Lough Ree Pike festival was great!

[niall_b73 41]

The Lough Ree International Pike Angling Festival is here to stay.

 

Ireland’s latest angling event was a resounding success fished over three days on the vast 16 mile long lough at Athlone – and to win any of the six prizes each day it was necessary to catch a pike of 18lb or more!

More than 60 anglers – from Germany, France, England, Northern Ireland and Ireland – competed from boats launched from Coosan Point and Hodson Bay as they battled to catch the biggest fish and win the €3,000 first prize and share in a total cash prize fund of €10,000

 

The champion for 2010 is Kevin Foley from Clare who caught a terrific pike measuring 106 cms on the final day – estimated to weigh 24lb.

 

The 26-year-old was trolling with his best fishing pal Kevin Foley and his only “take†of the festival came at lunchtime on Friday when a massive fish struck at the frozen dead rainbow trout. For the next 10 minutes there was an almighty battle and just as the landing net slipped under the pike, the swivel broke. Kevin certainly had the biggest smile later when he stepped up to receive the winner’s cheque from the Mayor of Athlone, Mark Cooney, who has been involved in with the Pike festival since its inception.

 

There was a conservation slant to the new festival and rather than weigh the fish, which often means placing them in some sort of container and the sailing to the shore with the fish, anglers had to measure and photograph the fish on specially supplied boards, then release the catch immediately. It reduces the stress and damage caused to pike.

 

“I came to the Lough Ree Festival because of the measuring systemâ€, said 61 year old Wicklow sign maker Pat Byrne, who used to travel across the country to compete in such events.

“This is the way forward because it protects our pike stocks. I had virtually stopped competition in pike matches but would fish any event using some sort of measuring systemâ€.

Pat featured strongly in the prize list with the biggest pike (103 cms) on the first day, second place on day two (98cms) and fourth spot (90cms) on the third day. He and his boat partner John McDonagh shared a haul of €1,800 in prize money despite not having fished the lake previously!

 

The runner-up was local angler Adrian Quinn from Athlone who bagged a pike of 104cms while trolling in the mouth of the River Shannon at the Sunken Island near to the yacht club.

The 35 year old Dunne’s Store manager had his own till ringing to the tune of €1,500 by using of buoyant brightly coloured lure on part of the river that would have been unfishable at normal water levels, but on this day it was perfect and his gamble paid off handsomely.

 

Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland sponsored and organised the festival in association with Athlone Town Council to highlight the outstanding angling potential offered by the River Shannon and Lough Ree.

 

And it must be said that the central Fisheries Board staff were outstanding with their help on the water and general professionalism in ensuring everything went smoothly for the first Lough Ree International Pike Angling festival.

 

(L to R) Mayor Mark Cooney, winner Kevin Foley, third Pat Byrne, runner-up Adrian Quinn and Marie McCormack, Client service officer with Failte Ireland.

 

Overall

Kevin Foley Ennis 106cm

Adrian Quinn Athlone 104cm

Pat Byrne Wicklow 103.5cm

 

Day One

Pat Byrne Wicklow 103.5cm

Joe McDermott Longford 101cm

Leo Behan Athlone 100cm

John McDonagh Wicklow 94cm

Joe McDermott Longford 90cm

Dominic Conway Athlone 89cm

 

Day Two

Adrian Quinn Athlone 104cm

Pat Byrne Wicklow 98cm

Leo Behan Athlone 97cm

Marc Lombard France 95cm

Eoin O’Neill Athlone 92cm

Joe McEntegart Longford 91.5cm

 

Day Three

Peter Smyth Trim 99cm

Leo Behan Athlone 95cm

Brendan Hora Meath 91cm

Pat Byrne Wicklow 90cm

Conor Hannan Athlone 88cm

Mick Flanaghan Mullingar 87cm

 

(Note) Attempting to estimate the weight of a pike from its length is risky simply due to a number of factors, but as a rough guide, a pike measuring 100 centimetres may weigh 23lb.

 

(this information was taken from http://www.activeirishangling.com/?p=4984 )

 

niall_b73

[J Darcy 5,871]

Great that fish welfare is of top priority.