The Erne salmon fishery lies below the Cathleen Falls hydro dam at Ballyshannon — a large, regulated river fished mainly for spring salmon and grilse in the holding water below the generating station. The flows are hydro-controlled, so read the water as it is given to you on the day rather than as you would wish it. Salmon angling on the Erne is closed for 2026 under the conservation regulations (S.I. 129/2026) — confirm the current status with IFI before travelling. ESB and IFI managed; permits through the Erne fishery, and the State Licence is required. Atlantic salmon and sea trout are managed under IFI's Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — many rivers are catch-and-release and harvest is allowed only where a confirmed surplus exists, so check the river's current status before fishing.
EPA monitoring across the River Erne (Ballyshannon) confirms a rich food base — mayflies including Ephemera danica, stoneflies, an unusually diverse caddis assemblage, chironomids and blackfly larvae, and freshwater crustaceans including shrimp, hoglice and white-clawed crayfish — though this is presence evidence from kick sampling, not a record of hatch timing or a dependable rise.
- Mixed
