The River Barrow
Ireland’s second longest river system!
The River Barrow
The River Barrow is Ireland’s second longest river system and is widely regarded as one of the finest course angling river fisheries in the country. The Barrow is joined by the Grand Canal in Athy, where the river becomes traversable. The additional width and depth of the river along the Athy stretch lends itself to excellent course angling throughout the year!
The Athy & District Angling Club have installed a run of permanent match pegs along the river on the opposing banks of Pettits and the castle. These pegs are available to all anglers throughout the year, but are closed during club organized matches on the river. The River Barrow is an excellent all year fishing venue!
Using the River Barrow
The River Barrow is accessible to all anglers and membership of the Athy & District Anglers Club is not required to fish this venue. Access to the match stretch pegs shown at the map location above may be restricted at times to facilitate matches organized by the club.
Approximately 18 permanent pegs have been installed along the town stretch of the river. These pegs are located by Pettits SuperValu and on the opposing bank by the Castle. There is ample parking in the town near these locations to facilitate anglers. The pegs and swims are maintained by Athy & District Anglers Club. All members are welcome to volunteer to help with this maintenance, find out more here!
Fishing the River Barrow
The River Barrow is an all year fishing venue and holds excellent stocks of Roach, Rudd, Bream, Skimmers, Hybrids, Perch, Dace and some Tench. Specimen weights have been taken in this venue for all species. Pike can also be had along the town stretches of the river, with some excellent weights reported.
The Barrow generally has a slow to moderate flow however periods of heavy rain can both raise the water levels and increase the speed of the river. All fishing methods can be effective here including float fishing, pole fishing and feeder fishing. When pole fishing it is recommended to utilize a top-3 setup as the depth of the river increases rapidly as you move out from the banks. When feeder fishing, ensure to have a wide range of cage weights so that the bottom can be held during periods of faster tow.
During periods of high water or when the river is in flood, the best fishing in Athy can be found in The Marina.