Local anglers compete at World Championships

Championships to take place over the weekend.

Two local anglers are part of a team of six to have traveled to Portugal to take part in the prestigious U20 World Championships.

Brian Clark from Killeshandra, who is the current the U20 All Ireland Champion, and Charlie Richards from Cloone who is the current U20 World Champion, have travelled with three other members of the Irish team.

Clark fishes for the Oakland’s Coarse Angling Club back home and Richards with the CM Lakelands Feeder Club.

The other U20’s team members include Clark’s Oakland’s teammate John Browne, Donagh McSherry (Tulla District and Angling club), and youngest member of the squad, James Wellwood (The VDE Baggers AC).

The first four days are practice days, and world championship competition takes place for two days after that.

The largest event on the FIPSed Fédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive en Eau Douce ( world governing body of Freshwater fishing) calendar caters for young angling teams in the U25, U20 and U15 age groups representing national federations worldwide.

This year’s event hosted by Federação Portuguesa de Pesca Desportiva coincides with World Youth Angling Day and takes place on the Rio Sorraia in Coruche, Portugal where species to include barbel, carp, mullet, bleak, boop and Carassius.

Team Ireland is managed and coached by Adrian Browne n his inaugural term as Youth Team Manager, supported by Nick Richards and James O’Doherty along with the accompanying parents. The team which receives grant funding from the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland (NCFFI), the governing body for coarse fishing in Ireland both North and South, and is sponsored this year by Garbolino UK and Gowen Bradshaw.

Further support has been received from Inland Fisheries Ireland, Baracuda fishing tackle shop, Cloughbally Mill, Canavan Sports Cork, Conor Browne, Wholesale Tackle Ireland and Irish Bait and Tackle Limited plus fundraising through clubs and anglers island wide.

Team Ireland drew box section No 3 for the first day of the four days training ahead of the championships proper, set to be staged over the weekend, Saturday-Sunday, August 5-6.