Ireland's largest angling show gets underway this Saturday and Sunday (February 20th-21st) at the National Show Centre, Swords, Co Dublin. Game, sea and coarse angling are well represented at the two-day Ireland Angling show that encompasses all facets of the sport.
For the second year, some of the world’s top anglers will pitch their casting skills against each other and the clock in the Battle of the Anglers. The coarse team is represented by Mark Pollard and Cathal Hughes; the sea team Henry Gilbey and Jim Clohessy; and the game team by Charles Jardine and Scott MacKenzie.
New exhibitors include Polar Caddy who , with over 10 years’ experience of insulated containers in the food industry, will be exhibiting their “cool boxes” at Stand D1. Polar Caddy products are also popular with anglers as they keep ice, bait and fish in excellent condition without using electricity.
For the peckish, Pascal Brissaud from Watermill Lodge restaurant at Kilmore Quay will be cooking up a special pot of prawn and mussel risotto with Chablis beurre blanc at his H1 stand.
On Stand D2, Wicklow Boat Charters offer trips with qualified skippers on vessels with spacious decks and cabin space. Ideal for fishing or simply relaxing while taking in the views.
BIC Boats, on Stand K10, will be showing examples of their dinghies. The company says their boats are a more stable, durable and lighter dinghy than the classical dinghies thanks to their unique hull design. The Sportyak 213 and 245 are also 100 per cent recyclable.
The event runs on Saturday from 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is €10 for adults. If you buy your ticket online, print the PayPal receipt and bring it to the show.
See www.irelandanglingexpo.ie for more details.
National Bass Programme
Inland Fisheries Ireland has issued an appeal to anglers to get involved in collecting information on bass in Irish waters for the National Bass Programme. The programme was established to provide scientific advice to support management of the resource.
To date, over 750 bass have been tagged and 3,000 adult scale samples collected. The scales determine the age and growth rate, while tagging provides information on migration and habitat use.
Tagging results so far have shown that the specimens, in general, were recaptured within a short distance of their original capture site while some travelled up to 38km (24 miles). The duration of their time at liberty ranged from three to 298 days.
Bass is an angling-only species so it is important that anglers contribute information to support conservation management. Some opt for voluntary logbooks to provide information on catches, fish sizes and angling methods.
Scale sampling packs and logbooks are available from Inland Fisheries Ireland and feedback on scales received will be provided to individual anglers outlining fish age, year of spawning and growth rate.
A dedicated email address is now available to report details on bass caught and information to support the programme at: bass@fisheriesireland.ie. Information can also be relayed by calling 01-884 2600 (during office hours).
Dr Cathal Gallagher of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “If you catch a bass with a yellow tag, or a fouled tag, please don’t remove it from the fish. Simply clean the tag and note the tag code [eg. B-00001]. If possible take the length and weight of the fish, and five scales from behind the pectoral fin, before you release the fish alive.”
Please send the details, along with the date, location, name and your phone number to the email address above. Information on the original tagging location and date will be provided to those who report details. All support is greatly appreciated.
Championships in Serbia
The National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland (NCFFI) is pleased to announce the Garbolino Team Ireland feeder squad who will travel to the world championships in Serbia this June.
The squad is composed of Michael Buchwalder, Nigel Houldsworth, Cathal Hughes, Philip Jackson, Paul Leese and Francis McGoldrick.
Team manager Brenton Sweeney said: “I was impressed with the high standard of feeder fishing at the assessment day and have formed a panel to support the squad at the championships and practise days to further develop their skills.
I would also like to thank Garbolino UK, Sensas Ireland, Irish Bait and Tackle Ltd and NCFFI for their continued support.”
Personal guide
Angling guide John Quinlan offers a wide range of species at his superb location in Co Kerry. As ever, he will be your personal guide and show the tips that will make your fishing trip one to remember.
The season starts in March and continues until November. For bookings, contact Thatch Cottage, Kenneigh West, Cahersiveen, Co Kerry on 066-947 4721.
angling@irishtimes.com
