The prestigious Rosslare Small Boats Festival takes place from 10th – 17th September in Rosslare, Co. Wexford. The festival, now in its 31st year, will attract 138 anglers from Wales, Scotland, Isle of Wight, England as well as Ireland, generating huge revenue for the Wexford area.

This event is sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland, Garmin, DAIWA, Wexford County Council, Fáilte Ireland, Sea Angler magazine and IPB Insurance. It is top of the small boat angler’s calendar and many fishermen return year after year to participate in this prestigious event.

The festival started in 1985 with five boats fishing and has gone from strength to strength with 42 boats participating this year, contributing approximately €300,000 to the local economy. The high standard of the competitors along with the excellent quality of fishing in Wexford is renowned with 38 different fish species recorded in 2015.

Darren Leatherbarrow with a bass at Rosslare Small Boats Festival
Darren Leatherbarrow from Southport Sea Angling Club in UK, with a bass that was caught and released at the 2014 Rosslare Small Boats Festival

It is anticipated that boats will launch at Kilmore Quay and fish at a number of locations along the Wexford coastline in search of as many varieties of sea fish as possible. Fish may include cod, bass, whiting, ray, gurnards, dogfish, wrasse, bull huss and conger.  The boat which achieves the highest number of fish species over the week will win the prestigious ‘Rosslare Small Boats Competition’.

There are also prizes for winners each day along with prizes for nominated species of fish and the biggest fish caught. There is an attractive prize fund worth €20,000, which consists of fishing equipment and substantial monetary prizes and engraved trophies.  Anglers will be based at ‘Redmonds The Bay’ in Rosslare Strand where they will gather each evening after to discuss their catches of the day!

Inland Fisheries Ireland will have a marine fish tank for the purpose of displaying fish species that will be caught and released during the competition. People will be able to view marine fish such as thornback ray, ballan wrasse, gurnard and bull huss which will be kept in the fish tank and released back into the sea alive. The educational benefits of the tank and practising catch and release for marine species are hugely beneficial in terms of conservation and creating public awareness of our sea fisheries resource.

The prizegiving ceremony will take place on Friday 16th September at 7.30pm in Redmond’s The Bay in Rosslare Strand. For all queries in relation to the festival please contact Ms. Josie Mahon, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Tel: 087 6538202 or email [email protected].