Angling Notes/Derek Evans: For the third year, Ireland's premier country sports event, the National Country Fair, will host the International Open Spey-Casting Championships at Emo Court, Co Laois, on June 4th and 5th. This prestigious event is the richest spey-casting tournament in the world, offering a prize fund of €3,000.
At last year's fair, Scott Mackenzie set a new world record with a cast of 55.3m. Competitors this year will include the young Scot Andrew Armstrong and leading exponents of the art from the US, Australia, Britain and Ireland.
The criteria required to participate includes a rod of 18ft or less and a floating line with maximum diameter 2.5mm (head length optional). Master of ceremonies will be former spey-casting world champion, Hywel Morgan.
Qualifying heats will be held on Saturday and Sunday morning, and daily tuition and rod testing will be available for visitors plus demonstrations by renowned casting masters, Andy Murray, Hywel Morgan and Jan Porter. www.countryfair.ie.
• It's not every day a salmon more than 9kg is caught in Ireland, in fact, only two were recorded last year. However, the feat becomes even more spectacular when the honour befalls an angler with a disability.
Timothy O'Sullivan, "Timo" to his friends, recently landed a fresh-run salmon which tipped the scales at 10.2kg while trolling on Killarney's Lough Leane, close to Ross Island.
Along with his great friend, Mike "Kenmare" O'Sullivan, the pair struggled with the fish for over half an hour during which time their friendship was stretched to the limit before successfully boating the salmon.
The fish was purchased for €1,000 by Patrick O'Donoghue from The Glenagle Hotel who intends to have it displayed in the Brehon Hotel, Killarney. For his part, Timo decided to donate €500 to Order of Malta and €500 to Kerry Mountain Rescue.
• Angling colleague Diarmaid Fleming of BBC Northern Ireland was overjoyed last week after catching the biggest trout of his life on the Isle of Man. While fishing a mountain reservoir in the foothills of Snaefell he met up with a huge trout of 3.3kg.
"It was flat calm and fish were rising close in, so I changed to lighter tackle, a No 4 Hardy Swift with buzzers on intermediate line. Felt a knock, and suddenly the fish almost tore the rod out of my hands, taking yards of line in surging runs. Took me 25 minutes to land," he said.
• I paid a fleeting visit to Oaklands Coarse Fishery in New Ross, Co Wexford, last week and was taken aback with the transformation in reception facilities. Gone is the small Cabinpac, instead today, the fishery boasts an attractive building (12ft x 42ft) with tackle shop, storeroom, toilets, central heating and is wheelchair friendly.
"Total cost to date is €150,000 and I am indebted to Wexford Organisational Rural Development; National Lottery, New Ross Town Council and Wexford Town Council for grant-aid," said proprietor Michael Browne.
With its 60-peg facility, the lake holds a good stock of carp, tench, bream and rudd; the heaviest carp caught so far is 5.5kg. To coincide with the 800th anniversary of New Ross town next year, Browne intends to hold an international fishing event to mark the occasion. Tel: 051-425196 or 087-6988979.
• The 2006 Waterways Ireland Three-Day Coarse Fishing Festival on Lough Erne, near Enniskillen, drew to a close last Thursday week with a real cliffhanger to the finish. In conditions more suitable to sunbathing, London angler Bill Mariner emerged victorious with a total weight of 45kg 470g to earn him the top prize of €3,000.
Mariner was closely followed by Manchester angler Richard Smith on 43kg 460g, and another English visitor, Barry Cooper from Whitchurch, finished third. Fermanagh's Kevin Locke was top local angler with 36kg 640g.
Organised by Fermanagh District Council, the festival was sponsored by Waterways Ireland. At the prizegiving in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Waterways Ireland chief executive John Martin said in the past year Waterways Ireland had invested more than €560,000 on the Erne System.
• Lough Conn had a mixed week with varying weather conditions making angling difficult. Nonetheless, 220 anglers reported 162 trout. The National Championships last Saturday week were hindered by bright sunshine resulting in just 46 fish for 150 rods. Local angler, John Burke took pole position with a fine trout of 2.8kg.
On Corrib, very warm calm conditions prevailed for most of the week, with thunderstorms and heavy downpours. Very good olive hatches were observed at times but the mayfly was not yet in full swing by any means.
Thundery conditions went against trout angling on Mask but the odd good day brought on good hatches of olives and buzzers, and some mayfly. Best flies included Sooty Olive, Watson's Fancy, Black Pennell and Bibio.