OVER 7,000 salmon have been caught by anglers on the River Moy in the last six weeks, according to figures compiled by the North Western Fisheries Board.
However, there have been complaints that the foul hooking of salmon had been taking place on the Cathedral beat in Ballina up to yesterday.
"The pools are packed with salmon, and it's like casting into a tin of sardines. Fly fishing would eliminate all this damage to the fish stocks," said a local angler.
He was referring to the Central Fisheries Board stretch developed at a cost of £90,000 and officially opened last Friday by the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Eamon Gilmore.
Complaints were lodged with the Board, and there were calls to ban spinning and restrict fly fishing and worming. Water is at a low level in the pools.
Anglers were told they could kill the salmon if they were not deliberately foul hooked, but locals contested the regulation.
Foul hooking takes place when a spinning lure, not taken by the fish in the mouth, hooks some other part of the fish.
The chairman of the North Western Regional Board, Mr John Walkin, said he was raising the issue with the Dublin offices.