Despite a spate of fish kills throughout the south-west this summer, one of the premier angling salmon festivals in the region is set to get underway today in North Cork.
According to Mr Micheal O Cinneide, manager of the Southern Regional Fisheries Board, conditions are perfect for this year's festival on the River Blackwater. The river, he added, was experiencing its best salmon season for some years. Last month, more than 2,300 salmon, weighing a healthy average of 5lbs, were caught by rod anglers.