Spate · Granite · West / Connemara

Costello / Fermoyle

Costello / Fermoyle terrain map
Terrain map

A distinct classic Connemara sea-trout system with its own literary pedigree — T.

Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Willie Gunn · 10-14
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Erriff
  • Water temp15.1°C
  • ClarityVery colouredClearing
Today’s fly
Willie Gunn
Willie Gunn10-14
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Falling
Proxy
via Erriff
Water temp15.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather18°C
WindNW 31 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent20.4 mm
Rain · ahead4.3 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Erriff. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
15°C est.ideal 1014°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Costello & Fermoyle fishery — private, managed by IFI
  • Day tickets may be available
  • State rod licence required
  • Fly fishing only on the Costello and Fermoyle system; beats rotated and rod numbers strictly limited.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
About this water

A distinct classic Connemara sea-trout system with its own literary pedigree — T. C. Kingsmill Moore's Bumble tradition was born here — and still-credible current runs. IFI reporting notes improving sea-trout runs in 2025 after a slow start, and the 2023 season saw a big increase in sea-trout catches even when salmon were down. A chain of granite lakes connected by short river sections, draining through a brief tidal reach into Casla Bay. Fish move quickly through the system after rain; the sea-trout season runs 1 June to 30 September. Lake drifts with wet fly teams are the traditional method; river sections fish on the spate. Better-supported as a current sea-trout story than generic west-of-Ireland nostalgia, but still fundamentally water-responsive rather than calendar-reliable. For 2026 this remains an open fishery — salmon may be retained in season under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme and bag limits, with catch-and-release at other times.

  • Lough system
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyGood
  • ChemicalUnknown
What this classification means

EPA WFD 2019-2024 — Good ecological status; filled 2026-06-18. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IEWE_31C080760

The full read · show the working · for atlantic salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via Erriffproxy
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 February → 30 September
  • Sea trout1 June → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — Costello / Fermoyle is one of the original Connemara fisheries documenting the 1989/1990 sea-trout collapse. IFI 2023–2025 evidence shows volatility — strong runs in some years, near-empty in others. Western fishery district catch-and-release / retention restrictions apply.

Related guides
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