THE RIVER MOY
The river Moy is probably Ireland's most famous salmon river, and anglers all over the world dream of one day, fishing its famous productive pools. It continues to fish well, even though salmon numbers have dropped drastically in the last decade, not just in Ireland, but in rivers all over the world.
The Moy Fishery controls the fishing on both banks downstream from the weir in the pretty town of Ballina. From Ham Bridge in the centre of the town, one can watch the action below, as rotating fishermen attempt to lure one of the many salmon to their fly. Here, they are the lucky ones, as their fly is swimming through the most sought-after stretch of water in Ireland. Here, they are fishing the Moy's world famous "Ridge Pool".
To have any chance of fishing this pool, bookings must be made well in advance and the maximum amount of rods allowed is five…..the pool is after all only 300 yards long. One can only fish from the left bank, and even though spinning and worming are allowed in the spring, it becomes fly-only when the water level drops sufficiently, to expose West's Rock.
A brochure detailing all the rules and regulations may be acquired by writing to:

The Manager,
Moy Fishery Office,
Ridge Pool Road,
Ballina, Co. Mayo
IRELAND
Tel: +353 96 21332.


The Cathedral Beat:

This fishery extends from Ham Bridge downstream to West's Bridge and it too is only approx. 300 yards long. It has an eight rod capacity and fishing is until 6pm, after which local anglers have the priority in booking. It is very productive especially for wading anglers using the many variations of the famous Irish Shrimp fly.

Other beats include, The Wells, the Ash Tree Pool, The Point and finally we have the Moy Estuary where anglers may fish for sea trout at low tide. Here, a teal, blue and silver #10 double can work wonders.

Other fisheries on the Moy include, a) Ballina Salmon Anglers Association, b) Mount Falcon Fishery, c) Alpine Hotel Fishery, d) Armstrong's Fishery, e) Beal Easa Fishery, f) The Foxford Fishery.
The Swinford Anglers Association have the most extensive fishery on the river Moy with around 7 to 8 miles of double bank fishing. Two great places to fly fish here include the "Gub" (at the confluence with the Gweestion River) and at Oldcastle, where in june the grilse fishing can only be described as MAGIC.

Needless to say there are yet other fisheries on the Moy system. Any angler planning a fishing trip to the famous river Moy, or anywhere else in The Emerald Isle, would do well to purchase a copy of the "Trout & Salmon Rivers of Ireland" by Ireland's most celebrated fishing ambassador, Mr. Peter O' Reilly. Here one will find a rich source of essential information on how to best tackle the wealth of river fishing that Ireland affords its fortunate anglers, both domestic and visiting.

Peter O'Reilly is Ireland's best known fishing author, and has produced other best-selling books which include "Loughs of Ireland", "Flies of Ireland", and lately, the comprehensive "Flyfishing in Ireland" which is a brilliant, practical book dealing expertly on Flyfishing in the Emerald Isle. It is brimming with clear advice on tackle requirements, effective fly patterns, fishing techniques and wily river craft. This volume is the perfect companion guide to fishing Ireland's rivers and loughs for trout and salmon.

Peter O'Reilly can be contacted at Ballybatter House, Boyne Hill, Navan, Co.Meath, Ireland.
Telephone (00 353 46 28210).