Irish Daily Star Journalist and angling correspondent David Gray reports:
The competition scene for shore anglers on the East coast came to a successful end with the final leg of the Leinster shore league last Sunday.
The competition was, in terms of weather and catch, one of the best in the league according to a number of competitors I spoke with.
“It wasn’t freezing cold, the sea had a nice ripple and bit of colour caused by an offshore breeze,” said Eamonn Bermingham. Better still, the fish were biting all day on the rising tide”, he added.
Fifty anglers including juniors and four ladies took part in the 5 hour match staged on Courtown North beach where they recorded 536 fish. The catch included flounders, sand dabs, some whiting and a lone lesser spotted dogfish.
SPOILS
Karl Whelan, a member of Ballybrack SAC was winner on the day with 25 fish taken in Zone B. Greystones Ridge SAC member Greg Boyne took the spoils in Zone A with 22 fish.
The prize for the longest fish went to Joe Carley from Menapia SAC in Wexford for his 36 cm flounder while Kieran Rice from Balbriggan had the best round fish a whiting measuring 34 cms.
The junior section was hotly contested but Darragh Bermingham (10) South Shore SAC coasted home with his 8 fish bag. His dad Eamonn was second in Zone A with 22 fish.
At the prize giving ceremony in the Orphan Girl Pub in Ballymoney the overall league results were also announced following a bit of arithmetic.
The Fogarty brothers, Noel and Tommy, both members of Raheny and District SAC took gold and bronze respectively with the silver going to Eoghan Duff, South Shore SAC
The freezing weather earlier this week foiled my attempt to fish for rainbows at Carton House, in Co. Kildare. I was there for dinner and an overnight on Monday with Sylvia, my prize for second place in a media competition in September.
On Tuesday morning the countryside was white with frost and the rainbow lake completely frozen over. On the way home we noticed the canal near Maynooth was also icebound. Since then I’ve heard that a number of the bigger midland lakes and canals were also frozen over. As I write, the weather is improving and I hope to do a bit of piking this weekend.
Compliments of:
David Gray,
Irish Daily Star,
Web: www.goingfishing.ie
Email: [email protected]
