Ballyna
The angler may now proceed to the river Moy, at Ballyna, in the County
of Mayo, a celebrated place for ages for Salmon fishing with the fly,
and also a place where he may find every facility for insuring sport by
the kind and obliging conduct of the renter of the "cruives," or cuts,
who politely allows the angler to fish where he pleases, on condition
that he gives up his fish save one per day, which he may freely reserve
for himself, and as a trophy of his success, have the honor of "cutting
it pink" by a good turf fire, tired after the day's sport, washing it
down with a smoking hot tumbler of "whiskey punch," drinking the health
of the Queen, and success to the arms of our brave countrymen in the
East.
Lough Con will be found also good, but the trout fishing is best in
it--fly fish the river for salmon. It is about ten miles up to the
southwest, and in it may be caught with the fly, the gilla-roe trout
that have gizzards, the same as in Lough Derg on the Shannon. From the
town of Ballyna up to Foxford, eight miles distant, is all capital water
for salmon; there are plenty of boats to be had, and those who do not
like a boat may fish from the shore; the salmon will rise and take the
fly in every part of this water, so that the angler cannot go astray.
The flies in use here are rather plain than gaudy, except in the spring,
like all other rivers, they must be larger and more of a gaudy hue.
A claret body, claret hackle and gold rib, tail a small topping, an
orange tag rather tapered to the shoulder, jay at head, mallard wings
mixed with blue and yellow macaw, neck feather of the golden pheasant, a
topping over all, guinea hen, teal, and blue macaw feelers each side
with a kingfisher, hook CC, 9, or BB.
A fly, with a fiery brown floss silk body, black ostrich tag, hackle of
the same colour as body, rib of gold, tail of topping, mallard, golden
pheasant tail, neck, and red rump feathers mixed, a blue jay or small
guinea hen feather at the shoulder, hook No. 9, or B in low water.
A blue body, blue jay over it, tag of orange floss, topping for tail,
the hackle to be made full by another jay at the shoulder, under which
roll a piece of orange pig-hair and pick it out well through the jay;
the wings to be mixed ones with a topping in the centre; scarlet macaw
feelers, and black head; hook No. 9 and B; rib the body with silver
tinsel, and let it be the same colour as the jay.
These with Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5, in the plates of flies for salmon will
be found excellent. No. 11 is a good one; and a fly made with black silk
body ribbed with silver twist, a very small topping in the tail, mixed
with a sprig or two of guinea hen and Ibis, a small guinea hen hackle
over the body and cut slantingly underneath the body to be longer at the
shoulder, and a black or peacock head with a small blue jay round it;
wings mixed with dark mallard, teal, neck feather, blue and yellow
macaw, and a strip or two of wood-duck each side, and a fibre or two of
peacock neck and white spotted wing feather, hook CC, B. If these flies
are attended to, they will kill when many others fail; do not lose your
sport and time, keep to what I say.
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Connamara And Ballynahinch
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