Dick Caplice of IADA has all the news from the St Particks Festival on Mucko where bitterly cold conditions made for tough angling…
The Coldest St Patrick’s Festival fished anywhere, ever, concluded today, with a balmy 5 degrees and a a wind chill making it feel still below zero on a moody looking Lough Muckno. Add to that, high water level temperatures of just 1 degrees and you have a recipe for rethinking your chosen sport to maybe Alpine skiing. Decent weights from yesterday were less easy to achieve today despite the relative improvement in weather conditions.
Overnight leader Rory O Neill would have to do 2kgs plus to hold on, we felt, and when he drew fancied peg 197 the signs were ominous and his lifetime 26th Festival win was all but assured.
Win he did, having netted a hard fought 3kgs for a 9 kg total, comfortably in front of runner up Piotr Horbinski, who acquitted himself brilliantly again today on 3.5 kgs, ending just 2kgs adrift over the two days.
Super steady and consistent Johnny Keith battled again as his won’t to do today, for a 3kg total and a final overall 3rd spot, just Grammes behind Horbinski.
In 4th spot was the resurgent but consistent Alan Larkin, just a further 200 grams back and he had a big 300 Grammes to spare over the final overall payout recipient, Arthur C on 5.5 kgs.
Well done to all of our tough competitors who braved the worst conditions even those of us who are around a long time,can ever remember.
- 1st Rory O’Neill
- 2nd P Horbinski
- 3rd Johnny Keith
- 4th Alan Larkin
- 5th Arthur C
Sections:
David Gibson
David Hamilton
Alan Larkin x 2
Rory O Neill
Jim Reilly
Joe Nolan
Johnny Keith
Neil Maz
Dara Finnegan
Piotr Horbinski
Arthur C.
Next up in two weeks, are our Easter Festivals and if the gradual improvement in fishing and consistency in weights throughout the sections, is anything to go by, we are in for two exceptional events which are better supported this year than ever before.
Looking forward to welcoming back old and reliable friends and introducing a few ew ones to the wonderful Lough Muckno experience,for the first time.
Report Courtesy of Dick Caplice at https://www.facebook.com/Lough-Muckno-393107817429399/
