A tribute to Mallow Angling Club legend the late Dick Willis
LAST Wednesday the news broke of the death of the former Mallow Angling Club President Dick Willis at the age of 86.
This came as very sad news to his family, to everyone in Mallow Trout Anglers and indeed to his many friends throughout the angling world.
To all who knew him Dick was a man apart. Always in good humour, he had a word of advice to young and old. Indeed, it would be the foolish angler who didn’t heed his advice. No better man to tell you of a fly that was good for the current time of year or the water over which one was fishing.
At the fly-tying classes in the Southside Community Hall which Dick started many years ago, he would have a group of boys and girls around his table with eyes of wonder at the patterns he was showing them, thinking of the fine trout they were going to catch after listening to the stories Dick was telling them.
Dick and his great friend John O’Connell of Murray’s Tackle in Patrick St in Cork, were seen by many as the leading men during what became known as ‘ The Rod War’ in the ‘90s. He received many phone calls in the middle of the night from politicians, pleading with him to back down. Such was the respect for him that most of the boatmen withdrew their boats off the great lakes and backed him to the hilt.
Ray Buckley in his book on the same subject quotes Dick as telling one politician that ‘ There are two things I love, fishing and Fianna Fail, and you’ve shagged up both!’
Dick won many competitions on both river and lake, including the
Munster River fished on the Bandon in 1979. However, his greatest achievement in angling was winning the World Cup on Lough Mask in 1966, the same year that England won the soccer World Cup.
Up to a few years ago he was the only man from Munster to have put his name on this beautiful trophy and he was very proud to have won this and, yet, also very humble about it.
Dick represented his country on several occasions. He qualified to fish the Home Internationals with ITFFA where he met and became great friends with an English man called Bob Church. He also met and became fast friends with the World champion, Brian Ledbetter.
Indeed, we all got to know Brian as he came to Mallow several times to fish and meet his good friend.
Dick, along with his brother David, were in the first Irish team under the TAFI banner to represent their country in the World Fly Fishing Championships
that were fished in New Zealand. He captained the Irish team when these were held in Ireland. They were fished on Lough Corrib in 1995.
He was also manager, while Denis Cronin of Macroom was captain, when they were held in Poland in 1998.
Not being able to return to fishing at the start of the 2020 season will be remembered by trout anglers everywhere. For Mallow Trout Anglers, however, 2020 will be remembered as the year we lost Dick, a true and loyal friend to us all.
To his wife Noele, his ten children and all his extended family, we offer our sincere condolences.
Tight lines, Dick ... I’m sure you’re now advising St. Peter on what flies to fish.
P. J. O’Brien PRO, Mallow Trout Anglers