Angling Notes/Derek Evans: Ireland has a new World Cup champion. Philip Rooney, from Rossinver in Co Leitrim, took the crown after five days of competitive angling at the World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championships at Lough Mask, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, the weekend before last.
Now in its 49th year, the event is widely regarded as the premier competition on the world angling stage.
Cushlough Bay, on the shores of Lough Mask, came alive for the championships as 627 anglers competed for the ultimate prize in brown trout fly-angling. Cushlough is now a first-class angling facility mainly due to work carried out by Ballinrobe and District Anglers' Association. As world cup vice-president and two-times winner Robbie O'Grady said: "This year, a further €16,000 was spent on improving facilities for anglers".
What Peter O'Reilly said in his classic Flyfishing in Ireland certainly applied to this year's winner. "When you catch a good trout, is it the reward of skill or luck? Better by far to adapt the traditional skills of observation, fly selection and fly casting, and success may only be a cast away."
O'Grady was, perhaps, a predictable champion. Having qualified so easily on Thursday with a fantastic catch of five fish weighing 4.7kg, he managed a further three on finals' day for 3.4kg. Rooney fished close to Spider's Island with a Green Wolf, Black Daddy and Gorgeous George. "We actually took a wrong drift at one stage and I caught two good fish," he said.
Rooney was presented with a 19ft Anglers Fancy boat sponsored by Burke Boats of Ballinrobe, along with a 15hp Yamaha outboard engine from O'Connor's of Cong, an engraved crystal trophy from Murphy's newsagents, Ballinrobe, a Hardy Swift MK 11ft 7ins fly rod and the world cup perpetual trophy.
Of course, a good boatman is very important and in Tom "Doc" Sullivan, Rooney had one of the best on the Great Western Lakes. Doc is an angling guide, Stanic casting instructor and operates a thriving boat-hire business in Cornamona in Co Galway (www.tomdoc.com).
During Thursday weeks's heat, Desmond McHugh, from Garrison in Co Fermanagh, caught a fine trout of 3.4kg on an Octopus fly close to Devinish Island. "I was about to land an average-sized trout when it decided to take one last dive. Suddenly, line started to screech from my reel. I thought a pike had grabbed the fish. It later transpired the smaller trout had taken my Cock Robin tail fly and the big fish opted for the Octupus on the dropper," he said.
On the Friday, a very special angler took part in the competition. Tom Kitterick from Ballina, aged 94, has the distinction of participating almost every year since its inception in 1953. In those days, the competition was hosted by Castlebar & District Anglers' Association, and held over the Easter bank holiday as a three-day event.
Three rule changes adapted this year proved a resounding success. The decision to increase size limits to 13 inches obviously reduced catches in favour of more mature fish, and juniors availed of a 50 per cent reduction in fees for their own category prizes.
A third amendment saw the start of the competition move from the slipway area to outside Cushlough Bay around Castle Hag Point for safety reasons. I had the pleasure of being on the leading boat of the 82 out on finals day. At 11am, the spectacle was breathtaking as the roar of the engines heralded the start of the 49th World Cup.
The event is the major event on the angling calendar and very important to the Ballinrobe area, bringing in hundreds of anglers and friends each year. Congratulations to committee chairman Dominic Curran and his hard-working committee for organising these magnificent championships. Can't wait for next year!
• Two new conservation bylaws for pike and coarse fish were introduced last month by the Minister of State for the Marine, John Browne, as part of the Fisheries Acts 1959 to 2006. The Pike Bylaw No 805 allows taking just one pike per day and prohibits the killing of pike greater than 50cm in length.
The Coarse Bylaw No 806 allows taking four fish per day and forbids the killing of coarse fish greater than 25cm. The bylaw also prohibits their sale in Ireland (excluding NI) but will not apply to tackle dealers and bait suppliers granted an exemption by their respective regional fisheries board.
• Ireland finished in bronze position at last month's Home International Boat Championships at Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford. Forty anglers competed over two days, and managed an average of 38.9 fish per angler. Pollack and ballan wrasse dominated over 12 species.
Results: 1, England; 2, Scotland; 3, Ireland; 4, Wales. Best Irish angler: Kit Dunne with 91 fish.