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The
beginning of this beat flows through the ancient oak trees
of Erriff Wood. It is another two rod beat. It can be
accessed by car and there is car parking at both the top
and the middle of the beat. The Bridge Pool at Erriff
Bridge is a wide deep pool at the bridge becoming shallower
from the middle downstream. Like all the pools on this
beat it is best fished from the left bank and anglers
should not be tempted to walk out on the sill of the bridge
where the water is shallow as it drops off into several
feet of water very quickly. In spate conditions the fish
drop back to the glide at the tail of the pool.
The Horse
Shoe is a relatively new pool that was created several
years ago - it has a stream flowing from the top of the
pool across towards the far bank. It is a good holding
pool for summer fish and the occasional Spring salmon
has been taken there. The Oaks is the next stretch further
downstream and it is not as productive possibly because
it warrants more attention from anglers in the right water
conditions. Paddy Stick's is the pool below the next bend
and it holds mainly grilse although it was a great sea
trout pool in the past. The High Bank is mainly a high
water pool that runs close to the road it is a difficult
pool to access.
Gowlans is a long pool situated in the
middle of the beat - it holds both Spring fish and Grilse
and can be fished in both high and low water. It low water
it fishes best when there is a strong upstream wind and
small flies such as a Black Pennell or Mallard and Claret
fished on a floating line work well. The Tawnyard potholes
are a series of small pools downstream from the confluence
of the Owenduff River (which drains Tawnyard Lough) with
the main river. They fish best on a falling spate but
the last pothole which is deep holds summer fish even
in low water.
Probably the most famous pool on this beat
is the Schoolhouse Pool - it is a long deep relatively
narrow pool and both Spring fish and grilse are taken
here both in high and low water. It is not sheltered and
benefits from an upstream breeze. Downstream of the confluence
of the Gowlan Stream is a relatively straight stretch
of water where two new pools called Mike's Pools were
created by the late Michael Tolan some ten years ago.
Prior to this it was a straight featureless stretch of
water. The pools hold summer fish and fish best on a falling
spate.
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