NEWS FOR "FEBRUARY" FROM THE IRISH FEDERATION OF PIKE ANGLING CLUBS


A VARIED YEAR FOR ANGLING

Looking back over the past year it is fair to say that it that it was both good and bad from an angling perspective. From our point of view the introduction of a permit to fish for pike and coarse fish on certain waters in the Shannon Fisheries Board area was a retrograde step. We succeeded in getting the date for its introduction postponed to January 2003 to allow for negotiations to take place. These never in fact took place so we will actively oppose their introduction. Watch this space!

The Kingspan National Pike Championship Final was held in Co Leitrim The competition was fished in blizzard conditions resulting in small weights being returned. The winner was Leslie Woodland from Limerick. Congratulations to him.

In March an international conference was held in Strasbourg to discuss the problems being caused by cormorants and to put pressure on the EU to do something about them. Following several meetings with the commission the EU has agreed that the cormorant population had to be reduced. As a first step a Europe-wide census is being carried out in January 2003. Ireland is one of four countries not participating for lack of some person or organisation to co-ordinate it.

Just prior to the General Election the then Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahey announced that angling would receive €30 million under the National Development Plan over the next 6 years and the Central Fisheries Board would move to new offices in Carrick-on-Shannon. Later in the year this measure was rescinded with just €7 million earmarked for angling over the period.

Recreational Angling Ireland finally became a reality. This body is made up of representatives of the National Angling Federations with the remit of getting a better deal for recreational angling and the aquatic environment. Its first task will be the development of a national youth policy for angling of all disciplines.

In September, Central Fisheries Board called for submissions on a proposed new policy on pike. Several meetings have been held over the past number of months culminating in the production of a very comprehensive document on how we see the future for pike and pike angling. This has now gone to the review body for their consideration. We understand that the review group has received a large number of submissions many of them from abroad. Persons and organisations who have made submissions will be invited to an open workshop probably in February or March to elaborate on these submissions. As can be seen the bad news far outweighed the good news and we can only hope for better things for our sport in 2003.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members a happy and prosperous new year. Tight lines.

ALL-IRELAND SENIOR INTER-CLUB COMPETITION

The All-Ireland Senior Inter-club competition was held on 4 lakes in the Kingscourt-Shercock area on Sunday 24th November. The venues were, Church(Corraneary), Annagherinn, Tacker and Milltown. 26 team from 15 affiliated clubs fished the event landing 108 pike including 8 doubles.
Results:
1st Keady "A" 13 fish 84 lbs 6 ozs Raymond Leonard, Michael McKenna, Jim Slevin, John Marshall
2nd Keady "C" 5 fish 37 lbs 15 ozs Aiden McKenna, John McKenna, Charlie McKenna, Jason Fisher
3rd Belfast Individuals 11 fish 36 lbs 3 ozs Marty Lawlor, John Murphy, Anthony Muldoon, John McMullan

The 3 top bag weights were
1st Michael McKenna, Keady "A" 7 fish 44 lbs 6 ozs
2nd John Marshall, Keady "A" 5 fish 34 lbs 6 ozs
3rd Patrick Clarke, Kingscourt 5 fish 22 lbs 14 ozs

KINGSPAN NATIONAL PIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

The 9th heat of the Kingspan National Pike Championship was held on Camlough Lake, Co Armagh on Sunday 1st December. The competition was held in awful weather conditions with heavy rain and strong winds. 48 anglers caught 29 fish.

Results:
1st, Larry Marshall, Keady, 3 fish, 17 lbs 2 ozs
2nd, Gary McKeown, Belfast, 2 fish, 11 lbs 15 ozs
3rd, Aiden Mckenna, Keady, 2 fish, 11 lbs 7 ozs
4th, John Marshall, Keady, 3 fish, 9 lbs 10 ozs
5th, David Dennis, Drogheda, 2 fish, 9 lbs

The 10th heat was held on Lough Egish, Co Monaghan on Sunday 5th January. 65 anglers braved icy roads and a partially frozen lake to land 33 pike with the best fish being 15 lbs.

Results:
1st, Gerry Keenan, Ardee Pike Anglers, 4 fish, 23 lbs 9 ozs
2nd, Pat Byrne, Camlough Anglers, 1 fish, 15 lbs
3rd, John Clarke, Dun-na-Ri Anglers, Kingscourt, 1 fish, 8 lbs 10 ozs
4th, David Murphy, Newbridge Anglers, 2 fish, 7 lbs 8 ozs
5th, John Murphy, Belfast Individuals, 1 fish, 7 lbs

February 2003

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