Ned celebrates 102nd birthday with a spectacular catch
Almost exactly one year ago, TheAvondhu carried a story of Mitchelstown-born man who celebrated his 101st birthday by landing two salmon while angling in Galway.
This week, TheAvondhu are proud to announce that the same man has celebrated his 102nd birthday in a slightly more spectacular fashion, landing not two, but three salmon at the same spot!
Lt Col Ned Cusack, on 7th July, caught two beautiful wild Atlantic salmon, and one non native Pacific pink salmon, at the Galway Weir Fishery.
Eamon Cusack, Ned’s son, tells the tale of his talented father keeping a cool head under pressure.
“Once the fish were on, Ned managed them relatively easily, though there were a few hairy moments when the first fish headed for the white water and I thought the salmon would take off down the river. My heart was in my mouth, but Dad calmly kept the fish in the pool and brought it to the net.
“I guess you learn how to handle fish in 90 years of fishing. To be honest I did not think he would have the strength to manage the fish, but I was wrong.”
WITH HELP ‘FROM ABOVE’
Lt Col Cusack was delighted to land the catch, amongst them a relatively rare fish.
“I was delighted by landing not one, but two beautiful, well-conditioned, wild Atlantic salmon in my 102nd year and very surprised to land a non-native Pacific pink salmon, one of only 5 reported in the country this year. It was a very special event and I attribute my good fortune to my late wife Eileen, who was helping me from above”.
Eileen, Ned’s wife of 76 years, passed away on the 10th July last year.
Living in Gortnahalla, Moycullen, County Galway for the past 40 years, Ned learned to fish over 90 years ago on the local River Funcheon near Mitchelstown, being taught to fly fish as a child by a lady angler. Born in 1919, Ned retired from trout angling when he was 98, but continues to fish the Galway Fishery for salmon.
MUCH JOY
Ned’s passion is for fly fishing, mainly for brown trout, but also salmon and sea trout, and he also tied his own flies for many years.
Following his retirement from the army, he started a second career, that of Fisheries Manager, and was involved in acquiring the Galway Fishery for the State. Ned has also been involved in environmental issues for over 70 years, seeking to clean up river pollution and improve the habitat for fish.
Eamon remembers accompanying his father on his many fishing trips, and introducing Ned’s grandchildren to their grandfather’s craft.
“Throughout his life Ned fished for trout all over Ireland, in the Dodder, Lough Sheelin, Lough Ennel, the Blackwater and in many of the rivers and lakes of Connemara. I had the pleasure of accompanying him on many of these trips and indeed bringing his grandchildren along on some. He also has a great bunch of friends who fished with him and he always managed to pick up new fishing buddies as some moved on. “
“He is happiest by the river bank, or on the lake, rod in hand, whether he catches fish or not.”
Ned himself is passionate about the joy that fishing has provided him with through the years.
“This sport has given me great joy over 90 years and hope younger anglers get the same enjoyment and that they will continue the fight for the survival of trout and salmon in our rivers. This was another amazing day in my long fishing career.”
Over his lifetime, Ned has caught thousands of brown trout, sea trout and hundreds of salmon. The top salmon came in at 21.5lbs, and was caught on the fly on the River Corrib at the Galway Fishery back in 1986.