The world’s “richest” match angling competition has got a lot poorer with its prize fund shrinking from a reported £100,000 to just £20,000 in three years.

The World Pairs has also migrated south, with more of the fishing taking place in Cavan and Leitrim and less in Fermanagh. Neighbouring Monaghan has been dropped completely from the event.

And after last week’s launch of the 2014 event the Ireland Travel Plus, which is selling holidays based on the competition, was only offering accommodation in Leitrim, although it was promising “more to come”. The World Pairs was set up to promote the wild fishing of Ireland’s “lakelands” in Fermanagh, Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan.

It is sponsored by Lakeland and Inland Waterways, a marketing and product development initiative of Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Fermanagh Tourism, Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Shannon Development.

The inaugural competition in 2012 saw 132 pairs of anglers fish 10 venues in Fermanagh, four in Cavan, three in Leitrim and two in Monaghan for a reputed prize fund of £100,000. The winning pair collected £30,000.

In 2013 around 64 pairs fished three venues in Fermanagh, three in Leitrim, two in Cavan and two shared between Leitrim and Cavan for £30,000. The winning pair collected £16,000.

The Ireland Travel Plus web site, promoting last year’s event, stated: “The emphasis for the fishing will be around the towns and villages of Leitrim and Cavan with a small section in County Fermanagh, no doubt to incorporate the splendid fishing experienced in the Enniskillen area last September.” This year’s competition is scheduled to take place from September 8 to 12, and has a guaranteed prize fund of £20,000, “with more to come, dependant on entries”.

Éanna Rowe, of Lakeland and Inland Waterways, said the competition has clearly highlighted to many international anglers that wild coarse fishing is hugely exciting, challenging and widely available in Ireland’s lakelands.

Waterways Ireland and Fáilte Ireland said they had supported the World Pairs to demonstrate the capacity of the lakelands - an area from Belleek to Limerick - to host world class angling events.

“The event has successfully done so regionally, nationally and internationally as it has moved around the lakelands, including Fermanagh, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan,” they added.

They said Lakeland and Inland Waterways has provided considerable financial and practical support to the event. It was also mindful of the need for the World Pairs to be supported heavily in its first year, “thus demonstrating the potential of the event to succeed into the longer term”. Therefore the competition received greater funding in its first year “with a reduced contribution in years two and three”.

“At the same time the event organisers sought and secured significant private sector support for the event thereby reducing the public sector contribution,” the statement concluded.