The Official Opening Ceremomy of the FIPS Mouche 12th World Youth Fly Fishing Championship took place yesterday in Dundalk Co Louth. On a beautiful summer afternoon procedings got underway with the assembly of teams, organisers and well wishers in the square in Dundalk and this was followed by a parade of the 10 participating teams to the Town Hall where the official opening ceremony took place. Hundreds of people turned out to wish the teams well in the upcoming event. The Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland (TAFI) is currently hosting the FIPS Mouche 12th World Youth Fly Fishing Championship from July 21 – 26, with part of the event being held on the River Fane. The venues are spread over counties Louth, Monaghan, Meath, Tyrone and Antrim and include two rivers and three lakes with the Fane River running through counties Louth and Monaghan hosting one of the venues. Rivers include the Fane and Quiggery and lakes include Loughmcrory, Easkragh and Woodford.
A number of speakers addressed a packed hall in Dundalk Town Hall including Mr Eamonn O’Boyle (Chairman Dundalk Town Council), Mr Charles Kennedy (Chairman WYFFC Organising Committee) Ms Suzanne Campion (Head of Business Development Inland Fisheries Ireland), Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd, (Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources), Minister Carál Ni Chuilín (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for Northern Ireland),Mr Lionel Knobbs (Angling Development Manager, Loughs Agency), Mr Eamonn Moore (Chairman of TAFI). Following the speeches Mr Paul Vekermans(FIPS Mouche President officially opened the FIPS Mouche 12th World Youth Fly Fishing Championship.
TAFI organises angling qualifiers every year across Ireland with the winners representing Ireland at the Four Nations still water Championships, European, Commonwealth and World Fly Fishing Championships. This year sees the Youth Championship coming to Ireland, jointly organised by the Leinster and Ulster councils and run on a cross border basis.
FIPS Mouche (International Sport Fly Fishing Federation) are the regularity body who run the World Championships with Ireland TAFI been one of the founding member countries.
Teams are made up of five anglers and one reserve (aged 14 to 18) and will be accompanied by their manager and captain. They will be fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout and official practice will be held on Monday 22nd of July on the Kells Blackwater and Emy Lough and is followed by three days of competitive fishing.
