Kildysart angler second at world championship

KILDYSART angler Patrick Garry finished second at the World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championship, which was held in Lough Mask, Ballinrobe in Mayo last weekend. 
Now into its 53rd year, the championship is one of the biggest tournaments in Europe. Six hundred and eighty participants took part, while approximately 120 qualified for last Monday’s final.
Mr Garry qualified for the final on the Friday, which was one of the four days, from Thursday to Sunday, in which those who took part could try to make the final.
“It fished poorly on the Thursday this year. It was flat calm that day and there was only 10 fish caught by nine people. On the Friday I caught two fish there and there was 60 fish caught overall that day, which was a good day’s fishing,” the Kildysart man, who regularly fishes Gortlass Lake, explained.
Last Monday, the winning fish weighed in at six pounds and eight ounces, while Patrick’s trout weighed four pounds and eight ounces. Along with a perpetual cup for finishing second, he was presented with a ten horsepower four-stroke engine, valued at €4,000. The winner was from Galway, while the third placed angler was from Northern Ireland.
About four years ago, Dermot Kinnane, who is also from Kildysart, finished fifth at the same event.