ANGLING NOTES:THE eye-catching sign on the approach road to the town caught the moment: "Ballina – the Salmon Capital of Ireland". True, in every sense of the word. The majestic Moy is the showcase river for Europe and beyond. To pause on Ham Bridge and watch the bars of silver leaping and splashing in the Ridge Pool is a sight to behold.
Catch statistics speak for themselves. Recently, for example, the Moy Fishery recorded 467 salmon to the fly. Over the last six years the river has produced an annual average of 8,382 and accounted for 30 per cent of the national salmon rod catch. Phenomenal, by any standards.
Is it any wonder anglers in their thousands flock to the Moy each year from 30 countries and generate over €12 million annually to the local economy?
In 2008, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, officially launched Ballina in Co Mayo as the salmon capital of Ireland. “Today is a great day for Ballina,” she said.
The title was awarded by Fáilte Ireland – the National Tourism Development Authority – in a public/private partnership deal worth over €100,000 because of the prolific run of Atlantic salmon through the town.
Fáilte Ireland, in selecting Ballina, took into account a suite of services anglers can expect from their angling holiday in Ireland. Under the heading of “Anglers Welcome” the charter contained a series of service promises that included angling guides, accommodation, pubs and dining, visitor attractions and retail premises. Ballina came up trumps in all categories.
Since taking over responsibility for the Moy Fishery in 1998, Inland Fisheries Ireland – Western River Basin District-Ballina (formerly North Western Regional Fisheries Board), has made great strides building on the prestigious title.
In 2008, a new angling centre on the Cathedral Beat won the architecture award in the National Tidy Towns Competition. Located beside the lower bridge in Ballina, the centre is built on the site used in former days by draft net fishermen. The building includes an anglers’ lounge and fish storage facilities.
Last Monday, work got under way on the unsightly steel gantries and now defunct manually operated weir gates at the top of the Ridge Pool. “The project will cost about €1 million and take eight months to complete,” according to Moy fishery manager Declan Cooke
Refurbishment work, while enhancing the appearance of the weir, will also provide electronic fish-counters to monitor salmon runs and facilitate limited trapping for scientific purposes.
The word was out. Summer grilse had arrived in earnest. Following a spate of flash-flooding, a surge of fish entered most rivers, and fisheries around the country experienced an overdue bonanza in catch returns. Although short-lived, the Moy Fishery was no exception.
A call to fisheries officer Billy Thornton last Friday week proved worthwhile. “High tide on the Ridge Pool is 5am, be ready for 6.30am and fish it through until 2pm. The river is low and with West Rock showing, it is fly only,” he said.
Equipped with 15ft double-handed rod, sinking tip and size 14 Cascade variant, I headed waist- deep into one of the most prolific salmon pools in the world. I couldn’t wait to get started.
It didn’t take long to get a positive “take” and soon after, gillie Michael Munnelly netted my first salmon this year, a beauty of 2.4kg (5.25lb). Throughout the day I lost several more fish and managed to catch a second of exactly the same weight.
My second day, scheduled for the Cathedral Beat, was thwarted by heavy overnight rain. The river had discoloured quickly rendering it unfishable for the fly. I had to abandon ship after an hour. However, those anglers who turned to “worming” found great success.
Judd Ruane, renowned sea- trout guide from the Moy estuary, rang early on Monday: “Derek, there is a heavy flood. It would be a waste of time going out today particularly with the dropping tide,” he said. That was it. Home-word bound until next time.
While in Ballina, I stayed at Mount Falcon Estate, the four-star AA Hotel of the Year 2009/10 that enjoys two miles of exclusive fishing on the Moy. For more information on angling holidays in Ireland, visit: discoverireland.ie
angling@irishtimes.com