Two former World Champions hoping fish come out to play

Chris Donegan • Published 5 May 2011 13:00 0 Comments

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On the eve of Fermanagh's premier match angling festival the question on everyone's lips is: "Where are all the fish?"

With two former world champions in town and some of the best match men en route, everything is in place for next week's £30,000 Waterways Ireland Classic.

Everything, that is, except for the fish.

They should be here. We are, after all, into May and the roach, bream and perch should have come together from all corners of the Erne to form huge shoals for their annual spawning migration.

Looking out the window of his office at Enniskillen Townhall you would expect Eddie McGovern, director of tourism development with Fermanagh District Council, to be delighted to see another bright, sunny day.

But with 240 anglers about to arrive for the biggest week of the match fishing year sunshine is not what he wants to see.

"If you were looking for the worst possible combination of weather, this is it," he says. "It's bright and hasn't rained for what seems like a lifetime."

As he points out, the conditions aren't conducive to coarse fishing.

"It's not just the gardeners who are looking forward to this week's (forecast) rain," admits Mr. McGovern.

He is already making contingency plans in case the weather doesn't break.

"In these conditions we're looking at some of the smaller, still water lakes around the county because at the minute the Erne, especially around Enniskillen, isn't producing fish and it's too bright," he explains.

A little rain would freshen things up, put a bit of colour into the water to shield the fish from the glaring sun and perhaps spur them into spawning action.

But for the moment: "There's no sign of them. It does look as if they're late. Maybe it's the cold water. Even though there has been a bit of heat, the water is still cold."

Whatever the reason, Mr. McGovern and the anglers are looking to the heavens for a few dark clouds and a spot of rain.

The Classic, which kicks off on Monday and continues on Wednesday and Friday, with other competitions in between, is by far the biggest event in Fermanagh's seven-week long match fishing season, between mid-April and the end of May.

BT's anglers have been and gone, as have the fishing firemen from across the Irish Sea and this week former world champions Bob Nudd and Kevin Ashurst were in town for the Mahon's Hotel Fishing Festival.

Mahon's has places for 150 anglers and it's a sell-out.

About 240 are signed up for the Classic, which is similar to last year, and the year before.

"If the recession is having an effect it certainly isn't evident from our entry," says Mr. McGovern.

This is the 36th Classic, and the ninth to be backed by Waterways Ireland.

"Waterways Ireland have been excellent sponsors," says Mr. McGovern. "It would be extremely difficult to secure sponsorship for any event these days and Waterways Ireland have been very good and we would hope the association with the angling event has given it a raised profile."

When the Classic finishes at the end of next week there are several other competitions to follow. Hundreds of anglers will have taken part in the various events, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds for the local economy during the normally quiet shoulder season for the tourist industry.

There's a handful of Germans and some locals but the majority are from England or are English anglers who have moved to live in Ireland and some come every year.

"These are guys for whom every night is a Saturday night," says Mr. McGovern. "They're not afraid to spend. They meet with their mates and have a ball.

"Angling, between competition and pleasure angling, coarse and game, is important to the economy here. It's money that is being spent, and outside the main tourist season as well," says Mr. McGovern.

And the lucky ones will go home with a pound or two in their pocket.

At the end of next week the winner of the Classic will pocket a cheque for £5,000 and possibly a few thousand more in daily prize money and pay-outs from the festival bookie!

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 05 May 11

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