The Stena Challenge 2009 took place over 5 days from 1st to 5th June on waters around Gowna, Arvagh and Carrigallen in County Cavan. Following the success of last years event, this year saw a sell out 75 entries.
Sunday 31st May, the day before the festival started, was an opportunity for competitors to get some practice as the festival organisers ran a pre-festival open on all of the proposed venues. Blistering sunshine prevailed for most of the day, resulting in a general reluctance for the fish to feed. The only exception was on the 5 pegs that had been placed in front of Leonards Farm in Gowna. These 5 provided the top 5 places in the open match. By contrast, the usually consistent Rockfield Lake proved to be almost devoid of bites resulting in a “12th hour” decision to move the 15 pegs from Rockfield to Tessas Shore on Rossduff…a decision that was well received by the Anglers.
As is usual with these events, especially when the fishing is difficult, everyone has a view on where the sections could or should have been placed. Very few, however, seem willing to re-peg sections at 6 oclock in the morning as Nigel Holdsworth ( one of the organisers) did with Tessas. That being the case, the final decision was made and the following sections were used:
- 1-5 on Leonards Farm, 6-15 on Leonards Deeps
- Upper Gulladoo
- Corfree
- Tessas Shore, Rossduff
- Kevins Shore, Rosduff
The biggest risk was that the 5 pegs at Leonards Farm might dominate results, but do you remove them and make it potentially hard for everyone or leave them in knowing that 25 of the 75 anglers would draw on them over the week? At the end of the day it would come down to the draw…something that anglers are used to.
Day 1 saw our worst fears realised as most places fished hard..with the exception of Leonards Farm which produced the top 5 overall. Cathal Hughes of Galway, who won the prestigious Gowna Festival in August of 2008 drew smack in the middle on peg 3 and duly brought 29kilo 110gms to the scales. His catch was mainly hybrids and skimmers caught on the tip, fished at just 30yards. Red worm and red maggot were the favoured hookbaits. Graham Frith, travelling partner to last year`s winner Kevin Johnson fished a similar method on peg 4 for 21kilo 190gms for second place, just ahead of one of our first time vistors a Mr J Vanderlin on 20k 270g. Roy Marshall, another of Kevin Johnsons travelling partners gambled on fishing the pole at 13m. This worked well and he was well up with the pace for the first 2 hours. The fish drifted out, however, and, as he had not baited the feeder line, he had no fall back plan and was unable to bring the fish back to the pole. He finished with 17kilo exactly…and a few regrets! 5th overall was Mark Emmerson with 15k 490g from peg 2, again at the Farm.
Away from the farm, the next best results came from pegs 1 and 2 at the normally consistent Corfree where Neil Mallinson and John Mills 10k 450g and 8k 100g respectively..all tip caught hybrids, skimmers and perch.
Day 2 and down to earth for Cathal Hughes who found peg 6 on Upper Gulladoo in un-forgiving mood as just 1k 250g came to the scales. It was still enough, however, for him to retain the lead. This time round Leonards Farm was not so dominant, producing just 2 of the top 5 weights. Leading the way on the day was festival legend John Ashman of Burnley who, at 70, still produces the goods and who made the best of a peg 3 draw at Leonards Farm to place the days best weight of 15k 400g on the scales. All of his fish were, again, hybrids and skimmers on the tip fished at various distances. Second, off peg 1 at Corfree, was Mike Kirby with 13k exactly to add to his first days 4k 850g. Mike had now placed 17k 850g on the scales over the 2 days and still had the prospect of a potential draw at Leonards farm on the last day.
Other noticeable moves on day 2 came from travelling partners Nigel Franks and Kevin Rowles who posted 12k 300g and 9k 120g from pegs E2 and E10 on Kevins Farm. Weights again came on the feeder due to the floodwater pushing anglers back up the bank and away from the “shelf” that would normally be fished on the pole.
Day 3 and both Franks (A4) and Rowles (A3) draw pegs at the coveted Leonards Farm. Both seize their chance to make a charge up the leader board with Rowles catching a days winning 23k100g of skimmers and hybrids on the now established tip, whilst Franks places 11k570 on the scales. Second overall with 15k 600g is Doncasters “jovial” Dave Rowley, a weight which keeps him in touch with the leaders. Cathal Hughes, however, shows his class and retains his lead, with a fine 6k 350g from a good draw on peg 1 at Corfree.
Day 4 and the roller-coaster continues for Cathal as he is reduced to just 2k750g from peg D4 on Tessas Shore. Still a good weight, though, from a difficult section. All of the days top weights fell to anglers that were, until that point, out of touch with the leaders, a fact that reinforces the popularity of weight based matches. Neil Mallinson moved into contention with the days top weight of 13k 200g from Leonards Farm peg A2.
Of the other top weights on the day, Des Amner (E12) and new Irish International Rory Dunne (E 6), both on Kevins Shore produced 10k 180g and 10k 770g respectively ahead of a possible draw (along with Mike Kirby) on Leonards Farm on the last day. Richard Pratt, a local Gowna resident, had produced consistent results all week to creep into the reckoning on 24k300g after 4 days and with the same chance of a draw at Leonards Farm on day 5.
Kevin Rowles (B4) and Nigel Franks (B1) both performed miracles to catch 4k 550g and 4k 200g of tip and pole caught perch and small roach from Upper Gulladoo. Nigel Franks was particularly as one of his platform legs unexplainably gave way 4 hours into the match, depositing Nigel, his gear and all of his bait into the lake!. More significantly, it cost Nigel almost 1 hours fishing. How crucial would this prove?
Day 5…and whilst Cathal Hugehs still leads, he is just 490g ahead of Kevin Rowles. Challengers are lining up in the rotation due to draw from the pegs on section A which contained the 5 “flyers” on Leonards Farm and 10 pegs at Leonards Deeps which had been a struggle all week. One peg in particular, peg 6 on the Deeps had been particularly difficult and no one wanted to draw it. As the draw starts Richard Pratt goes into the bag and out comes the dreaded peg 6 on the deeps…his face told the story as his challenge was over. Mike Kirby followed with a similar result, peg 9 on the deeps. Rory Dunne also falls by the wayside with peg 12, although he produces a respectable 6k 030g for a final 13th placing overall in the festival. Des Amner, however, finds peg 4 on the Farm and goes on to record the days top weight with 21k 780g and a final position of 4th overall.
Amongst the leaders at the start of the day, Cathal Hughes draws peg E3 at Kevins Shore on Rosduff, a draw that he is happy with. Kevin Rowles draws peg C4 at Corfree…a flyer under normal conditions, but not so consistent so far this festival. He goes on to post a very respectable 7k 940g, which means that Cathal Hughes must score at least 7k 460g to beat him. Nigel Franks, on peg C1 at Corfree places 14k 110g of tip caught skimmers and hybrids on the scales, leaving him a tantalising1k 490g behind his good friend Kevin Rowles.That broken platform leg might just have made the difference! Eventually the news comes through that Cathal Hughes has produced the best weight of the week from Kevins Shore with an excellent 14k 050g on the tip for a 53k 460g overall weight and the festival win. Kevin was second and Nigel 3rd.
Despite the difficult conditions this was another successful festival . Thanks must go to Stena Line Ferries and to Eamonn and Philomena Gray of the Breffni Arms for their sponsorship and to Nigel Holdsworth and Sue Bettison for their continued help and support.
Andy Bettison |
