Saturday 22nd April 2023 was a cold, misearble day with little wind. 27 hardy DTAA anglers set off on Lough Lene full of anticipation and optimism that they would bring in the winning bag for this heaviest fish competition.

Most anglers weighed in fish with PJ O’Driscoll taking top spot for the 2nd time in a row with a fine fish of 4.23 lbs. Richie Duggan was just pipped into 2nd place with a fish of 4.18 lbs while DTAA President Gerry Heaslip was placed 3rd with a fish of three and a half pounds. Jim Guiney won the special weight prize.

The hatches of olives were a sight to behold, especially in Gilsenan’s and down to the swimming area. The swallows were certainly on them but less obviously the fish with wets, buzzers and nymphs being the most successful approaches.

The cold and the rain were fairly consistent all day but the rain seemed to dial up a notch as the boats returned to shore for the weigh in. The numbers dwindled with only about half the competitors staying for the prize giving. This drowned rat only thawed and dried out about 4 hours later.

Results table below

With two competitions completed PJ is well ahead in the 2023 leaderboard and well on way to be DTAA Angler of the Year for 2023…. The season is young, however, and it’s still all to play for.

Despite PJ’s efforts, John O’Neill still holds the record for largest fish: