IT'S that time of year again when a number of fishing festivals will take place, and these can be excellent events to introduce a new generation to the benefits of angling.
However, while they cater for the young and beginners, they can also offer up some useful tips to experienced anglers and club officials.
The Loughmacrory Community Fish Festival is this Saturday and Sunday and will be a celebration of the successful World Youth Fly Fishing Championships held last year at Loughmacrory in Tyrone.
There will be a host of activities including fly casting and fly tying demonstrations from some of Europe and Ireland's best instructors. Among those taking part will be Peter O'Reilly, Paddy Keenan, Pat Hughes, Brian Keoghan, Ian Gough, Gary Bell, Ben Weytjens, Lawrence Finney and many others.
For the more technically minded, there will be a fish disection section which will show how to indentify the internal and external anatomy of different fish species.
Club officials and conservationists may be particularly interested in the electrofishing demonstration. This will show the research techniques and equipment used on rivers and lakes. The event is organised by the Loughs Agency, Loughmacrory Community Development Association and Loughmacrory and Murrins District Angling Association. Everyone is welcome with free admission, and there will be angling youth events and competitions. More info from www.loughmarcroryinfo.com.
The Dibney River Conservation Trust will again be hosting the Irish International Fly Fair at Killyleagh on Saturday , July 5 and Sunday, July 6, with more information from www.irishinternationalflyfair.com. They too have an excellent array of fly casters and fly tyers to demonstrate and advise on these skills, along with some of the best and latest equipment available. Among the participants will be Clive Mitchelhill, Stevie Munn, Gary Bell, Steve Petersen. Other experts from Bulgaria, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, England, Scotland, USA and Ireland will also be on hand. The popular children's workshop will again be led by the excellent Ted Malone and APGAI Ireland, along with many other workshops and forums.
In addition, Martin McGarrigle and Ken Whelan of the Atlantic Salmon Trust will outline a new Atlantic Salmon Trust training manual to guide you in assessing and monitoring the overall welfare of your local small streams.
With some training, you can use this manual to check and record key aspects of your local spawning streams.
On the morning of Saturday, July 5, Martin and Ken will present a talk on the small streams project and on the planned training modules (11.30am-1pm).
That afternoon (2.30-4.30pm) they will provide basic training to a group of volunteers, who will be taken to chosen stretches of the Dibney River to field test the training manual. Free admission for U15s accompanied by an adult, with a £5 donation.