Lisnaske angler scoops Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing festival title

Young Lisnaskea angler Jordan Hall’s great catch of 28kg 180gms on Boa Island catapulted him into top place on the leaderboard, with a total over the three days of 59kg 400gms. Jordan, competing in his first ever Waterways Ireland Classic, netted the winner’s cheque of £5,000 and the coveted crystal chalice.

In second place overall was Cork angler Mike Stone, whose total catch of 40kgs 800gms earned him £2,000 and the runner’s up crystal trophy.

Third was Newtownabbey angler William Donaldson with a total of 38kg 620gms, which landed him £1,500 and a crystal sports trophy. Fourth overall was 2001 Classic winner William Wheeler from Lisnaskea, whose 34kg 470gms was enough to secure him £1,000 and a Belleek trophy. Two classic regulars filled out the top six, Nigel Franks from Wiltshire with 32kgs 150gms and German angler Thorsten Beil, who won the Classic in 2010, with 30kg 180gms.

The winners of the hotly contested team event, the Waterways Ireland Masters, were ‘Wiltshire’s Worst’, with ‘Nathan’s B Team’ second and ‘Browning Team Germany’ in third place.

The Classic is sponsored for the fourteenth year by Waterways Ireland and is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, in conjunction with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.