Caddisflies
Gammarids
A major east-coast salmon river flowing through Enniscorthy to Wexford Harbour, though 2026 is a conservation year in the fullest sense — only 17% of the 2SW limit was met, so there's no harvest surplus and every migratory fish must go back. Spring fishing is still worth doing, conservation in mind throughout, from March to May on the pools with a sinking-tip line. The upper reaches hold quality wild brown trout with reliable hatches, grilse arrive from June, and sea trout run the estuary and lower river from May. A river with real, enduring trout potential while the salmon side of things waits on recovery.
The Slaney rises high on Lugnaquilla in the western Wicklow Mountains and runs a hundred and seventeen kilometres south through Carlow and Wexford to the wide, shallow estuary of Wexford Harbour. It is a wide, strong-flowing river — fast and rocky in its upper reaches above Tullow, broad and powerful through the long middle stretch between Bunclody and Enniscorthy, punctuated by weirs and the pools below them. The geology shifts from the granite and slate of the Wicklow uplands to softer lowland ground downstream, the water clearing and colouring with the rain off the hills. The Slaney is primarily a spring-salmon fishery, the bulk of the run and the angling falling between March and May, with a smaller summer grilse run and sea trout behind. The character is big, fast, weir-punctuated water through fertile country. Wading is steady on rock and gravel, with proper care in the strong main flow.
Wading: Strong main flow and weir pools
EPA invertebrate monitoring across the Slaney's many WFD segments confirms mayflies, stoneflies, a wide range of caddis, midges and blackflies, and freshwater shrimp and hoglice are present in the food base. This is presence data from kick sampling, not a dated hatch calendar.
- Mixed
- Unconfined
- Pool riffle