Reckoned among the finest limestone loughs in the country, and shallow, clear water that seems to put every insect on display before the trout even gets to it. Mayfly and olive hatches are exceptional, and the wild browns run to specimen size — fish that test the nerve as much as the skill. The surrounding hills give it more shelter than most loughs its size, so it goes on fishing through a moderate breeze that would shut down more exposed water. The mayfly from the middle of May is worth building the year's calendar around.
Duckfly typically start in mid-April and run for about three weeks, best in the evening from around 19:30, followed by a big lake-olive hatch over the weed through the first half of May. Ephemera danica mayfly usually run from early May into June across the lough and shore drifts, with a smaller Murrough (great red sedge) hatch around late May to early June bringing trout on from about 23:00. Caenis hatch heavily from mid-to-late June in calm sheltered bays at first light, and summer sedges carry the fishing from around 22:00 through June to August.
- Lough system
- Limestone