Winter League 2023 - Match 2
What a great match 2 to our 2023 Winter League!
Winter League 2023 - Match 2: A Day of Angling Adventures
On Sunday, October 29th, 2023, the Athy & District Anglers Club's Winter League rolled on at the Marina club grounds. It was a chilly morning, and as the gang gathered at 08:30, we were pumped up for a day of angling fun. However, only 12 out of 14 participants showed up – Pat and Hugh decided to take a rain check, leaving a couple of empty pegs.
Before we got down to business, there was a buzz in the air as we drew for some cool spot prizes sponsored by Murph's of Carlow. Barry, Keith, and Ryan struck it lucky, bagging those goodies, and we couldn't thank Murph's enough for their support. Our match prizes were also sponsored by the good folks at Murph's of Carlow, so thanks a million to the folks at Murph’s! We all greatly appreciate it.
The weather gave us all a real rough wet start - cold, gloomy, and threatening to rain on our parade. The water levels at the Marina club grounds were high, thanks to the River Barrow being in flood. Some pegs were almost underwater – a real test for us anglers. But hey, that's the name of the game, right?
At 10:00 am, Des gave the all-in call, and it was game on. Ryan, Ollie, and Mick kicked things off with a bang as the roach were biting like crazy in the flooded river. Those Barrow roach sure are a joy to have on the feed, and it was a blast for those guys, while the rest of the group had a bit of a slower start.
The morning was pretty much a washout with rain pouring down for the first three hours of the match. But, we're a stubborn bunch, and we weren't about to let a little rain dampen our spirits. We soldiered on, hoping for a break in the weather.
In the afternoon, the weather eased up and gave us a break from the downpour. The bites eased up for Mick and Ryan, and it became a game of balancing feeding & tactics to get any fish on the hook. On the flip side, bites started to pick up down the line of pegs putting everyone in the running for weigh ins!
As the clock struck 3:00 pm, the all-out call marked the end of the match. We packed up our gear and gathered around for the weigh-ins, the moment of truth.
Overall, it was a day of great catches, and we pulled in over 50lbs of fish. Ollie took the top spot with a whopping 9lb 14ozs, closely followed by Ryan in second place with 7lb 4ozs.
Now, here's a kicker – third place was a tie! Barry and Tommy both weighed in at 5lb 12ozs, showing that this match was seriously competitive. Fifth place went to Jimmy with a solid 4lb 7ozs.
The Winter League's Match 2 of 2023 was a wet one, but the fish were on and a great day was had by all! Our next League Match is coming up on the 19th of November and we can’t wait!
In preparation we’ll be cleaning the River on Sunday the 12th of November, so head over to our Facebook page for details and come help out if you can!
Interested in getting involved in the club? Want to fish the Marina Club Grounds, a nationally known winter fishing venue? Then hit the button below and become a member!
