THE Irish Specimen Fish Committee has published its annual report for 2010 and copies are now available online at irish-trophy-fish.com and in print from Inland Fisheries Ireland, Swords, Co Dublin.
Despite the economic downturn anglers had a bumper year catching the highest ever number of specimen fish and setting four new Irish records.
A total of 608 specimens were ratified, which is a 15 per cent increase on 2009. Carp from the Lough in Cork City and sea trout from Lough Currane in Kerry dominated the freshwater species. Thick-lipped mullet and cuckoo wrasse from many different parts of the country accounted for most of the sea fish.
The four new records (all marine species) are: Blackmouthed dogfish (1.31kg) from Islandmagee, Co Antrim, caught by David Craig; spur dogfish (10.43kg) from Red Bay, Co Antrim, taken by Connor McNeill; haddock (5.39kg) from Union Hall, Co Cork, caught by Tony Santry, and a red mullet (0.82kg) from Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, taken by Sue Tait.
The Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) has launched its on-line fishing auction for 2011.
This year’s auction has a vast selection of lots ranging from the Varzuga River in Russia to the Mourne in Ireland, with prices ranging from under €58 to nearly €12,000.
The Varzuga, one of the best Atlantic salmon rivers in the world, is available for €12,228 for two rods for one week. See roxtons.com for the details.
Ireland has three listed lots: Mount Falcon Hotel on the Moy offers two nights BB for two with dinner one night and two days’ fishing. Guide price €769. See mountfalcon.com
The Blackwater Rockforest tenders for three days for two rods on the Blackwater River at Clonmeen and Rockforest Fisheries, Co Cork, in July. Fly only. Guide price €900. Donor: Simon Ronan.
In Northern Ireland, the Abercorn Estate in Co Tyrone has availability for three days for two rods during July on the Mourne River.
Rotating beats include the famous Snaa Pool. Estate ghillie provided. Fly only. Guide price is slightly above €1,000. See barons-court.com
Tony Andrews, AST chief executive, said: “The more money we raise, the more we can spend on the important work of ensuring a brighter future for Atlantic salmon and sea trout.”
The online bidding system has a map-based approach and click-through to full description of each lot, and a bidding form. Bidding closes (with few exceptions) on February 14th.
See atlanticsalmontrust.org/auction.
The Berkley World Catfish Classic is scheduled for the River Ebro in the Chiprana and Caspe regions of Spain in June 2011. The event will command 16km of prime bank on the Ebro, which will be closed exclusively for competitors for the duration of the three-day event.
Each day, competitors will return to a huge bivvy where traditional Spanish food will include paellas for 500 people cooked on a log fire. The angler with the biggest catfish each day will be crowned “King Cat”.
More than 15 countries have already registered, including Japan, US, Finland, Canada and Sweden. International celebrities Dean Macey and Mark Huizinga will be competing along with last year’s winner Paul Rayment.
The €40,745 prize table will be split between overall winners, second and third place, angler with the biggest catfish and a host of support prizes. Full event rules available at worldcatfishclassic.com.
Setanta Ireland will televise the fifth of a six-part series on fly-fishing tomorrow evening at 10pm and again on Wednesday. The series is produced by Loosehorse (loosehorse.ie).
Chef Neven Maguire (Macnean House, Cavan) travels from the north-west to the midlands in search of pike; the fish is popular in other parts of Europe, but Irish people are not yet comfortable eating it.
In the programme, Maguire learns the craft of flyfishing on Lake Derravaragh, and the crowds gather to taste his pike dish.
angling@irishtimes.com