Fairy Water River, Priests Bridge, 17 March 2024 - v1
The Fairy Water River (Fairy Water from the Irish An Fhéarach) flows eastwards from the foot of Bolaght Mountain in the west of Co.Tyrone towards the River Strule to the north of Omagh, Co.Tyrone. The Fairy Water catchment includes the broad, marshy valley of the main Fairy Water River and the undulating branching valley of the Drumquin River to the south. The Fairywater valley is an expanse of peaty marsh, which extends across the valley floor. Fragmented patchwork of small pastures remain on the outer margins of the valley floor but the field pattern breaks down into poorly drained areas to form a random, mosaic of peaty marsh and woodland consisting a dense mixture of birch, willow and hawthorn.
The Fairy Water River and its many tributaries flow within gullies and branching channels and small round loughs are found within the marsh, although they are often hidden from view by woodland. Towards the bottom of the Fairywater nearing the River Strule at Omagh, farmland has been drained from intensive agricultural. To the south, the Drumquin valley has a flat valley floor and undulating valley slopes with small, irregular patchwork of pastures. It is on the margins of the drumlin lowlands and the rounded landforms reflect this glacial influence. The Fairy Water River has a main channel length of approximately 37km (23 miles) and has a catchment area of 179km (244232 Acres).
The Fairy Water is a medium sized (5-20 metres width) river. Some stretches are quite slow fowing, in fact, there is reasonable coarse fshing just above its confuence with the Strule, outside Omagh. There is a good head of pike at various points, mainly in the mid-sections around the Priests Bridge. The river holds a good population of brown trout and occasional salmon. Populations of the European Eel, Stickleback, River / Brook Lamprey and possibly Sea Lamprey, form an important part of the native fisheries biodiversity of the Fairy Water catchment.
I’ve predomanently fished the Fairy Water for pike, at the Priests Bridge, spinning and dead bait methods. Using a running leadger with sea or freshwater bait like mackerel or herring, roach or trout. Smail bait fish from about 4 to 6 oz on a static dead bait rig or float ledger rig c/w 2 x size 8 semi barbless treble hooks or alternatively a sinlgle and semi barbless treble hook. For static dead baiting, the trace should be a minimum of 18” (45cm) long using Drennan or Fox 28lb 7 strand stainless wire. 47 strand is also available with some anglers now prefering to use the more expensive titanuium wire. The pike on the Fairy water are generally quite small with an average weight of 3 to 4 lbs, the occasional pike of 5 or 6 lbs can be caught.
During the summer months sections of the Fairy Water can be quite over-grown with weed therefore weedless spoons are ideal e.g. ABU Garcia Atom Giller, TOBY Vass weedless or Savage Minnow Weedless.
There’s no close season for course fishing on the Fairy Water however the season for Trout and Salmon is only open from 1st April to 20th October.
Other fishing locations on the Fairy Water include: Aghnimirigan Bridge (Willmount Road, Drumquin), Church Bridge (near Birchwood Fishery, Drumquin), Drumquin Bridge (B50 Road, Drumquin), Dudgeon Bridge (Dunwish Road, Omagh), Mullanatoomog Bridge (Backfarm Road, Mountjoy), Playing Fields (Drumquin), Poe Bridge (A5, Beltany Road, Omagh near old Nestle factory).
Fairy Water River, Priests Bridge, 17 March 2024 - v1
The Fairy Water River (Fairy Water from the Irish An Fhéarach) flows eastwards from the foot of Bolaght Mountain in the west of Co.Tyrone towards the River Strule to the north of Omagh, Co.Tyrone. The Fairy Water catchment includes the broad, marshy valley of the main Fairy Water River and the undulating branching valley of the Drumquin River to the south. The Fairywater valley is an expanse of peaty marsh, which extends across the valley floor. Fragmented patchwork of small pastures remain on the outer margins of the valley floor but the field pattern breaks down into poorly drained areas to form a random, mosaic of peaty marsh and woodland consisting a dense mixture of birch, willow and hawthorn.
The Fairy Water River and its many tributaries flow within gullies and branching channels and small round loughs are found within the marsh, although they are often hidden from view by woodland. Towards the bottom of the Fairywater nearing the River Strule at Omagh, farmland has been drained from intensive agricultural. To the south, the Drumquin valley has a flat valley floor and undulating valley slopes with small, irregular patchwork of pastures. It is on the margins of the drumlin lowlands and the rounded landforms reflect this glacial influence. The Fairy Water River has a main channel length of approximately 37km (23 miles) and has a catchment area of 179km (244232 Acres).
The Fairy Water is a medium sized (5-20 metres width) river. Some stretches are quite slow fowing, in fact, there is reasonable coarse fshing just above its confuence with the Strule, outside Omagh. There is a good head of pike at various points, mainly in the mid-sections around the Priests Bridge. The river holds a good population of brown trout and occasional salmon. Populations of the European Eel, Stickleback, River / Brook Lamprey and possibly Sea Lamprey, form an important part of the native fisheries biodiversity of the Fairy Water catchment.
I’ve predomanently fished the Fairy Water for pike, at the Priests Bridge, spinning and dead bait methods. Using a running leadger with sea or freshwater bait like mackerel or herring, roach or trout. Smail bait fish from about 4 to 6 oz on a static dead bait rig or float ledger rig c/w 2 x size 8 semi barbless treble hooks or alternatively a sinlgle and semi barbless treble hook. For static dead baiting, the trace should be a minimum of 18” (45cm) long using Drennan or Fox 28lb 7 strand stainless wire. 47 strand is also available with some anglers now prefering to use the more expensive titanuium wire. The pike on the Fairy water are generally quite small with an average weight of 3 to 4 lbs, the occasional pike of 5 or 6 lbs can be caught.
During the summer months sections of the Fairy Water can be quite over-grown with weed therefore weedless spoons are ideal e.g. ABU Garcia Atom Giller, TOBY Vass weedless or Savage Minnow Weedless.
There’s no close season for course fishing on the Fairy Water however the season for Trout and Salmon is only open from 1st April to 20th October.
Other fishing locations on the Fairy Water include: Aghnimirigan Bridge (Willmount Road, Drumquin), Church Bridge (near Birchwood Fishery, Drumquin), Drumquin Bridge (B50 Road, Drumquin), Dudgeon Bridge (Dunwish Road, Omagh), Mullanatoomog Bridge (Backfarm Road, Mountjoy), Playing Fields (Drumquin), Poe Bridge (A5, Beltany Road, Omagh near old Nestle factory).