Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter Pike Fishing 2014 - View from the Shore - Day 2


Day 2

Tom Commons tells me some of my comments from yesterday evening could be libellous. Well today is worse!!! (I have a good solicitor)
I hardly slept last night with the news that a search party had been sent out to find the elusive Eamon Conroy. Sniffer dogs were dispatched and he was eventually found this morning at Doon Shore. I welcomed him back. The silence has been broken.

I am greeted by Gary Beirne who informs me that he lost a fishing rod yesterday. I find this impossible to comprehend that a grown man in a small boat can manage to achieve such a feat. The mind boggles!!!!
Seamie Carr informs me that he feels he can find the winner today. From a man who could not find a fish in a tank, to claim he can find it in the lake is an outrageous boast. Seamie takes my banter with good spirit, puts sun cream on his beautifully shaped bonce, and heads off, late as usual, onto the lake.

We had a number of late comers this morning, but this did not include Jordan Maye, who was early, as I think he is still suffering from the telling-off he got last year for his mid-afternoon arrival.
Homemade Brown bread was the order of the day from the Kitchen. Many thanks to Beth Egan for her hard work on this. It is much appreciated by all.

The day ambles along, as I attempt to pull together the statistics for this year, compared to previous years. Numbers are up. Total fish weighed are up. Weather is up. So everyone is a winner. Except for Liam Conroy, who yet again, catches as much as me. I think it may be time to quit, Liam!!
Much of the talk at The Doon Shore this morning is on the mighty Rossies victory over Cork in The Under 21 semi-final last night. The fact that I didn’t even know they were playing is shameful on my part. Me thinks it could be time for the bandwagon.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the fishing (well sort of). Fishing is slow this morning (Is it ever any other speed?) but I am kept going by the DJ’s music. With the exception of Thin Lizzy and AC/DC, I am alien to this racket that is being produced. Am I really past it at 43 and become a grumpy old man ? (copyright John Keenahan). (Just had to get you in there John!!!)
Mid afternoon, there was rumours spread by Jordan Maye of a 25lb Pike landed at Doon Shore. Expectations were high until it was revealed the Pike was nearer 5lb in weight. A slap is due for that one, Jordan.

Not long afterwards, my heart sank as it was revealed that an actual 20lb 2oz Pike was landed. It wasn’t that I wished the angler any ill will but I was sick of trying to clean that bloody board with Whiteboard Marker. Non-permanent marker my arse!! And a top for the next year. Don’t use Huggies baby wipes, they are crap. I was told that everything from Petrol, Diesel, Jif, Cillet Bang, Butter, Sugar, Alcohol (that was a non-runner) would wipe it off. I didn’t see anyone else trying to clean the bloody thing.
Anyway, my luck was in as the man who caught the fish was actually the man who was in First Place already, so all I had to do was change the weight. Happy Days!!!

I would like to personally thank Monica, Aoife, Mary, Ann and the girls and especially George for entertaining my daughter, Amber, whilst I tried to look busy.

The evening came to a close, and I had had my fill of bad luck stories.

By the way, there were actually winners and they went as follows

Juniors
In Second Place is Adam Hayden with a fish weighing in at 1lb 2oz.-
In Joint First Place are Jake Sharkey and Ciaran Fallon both with fish weighing in at 6lb 4oz.-

Ladies
In First Place with a piece of Crystal sponsored by Moonstone Jewellers and a cheque for €150, with a fish weighing 14lb 12oz, number 262, Sandra Barden.

Pool Prize
€200 to the largest fish caught over the weekend, not in the Main Prizes is with a fish weighing 15lb 13oz, weighed at Doon Shore on Sunday is number 256, Kelly Leonard.

MAIN PRIZES
In Third Place with a cheque for €750, with a fish weighing 17lb 4oz weighed at Doon Shore on Saturday is number 202, Padraig Cunningham.

In Second place with a cheque for €1,500 is, with a fish weighing 18lb 4oz weighed at Black Island is Number 244 Cathal Beirne.

And in first place with a cheque for €2,500 and The Moonstone Jewellers Perpetual Trophy and The Winners Jacket is, with a fish weighing 20lb 2oz weighed at Doon Shore on Saturday is number 118, Paddy O’Neill. He also caught a fish weighing in @ 19lb even.


This is my ninth year in a row doing the Stats for the Club and I am personally always grateful to them for the warm welcome they always give me.

I’ll be back next year, as I’m sure everyone else will, with the exception of Peter “Scouse B*****d” Noone who chickened out this year, because he had relations over. Lame Excuse Peter. Lame.

My parting shot, as usual is for Stewart Connolly. It’s never going to happen mate. Never.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and in the immortal words of Hill Street Blues “Let’s be careful out there”.…... \m/

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