Salmon and Trout on the River Moy: A Working Guide | Sailmaker's Fieldbook

Three checks before you act

1. 01
   The Moy is fished across a long season, and the method that works in April is not the method that works in August.
2. 02
   Trout fishing follows the same logic at a smaller scale.
3. 03
   Accommodation in Ballina runs from guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in the town to self-catering and hotels.

What techniques should I use for salmon and trout fishing on the River Moy?

The river rises in County Sligo and runs through Ballina before reaching the sea at Killala Bay. Salmon enter from spring onward, with the main runs in summer, and the grilse and later fish follow into autumn. Trout are present throughout, resident brown trout in the faster water and sea trout in the lower reaches. Water height drives everything. After rain the Moy colours and rises, and the fish move; in low, clear summer conditions they hold in the deeper pools and the shaded lies. A visiting angler who checks the gauge and the forecast before choosing a method is already ahead.

For salmon, three methods cover most of the season. Fly fishing with a floating line and a small tube fly or a dressed double works in low to medium water, fished across and down with a slow swing and a step between casts. A sink tip or a full sinking line is used when the water is cold or high, and the fly is fished deeper and slower. Spinning with a small spoon or a devon minnow is the fallback in coloured or high water, when a fly is hard to present. Worm fishing is legal on some waters and at some times, and the local rules change with the season, so the permit or the beat owner is the source to check before bait goes on the hook.

For trout, the approach is lighter. A four or five weight rod, a floating line, and a leader of nine to twelve feet will handle most of the river. Upstream nymphing with a weighted pheasant tail or a hare's ear covers the pocket water and the runs. A dry fly works on summer evenings when the fish are looking up, and a small wet fly fished across the current covers the wider glides. Sea trout are fished at night in the lower reaches, with a small fly on a light line, and the takes are often felt rather than seen.

The constant is presentation. The Moy is not a narrow spate river, and the fish are used to seeing flies. A drag-free drift, a fly that fishes at the right depth, and a slow, deliberate retrieve matter more than the pattern on the hook.

How do I fish the Ridge Pool in the centre of Ballina?

The Ridge Pool sits in the middle of Ballina, on the left bank as the river runs through the town. It is a short, deep, fast piece of water, and it is one of the best known salmon pools in Ireland. It is fished on a permit system, and the number of rods on the pool at any one time is limited, so a place is booked rather than simply taken. The pool is fished from the bank, with a short line and a fly or spinner worked through the lie. Because the water is deep and the current is strong, a sinking line or a weighted fly is often needed to get down to the fish.

The pool fishes best when the river is at a moderate height and running clear. In very low water the fish hold in the deepest part of the pool and are difficult; after a rise they move through and the pool can produce quickly. Anglers fish it in short rotations, and the etiquette is to move through the pool in turn rather than to hold a single spot. A permit for the Ridge Pool is separate from the general Moy permits, and it is bought in the town. Booking ahead in the summer is normal.

How can visiting anglers access the beats on the River Moy?

Access on the Moy is a patchwork. Some water is fished on a day permit bought locally, some is let to clubs, and some is private and fished only with the owner's agreement. The Moy Fishery manages a set of beats around Ballina, and permits for those are available in the town. Club water is usually open to members and to day-ticket visitors, but the ticket has to be bought before fishing, not after.

The practical sequence is: decide which stretch you want, find out who controls it, buy the permit, and only then rig up. Local tackle shops and the fishery office hold the current list, and the rules on method, bait and bag limits are printed with the permit. A visiting angler who turns up at the water without a ticket is likely to be moved on, and the goodwill of the beat owners is what keeps the access open for everyone.

Getting to Ballina without a car

Ballina is reachable by bus and by rail. The train runs to Ballina station, with the connection for the Dublin and Westport lines made at Manulla Junction, a few miles south of town. Bus services connect Ballina with the surrounding towns and with the larger centres, and the bus station is central. For an angler travelling without a car, the useful fact is that the Ridge Pool and the town water are within walking distance of the centre, so a day on the Moy does not require a vehicle. The outlying beats are a different matter, and a bicycle or a taxi is the usual answer.

Where to stay and how to settle in

Accommodation in Ballina runs from guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in the town to self-catering and hotels. For a fishing trip, the useful choice is somewhere within walking distance of the river and of the permit outlets, which removes the need for a car for the town water. Longer stays, and anyone considering a move to the area, will find the practical questions are the same as anywhere: transport links, the cost of a base, and how the seasons change the water. The town is small enough to walk, and the river is the reason most visitors come.

Matching the method to the water

The Moy is fished across a long season, and the method that works in April is not the method that works in August. In spring, cold and high water favours a sinking line and a slow retrieve, or a spinner. In early summer, when the grilse arrive, a floating line and a small fly fished across and down covers the pools. In low summer water, the fish are in the deep lies and the fast necks, and an early start or a late evening is worth more than a change of fly. In autumn, the water cools and the fish move again, and the same methods as spring come back into use.