Situated close to Coleraine, the Cutts beat is located close to historic Mountsandel Fort, site of one of the very earliest human settlements in Ireland. It is thought that these early inhabitants lived mainly on fish, particularly salmon, caught in the river here - a sure indication of the quality of the fishing.
At the Cutts the Lower Bann tumbles into the brackish water of the estuary over a rock sill, on which are situated the famous Bann fish traps. Until 1995 these caught many thousands of fish annually, and it is reputed that, in 1635, 62 tons of salmon were caught in just one day!
However, since the closure of these traps salmon are now free to progress unhindered upstream to spawn unhindered.
The river here is tidal and, to date, has only been fished on an experimental basis.
However, the results of this have been most encouraging, with a number of salmon being caught.
To fully access the beat, a boat is required, and one may be reserved in advance on application to the office.
Why you need to fish here
At the Cutts the Lower Bann tumbles into the brackish water of the estuary over a rock sill, on which are situated the famous Bann fish traps. Until 1995 these caught many thousands of fish annually, and it is reputed that, in 1635, 62 tons of salmon were caught in just one day!
