The Marina Club Grounds

The best winter course & predator fishing venue in Athy!

The Marina

 

The Marina is a man made lagoon that was originally constructed as a boat mooring location. The intention was to provide a safe place for boats to be moored when the river Barrow was running high or in flood. It has since become one of the best winter course angling venues in the country. Fish from miles up and down the river Barrow come here to shelter from high and fast flowing river waters. The Marina also acts as prime spawning grounds for many course fish species that live in the river Barrow and surrounding canals. The marina is primarily a winter/spring venue and does not fish well in summer when water levels are low and weed growth is at its peak

Rules for Fishing The Marina

All members must adhere to the below rules when fishing the Marina Club Grounds. These rules are to protect the fish, ensure adequate fish care and to protect younger anglers and ensure their safety

Young Anglers

All young anglers (Under 16s) must be accompanied by an adult who holds a valid club membership. All yound anglers must also have a valid junior membership to the club.

Pike Anglers

Pike anglers must ensure to have the following equipment with them before fishing the Marina club grounds:

  1. Steel Trace

  2. Disgorger

  3. Forceps

  4. Dehooking Mat

  5. Landing Net

Course Anglers

Course anglers must ensure to have the following equipment with them before fishing the Marina club grounds:

  1. Disgorger

  2. Landing Net

  3. If using a keepnet - must be 2.5m long minimum

The Marina is permanently a catch and release venue, there are no exceptions to this rule. The containers onsite are not to be touched except by a committee member. Breaches of these rules may result in your membership being revoked or being banned from the venue.

Using the Marina

The Marina is located on the sourthern side of Athy and can be accessed by taking the R417 (Carlow Road) from Athy and turning right at the Church of Ireland. The Marina is the club grounds of Athy and District Angling Club and access requires either a valid membership or day pass. There are two gates that must be passed to access the Marina which are closed by code-controlled locks. Combinations for these locks are provided to members and day-pass holders. Gates must always remain closed after passing through. There are 18 permanent match pegs around the banks of the Marina with sufficient space to park behind each peg allowing anglers to bring their gear right to their fishing spot.

The Marina is operated with a strict catch and release policy, enforced by the Athy & District Anglers Club. This means that all caught fish must be returned safely and promptly to the waters. Intentional killing of fish is not tolerated and can result in suspended or revoked membership. All anglers should ensure to have a landing net to safely land larger fish without damage.

To get involved in helping us maintain the Marina, head over to our Getting Involved page. For membership, head to our membership page or our online store!

Fishing the Marina

The Marina fishes best when water levels are high. This makes it one of the best winter course fishing venues in the country. The best months are November, December, January, February and March. For as long as the river is running high or in flood, fish will move to the Marina for shelter. Large stocks of Bream, Dace, Perch, Roach, Rudd and Hybrid are found here at different times of Winter & Spring, with large Perch and Pike also particularly attracted to this venue. Specimen weights can be taken each year for these predator fish. Tench can also be found here in mid-late Spring.

Pole, whip and waggler are effective tactics throughout the season on this venue. When wind is low, light rigs are most effective particularly when pole fishing. During particularly high water times, free running feeder rigs are also effective. A minimum hooklength of 50cm is recommended for feeder fishing to allow good roach and hybrid to be caught on the drop.

Maggots are a favorite bait for this venue, with worm a close second and chopped worm a particularly effecive feed for bringing larger fish to the swim.

The Marina is regularly used by Athy & District Angling Club for winter league matches.