I provide professional guiding services on Lough Melvin, located in the West of Ireland. Most recently I have guided and tied the winning flies for the Irish team that helped them achieve a gold medal on Lough Melvin in June 2022.
The target is Wild Brown Trout and we'll typically use fly fishing techniques. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or an experienced angler, all are welcome and I'll ensure you'll have a great day out.
You can arrange booking with me throughout the year using email (mahonjackie@gmail.com), or through the details on my contact Jackie page. Please note that if we don't answer your query straight away, that means we are out on the water guiding and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Once bookings are made, I will contact you a few days in advance to talk about conditions, directions and times.
Feel like something different? Because my location is ideal for Lough Arrow and Lough Melvin, I can offer the angler the opportunity to sample
fishing on these two wonderful lakes, on a two day package or additional days. Example:
- Day 1: Fishing Lough Arrow
- Day 2: Fishing Lough Melvin
Coming soon, we will supply information on the 3 types of Trout you can catch on Melvin.
Please note: We fish rain or shine, unless the weather is deemed unsafe by Jackie. In the event of dangerous weather, we will reschedule for a future date.
To learn more please refer to the "Typical Day Out" section below, or the following sections:
- Latest Lough Melvin fishing update from Fishing Ireland
- fishing on lough Melvin
- "Catch-22" my boat
- Accommodation around lough Melvin
- Other activities around Melvin
A Typical Day Out
Answers to some frequently asked questions might help:
What can I book?
It's usually a full day going from roughly 9:30am in the morning to about 5pm or 6pm in the evening, but we can make alterations to suit all requests. The normal day is 10am to 6pm. I like to meet
up at 9.30 to discuss our day and be on the water by 10.
How many people can you take on-board?
It's usually 1 or 2 people. For more than 2 people we can help with additional guides and boats.
Can I bring my own equipment?
Yes. Additional rods and tackle will always be available on the day. For example, if the plan for the day is wet fly fishing and conditions change to suit dry fly fishing, we can quickly switch to
lighter gear. In general, this is the recommended setup:
- I recommend 9ft 5wt rods for most dry fly fishing, and a soft to medium action.
- For wet fly fishing I recommend 10ft rods 6/7 with either a floating line, intermediate or a fast intermediate.
Please note that no studded wading boots are allowed on the boat.
I'm not familiar with Irish weather, what clothing should I wear?
It's best to plan ahead and adjust for the time of the season when you will be fishing. In general Ireland has a mild temperature climate so some layers and waterproofs
are a good starting point. At the beginning and end of the season it can be a bit colder so additional layers are always advised. There are cabinets on the boat to
store equipment and clothing. In addition:
- Hats or beanies are always good to bring along.
- We always advise bringing sun cream regardless of the conditions.
- We recommend that you wear polarized sun glasses for eye protection and it helps to see the fish.
- Life Jackets are essential and can be provided if needed.
Should I bring my own food?
We can supply tea and coffee and some food, in general guests bring their own food. Rest assured there will be plenty of coffee available in any event. Our days go from relaxed days out with plenty
of breaks, to eating on the boat during fishing to maximise the time on the lake.
How long is the fishing season and are there any licences required?
For Brown Trout on Melvin the season runs from 1st March to September 30th. There is no Trout license required.
If customers plan on fishing other lakes or fisheries, they should check the guidance on the Fishing Ireland site.
Are there particular times in the season to book?
- March and April: Lough Melvin opens first with some lively sport in around St Patrick's weekend on Duckfly patterns.
- May and June: These are probably the most popular months. If you are an experienced fly angler, you will be familiar with the month of May and the unique hatch of Mayfly that occurs.
When the "Mayfly is up" there can be a feeding frenzy on the surface which to many is the ultimate dry fly fishing experience using emergers, Mayfly dry flies and the famous Spent Gnat
patterns. Due to it's popularity it's good to book early with us.
Lough Arrow kicks off first with some big Mayfly hatches either pulling wets or some great dryfly fishing followed by some fantastic evening fishing on the spent Mayfly.
Lough Melvin starts around the last week of May with some brilliant sport on the Mayfly for Glllaroo and Sonaghan Trout.
Then it's back to Lough Arrow for early morning Caenis fishing.
- July and August: It's mostly spent sedge fishing on dries or wets or chasing trout feeding on Daphnia over the deep water on Lough Melvin for the famous Sonaghan Trout.
September: During this month the sedge, olive and fry patterns play a big part in our fishing, pulling wets or dries can produce some great fishing memories.
Are there rules on barbed/barbless hooks, or catch and release?
More and more anglers these days are practicing catch and release and while it is not compulsory on the western lakes, we practise a catch and release policy when fishing. There are
rules on bag limits and minimum sizes and we can check this with you on the day.
For hooks, guests can use either barbed or barbless. If you are using some of my flies on the day, these are typically barbed but they can be crimped easily.
Lough Melvin
Lough Melvin is located between Leitrim (Ireland) and Northern Ireland for the north-eastern corner of the lake.
Lough Melvin holds a variety of Trout, including Gillaroo and Sonaghan trout, which are unique to the lake and have different colouring and shape.
Again, there is a guide to Lough Melvin online on the Fishing in Ireland website, with a second page covering
Salmon fishing.
We meet up in the morning at Breffni Pier:
(click to view on Google Maps)
