Overview
The River Feale (Irish: An Fhéil or Abhainn na Féile) rises on the southwestern slopes of the Mullaghareirk Mountains near Rockchapel in County Cork, then runs about 75 km northwest through County Limerick and County Kerry, passing the market towns of Abbeyfeale and Listowel before it widens toward Ballyduff and the Shannon Estuary. For its last 10 km it takes a different name, the Cashen. It’s a spate river, and that’s the thing to understand about it: with an average flow of 34.6 m³/s it runs clear over gravel in dry weather and turns dark and fast within hours of heavy rain.
History and folklore
The Feale is named for Fial, a woman of legend who – the story in Geoffrey Keating’s Foras Feasa ar Éirinn goes – drowned after her husband Lughaidh saw her bathing. In local geography it’s one of the ‘Three Sisters’ of the northwest, with the Maigue and the Deel: all three rise close together in the Mullaghareirks and flow into the Shannon basin, not to be confused with the better-known southern Three Sisters (the Barrow, Nore and Suir). The Feale has long been prized as a salmon river, and today it carries EU protection as a salmonid water, which brings strict conservation rules.
Angling: salmon and sea trout
The Feale is first and foremost a game fishery. In a good year the river and its tributaries yield an estimated 1,500 salmon and grilse and more than 2,000 sea trout. The lower reaches hold deep pools; the upper river and tributaries have frequent holding pools that keep fish accessible well upstream.
Seasons and methods
- Salmon: 1 March – 30 September, strict catch-and-release.
- Sea trout: early May – end of September.
- Tackle: single or double barbless hooks only; worms and prawns are banned for all species.
- Bag limits: up to three sea trout a day, each under 40 cm; any fish over 40 cm goes back alive.
- Techniques: spinning, fly and rod-and-line all allowed. Locals favour the ‘Lane Minnow’, Devon minnows, spoons and the Flying ‘C’, and salmon flies like the Garry Dog, Blue Charm and the locally dressed ‘Halpin’.
Fishing stretches and clubs
Roughly half the main river is held by local angling clubs, which sell day and evening permits; the rest is open water, though it’s worth checking conditions with a club first.
- Up to Abbeyfeale: best for spring salmon (March to mid-April); grilse from mid-June, bigger fish mid-August into September.
- Killocrim/Finuge Angling Club: about 6.5 km below Listowel, good salmon and grilse, fair sea trout; the Finuge Bridge stretch is fly-only. Contact: Dan Joy, +353 68 40310.
- North Kerry Anglers Association: roughly 15 km around Listowel including the Smearlagh tributary, with developed town pools and strong sea trout. Contact: Jim Horgan, +353 68 23848.
- Brosna / Mountcollins Angling Club: about 13 km of double-bank water from the Owveg confluence up past Mountcollins, strong for sea trout mid-May to September. Contact: Brendan Danagher, +353 64 663 6267.
Walking and wildlife
Away from the fishing, the Feale corridor is quiet, unshowy country – heather bog, farmed valleys and rolling border hills. Steep, overgrown banks and gravel beds give cover to otters, kingfishers and waterfowl. For an easy riverside walk, start at Listowel’s town park (Childers Park), which has free parking and links to the Kingdom of Kerry Greenway; Listowel Castle, a 15th-century tower house, stands on the steep bank above the river and runs free guided tours in summer.
The spate character cuts both ways. Levels can jump after rain, banks turn slippery, and water that fished well yesterday can be unfishable today – body waders and a wading staff are worth having, and sturdy boots are the minimum.
Practical information
Walking the banks is free. To fish, you need a permit from the relevant club and a valid Inland Fisheries Ireland licence; permits are usually available on the day, but ring ahead in the spring peak.
Regulations and conservation
The Feale catchment (with the Smearlagh, Galey and Brick) runs a strict catch-and-release rule for salmon. Inland Fisheries Ireland monitors the river and has flagged man-made blockages in tributaries that hold back spawning fish; work to remove them aims to reopen historic spawning grounds.
Access and contacts
- Main access: car parks and paths at Abbeyfeale, Listowel and Finuge Bridge; club waters are signposted.
- Inland Fisheries Ireland (Limerick): +353 61 300238 | limerick@fisheriesireland.ie
- Report pollution or illegal fishing: 0818 34 74 24 (24-hour line)
- Angling guide: River Feale Angling Guide (PDF)
Listowel makes the natural base, with pubs, beds and its autumn writers’ and music scene; Abbeyfeale sits closer to the upper salmon runs. Either way, because the Feale is a spate river, a quick check of recent flow with your club before you set off can save a wasted drive.