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Restoring the rivers that are the lifeblood of the lough.

Decades of physical restoration work on the spawning streams that feed Lough Sheelin – funded entirely by club subscriptions, donations and competitions.

The Programme

The stream enhancement programme.

The stream enhancement programme that has been carried out over the last fifteen years is now paying dividends, with funds raised from a number of annual events being invested back into the rehabilitation and enhancement of the rivers within the Lough Sheelin catchment area.

We are now reaping the rewards with more and more juvenile fish showing up in the lough year after year. If things continue the way they are going, the future is looking bright for Lough Sheelin.

Latest update: Work has now started on the Crover River.

Why Streams Matter

The rivers decide the lough's future.A year on the lough.

The lough itself is not where new trout are born - the rivers are. Three reasons the spawning streams decide the future of the whole fishery.

01

Where the next generation hatches

Wild brown trout spawn in clean, gravelly streambeds with good flow and cover. The lough itself isn't where new trout are born - the rivers are. Lose the streams and you lose the next generation.

03

Where the juveniles grow

Young trout spend their first months and years in the streams they hatched out in, feeding and growing in the safety of bankside cover before dropping down into the lough. Healthy streams mean healthy juveniles.

03

Where the catchment is decided

Stream banks, gravel, flow rates and water quality determine what the whole lough receives. Restoring the streams improves the lake itself - more fish, better habitat, cleaner water.
Case Study

Half Carton River work.

An example of the kind of maintenance and fencing work carried out on the spawning rivers that feed the lough.

Some of the maintenance and fencing work carried out on behalf of the L.S.T.P.A. on the Half Carton River in September and October 2015. The Half Carton is a vitally important spawning river – one of the main spawning rivers that feed Lough Sheelin.

This work would not be possible if it were not for the club subscriptions, donations and competitions. Please support the Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association – and we have a lot of work to do yet.

How It's Funded

Every euro of this work comes from members and supporters.

Almost every euro comes from members and supporters. Club subscriptions, donations and the annual competitions the LSTPA runs are what keep the streams alive. If you fish Sheelin, please consider supporting the work.
Become a member
Fund Raising
More to Explore

The lake's future depends on its members.

Annual membership is €50 and goes directly into the stream enhancement and habitat protection work you have just read about.

We will be rolling out a new online payment option for membership, donations and competition entry in the coming weeks.  

Become a member
Make a donation
Lough Sheelin Anglers Trout Protection Association