John Potters from Lisbellaw was relaxed as he on a sunny Lough Erne RMGFH11
THE annual Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival got off to a wet and windy start on Monday along the shores of Lough Erne.
Eddie McGovern, the match organiser, quipped that the 233 hardy anglers dealt with four seasons in one day.
However, he reported that the fish were ‘generally co-operative’, and that all of the sections, from Boa Island on the Lower Lough to Corradillar on the Upper Lough, had produced good results.
Monday was the first of three competition days, today, Wednesday and Friday being the other two.
The top four weights at the end of Monday’s fishing – all fish are returned to the water – were all caught by ‘Classic’ regulars.
Phil Bardell from Milton Keynes earned the top daily prize of £500 for his 16kgs 110gms from peg 6 at Corradillar, followed in second spot by Tony Green from Enniskillen fishing at Ely Lodge.
The traditional Continental flavour of the ‘Classic’ was maintained by Rudiger Hansen from Germany.
He drew a peg at Portora and came third with a catch of 14kgs 900gms.
Fermanagh showed it can hold its own when another ‘evergreen’, Phil McCaffrey from Lisbellaw came fourth, after landing 12kgs 950gms of fish from peg 5 on Inish Fovar in the Lower Lake near Ely Lodge.
Cavan ‘Classic’ regular, Fergal Smith from Ballinagh was fifth, also from a peg on Inish Fovar.
Eddie McGovern is confident that the improving weather conditions will lead to increased catches for today’s (Wednesday) competition day.
The anglers are vying for a top prize of £5,000 and some of the many other cash prizes and trophies on offer.
The Classic is sponsored by Waterways Ireland, with additional sponsorship from DAIWA. It is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in conjunction with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
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