Sea Angling from the Shore

The waters off the west coast of Clare and north Kerry and in the Shannon Estuary are among the most productive sea angling grounds in Europe. These totally pollution-free waters are under fished, both shore and deep sea, thus providing marvelous sea angling for the specimen hunter and sporting angler.

The beautiful and rugged coastline offers an exciting backdrop for a day at sea, while the many piers which are dotted along the coastline and rocky ledges, interspersed with lengthy stretches of sandy beaches, provide great shore angling. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream bring a bountiful supply of several species of sea fish which are easily fished from the shore.

There are many well established shore angling marks, most of which are signposted and easily accessible.

Some of the local Shore angling marks around Ballyvaughan include the following locations:

  • New Quay 
    Bass, mackerel (spinning and float fishing), tope and dogfish. Late ebb to early flood. Rynn Point
  • Bass and flatfish bottom fishing.
  • Blackhead (Inner) 
    Bottom fishing for dogfish and flatfish. Spinning for mackerel and pollack.
  • Blackhead (The Flags) 
    Bottom fishing for rays, dogfish, conger and bullhuss. Spinning for mackerel and pollack. Float fishing for wrasse.
  • Blackhead (Lighthouse) 
    Bottom fishing for dogfish, conger, bullhuss and thomback ray. Spinning for mackerel and pollack. Float fishing for wrasse. Foul bottom close to shoreline. Sting ray have been recorded here.
  • Fanore 
    Beach fishing for bass, flatfish, dogfish, buss huss, and thomback ray. Night fishing for ray. Sandeel and weavers have been recorded here. Spinning for bass from rocks on southern end of beach.
  • Trawee 
    Small rocky beach. Bottom and float fishing for bass and occasional tope.
  • Ballyreen
    Good rocky ledges which are numbered for competitions. Bottom fishing for ray, conger, dogfish, bull huss and plaice. Float fishing for wrasse and garfish. Spinning for mackerel and pollack. Occasional tope recorded. Also porbeagle caught and landed here. Fishing onto clean ground but foul bottom close to shoreline.
  • Poulsallagh
    Spinning and float fishing for mackerel, pollack and wrasse.
  • Ard na Claise 
    Spinning for mackerel and pollack. Float fishing for wrasse and garfish. Bottom fishing for dogfish and occasional tope.
  • Poulcraven 
    Mackerel, pollack and wrasse from rocks, spinning and float fishing.
  • Doolin
    Beach fishing for bass, flatfish and dogfish. Spinning over rocks at northern end of beach for bass and mackerel.
  • Traghleachan 
    Rock fishing for Pollack, wrasse, mackerel, conger, dogfish and occasional tope. Spinning, float fishing and bottom fishing. Foul bottom.
  • Liscannor Beach
    This beach is on the Liscannor side of the River Inagh. Parking is at the lay-by just beyond the Pitch and Putt Course.