Overview
A four-kilometre stretch of the upper Owenkillew holds the largest freshwater pearl mussel population in Northern Ireland – at least 10,000 of them, buried in clean gravel that has barely been disturbed. The mussel is the reason the river is so tightly protected, and the reason the water has to stay this clear: it can live more than a century, but only in silt-free, fast-flowing water, so it works as a living gauge of the river’s health.
The Owenkillew comes off the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone, rising around 415 m and running roughly 42 km down to join the River Strule near Newtownstewart at about 35 m. In its upper reaches it starts as the Davagh Water through moorland and conifer plantation, then gathers into the Owenkillew as it cuts through rough pasture, oak woodland and broad floodplain.
Conservation
The Owenkillew is a Special Area of Conservation and an Area of Special Scientific Interest, and part of the Lough Foyle system – it is even hydrologically linked to the River Finn SAC across the border in Donegal. The SAC covers 213.84 hectares and is designated for its water-crowfoot river channels, old sessile oak woods, and species including the freshwater pearl mussel, Atlantic salmon and otter.
Along the banks are stands of old sessile oak – Drumlea and Mullan Woods, and the Owenkillew and Glenelly Woods – with downy birch, bilberry and bluebell beneath, and patches of rare bog woodland where stunted birch and pine stand over carpets of Sphagnum moss. In summer the channel carries floating mats of stream water-crowfoot, which shelter fish fry and invertebrates. Otter and brook lamprey turn up regularly.
Fishing
The Owenkillew is a spate river with salmon, sea trout and brown trout, and salmon are the draw – the run peaks in June and July rather than later in the season. Fly, spinning and worm are all allowed. You will need a DAERA rod licence and the relevant permit, available from tackle shops such as Rod and Line in Derry; the water is managed by local angling associations, so check club boundaries before you fish. Chest waders and a wading stick earn their keep in the upper reaches, where the rocky bed and deep pools ask for careful footing.
Walking the valley
Much of the SAC is on private land, so the river itself is not a stroll-anywhere place. The best way to see it is the Craignamaddy Circuit, a 12.8-mile loop through a scenic corner of the Sperrins with views over Glenelly and the Owenkillew valley. It starts from the Barnes car park in Glenelly and mixes quiet minor roads with off-road tracks; Plumbridge and Gortin have the facilities. The circuit ties into the wider Glenelly Valley network if you want a longer day.
Early morning and late afternoon are best for kingfisher, dipper and otter along the water. Autumn is the pick, when the oak and birch turn the valley gold against the dark, peaty hollows of the bog woodland.
Practical information
- Access: come by car from Derry or Dungannon on the A2 and A5; there are lay-bys along the R236 and trailhead parking on the Sperrin network.
- Nearby: Greencastle, the hamlet near the river, has Eddie’s Bar and a convenience store. Gortin has the Hidden Pearl Restaurant, St Drézéry Park, and Gortin Glen Forest Park.
- Conservation: the SAC status means real protection for the pearl mussel beds and otter habitat. Stay on paths, keep off the gravel banks, and take nothing from the channel. Riverside fencing in places is there to keep livestock out and silt down.
- Dogs: welcome on the trails, but keep them close near the water and during the bird nesting season.
If you are making a day of it, the honest pick is the Craignamaddy Circuit for the views and a pint afterwards in Eddie’s Bar at Greencastle. The river’s real treasure, the mussel bed, is out of sight in the gravel – and best left that way.