70th anniversary celebrations for Ballyhooly Trout Anglers
Ballyhooly Trout Anglers Club (BTAC) held their Castle Cup fishing competition this Easter Sunday, with dates on the
Cup going back to 1952, making it the 70th anniversary.
Early Easter morning, on the bridge over the Blackwater
River, overlooked by Ballyhooly Castle on the hill nearby, fifteen fly-fishermen drew their beats from a hat. Numbers were up from last time the event was held in 2019, pre-pandemic. Some very good trout were caught despite the rain and rising flood and the event was a great success.
First prize, with seven fish, and heaviest fish at just over 1lb, went to John O’Brien, who travelled down from Cahir. Richie Cremin claimed second heaviest bag with five nice trout. Denis O’Leary, Pat Leahy, Sean Bowen, and Pat O’Donovan also won great runner-up prizes.
BTAC would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to all landowners and fisheries who generously gave access to the waters, without whom nothing would be possible, to all participants who braved the elements and so kept the tradition alive. Also to Chris Lynch and Richie Cremin for organising the event, and, last but not least, to Liz O’Gorman from the Roundy House Bar, Ballyhooly who warmly hosted the weigh-in and prize-giving.