Overview
The Agivey runs from the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains to its meeting with the River Bann near Ballymoney, starting where the Ashlamaduff and Formill streams join in Glenullin. It is a clear, fast river, and a spate one, which is the first thing to understand here: it rises quickly after rain. That makes it good fishing and an unforgiving place to stand on a wet day at the gorge.
The fishing
The Agivey is rated among Northern Ireland’s better medium-sized salmon rivers. The Agivey Angling Association has run the water since 1973, with a hatchery on the Mettican Burn releasing around 250,000 salmon fry a year, and decades of habitat work funded by over £200,000 in grants. It hosted the International Rivers trout fly-fishing competition in 2019 and featured on John Wilson’s Go Fishing.
What runs, and when:
- Atlantic salmon and grilse: runs begin in May and peak in late August, with early grilse occasionally in March and April.
- Sea trout: a similar pattern to salmon, with a second productive window in September.
- Brown trout: good resident stocks, especially in the tributary known as the Wee Agivey, with dry-fly sport from spring into early autumn.
- Pike: in the lower reaches near the Bann.
The river is owned by The Honourable The Irish Society and leased to the association. Anglers need a valid DAERA rod licence and an association river permit, available online, at the Garvagh office, or through the Society’s first-come, first-served visitor rod service, limited to eight rods a day. The rules are strict: catch-and-release for salmon and sea trout, single or double barbless hooks only, fish handled gently and kept in the water. Fly, spinning and prawning are all permitted.
The gorge and the bridges
The river’s course is dotted with more than a dozen old stone arches. The best is Errigal Bridge, often cited as one of Ireland’s oldest surviving stone bridges, dating to the early 17th century, where it spans Errigal Glen and the river drops roughly 20 metres through a narrow rock-walled gorge.
Downstream the river passes the Horseshoe Weir at Garvagh, which holds good fishing pools. For a set walk, the Garvagh Forest Walk is a 6.3 km, 2–3 hour circuit from Main Street, climbing gently through bluebell woodland to Rabbit Hill, with views over the valley and the Garvagh Pyramid, a 19th-century Egyptian-style folly built by Lord Garvagh. It is well signposted, fine for families, and dog-friendly on the lead.
Wildlife and the ARC project
The clean water supports otters and water voles on the quieter banks, with kingfishers, dippers and herons regular sights, and eels and the rare sea lamprey in the lower reaches. In April 2026 the catchment began a four-year initiative, the Agivey River Communities (ARC) Project, backed by a £701,925 National Lottery grant and led by Hare’s Corner Cooperative, bringing in local schools, community groups and environmental organisations. Follow the trail signage and give the work room.
History
The valley has been lived in for over a thousand years. A monastic settlement was founded in the 7th century by St Guaire at the townland of Agivey, later a grange of the Abbey of Macosquin; ruins of it still sit near the western bank. In 1614 the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers received a large land grant here and built a castle, mill and bawn that became Agivey House. The original fell in the 1641 rebellion; the present 19th-century building is a family-run B&B, still showing the green-painted attic doors left by Royal Engineers during the Second World War. The clay banks once fed a small pottery and brick-making trade, and a charter fair has been held each 12 November for centuries, traditionally a market for cattle and pigs.
Practical information
- Access and parking: reached via the A2, with free parking at Errigal Bridge, Bovagh Bridge, Glasgort Bridge and the Garvagh Forest car park. Check local signage for seasonal restrictions.
- Facilities: nothing on the banks themselves. Toilets, a visitor centre and cafés are in Garvagh; Bovagh House B&B and the Brown Trout Inn are nearby for a bed or a meal.
- Dogs: welcome on the walking routes, but on a short lead near bridges, fishing beats and livestock.
- Safety: the Errigal Glen gorge is slippery when wet and some bridge arches have uneven cobbles, so wear sturdy footwear, stay on marked paths, respect private property and watch the water level, which rises fast after rain.
- Booking: book angling permits and visitor rods ahead through the association website or The Honourable The Irish Society, especially in peak summer.
Nearby
- Garvagh Forest and Museum – the bluebell trails, the pyramid folly and local heritage exhibits.
- Bann Estuary – follow the water downstream to a wildlife sanctuary with coastal walks and birdwatching.
- Sperrin Mountains – a short drive west, with the north coast cliffs and beaches reachable along the A2.