Coosan and District Anglers Association will be represented yet again at this years Fédération International de la Pêche Sportive (FIPS) Mouche, 12th World Youth Fly Fishing Championship which is taking place from 21st to the 26th July 2013. The club which runs a very successful youth fly fishing and fly tying programme has had seven individual youths represent Ireland since 2007. Two of these youths, Fergal McKiernan and Sean Dempsey have represented Ireland every year since 2009 and they will both compete and represent Ireland again at the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships this year.
This years World Youth Fly Fishing Championship is being organised and jointly hosted by the Ulster and Leinster councils of the Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland (TAFI) and run on a cross border basis. Each team will consist of 6 anglers, managers and coaches. The anglers will be fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout on rivers and lakes in both provinces. The opening ceremony is being held in Dundalk on the 21st July with the Carrickdale Hotel as the championship headquarters. The official practice day will be held on Monday 22nd and this is followed by three days of competitive fishing. The beautiful setting of Hillsborough Castle will host the closing ceremony, symposium and presentation of trophies on the 26th. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the Loughs Agency and DCAL along with a number of businesses and individuals have sponsored the event which is also part of the “Gathering” 2013.
In addition to sponsoring the event, Inland Fisheries Ireland, with the assistance of all stakeholders including the World Youth Fly Fishing Championship Organising Committee, DCAL and the Loughs Agency, clubs, teams and anglers will be also be advising on bio security measures to be implemented at the event and providing disinfectant facilities at all of the designated competition locations. These measures will ensure best practice and help prevent the inadvertent introduction and transfer of invasive plants and animals and harmful pathogens which represent major threats to Ireland’s habitats, native species and internationally renowned fisheries.
Sean Dempsey from Ballykeeran and Fergal McKiernan from Coosan are both members of the Coosan and District Anglers Association and both of these young anglers have a proven track record in interntional fly fishing and their skills and experience will be a great asset to the team.
Fergal is having a great year so far this year having won the TAFI Leinster youth fly tying and the All-Ireland youth fly tying competitions. Leinster won the provincial team fly tying competition. Sean was also a member of the Leinster team and he was a close runner up to Fergal finishing in second place overall in the all Ireland finals. Fergal also won the TAFI River and Lake Fly fishing competitions this year with Sean finishing in second place in both competitions.
These two lads have dominated the Leinster youth Fly fishing scene over the last four years with Sean winning the TAFI River competitions in 2012, 2011, and runner up in 2012. He also won the TAFI Lake competitions in 2012, 2011, and 2010 and was also runner up in the All Ireland Youth Fly Tying competitions in 2010 and 2011 and he won the Leinster fly tying competition in 2012. Sean has represented Ireland at the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships in Italy 2011 and again in France in 2012.
Fergal was also very busy over the last four years; he was third in the all Ireland youth Fly Tying competition in 2010. Fergal also finished second in the 2011 Leinster Youth River fly fishing competition and fourth in the 2011 Leinster Lake fly fishing competition. Fergal achieved second place overall in the 2011 all Ireland river competition. In 2012, Fergal finished in second place in the Leinster youth fly tying and third in the all Ireland fly tying. He was also runner up in the 2012 Leinster River and Lake Fly fishing competitions. Fergal represented Ireland in France at the 2012 World Youth Fly Fishing competitions.
Both of these young anglers have been fishing on Lough Ree since they were only seven years old. They have been fishing in the Inny River since they were twelve years old. They have fished together and competed against each other ever since and thanks to their fishing club Coosan and District Anglers Association they have received all the help they needed to achieve such a high standard in both fly fishing and fly tying. The Coosan club have carried out several fund raising activities which enabled not only Fergal and Sean but also several other youths to become expert anglers. The club run several youth events throughout the year and often take groups of up to thirty children out for a days fishing in a stocked lake. These are usually great fun days out for the youngsters where they receive instruction in fly fishing followed by a barbecue.
Coosan Anglers have also had other anglers representing Ireland at international level with the ITFFA (Irish Trout Fly Fishing Association) team. This team competes in an annual four nations fly fishing competition between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Ciaran Lynch competed in Scotland in 2007. Sean, Fergal, and John Naughton competed in Wales in 2009. In 2010, Fergal & Sean represented Ireland on that team in England and again in Scotland in 2011. Fergal was the 2011 team captain and Sean was vice captain. Ireland hosted the four nation’s competition in 2012 and Coosan had four anglers on the team. Sean was captain of the team and was joined by Fergal, John Corbally and Dylan Ennis. This year Sean and Fergal are over age for the ITFFA team but Dylan Ennis will be carrying the Coosan Anglers flag when he travels to Wales to represent Ireland in August this Year.
Coosan and District Anglers Association would like to wish all our youths competing at international level this year every success in their endeavours. Tight Lines Lads.
Coosan and District Anglers Association was formed in 1994 by a group of anglers in the Coosan & District area of Athlone. The club runs many fishing competitions on Lough Ree each year as well as on other lakes and have several events for junior anglers as well as family days.
