By Paddy McNulty
The East Mayo section of the Moy is a long and varied piece of a great salmon fishing river and it requires different fishing methods for different pools. Parts of the river is fly only but most of the East Mayo Anglers section is mixed. For most anglers that means fly, spinning or worm fishing. Some anglers vary from one method to the next depending on river conditions.
Fly fishing
Fly fishing on the Moy for salmon means using a twohanded rod of whatever length and weight suits the angler and river conditions. To be successful the angler needs to study the river conditions and perhaps seek advice from one of the local guides or ghillies, a list of these can be obtained from the club office or local tackle shops it is often money well spent as the chance of success is vastly improved. Traditionally we fished with floating lines in lower water conditions and sinking tips in higher water. The choice of fly is a subject that every angler has their own opinion on.
Spinning
Spinning is a popular and or some anglers a successful fishing method. the equipment needed is a spinning rod, a spinning reel, a net, line and spinners these are artificial baits that have designed to attract or annoy the salmon into attacking it. The most popular at the present time are the type called “flying c”, these are available in various sizes and colours. These colors are thought to attract fish in different river conditions, but perhaps it is to attract the angler to them when they are on displayed in the tackle shop. The method of fishing is to stand on the bank and cast the bait out into the water each cast at a slightly different angle and rewind it so as to cover all the pool and any fish in it. When the river is low a smaller bait should be used so, it is useful to carry baits of a different size and change bait to suit river conditions. It is a good idea to move to a different pool after you have fished a pool for a while as you are most likely to find a fish that will take sooner rather than later in a pool.
Bubble & Fly
A variation on spinning is spinning a fly this is useful in low water and windy conditions particularly with wind blowing up the river. To fish it you simply cast out a line weighted with a plastic bubble float on the end of the with the fly tied about 4 ft up the line from the float.
Worm fishing
Worm fishing is a method favored by a lot of anglers as it is a more relaxing way of fishing, to do it well takes practice and it can be extremely rewarding. It is favored after a flood or heavy rain when the water may be colored. The method favored on the Moy is with a float that can be moved up or down the line to suit the depth of the water, it is generally thought that the weight should drag along the bottom so that the bait moves very slowly.
Happy fishing & tight lines!