Like many Limestone Rivers in Ireland the Kells Blackwater has all the usual invertebrates one would expect to find in high alkaline waters. The three main species, Epheremoptera, Tricoptera and Diptera, with a small number of Plectoptrea Present.
Among the list of insects most important to the anglers include:
Upwings
Large Dark Olive (Rthondani), Pale Watery (baetis bioculatus), Medium Olive (baetis tenax) , Blue Winged Olive (ephemerella ignite) , Yellow Evening Dun, (ephemerella notata) and Yellow May Dun (heptagenia sulphurea).
Sedges
Grey Flag ( Hydropsyche pellucidula), Small Red Sedge (tinodes waeneri), Silverhorns (Leptacerus-mystacides), Carperer ( halesus rodiatus) and Cinnamon (stenophylax stallatus).
Others include.
Alder (sialis lutaria), Hawthorn (bibio marci), Black Gnat (bibio johannis) Reed Smuts (simulium) and a whole range of Midge (chironomids).
Invertebrates
Important invertebrate in abundance are shrimp (gammarus pulex) and Molluscs (phylum mollosca).
A combination of the vast range of insect life together with the excellent work of the Kells Anglers Committees, past and present and the policing of the Central and Eastern Regional Fisheries Boards, contributes to the Kells Blackwater Being among the premier Wild Trout fisheries in Europe.