Ireland's most productive salmon river — the Moy system drains half of County Mayo. The Moy arrives at Ballina as a well-managed fishery with five prime beats: Ridge Pool, Cathedral Beat, Mount Falcon, and others, plus the public Point beat at the estuary. Spring salmon run from February through May; the grilse run builds from June and peaks in July when the Ridge Pool and Cathedral Beat fish at their best. Sea trout arrive from June onwards and are a co-equal target through summer and autumn, particularly on the lower beats and tidal pools. The Moy responds quickly (8–10 hours) to upriver rainfall — a rise of six inches after a dry spell will move fish through the system. Fish it as a proper spate river in the 12–36 hours after rain, as it drops and clears. On the lower beats, tide matters: the tidal backwater drowns out lies for up to two hours either side of high tide — check the Killala Bay tide table and plan around a falling tide. An afternoon session on the Ridge Pool on a falling tide with the river dropping after rain is as good as it gets. Ridge Pool prices range from €20 in early spring to €60–€85 in June to €125 at peak grilse time in July; the Point is around €25/day. Book through the IFI Moy Fishery office. Across and down on a floating line with small doubles (10–12) through summer, size 6–8 tubes on sink-tips in spring. Darken up in peaty water (Cascade, Collie Dog); go brighter in clear conditions (Silver Stoat, Ally's Shrimp). The upper beats at Foxford offer technical water. A guide on a first visit pays for itself — the taking lies don't show themselves from the bank. The river is structured as a series of distinct fisheries: Ridge Pool and Cathedral Beat in Ballina (private, top tier), East Mayo Anglers Association (~13 km of state water above Ballina, the most accessible option for visiting anglers), Mount Falcon Estate (Foxford-area private), and a mix of IFI and club water through the middle and upper river. See regulation_zones for the major beats — pricing and booking models differ significantly between them. For 2026 this remains an open fishery — salmon may be retained in season under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme and bag limits, with catch-and-release at other times.
The Moy rises on the southern flank of the Ox Mountains and then spreads out as one of the finest meandering lowland rivers in Ireland, draining a 2,086 km² catchment that covers two-thirds of County Mayo. Below Foxford the channel runs through thick Holocene alluvium — sands, gravels and silts laid over Carboniferous limestone — and develops the dramatic U-shaped Rinnananny bends on its way to Ballina. The main stem is up to 40 m wide, partly-confined by low river terraces, and carries a stable gravel-cobble bed armoured by the long fetches between bends. Classic pool-riffle structure dominates, with outer-bank scour pools and point-bar riffles. At Ballina the salmon weir holds fish against the tidal backwater of Killala Bay; for two hours either side of high water the lower pools drown out.
Wading: Tidal drown out on lower pools
- Mixed
- Partly confined
- Pool riffle
- Glide
