The Boyne rises near Edenderry on the borders of Co. Offaly and Co. Kildare and flows in a northeasterly direction for 70 miles before entering the sea at Drogheda. Together with its tributaries, it drains a catchment of approximately 1,040 square miles.
It drains the fertile plains of Co. Meath and its valley is extremely rich in archaeological remains. The prehistoric burial chambers at Newgrange, and the numerous ruins of medieval castles and abbeys bear testament to a colourful history.
It is one of the country’s premier angling fisheries and both the main river and its tributaries offer a wide range of fishing for spring salmon and grilse; sea trout and brown trout. In all, the Boyne offers anglers about 100 miles of brown trout fishing when counting the main river and its tributaries. In 1965, the disease, ulcerative dermal necrosis (UDN), appeared and decimated the salmon stocks while in 1969, an arterial drainage scheme was begun on the system and disrupted the angling for about 18 years. Needless to say both of these events had a disastrous effect on all fish stocks and also on the character of the river itself. Fortunately stocks have recovered quite well (especially brown trout). In some other areas the fishing is believed to be as good if not better that before.
The dredging altered the character of the river and in many cases left very high banks that were very dangerous. The main channel from Drogheda upstream to Navan was left untouched, as were a few stretches on the Kells Blackwater.

SALMON:
The prime salmon angling is to be found between Navan and Drogheda and on a stretch of the Kells Blackwater, immediately upstream of Navan. Occasionally salmon are taken upstream of Navan, provided there is a good flood in August or September.
Nowadays the river gets very few of the big three-sea-winter fish from 20lb to 30 lb. These fish generally arrive in February or March. Smaller spring fish, averaging about 10 lb arrive in April and early May while the summer grilse arrive, water permitting in July.
The most commonly used baits are Flying ‘C’s, natural shrimp and worm. Useful flies include the Willie Gun; Hairy Mary; Blue Charm; and the Thunder and Lightning; Tosh; Ghost Shrimp and various other shrimp patterns – down to size 10 doubles for summer and autumn fishing.

SEATROUT:
The river usually gets an excellent run of sea trout – the 2001 season being the exception when the fishing was quite poor. Seatrout have been caught as far up as Navan and even Trim, but not in sufficient quantities to merit fishing specifically for them. The biggest stocks of them are found downstream of the Obelisk Bridge at Drogheda. The first Seatrout are usually taken in April but the run usually peaks in July and there is good fishing to be had through August and into September.
Fly-fishing produces best at night and the usual recognised flies are quite effective such as the following: Teal Blue & Silver; Black Pennell; Black & Silver Spider; Butcher, and Medicine fly.
The Boyne Seatrout feed on river insects on summer evenings especially during heavy hatches of Blue Winged Olives and sedges.

BROWN TROUT:
The river Boyne and its tributaries hold superb stocks of wild brown trout. There is a lot of water to be fished and so local advise is required to make the most your time. However fishing the faster streamy water will generally bring the best results. During the day the best fly hatches are found in the glides and the riffles. Avoid dragging your fly at all costs.

FLY HATCHES:
The Boyne has all the various hatches associated with a limestone river and fly fishing can commence about the middle of April. Sedges are prolific on the Kells Blackwater. Expect to find large dark olives; medium olives; iron blue duns; yellow may duns; the alder; may flies; black gnats; blue winged olives etc. The grey flag sedge is by far the most important angling insect on the entire catchment at the peak of the daytime and evening trout fishing in May and June. It overlaps with the May fly and when the two insects are on the water together the trout will take the Grey Flag in preference. The August Dun is a very important insect for both trout and angler in August while of the terrestrials, the hawthorn fly is extremely important in May.



Drogheda and District Anglers Club
This club has fishing on the Rathmullen and Mell Fishery on the tidal water. It begins at ‘Pass’, about one 1.25 miles below the Obelisk Bridge and extends downstream towards Drogheda. The club also has salmon, Seatrout, and brown trout fishing at McDonnell’s Fishery, which is downstream of Newgrange weir; Fulham’s Fishery at Staleen and Donore and part of Law’s Fishery.

Rossin-Slane and District Angling Club
This club has excellent fishing for salmon trout and Seatrout. The Oldbridge Fishery at Obelisk Bridge, including the famous Curley Hole is mainly salmon and Seatrout fishing and extends on both banks for three miles from the confluence with the river Mattock to ‘Pass’. The two upper fisheries (Law’s and Johnston’s) offer occasional salmon, very good seatrout and excellent trout fishing with the average trout weighing nearly 1.5lb. From the 1st June the fishing is ‘fly only’.

Marry’s Fishery.
This fishery begins at Marry’s Weir, above the Curley Hole. It is about half-a-mile long and is located at the top of the tidal water. This is an extraordinarily productive salmon fishery and has seatrout. Rods are syndicated
The Ballinacrad Syndicate Water consists of about two miles of single and double bank fishing at Dowth, downstream of the noted Newgrange megalithic tomb.

Slane Castle Fishery.
The Earl of Mount Charles has extensive salmon and trout fishing at Slane, extending for approximately 3.5 miles on both banks upstream as far as Beau Parc. The fishing from the Castle Weir downstream to Scabby Arch is let to a local angling club whose membership is confined to anglers resident within two miles of the village of Slane.

O’Connor’s Fishery.
This fishery is approximately half a mile long. It is situated on the right bank, midway between Navan and Broadboyne Bridge. This is good salmon-holding water form early spring. High water in autumn brings up a good late run of salmon. The brown trout fishing is excellent and there are some very big fish here – to over 5lb.

Navan & District Anglers Association.
This club has access to extensive stretches of the Boyne above and below the town of Navan, totalling about six miles.

Bective Angling Club
This club has the fishing at various points from Lally’s Island, down past Bective Bridge and Assigh Bridge and almost to Ballinteer Bridge. Club membership is limited but visiting anglers can usually be accommodated.

Trim, Athboy and District Anglers Club
This club has extensive fishing on the Boyne, which extends from Scarrif Bridge downstream past the town of Trim to Lally’s Island, with some stretches of private water in-between. The clubs rights on the Trimblestown River extend form the village of Athboy to the confluence with the Boyne. The salmon fishing is mostly on the short stretch below Scarrif Bridge; a short stretch above Board’s Mill; a short stretch at the confluence of the Knightsbrook River and a stretch at Lally’s Island. The best trout holding stretches are fro about half-a-mile below Scarrif Bridge; from a quarter-of-a-mile above Board’s Mill to a point 400 yards downstream of Derrindaly Bridge; a half mile stretch, by the road at Higgin’s Brook and all the way from Newhaggard to Trim, to Newtown Bridge and downstream to Lally’s Island.

There are many other fisheries on the Boyne system and one should consult Peter O’Reilly’s excellent and comprehensive book “Rivers of Ireland a Fly Fishers Guide” for a complete listing of all the clubs and fisheries on the Boyne system. This book is published by Merlin Unwin.