Ballina Salmon Anglers Association

Irish Angling Update 🎣 28 August 2026 With very little rain this week, water levels in rivers and lakes remained generally low across most regions. This widespread lack of precipitation continued to affect angling conditions, with trout and salmon angling being particularly negatively impacted. However, this dry spell broke abruptly o...

Irish Angling Update 🎣 21 August 2026 We start with an update from the Galway Salmon Fishery which has reopened following the most recent closure due to high water temperatures. Staying in the Galway area there were a few salmon caught on the Erriff but fishing was not great. The salmon are there, but there seems to be no great take...

It is with great sadness we hear of the passing of Marek Grzona a long time member of Ballina Salmon Anglers Association who liked nothing better that to sit and fish under the tree at the top of Childes. Condolences to all Mareks family.
May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Marek Grzona | McGowan's Funeral Directors, Ballina. The Death has occurred of Marek Grzona Rath Ban, Rehins Fort, Foxford Rd, Ballina, Co. Mayo and Starogard, Gdanski, Poland.

Remember you are not alone, please phone this number to talk to someone who will listen and will not be judgemental. You are a very special person and we all need help some time so please call.

Winner of todays juvenile competition was David Maloney receiving his prize from Micheal Griffen BSAA. 2nd prize went to Hunter Cawley. John Maloney got 3rd, pictured with their proud Mum Melissa.
A good day was had by all and thank you for supporting this very important event. 🎣🎣

Irish Angling Update Firstly, and most importantly, to sea angling, where Fingal County Council won’t have any anglers on many beaches under their Beach/Foreshore Bye-Laws for 2026. The proposals would see restrictions on angling on any blue flag or candidate blue flag beach, which would include Donabate and Portmarn...

Irish Angling Update 🎣 07th August 2026 Unsettled and damp summer conditions prevailed during the first week of August, yet river catchments received negligible relief. Heavy rainfall was restricted to some western and southern areas, while the rest of the country saw only light showers that failed to improve water levels. Furthermore, e...

🎣 BALLINA SALMON ANGLERS – COMMUNITY UPDATE REGARDING FISHERY NO. 24/5 🎣

The Committee of the Ballina Salmon Anglers wishes to provide an update to our members, supporters, and the wider Ballina community regarding the tidal stretch of the River Moy from the traps to the weirs.

Recently, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) issued a directive seeking to prohibit traditional community angling on the right/east bank stretch (upstream of the Ballina Salmon Weir) and demanding the immediate removal of the historic Verschoyle Fishery signage.

IFI’s regional management claims exclusive ownership of this water based on a specific legal document from April 1987. However, when our club formally requested to view this document under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to clarify boundaries, IFI's regional office officially refused to provide it, claiming they do not possess it.

The Ballina Salmon Anglers believe in absolute transparency. A public state body cannot legally enforce bans on the community using a property deed while simultaneously claiming they do not have that very deed in their files. To protect our historic local angling tradition, the Club has taken the following measured legal steps this weekend:

1. Formal Appeal: We have formally appealed IFI's refusal to release the documentation.

2. State Archive Request: We have submitted a parallel FOI request directly to the Department of the Environment to retrieve the original 1987 deed from the state archives.

3. Executive Escalation: We have lodged a formal complaint directly with the Chief Executive Officer of IFI, Dr. Eamonn Kelly, regarding the lack of transparency and contradictory decisions made at a regional level.

Our Stance Moving Forward:

The Ballina Salmon Anglers have a long and proud history of conservation and respect for fishery laws. Our members will continue to fish this tidal stretch fully within the bounds of regular, statutory conservation laws. We will not comply with arbitrary restrictions or remove the Verschoyle Fishery signage until IFI transparently produces the physical 1987 Conveyance and maps proving an unbroken chain of ownership.

We want to thank the people of Ballina for their continued support as we protect public access to our river. We will keep you updated as the statutory 4-week response window progresses.

Robert Cording
Secretary
Ballina Salmon Anglers