Claire Egan
CLAIMS that the World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championship at Lough Mask has evolved into a ‘fish-killing melee’ have been strongly refuted by the event’s organising committee.
In response to a letter in this week’s Mayo News, Mr Denis Kelleher, PRO for the Trout Fly Angling Championship committee, said that the association was ‘a conservation-minded group’ and refuted allegations that the competition, which is now in its 50th year, has become a ‘four-day fish-kill melee’.
The letter, by Mr Len Jones of Keel Bay, Aghinish, Ballinrobe, printed in full in today’s edition of The Mayo News states: “I feel compelled to voice my own, and the opinion of many anglers like myself, who are becoming more and more opposed to the practice of killing trout, employed at this event.”
It continues by highlighting the number of trout killed during the competition – 1,400 in 2005 and 900 in 2006 – and laments the fact that at the time of the kill such trout should be heading for the ‘spawning grounds’.
The Trout Fly Angling competition at Lough Mask does not operate a ‘catch and release’ policy.
However, Mr Denis Kelleher (pictured) has countered these claims, stating that every effort has been made to conserve stocks and that, owing to the nature of the competition, a depletion of stocks is inevitable.
“There is no evidence to support the belief in certain quarters that we are causing damage to the fish stocks in Lough Mask. If the need arises we will review the current practice that we employ. However, we are advised by the Fisheries Board and we have not received any directives on our current practices. In fact, the board has even stated that there is an overstock of the streams entering Lough Mask,” said Mr Kelleher.
The five-day Trout Fly Angling competition, which will take place from August 2 to August 6, is set to attract a record 700 anglers to the south Mayo lake.
“We have increased the catch limit of fish from 12 inches to 13 inches and have been working on the development of the hatcheries and stream enhancement measures,” concluded Mr Kelleher.
