Fishing
“Conjure up visions of blazing yellow gorse, of waves slapping against wooden boats, of curling wood-smoke fuelling Kelly kettles, of the remnants of winter snow clinging like a white sheet to Nephin Beg and you will have an image of Spring on Lough Beltra” - Trout and Salmon
Beltra gets a large run of spring salmon and they come to the fly from March until June. It is the spring fishing for which Beltra is rightly renowned. Spring salmon tend to be in the 8 to 10 pound bracket and the number of fish caught per rod day fished is as good as any lake in the west of Ireland.
From June onwards, the grilse begin to appear and with them come the sea-trout for which Beltra is famous.
The best salmon in recent years weighed 21 pound and was taken on a shrimp fly. On the East side the best of the spring salmon fishing is along the road shore and at the mouth of the Glenisland river.
There are five boats for hire from the Glenisland Co-op. Outboards may be booked in advance on the Glenisland side and outboards and boatmen are included in the charge for the fishing on the Newport House side. Two of the Newport House boats may also fish the Glenisland Co-op side during the spring.
A detailed map and history of the lake was compiled and very kindly supplied by James O'Hora. James fished on lough Beltra for over 50 years and had an unrivaled knowledge of the lake. An experienced boatman with an infectious enthusiasm for salmon and sea-trout fishing. If you would like to download the map of the lake please click here.