Ronan Cusack reports from the 2014 World Cup held on Lough Mask: Dry-fly supremo Aidan Hodgins takes the cup for the second time in 4 years on Lough Mask over the Bank Holiday weekend. Aidan won the World Cup in 2011 and is now one of four anglers who have achieved this title since the competition begun back in 1953. His winning catch consisted of 4 trout for 7.4720 lbs. Aidan’s boatman on the day was local Tourmakeady angler John Burke.
Over 470 anglers competed for this much sought after prize over the 5 day event. Conditions over the weekend varied from fresh on Thursday to very light winds on Friday. Saturday and Sunday again brought fresh conditions, but the sun shone bright on a very calm Lough Mask for Monday’s final making the fishing very challenging.
The second overall prize winner was John Harrington, Dublin, with 4 fish for 5.1760 lbs. and in third place was William Burke, Tipperary, with 4 fish for 5.1160 lbs. Munster angler, Billy Kavanagh, took the prize for heaviest fish with a magnificent trout of 4.770 lbs. The best lady angler over the competition was Ulster angler Madeline Kelly with a combined weight of 4.516 lbs. Madeline also won the heat on Sunday. The best boatman over the 5 days was well known Mask angler and boatman, Ger Linehan, Cork, who brought in the combined heaviest weight of fish over the 5 days.
(f.l.t.r.) Boatman John Burke, winner Aidan Hodgins, World Cup Chairman Kevin Egan and sponsor Tom Stanton of RS Marine, Westport
Inland Fisheries Ireland also operated a disinfection station on the shore each morning highlighting the dangers of the many invasive species which threaten our magnificent WesternLakes.
