Declan Cooke reports from the River Moy…
It has been another excellent period for angling on the Moy, although angler numbers in the area are somewhat down on previous years.
The various fisheries throughout the Moy have all reported good catches except for the Moy Fishery in Ballina where persistently high water has caused the majority of salmon to run further upstream. Despite the paucity of salmon below the weir in Ballina, the local club and Mount Falcon, both located just a few km upstream are both having a bumper year and there is little doubt, at this stage, that 2020 will be recorded as one of the best years in recent times for salmon runs.
The total recorded catch for the Moy so far this season is 4664 salmon, which compares favourably with recent years. However, when it is considered that almost no salmon were reported until 14 June, this figure puts 2020 ahead of the average catches for the last few seasons. At the peak of the run in late July, some fisheries (e.g. East Mayo) were reporting over 100 fish a week and salmon were spreading to all reaches of the river.
By mid-August, the grilse run had tapered off somewhat and, although there appears to be a great head of fish in the river, they are reluctant to take, (as usually happens at this time of the year). There are still reports of small numbers of salmon being caught in the middle stretches of the Moy, particularly at the Mount Falcon beats and the prospects for late season fishing, mainly favoured by catch & release anglers, look extremely good.
