River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Ulster and one of Northern Ireland's most historically important fisheries. At 129 kilometres from source to sea, it winds from the Mourne Mountains in County Down through the vast expanse of Lough Neagh and north to the Atlantic near Coleraine, dividing into two very different angling experiences within a single catchment.

The Lower Bann — flowing 64 kilometres from Lough Neagh to the sea — is the system's flagship salmon water. Its historic weir pools at Carnroe, Movanagher, Portna and the Cutts have drawn salmon anglers for centuries, creating defined holding water where fish congregate on their upstream migration. Carnroe in particular has been described as among the finest grilse fishing stretches in Europe, where salmon stack up below the weir in oxygenated current seams.

The Upper Bann, by contrast, flows into Lough Neagh from the south and is better known for brown trout, coarse fish and mixed-species angling in slower, more pastoral stretches. It is one of the most popular coarse fishing rivers in Europe, offering pike, bream, roach and perch in accessible water near Portadown.

For serious anglers, the Bann requires understanding of fish passage through Lough Neagh, flow variation through sluice gates and weirs, and seasonal migration timing. This is a large, powerful system — almost 200 feet wide along much of the Lower Bann — with both tradition and technical nuance. The river is managed by The Honourable The Irish Society, which has held fishing rights since the Plantation era, and by local angling clubs on various beats.

The Bann's tributary rivers — the Moyola, Ballinderry, Clady, Agivey and Macosquin — are vital spawning and nursery waters that sustain the wider system. The Ballinderry in particular is regarded as one of Northern Ireland's best brown trout rivers and also holds dollaghan trout, a unique migratory form associated with Lough Neagh.

Based on 0 reports, these conditions consistently produce the best fishing on River Bann:

Flies and methods reported most successful by the community.

The Bann system has faced stock management challenges historically, and salmon populations fluctuate with oceanic conditions and environmental pressures. The Carnroe beat now operates a mandatory catch-and-release policy. Responsible angling includes strict adherence to retention rules, careful fish handling using barbless hooks, avoiding obstruction of migratory paths, and supporting habitat conservation initiatives. The tributary rivers are vital spawning and nursery habitat — their health underpins the entire system.