Bord Iascaigh Réigiúnach an Iarthuaiscirt
Markus Müller reports
Period 09 March – 22 March, 2009
The spring salmon have started to run in to the River Moy in earnest and are now being caught by anglers. Water levels have been ideal for angling on most of the river with some fisheries reporting perfect fly fishing conditions. Very little rain over the past number of weeks has meant that the Moy has had unseasonably low water levels.
As is the norm each year, the Ballina Salmon Anglers Fishery is the first stretch of the river to start producing salmon. Pappy Marshal, besides catching the first fish of the season on the Moy, has also caught another salmon of 2.7 kg. (5 lb.), Martin Conroy and Albert Bradley have caught two salmon each, all four fish around the 3.2 kg. (7 lb.) mark. Paddy Dempsey banked a lovely silver 4.5 kg. (10 lb.) spring salmon while Mark Beattie also landed a fine fish.
Up river, on the East Mayo Anglers Association Fishery, local angler, Jimmy Kilcoyne, landed the first salmon of the season from this stretch of the river. A beautiful fresh fish of 3.2 kg. (7 lbs.), that took a spinner. Water levels on this fishery, at the time of compiling this report, are good for fly fishing.
There has been some good early season trout fishing was to be had on the Callow lakes which are located just east of Foxford. Weather conditions made angling patchy, with a mixture of bright sun and blustery winds, but when the right conditions were present, good catches of hard fighting wild brown trout to .5 kg. (1 lb.), were reported. Boats can be hired from Tom Deacy at the lakes (tel. 094-9256266).