Lough Mask is one of Western Ireland's great natural Loughs, rightly famed across the world for its beautiful free rising trout. It is a large limestone Lough of some 40 square miles (20,000 acres), located just off the Atlantic coast in West Mayo. The limestone geology ensures beautifully clear water, rich in nutrients. For the fisherman this environment supports a good stock of genuinely wild and beautifully marked brown trout averaging over a pound, with much larger fish up to double figures falling regularly to the fly every year. The limestone geology, though, also brings its dangers as the eroded limestone creates razor sharp spires of rock that reach up to the surface and that can cut a boat in two. Lough Mask is therefore a dangerous place for the inexperienced angler and the use of a local ghillie or boatman is recommended, not just for safety reasons, but also to take advantage of their specialist knowledge of the feeding habits, flies, and techniques that will help you catch fish in this intimidating sheet of water.

Recommended Flies

Lough Mask has such a wide variety of habitats for fly life that any number of fly patterns may work at any given time. However, a general rule of thumb is that chironomids will be the staple diet for a large proportion of trout in early season, moving onto the lake olives up to the beginning of May, when the famous mayfly will dominate. Late season is a time for sedges, hoppers and daddy long legs. Taking this into account, a fly box containing traditional standard patterns such the Black Pennell, Sooty Olive, Greenwells Glory, Invicta, Green Drake, Claret Hopper, Bibio, and the Daddy Long Legs, will not go far wrong. One fly that no fisherman should be without on any Irish Lough is the Green Peter. Primarily a sedge imitation, it also works as a representation of several other aquatic insects or small fish and, as such, makes it the most effective year round fly there is.

Where to stay

The two main angling centres on Lough Mask are located at Ballinrobe and Cushlough. Information on accommodation can be found through the Irish Tourist Board at www.tourismireland.com.

Learn more about this author, Robert Stephenson.
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