Houses » Butler Arms Hotel
The Ring of Kerry Hotels' Butler Arms Hotel offers luxury accommodation in suites & ensuite bedrooms with wonderful ocean views and Fishing in Butler's Pool and on Lough Carrowmore in Waterville, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
The charming Butler Arms Hotel, on the scenic Ring of Kerry, was a fishing lodge in the early 19th century. Now a hotel, its atmosphere and hospitality are legendary and four generations of the Huggard family have owned and welcomed guests since 1915. Three comfortable lounges provide peaceful relaxation, while many of the bedrooms and luxury suites have magnificent ocean views. The award-winning restaurant specialises in locally-caught seafood, while the Fishermen’s Bar is noted for its bar food and cosmopolitan ambience. The hotel is open from April to October.
Waterville’s Lough Currane and adjoining mountain lakes and rivers are a mecca for anglers and are renowned worldwide for salmon and seatrout fishing. Deep sea fishing can also be arranged. The south west is home to many famous golf courses, including Waterville. Ballybunion, Tralee and the Old Head of Kinsale. It is an ideal base for touring the Ring of Kerry and local archeological sites, such as Staigue Fort, Church Island and the offshore monastic settlement on the Skelligs. Fine beaches, hill rambling, cycling and horse riding are close by. Excellent woodcock and snipe shooting is available from November to January.
The Fishing
The main spring salmon run at Waterville is from January to May, with fish averaging 8 pounds in weight. A 12-15 foot double-handed fly rod is recommended. Grilse generally run from May to September, with an average weight of 4 pounds, and lighter tackle is recommended at this time (single-handed rods, 9-11 foot, AFTM 7/8).
Sea-trout fishing begins in mid-May. These fish weigh 2–21/2 pounds on average, but Waterville is famous for its occasional specimen trout of 6 pounds or more. Again, a single-handed rod is recommended, with popular flies being the Bibio, Black Pennell, Claret Bumble, Fiery Brown and Watson’s Fancy in sizes 8 - 14. Rivers in the Waterville area are generally spate rivers and fish best after rain. So it is sensible not to book these until you arrive and can see the prevailing weather conditions. A well-stocked fishing tackle shop is located in Waterville.