#Angling - In Friday's Irish Times, Derek Evans reports from the Lough Melvin Open Trout Angling Championship last weekend, where Brian Uprichard took the title for the second year in a row, and the fourth time in total.
The Co Down angler teamed with fellow former champion Cecil Marshall from Sligo to qualify for the final with a four-fish haul, then seal the championship with "five good fish" - topping a field of nearly 300 anglers from throughout Ireland and beyond.
"On this my first visit to Garrison and Lough Melvin, I was taken aback by the warm welcome I received and the camaraderie among anglers both on and off the water," writes Evans. "The new clubhouse, officially opened earlier this year, meets all present-day requirements and is testimony to a hard-working committee."
As reported earlier this year on Afloat.ie, the Fermanagh lake has been bucking the trend of declining fish stocks in Northern Ireland's inland waterways, with a salmon surplus that can only add to the sport.
Elsewhere, Carrickmacross anglers had reason to celebrate at the recent NCFFI All-Ireland Angling Championships in Cavan.
As the Dundalk Democrat reports, members of the Carrickmacross Coarse Angling and Junior Development Club placed first and third in the senior competition of the junior angling event.
Jamie Edwards landed an impressive 9.9kg for his number-one spot while clubmate Lee Harris landed 7.12kg.
And in the women's competition, Carrick's Emma McMahon topped the scales with her catch.
