ANGLING NOTES:WHILE I do not play golf and distance myself from Mark Twain, who said that "golf is a good walk spoilt", nevertheless I find myself of late fishing for the wily rainbow trout on lakes in and around golf courses.
For me the occasions are confined to the game angling close season, but I do appreciate that after a day on the golf course a little fly-fishing is the ideal way to unwind.
Such was the case last Sunday week when I accepted an invitation from my friend, Sean McManmon, to view the amenities at Killeen Castle in Co Meath. The castle, dating back to the 12th century, is one of the finest Norman castles in Ireland, and today the 600-acre estate offers all the joys of country living, including seven angling lakes and a Jack Nicklaus golf course scheduled to host the Solheim Cup in 2011.
Sean McManmon joined Killeen Castle 12 months ago as estate manager, having spent almost 30 years in a similar role at the K Club.
However, his passion too is for fishing. Having represented Ireland at fly-fishing for many years, he also captained the Leinster team and won the individual award as "top rod". He went on to coach the Irish ladies' fly-fishing team for five years.
The new clubhouse has been designed to the highest possible standard. The revamped fishing lodge is also noteworthy, with top quality fly rods (assembled), rain gear, waders and landing nets all ready to go. The framed pictures depict Sean fishing with a host of dignitaries, including Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, Mark O'Meara and George Bush snr.
Soon we were on board a golf buggy ripping along paths between greens en route to the fishing lake. Our fishing spree was short but spectacular. I put up a goldhead Montana and Betty Hayes, a member of the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, tried a green Zonker. Almost every cast we connected with big fish, some to 2.5kg. A striking feature of the rainbows was their fighting qualities and plump appearance, attributed, no doubt, to the limestone-based lakes. Within an hour together we caught and returned at least 10 cracking fish.
In another Killeen-related nugget, Mary-Rose Carty, in her book The History of Killeen Castle, reproduces a recipe accredited to Henrietta Wollascott, Seventh Countess of Fingall (1740-1760) . It reads: "How to make a salmon pye - take the salmon, cutt it in pieces, scrape the scale off it. Season it with nutmeg, cloves, mace and salt, then putt your salmon into your pye with a pound of roast meat balls. Put a lear of butter over the top. Chop 2 anchoves and putt them in pye. Putt in half a pint of Clarett, half a pint of gravy, then it goes into oven. When it comes out take a little gravy, little Clarett, a little butter, 2 yolkes of eggs and putt in your pye. Shake it well and serve it up."
• Congratulations to Rathbeggan Lakes in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, for its double-whammy in the Tourism Marketing Awards. The lakes came out on top in both of the categories they were nominated in: best marketing incentive for a country pursuit venue, and best marketing incentive visitor attraction. The awards were presented in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim by the chairman of Meath Tourism John Farrelly and RTÉ's Sharon Ní Bheoláin.
• The Irish Specimen Fish Committee (ISFC) reminds all anglers, charter skippers and guesthouse owners to return specimen fish claims before Sunday. Details of new Irish records of fish specimens taken by anglers in 2008 will be published in early January 2009 and made available free of charge. Forms should be sent to ISFC, c/o Central Fisheries Board, Swords Business Campus, Swords, Co Dublin.
• Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme (Wisp) 2009 for recreational waterway activities opened last week for events taking place along the Lower Bann Navigation, Erne System, Shannon-Erne Waterway, Shannon and Barrow Navigation and the Grand and Royal Canals.
Over the past four years Wisp has supported angling, canoeing, rowing, sailing and power sports, and competitions, learning experiences, historical and educational activities. Applications are open to anyone wishing to run recreational events. For an application pack, e-mail damien.mcweeney@waterwaysireland.org, or call 071-9650787. Closing date is February 3rd, 2009.