River Roe

River Roe Guide

The River Roe rises on the North Eastern side of the Sperrin Mountains, in the heart of County Derry. It flows in a Northerly direction past Dungiven, on its way into the picturesque Roe valley, and on through Limavady, to enter the Foyle Estuary on the north eastern corner of the Foyle Area.

Fishing a nice pool on the River Roe.

The Roe is a spate river which varies in width from 5m in the upper reaches, to as wide as 20m, further downstream towards the Foyle estuary. Most of the upper and middle stretches of the Roe consist of a never-ending series of pools and streams, perfect for the fly. Since the draft nets at the mouth, were bought out by the Roe Angling association, Salmon and Sea Trout can be taken as far up as Benady Glen (just South of Dungiven).

The Roe near Roe Valley Country Park.

The first of the Grilse appear in July and the River also gets a very good run of autumn fish in late September and early October. The fish range from 3 to 6lb with some double figure Salmon being taken at times. In full spate many anglers use worms and spinning (Flying C's and Copper spoons), but as the spate fines down, the fly is most popular.

The area around Roe Valley Country Park near Limavady is one of outstanding natural beauty. In the park there is a footbridge just upstream of Givan's Weir, which gives good access to the river on both sides. There are forest walks provided throughout the park, but in the stretch which flows through a steep gorge, access is a little more difficult. The fishing in the Park is split between DCAL and the Roe Angling Association. DCAL have the stretch from the Dogleap bridge (beside the Dogleap Centre and Ritter's tea room), extending downstream until the to the second footbridge, which is just below O'Cahan's weir.

The Roe at Carrick Mills near Limavady (Photo by Kenneth Allen)

As with many of the Rivers in the area, shrimp files are very popular. In fact, the originator of the Curry's Shrimp (Pat Curry) has been an angler on the Roe on many occasions. Other popular shrimps here are the Wilkinson's, the Bann Special and the Apache shrimp.

As a visiting angler you'll need to fish the river by the end of September, as there are no day tickets available in October. Towards the tail end of September the upper part of the river is better, in areas such as the Carrick Flats, The Rock Hole, The Straw and other pools around Burnfoot.

The Fish Counter on the River Roe.

The Sea Trout also begin running in July and the average size is around 1½ to 2lbs. You can use worms and spinning during the day but its fly only at night. The best of the Sea Trout fishing is during July and August.

River Roe Tributaries

No River Roe tributaries listed.

River Roe Neighbouring Rivers

River Agivey
River Clady
River Faughan
River Glenelly
River Lower Bann
River Moyola

Fishing the River Roe

River Roe Season

Salmon - 20th May - 20th October
Sea Trout - 20th May - 20th October
Brown Trout - 20th May - 20th October

River Roe Methods

Fly Fishing
Spinning
Worming

River Roe Fishing Authority

To fish in Ireland you need a rod license from the appropriate fishing authority. You can find the details for the River Roe at:

Foyle Fisheries Management

River Roe Permits

As well as a rod license, you'll need a permit to fish the River Roe. You can get permits from any of the following distributors:

Alexander Arms
34 Main Street
Limavady
Tel: +44 (0)28 7776 2660

Loughs Agency
22 Victoria Road
Derry
BT47 2AB
Email: general@­loughs-agency.org
Tel: + 44 (0)28 7134 2100

S.J. Mitchell and Co
29 Main Street
Limavady
Tel: +44 (0)28 7772 2128

River Roe Clubs

Roe Angling Association - River Roe
Shane Lockhead (Secretary)
PO box 30
Limavady
BT49
Email: roeangling@hotmail.com
Web: Roe Angling Association

The club leases the vast majority of the river, with the exception of small stretch within Roe Valley Country Park. That stretch is controlled by DCAL and it runs from the Dogleap bridge until the second footbridge downstream, which is just below O'Cahan's weir.

River Roe Ratings

River Roe Fishing Conditions

River Roe Status

Bag Limits and Tagging

- No salmon, brown trout or sea trout of less than 25.4cm (10 inches) may be retained.
- Anglers must gill tag all wild salmon and sea trout over 40cm that are caught and retained - immediately on landing the fish.
- 1st March - 31st May inclusive: bag limit 1 salmon or sea trout over 40cm on any one day; maximum of 5 in this period.
- 1st June - 31st October: bag limit 2 salmon or sea trout over 40cm on any one day; maximum of 20 in this period.
- No more than 4 trout can be caught and retained on any one day.

Local Restrictions

Some rivers impose their own local restrictions so when you are going to buy your permit for the River Roe, please check with the distributor.