The River Nore rises on the eastern slopes of the Devil's Bit Mountain in Co. Tipperary and, at first, flows east through Borris in Ossory and then turns south through Co. Kilkenny, passing through Durrow, Ballyragget, Kilkenny City, Bennettsbridge, and Thomastown before meeting the tide at the lovely village of Inistiogue. It is 87 miles long and drains a total catchment of 977 square miles. It rises on a sandstone base but then flows progressively through limestone and remains so all the way to the sea.

Wading is safe, and necessary in many areas (body waders) for the trout fishing. The banks are lined with trees in many places. There is less aquatic vegetation in the Nore than in its sister rivers the Barrow and the Suir. Where these three rivers meet the main body of water is known as the Three Sisters. The best of the salmon fishing is needless to say further downstream in the Kilkenny area while there is good trout fishing to be had all along the river, though the best is yet again in the Kilkenny area.

The Nore was once a mighty salmon river and one of the finest in the country. It was regarded as a big fish river that compared very significantly with another big fish river, the Boyne in Co. Meath. Many a fine salmon was taken from the Nore by my father while fishing a bunch of worms on the many productive pools in our locality. In the Durrow area, he normally fished the best pools, which are as follows: 1. The Meetings, (where the Nore & Erkina meet). 2. The Wall Pool. 3. The Mossy Rock (once a great pool). 4. Captains Well. 5. The House pool. 6. The Compawns. 7. Coolcarberry pool.

Unfortunately the river salmon fishing has declined dramatically in recent years and no the river gets very few spring fish. Then grilse run is rather poor as is the once great autumn run that we all enjoyed twenty years ago. Poaching further downstream certainly hinders any chance of the few fish making it to the spawning grounds. This is and has been an unfortunate reality on the river Nore, just like on all other Irish salmon rivers.
There is still a very healthy trout stock in the Nore, and now there is also another type of fishing to be had…Coarse fishing! The river Nore, like the Erkina, is teeming with Perch, Rudd, Roach, and Pike. The pike were always there but the other species invaded the system quite a few years ago by accident.

There is good fly life on the Nore, and one can still witness great hatches of Blue-wing Olives, Large Dark olives, Pale watery olives, Iron Blue duns, various Sedges and now and then, Mayfly.

On the Nore system, the ownership of the fisheries is well defined and the fishing rights are either exercised by the individual owners or leased to clubs and angling associations.

For a full list of all fisheries on the river Nore, one is well advised to consult Peter O' Reilly's comprehensive book, "Trout & Salmon Rivers of Ireland," published by Merlin Unwin Books, UK.