Launching the 2006 World Casting Championships at Carton House Estate in Co Kildare last Monday, world golf legend Mark O'Meara, said, "Tiger Woods might be the number one golfer in the world and I am certainly a big fan of Tiger, but I am more a fan of these two gentlemen here today - watching them cast is very impressive. I wish my golf swing was as good as their casting techniques."
O'Meara was referring to US's Steve Rajeff, 13 times world champion and multiple world record holder in distance and accuracy events, and Scott McKenzie from Scotland, world record holder at spey casting, as both demonstrated their casting skills from a pontoon on the River Rye in front of a large gathering assembled for this inaugural launching ceremony.
The Formula One of angling techniques will descend on Carton House in September with the world's best 200 casters competing for the biggest prize fund in casting sport history, and the most prestigious titles in international angling. Up to 100,000 people are expected to turn up for the event.
Billed as the largest fly-casting event ever to be held in Ireland, with 37 nations competing, the week-long spectacle will comprise of the International Casting Sports Federation (ICSF) World Championships and the €200,000 Emerald World Masters (EWM) Championships.
Accompanying Steve Rajeff and Scott McKenzie, the line up of casting stars will include Jana Maisel from Germany who has 38 gold medals at world championship events, and England's Peter Thain, world champion and record holder.
The championships will be complimented by an Angling Trade Show, which will showcase the latest products designed for the global market. Premier water front sites with casting piers and individual marquees will be available.
There will also be a tented shopping village close to the competition action offering products as diverse as holidays, boats and country-life products.
The event begins on Saturday, September 2nd with the youth trout fly-fishing competitions, followed by three days of five EWM events including water spey distance, salmon distance and trout fly casting. The ICSF championships of nine events will complete the week. It will test casters to their limits on a range of disciplines including distance, speed, accuracy and precision.
Welcoming the championships to Carton House, executive director Conor Mallaghan said, "Carton House is delighted to host the first ever world casting championships in Ireland. The estate is the perfect location as it has its own natural lake and the River Rye runs through its many acres of wood and parklands."
Emerald World Masters director, Brendan Begley said: "This is an unique opportunity to promote Ireland and its angling tourism to a worldwide audience. With over 100 million participants, casting and angling is recognised as having the greatest participation levels of all world sports."
The Irish Qualifiers for the World Casting Championships took place yesterday and Saturday at Markree Castle Game and Country Fair, Collooney, Co Sligo. For further details, contact www.2006worldcastingchampionships.ie
Meanwhile, details of Ireland's second world event were announced last week. The 49th World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championships takes to the waters of Lough Mask in Co Mayo for a five-day festival of top-class brown trout fishing commencing on Thursday, August 3rd, with finals' day on th August bank holiday Monday.
This competition is, without doubt, the finest in trout angling and attracts over 500 competitors each year from around the world. Last year, the competition yielded great catches and while it was great to see Lough Mask in such fine form, the committee has decided to increase the trout limit from 12 to 13 inches from this year.
The safety of anglers and boatmen is of paramount importance, and the wearing of a lifejacket by all participants is now a legal requirement and will be strictly enforced. A further amendment will see the start of the competition each day moved from the slipway to outside Cushlough Bay.
Entries, to include entry fee, must be returned to Esther Sweeney, 30 Lakelawns, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, by close of play this Thursday. (Tel: 094-954 1428.)
It is easy to see why the Moy Fishery at Ballina, Co Mayo, is considered one of the most productive salmon stretches of river in Europe. Last week alone, the fishery produced a catch of 266, the bulk of which were credited to the Ridge Pool. But wait, the Moy River itself yielded 743 salmon last week, bringing the total for the season, so far, to 3,795.
Granted, last week's catch was dominated by small grilse with many weighting just 1.5kg, but still the volume of salmon returning from the sea, with all its hazards, is phenomenal. One must also remember that for those privileged anglers on the river and the catch limit of three fish, how many more salmon are progressing to the spawning grounds?