Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
The premier eastern river for salmon and wild brown trout alike, and one that has recovered well, though it remains a water where conservation comes before ambition. The limestone-enriched water carries excellent mayfly and olive hatches, and the Slane Castle beat is famous for both the density of its hatches and the history behind it. Spring salmon run from March through May, when the season allows it; summer grilse follow, and sea trout do well in the estuary. Every salmon goes back. A river that rewards the conservation-minded salmon angler every bit as much as the wild-trout specialist.
EPA kick-sample monitoring along the Boyne records mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, midges and blackflies, and freshwater shrimp, hoglice and crayfish present across its WFD segments. The data confirms a broad aquatic food base rather than any particular hatch timing or visible rise.
- Limestone