Members of the Organising Committee of the World Youth Fly Fishing Championship availed of the opportunity to meet with Mr. Fergus O’Dowd TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources at the Ireland Angling Show in Swords over the weekend. The FIPS Mouche 12th World Youth Fly Fishing Championship will be hosted by TAFI from 21st to the 26th July of this year.  This event is been organised and jointly hosted by the Ulster and Leinster councils and run on a cross border basis. This prestigious competition will attract participant countries and visitors from all over the World and will endorse Ireland as a World renowned angling destination.

L to R – Patrick Tennyson (Secretary of the organising committee for the World Youths Championship) - Orla Woods (Previous qualifier for the World Youths) – Eamonn Moore (Chairman of TAFI) – Fred O’Hagan (Treasurer of the organising committee for the World Youths Championship) – Mr Fergus O’Dowd TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources – Charles Kennedy (Chairman of the organising committee for the World Youths Championship) - Dr Ciaran Byrne, (CEO, Inland Fisheries Ireland)

The opening ceremony is being held in Dundalk on 21st July with the Carrickdale Hotel as the championship headquarters. Official practice will be held on Monday the 22nd followed by three days of competition fishing. Venues include two river and three lakes and are spread over the five counties of Antrim, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Tyrone. The beautiful setting of Hillsborough Castle in County Down will host the closing ceremony on 26th and there will also be a conservation-orientated symposium on the same day.

Each country will have a team consisting of Captain, Manager, five competitors and one reserve. Ireland as the host country is allowed to enter two teams.

The Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland or TAFI as the federation is more commonly referred to as was established in 1931 and is recognised as the Official National Governing Body for Trout anglers. TAFI represent approximately 18,000 anglers on the Island of Ireland. TAFI are one of the founder members of FIPS. Mouche, which is the fly fishing body within CIPS which regulates all World and European competitive angling for all disciplines. This years World Youth Fly Fishing Championship is being sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland. A numer of the events fishing sessions are planned for the River Fane on the waters controlled by the Dundalk and District Brown Trout and Salmon Anglers Association.

L to R - Martin Cooper (secretary Dundalk & District Brown Trout & Salmon Anglers Association DDBTSAA) - Matt Campbell (Youth Officer TAFI) – Eamonn Moore (Chairman of TAFI) – Mike Woods (Chairman of DDBTSAA) – Mr Fergus O’Dowd TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources – Charles Kennedy (Chairman of the organising committee for the World Youths Championship)- Dr Ciaran Byrne, (CEO, Inland Fisheries Ireland)

 

Further information about this event can be found at http://www.wyffc.com/