SOME 240 anglers have been lining the banks of the Erne in glorious sunshine this week for the 42nd year of Ireland’s premier coarse fishing competition, the Fermanagh Classic Fishing Festival.

While the weather conditions leading up this year’s festival, and the low level of Lough Erne, were more suited to sunbathing than fishing, the event’s organisers said they were very pleased with the first day’s catches on Monday.

After day one of the competition, an English angler had laid down the gauntlet to his fellow competitors, with a very impressive first day catch of 32kg 590gms.

Fishing on the fancied Portora section, Ross-on-Wye angler, Craig Brown, netted £500 and a healthy lead for his efforts.

In second place after day one was another Englishman, Stuart Northop, from St. Neots, with a catch of 24kg 360gms, from the Inishmore Viaduct Section.

With the Broadmeadow and Killyhevlin sections fishing well, they also produced the third and fourth spots on the results table on the opening day.

Another English visitor, Mathew Wise was in third with 23kg 780gms from peg one at the Broadmeadow, while Irish angler Dara Finnegan was fourth with 22kg 070gms from peg four at Killyhevlin.

The top local angler after the first day was Keith Murphy, from Tempo, in 17th place, with a catch of 14kg 540gm from the Portora section.
Meanwhile, the second day of the competition was held yesterday (Wednesday).

Enniskillen man, Tony Green, won a £500 prize by clinching Wednesday's heaviest daily weight with a catch of 27.95kgs at Peg A4, located at Cleenish Bridge.

The second heaviest catch during yesterday's competition was made by David Robinson, of Barton-upon-Humber.

Fishing at Peg G1 at Portora, Mr. Robinson's biggest catch on Wednesday weighed in at 19.82kgs.

Fellow Englishman, Phil Bardell, from Milton Keynes, recorded yesterday's third heaviest weight, with a catch measuring 18.35kgs at Peg B1 in Broadmeadow.

After Mr. Bardell, there was further local success with Enniskillen angler, Paul Eyres, clinching the fourth heaviest daily weight with a catch measuring 17.75kgs.

Mr. Eyres was fishing at Peg O4 at Boa Island (East).

At the end of the second day of the competition, Mr. Green's fantastic 27.95kgs catch meant that the Enniskillen angler moved into the event's overall lead, ahead of Ross-on-Wye's Craig Brown.

The Classic, sponsored by Waterways Ireland, is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, in conjunction with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Overall results (after Day 2)

1, Tony Green, Enniskillen, total: 39.92kgs; 2, Craig Brown, Ross-on-Wye, total: 36.29kgs; 3, Adrian Higginbottom, Carlow, total: 32.27kgs; 4, David Robinson, Barton-upon-Humber, total: 32.22kgs.