It was a damp start to the fourth Lough Ree International Pike Angling Festival at Athlone but there were plenty of fireworks across the three day boat angling tournament.
There were 165 anglers on a total of 83 boats dashing about the fish-filled waters and during the course of the event and they caught 18 pike measuring between 100cm and a staggering 113.5cm specimen – that weighed an estimated 28lb.
All boats launched from Coosan Point but angling on the first of the three days was restricted to the inner lakes due to high winds but Maurice McCaffery (Sligo) led the assault with a winning 107cm pike.
Conditions got better for the second day and most crews set sail for the open water of Lough Ree. Sport picked up well and the overall size of fish improved, as shown by Sligo’s Mark Hughes (Sligo) winner of 109cm, which earned him the €1000 top daily prize plus €150 for a 96cm pike that was 10th on the day.
The final day of the competition was the ‘pike bonanza’ and a string of specimen pike were netted, topped by a superb 113.3cm fish caught by local expert Dermot Sammon who trousered €3000 for the biggest fish of the festival.
Altogether €20,000 was paid out in prizes.
Overall Festival Winner
113.5cm – Dermot Sammon (€3000) Westmeath
Pike Angling World Cup 2013
104.5cm + 97cm + 102.5cm = Joe McEntaggert & Brian Connell (€1000) Westmeath
Day One Winners
107cm Maurice McCaffery, Sligo
106 Joerns Heidtke, Germany
104.5 Joe McEntegart, Longford
103 Liam Grimes, Clare
96 Tony McGuire, Armagh
91 Mark Hughes, Sligo
90 Malvydas Stoskus, Lithuania
89 Jim Flynn, Liverpool
87 John Fitzmaurice, Kerry
87 Ken Whelan, Galway
Day Two Winners
109cm Mark Hughes, Sligo
105 Gabriel Wykes, Westmeath
102 Barry Darby, Mullingar
101 Jim Flynn, Liverpool
100.5 Martin Cusworth, Yorkshire
97.5 Igor Klosowski, Poland
97 Finan Darby, Mullingar
97 Carl Salt Manchester
97 Joe McEntaggert, Longford
96 Mark Hughes, Sligo
96 Tony Doolan, Westmeath
Day Three Winners
105cm Barry & Finian Darby, Mullingar
104 Kevin Moran, Westmeath
103.5 Derek Boyce, Westmeath
102.5 Joe McEntegart, Longford
101 Barry & Finian Darby, Mullingar
101 Barry & Finian Darby, Mullingar
100 Barry & Finian Darby, Mullingar
100 Barry & Finian Darby, Mullingar
99 Rafal Pelc, Poland
96 Barry Golden, Westmeath
The Lough Ree International Pike Angling Festival is sponsored by Failte Ireland – the National Tourism Development Authority – and supported by Lakelands & Inland Waterways.
