May 1st 2013: The second day of the three day Waterways Ireland Classic saw a change in the weather, with warmer conditions bringing an improvement in the fishing on almost all of the sections.
The 216 anglers lined up at the draw box in the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen, each one knowing that the peg he drew today could net him one of the many daily prizes, or even set him up for the overall Classic top prize of £5,000 and a Crystal Chalice.
The leader board going into day two was made up mainly of regular English visitors, with local angler Gareth Williams in second place, but as is normally the case, the competition was wide open, with only a few kilos separating the top ten.
Top weight today was 29kg 600g, landed on the productive Rossahilly section by London angler Peter Vasey. Second overall was another English visitor, Gary Morgan from Coventry who extracted 15kg 700g from peg 20 on Lough Acrussel. Peter Jones from Cork finished third with 15kg 320g, from the Ely Lodge section. The top four was completed by another Classic regular Kevin Rowles from Devizes, with 13kg 410g from the Manor House section.
Tomorrow, Thursday, is the second day of the popular King of the Erne competition, which is run in conjunction with the Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival. The Classic action continues on Friday, with current overall leader Peter Vasey carrying a 12kg 450g advantage over his nearest rival Steven Priestley from Manchester. The prize presentation will be held in the Westville Hotel, Enniskillen, on Friday night.
The Classic is sponsored for the eleventh year by Waterways Ireland and is organised by Fermanagh District Council, in conjunction with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
For further information contact Katrina McGirr, Waterways Ireland on +353 (0) 71 96 50560 or Eddie McGovern, Fermanagh District Council on +44 (0) 28 6632 5050.
