Congratulations to Dara Finnegan (Team Nytro) and Midlands and District Coarse and Pike Anglers (MADCAPS) club member on winning the Inaugural A-1 Cleaning Ltd/Inland Fisheries Ireland/Wildhunter sponsored Athlone River Festival match on the Big Meadow in Athlone over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Dara was an integral part of the Ireland squad who won the World feeder championships, but he had to pull out all the stops to beat visiting Angler Kevin Clarke and fellow MADCAPS Bill Cassidy and Arthur Judge.
The meadows stretch was always associated with big Shannon bream, once a mecca for visiting anglers looking to land some slabs, and the bream are still around for those skilled enough to land them. Some great tench also featured in the catches over the course of the two day event.
The MADCAPS club would like to thank all the entrants, the River Fest committee, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Edenderry coarse angling club and Coarse Angling Ireland NCFFI, the afore-mentioned sponsors, the Landowners and all who helped the smooth running of the match.
Already plans are underway for next year’s event, the club hope to expand the match from two to three days and double the number of pegs for next year – so anybody interested in fishing the 2025 edition should contact them on their Facebook page.
