Mahon's Hotel, Irvinestown

A small family hotel that is close to shops, pubs and restaurants and well used to looking after anglers.

The hotel's location is perfect for coarse fishing on Lower Lough Erne and the waters around Enniskillen and is especially popular during the spring and autumn festivals. There are tackle and bait storage facilities.

All rooms at the Mahons Hotel are en-suite and equipped with TV, satellite, DVD, Tea making facilities, ironing facilities, telephone services and wireless broadband connection. When you’re winding down you can relax in the bar/lounge area, plus at weekends enjoy some music from local bands Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday evening.

During the day the bar serves food, drink and snacks from a menu of simple freshly cooked local dishes. Alternatively you can eat in the restaurant where an extensive menu is offered. Carvery lunch is served in the restaurant daily. A La Carte is served from 5 pm and is accompanied by an extensive selection of fine wines.

Mahons Hotel is near to lots of relatively unfished lakes and just a 10-minute drive from the mighty Lower Lough Erne. Feeder fishing at range (50 yards) produces quality bream, hybrids and roach. Accurate casting, packing your feeder with particle, and keeping the feed going in are most important. When feeder fishing in zebra mussel territory use an 18lb braided mainline, tie your feeder onto this paternoster style, use a decent (4-metre) shock link of around 14lb to your standard hook length. You will invariably be using size 12 and 10 hooks. This way you get few breakoffs.

PRICES FROM:

LOW SEASON - Ferry & 7 nights B&B

Car and 4 - £434 per person; Car and 2 - £477 per person

Supplements apply to high cars and vans

Prices may be subject to change - please contact us direct for the latest deals

Fishing in Co Fermanagh

County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, is renowned for its abundant waters and scenic beauty. The area offers a variety of fishing experiences from lake fishing to river angling. Coarse fishing can generally be enjoyed year-round, but the best times are typically during the warmer months, from late spring to early autumn.

Lough Erne is one of the premier destinations for coarse fishing in the region. Comprising two main parts, Upper and Lower Lough Erne, this expansive waterway system offers a variety of fishing opportunities. The Erne system consists of a huge amount of water with both still waters and flowing waters. In winter and spring the flowing waters are where the large roach and bream shoals are and during periods of mild weather, fishing at distance can produce good sport. In spring early summer vast shoals migrate into the system and once located big bags are possible. During periods of clear water (zebra mussels have an effect here) you have to fish at range, but if it's overcast and there's some natural colour you can catch much closer.

Inishcorkish Island, on Upper Lough Erne is known for its large bream and roach populations and Trory Point is a popular spot for perch and pike fishing. Bellanaleck offers good catches of roach, bream, and hybrids.

The lower lough on the Erne System has some quality bream, roach and pike. Hire a boat and you have hundreds of exclusive fishing locations. Popular fishing spots include Castle Archdale with good access to deep waters. Devenish Island has excellent fishing from the shore. Boa Island is known for pike fishing with access points around the island. Boat hire is available at various locations around the lough, such as Castle Archdale and Enniskillen.

Enniskillen, the largest town in County Fermanagh, is an excellent base for coarse fishing, offering access to various prime fishing spots in both Upper and Lower Lough Erne. The town itself has several excellent fishing spots along the banks, particularly near the Broadmeadow and Round O Jetty. The Broadmeadow is located near the town centre, it's a popular spot for anglers targeting bream, roach, perch and hybrids. The area is easily accessible and ideal for those looking for a convenient fishing location. Round O Jetty is another town centre location that offers good catches of bream, roach and perch. Portora Lock, situated on the outskirts of Enniskillen is known for its large shoals of bream and good-sized roach. The lock system also attracts perch and pike. Just outside Enniskillen, Killyhevlin provides access to productive fishing waters on the River Erne. It’s a good spot for targeting bream, roach and hybrids. Gortnacarrow is noted for tench, roach and bream.

Spring and Summer are the best times for coarse fishing, with warmer water temperatures encouraging fish activity. Early mornings and late evenings are particularly productive. Autumn can also be productive, especially for pike as they feed heavily before winter. In Winter fishing is still possible, though activity levels may decrease. Focus on deeper waters where fish tend to congregate. Wherever you fish in Ireland, the chances of catching fish are hugely improved by pre-baiting to attract fish into your chosen swim. Ideally this is done the evening before (or for a couple of days) using breadcrumb or local maize meal carrying particle baits such as sweetcorn, boiled wheat, hemp and pellets. Early morning and late evening are generally more productive as fish tend to feed more actively during these times.

For further tips and advice check out our YouTube channel - anglersworldlive

An angling license is required to fish in Northern Ireland. Licenses can be obtained online through the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) or from local tackle shops.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coarse-rod-licence-types-daera

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coarse-angling-permit-types-daera