It’s festival season on Muckno. Dick Caplice of IADA has all the news…
Lough Muckno Pre Festival open
Lough Muckno Pre Festival open today attracted 30 top anglers mostly from the UK and a similar turnout is expected at commencement properly, tomorrow morning at 8am registration. Bait van will be in attendance and draw for pegs will take place at 9am with fishing 11.30am till 4.30pm.
In poor and squally conditions today the top field swept aside the elements and recorded some fine weights and sterling performances. Steve Harwood in 3rd started as he left off a few weeks ago, coming in with just under 10kgs for 3rd and will be a threat over his stay of 14 days and two Festivals. He just held off the determined Ronnie Goldwater by 500 grammes and he in turn trailed the eventual winner and significant angler Paul Mc Caul who registered a fine 10.200kgs off Concra upper peg 52.
All the usual suspects challenged and will challenge further over the Autumn five day festival,including Elmo, Rory O’ Neill, Geoff Grant, Lee Harrison, Franek, Ian Shepherd, Jason Grant John Woods and several others all of whom weighed in 7.5 plus Kgs.
A great festival is in prospect with a number of other formidable contestants joining us tomorrow for top action, on the Concra Upper and Yellow Island stretches, where we will confine our 5 sections, for festival daily rotation, pegged on, a one in, one out basis.
Because of declining weather conditions, we bring to the notice of all anglers the Lough Muckno Matches and Festival Rules which all anglers are asked to adhere to strictly in a spirt of fair play and respect for all other contestants and the general public.
Todays Results.
1st Paul Mc Caul
2nd Ronnie Goldwater
3rd Steve Harwood.
4th Joint, Geoff grant and Andy Denny.
Feedermasters
With 74 entries and 63 anglers lining out today on calm serene Lough Muckno, a battle royal was in prospect. The best of the best feeder anglers were on show, with a nunber of multiple discipline internationals vying for one of the last three spots on offer at the final of this prestigious event, late September 2017 in the UK.
Draw was well nigh irrelevant as the venue is now fishing true and fair throughout, so we looked to the big guns to come through and book their spot in one of the hottest finals ever to be staged anywhere.
In form visitors and strong home based challengers would make a great match, as we eyed up Dean Barlow, Jens Koschnick, Kevin Rowles,Phil Bardel, Paul Keeley from the travelling group, against our home grown best, the likes of Philip Jackson, Brenton Sweeney and local favourite Rory O’ Neill, Johnny Mc Kinley, Darren Fairhurst, not forgetting the now Irish based threat of Chris Simpson, who is seriously making a name for himself on this venue of late, albeit on another method.
All of the above played their part in the final mix up but it was the star quality of Dean Barlow that prevailed, taking top spot on almost 8kgs from his mate Kevin Rowles, just ahead of the partisan locals favourite, Rory O Neill who topped 6kgs to win his zone and qualify, as did Philip Jackson, a fine winner on zone A.
The three qualifiers then are, Dean Barlow, Rory O’ Neill and Philip Jackson and with all three this evening definitely committing to attending the final, we wish them well and earnestly hope that one of our three well deserved Muckno qualifiers prevails in the final, to scoop the magnificent top prize.
Overall result
1st Dean Barlow
2nd Kevin Rowles.
3rd Joint, Rory O’ Neill
3rd Joint, Brenton weeneyS
5th Peter Emerson.
Look out finalists, a Muckno qualifying winner is on the cards in the final and we wish our three contestants, great fishing and the best of luck in the final.
Report Courtesy of Dick Caplice at https://www.facebook.com/Lough-Muckno-393107817429399/
