The main Salmon Fishing on the Boyne system is concentrated between Navan and Drogheda and on the Kells Blackwater above Navan town. The spring Salmon run starts in late February early March. The main spring run arrives in April and lasts well into May. The Boyne still gets a number of multi- winter salmon reaching over the magical 20lb mark. The average Spring Salmon is over 10lb. The spring fish run straight through the lower reaches of the River Boyne with the first fish of the year usually caught at Navan. The Navan Club water contains some of the best stretches for spring salmon fishing on the Boyne System.

The summer run on the Boyne usually comes in June/July. In low water conditions the fish stay in the tidal stretch above Drogheda but once there is sufficient water the Salmon will run hard up the river. It is not un-common to catch Salmon with sea lice around the town of Navan. The size of the Grilse on the River Boyne is in the 6-8lb range, bigger than the Grilse on the West Coast! Large Summer Salmon are also regularly caught along with the Grilse run.

August and September sees the main run of Salmon enter the system and this run continues well into the closed season. These autumn fish are usually large with a fish over 16lb caught on the fly in 2009. A flood in August insures excellent Salmon fishing on the Navan Club water right to the end of the season.  

 

Salmon Fishing Tactics

Salmon fishing of the Boyne System is subject to the Central Fisheries Board Regulations (Link to Fishery board web site). During high water spinning is the most popular method but anglers are having increasing success on tube flies fished on fast sink shooting head fly lines. Once the water clears many anglers opt to fish the prawn instead of spinning. The ever popular flying “C” seems to be the most commonly bait.

Worm fishing is prohibited by state law and maggot fishing is prohibited by the club rules. 

For the fly fisher once the water levels begin to drop the Sinking fly lines and heavy tubes can be replaced for sink tips and floating lines. Popular Salmon flies include the Cascade, Garry Dog, Slaney Badger, Harry Mary, Ally’s Shrimp and various other shrimp patterns. As the river becomes clear it is advised to use smaller flies down to size 10. The river Boyne is a big wide river and a 15ft fly rod is recommended. Wading is possible in a few placed but care is advised as there are some very deep holes. 

 

Sea-trout Fishing

Sea-trout start to enter the Boyne System in May. The Sea-trout in the Boyne average around 1lb but bigger fish over 5lb are regularly caught. Though most of the sea-trout fishing is confined below the town of Slane. Sea-trout are frequently caught at Navan on small salmon flies and on the Dry fly by trout anglers.  Teal blue & silver, Black Pennell, Zulu and Bumbles all work well for sea-trout along with dry flies. The sea-trout are regularly caught on small dry flies and sedge depending on the hatch!