All Ireland Feeder Club championships, Plus Qualifiers…

A fantastic performance over both days of the event saw the team finish with 23 points with a 1st and 2nd individually too. The fishing on the Blackwater was tough with all sections harder on day two but it was Lurgan BLUE who stepped up their game keen to make this year’s club champions, winning day 2 with 10.5 points but who had to settle for 2nd place with 25.5 points. Browning Fishing Ireland finished in 3rd with 39 points with just one point between Baggers GREEN and Munster CAC holding their 4th and 5th positions.

Results

Club Champions
  1. CM Lakelands 23pts
  2. Lurgan BLUE 5pts
  3. Browning 39pts
  4. Baggers GREEN 41pts
  5. Munster CAC 42pts
  6. Lurgan WHITE 5pts
  7. Baggers YELLOW 57pts
Individual
  1. Piotr Horbiński  2pts
  2. David Herron        4pts
  3. Darren Fairhurst  4pts

A brilliant display from CM Lakelands’ Piotr Horbiński who wins individually with a perfect 2 point score and top match weight each day finishing with 16.100kg. Lurgan’s David Herron takes second place with 4 points on weight with 10.950kg ahead of CM Lakeland’s Darren Fairhurst in third with 4points, 9.400kg.

CM Lakelands now qualify for a place at the World Championships in Portugal and will accompany the current World Champions to the event! With the possibility of the chance to travel for the 3rd placed Browning Team to be confirmed by FIPSed.

Congratulations to CM Lakelands and thanks to all the club teams for participating in this enjoyable weekend on the stunning River Blackwater courtesy of the Ulster Council.

World Feeder Club Championships

This event also doubles up as the qualifiers to select the team to attend the World Feeder Club Championships to take place in Portugal in 2024.  This is the championships the NCFFI proudly hosted at Lough Muckno in April 2023. It was a great achievement for feeder angling in Ireland when Lurgan Coarse Angling Club were gold medallists, a first club medal for Ireland, and as a result they automatically go through to the next championships. So five teams battled it out to qualify for a place (and possibly two places) and CM Lakelands, bronze medalists from the event in April are 2023 Club Champions and also the top qualifier for 2024.

The River Blackwater

In late 2021 the Ulster Coarse Fishing Federation took on a long-term lease with the National Trust Mid Ulster for fishing rights on the River Blackwater at Argory. This was a welcome initiative by all parties to bring sustainable angling practices and protection to a beautiful site. The lease includes the well-established stretch of water at Bonds Bridge with 20 existing swims and a further previously inaccessible stretch of the river.

Since this time NGB funding through the NCFFI from Sport Northern Ireland has seen us develop the river, with the support of DAERA Inland Fisheries to provide 20 new swims to the new Argory stretch. While the Bonds Bridge pegs are currently open to all, the new section is reserved for organised events by our member clubs for a small fee.

In recent months our members have enjoyed some excellent river fishing in match conditions with double figure weights with bonus bags reaching 43kg during the Lower Bann CAA summer league. The site has also been party to several coaching sessions for young anglers. Works continue at the venue as we engage with our clubs and the community in our aim to provide a sustainable angling hub on the river.