Angling Fair in Derry

Thursday, February 26, 2009

THE Loughs Agency is hosting its annual Angling Fair early in the forthcoming game angling season – this year’s event will be held Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March 2009 at a new location - on the banks of the River Faughan at the YMCA Playing Fields, Drumahoe, Derry.

Admission is FREE to this two day event, offering a unique opportunity for the angling and non-angling public to watch experts from across the UK, Ireland and further afield tying flies and throwing a line. There will be spey casting demonstrations on the natural setting of the Faughan River by some of the top names, such as Charles Jardine, Hywel Morgan and Glenda Powell.

Glenda explains how she got hooked… “I inherited my uncle’s fishing rods when I was nine years old, and went through torture to teach myself how to fish. I don’t want others to have to go through the same bad experience.” Glenda has come a long way since then!"

Glenda first qualified as an instructor in Scotland when she was only 19.She fished in the Scottish Ladies International Flyfishing team,& went on to manage the Irish Ladies team.An avid fisher, Glenda is a natural teacher with a gentle approachto helping peoplethrough some of the more difficult stepson the way to becoming a proficient caster.

She is also a qualified Trainer in Industry with Cert - the Irish training institution for the Hotel & Catering industry. She is now one of the highest qualified female salmon fly-casting instructors in the world
having achieved the APGAI-Ireland both Double (Salmon) and Single hand (Trout) certification..

Lionel Knobbs, Angling Development Manager at the Loughs Agency said ‘ we are delighted to have Glenda at our show this year. It is the perfect opportunity for any females out there that ever had a notion to go fishing but were not sure how to go about it to come along and get some advice and inspiration’.

Lionel was also pleased to announce ‘ there are even more fly tyers than usual, with fly tying demonstrations by Peter Kealy (Northern Ireland), Riny Sluiter ( Holland), Paul Little ( England), Peter Dunne ( Republic of Ireland), Marc Petitjean ( Switzerland), Stack Scoville ( USA) and many more local, national and international fly tyers. This will be the biggest and best show ever!’

There will be the usual casting competitions with attractive prizes on offer.

Single handed distance competition  

  • 1st prize Trout Rod valued £100 or over
  • 2nd prize Trout Reel valued £50 or over
  • 3rd prize Trout Fly Line valued £30 or over

Single handed accuracy competition

  • 1st prize Trout Rod valued £100 or over
  • 2nd prize Trout Reel valued £50 or over
  • 3rd prize Trout Fly Line valued £30 or over

Double handed overhead distance casting competition  

  • 1st prize Salmon Rod valued £200 or over
  • 2nd prize Salmon Reel valued £100 or over
  • 3rd prize Salmon Fly Line valued £50 or over

Any young people out there who are interested in fishing also have the opportunity learn more about the sport from experts in the field. There are lots of activities in the junior section to keep the kids entertained not to mention the junior casting competition.

Further information contact Lionel Knobbs, Angling Development ManagerTel: +44 (0) 2871 342100, email anglingfair@loughs-agency.org or log on to www.loughs-agency.org