

 Loch Salt, which is, perhaps, the deepest pool in Ireland, 

 descend 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 



