As far as we can tell conditions for this Saturday’s McCarron Cup will be good. A moderate westerly wind, cloud cover, low chance of rain but it will be chilly out there for those of us who have been benefiting from the warm weather earlier this month.

The leaderboard as it stands has Dave Canning with a strong lead of 7 points on nearest rival Alan Doherty.:

Dave has been doing great all season with a win in the Elvery and two 3rd place positions. Dave represented Ireland last year in the Internationals and is through to next year’s final having qualified earlier this month.

SO the bookies’ favourite must be Canning to become the DTAA angler of the year for 2024 but let’s look at potential routes to the coveted title for those currently lagging in 2nd and 3rd positions. The rank outsider is Irish International and master-tiler Eoin Dunne currently on 22 points. If Dunne takes the top spot on Saturday and Canning is not in the top 10, then both anglers will tie on 32 points apiece. The adjudication panel will, in that situation, pore over the results for the previous 6 competitions to identify the relative catch performance of each angler in order to separate the two. The more likely challenge to Canning’s dominance, however, comes from DTAA Competition Secretary, Alan Doherty. Doherty lies 7 points behind Canning and so if he comes 3rd place or higher on Saturday and Canning blanks then the title goes to Doherty. Even if Canning gets into the top 10 picking up 1 or 2 points, then Doherty can still find a path to victory if he comes first on Saturday. In any of these scenarios the Angler of the Year title will go to an angler who has never previously held the title which is a sign to be sure that talent continues to be cultivated and to flourish among those DTAA members who take part in the competitions over the season.

We are looking forward to a good turnout this Saturday on Lough Owel. Always a highlight of the season, the day promises excellent fishing (Owel has fished well this year) and an opportunity to catch up with friends over a meal in the evening in the Greville Arms, for prize giving and to celebrate the end of another season.