A base-poor chain of three Old Red Sandstone loughs — Upper, Middle and Lower Cloonee — on the northern flank of the Caha Mountains above Tuosist, draining via a short outlet river into the Kenmare River estuary. The bedrock is Devonian Old Red Sandstone (the Caha Mountain Formation). This is a low-key wild-fishing system rather than a headline salmon river: the mainstay is wild brown trout, with sea trout ('white trout'), a notable head of Arctic char in the cold, oligotrophic water, and only an occasional grilse. For 2026 the Cloonee carries a zero salmon harvest quota and is catch-and-release only — sensible given how light the salmon run is here. Most fishing is from a boat on the loughs, which buffer the flashy mountain catchment and hold a fishable level longer than a bare spate river. Come for the character of the place and the wild brown trout and sea trout; treat a salmon as a bonus. Old Red Sandstone, blanket bog and crag give clean, acidic, nutrient-poor water — fish are not large on average but the setting is exceptional.
- Old red sandstone