Banbridge Angling Club’s Competition Secretary Damian Murtagh and his Assistants Wilson Clinghan and Roger McClements continue to run a very sociable and vibrant Competition Programme each season for adult, juvenile and junior Club members. The emphasis is very much on sportsmanship, fun and with a little competitive spice thrown in for good measure. The competitions are primarily held on Corbet Lough and the River Bann. However a few of competitions are also held outside the Club’s fisheries each season. If you are competitive go along and hone your angling skills against some of the Club’s top anglers. Indeed if you are interested in competition fishing these Club competitions could open the door for you competing in interprovincial and international competitions. If you are not competitive just go along for the sportsmanship and the craic. You will enjoy the angling and I have no doubt it will help to improve your angling skills and catch rate.
Dinner Dance and Adult Prize Distribution Night
The highlight in the Club’s social calendar is the annual Dinner Dance and Adult Prize Distribution Night which is held on the last Friday in January. This is a great evening with great food, fantastic entertainment and an opportunity to socialise with friends and our riparian owners. Even if you are not a competition angler I am sure that you would thoroughly enjoy the evening. Tickets for this Dinner Dance usually go on sale around Christmas time or early in the new year. The Dinner Dances have been cancelled since the COVID 19 restrictions.
Juvenile Competitions 2025
There are two categories of Juvenile Competitions. These are (i) Juvenile, for all juveniles members; and (ii) Junior for juveniles aged under 13 years. The competitions for Juvenile members will continue to run in parallel with the adult competitions. The competitions for Junior members will be held on different days. These competitions will be shorter ‘child friendly’ competitions lasting 3 hours with an emphasis on fun and tuition. Juniors, aged under 13 years may also fish in the main Juvenile competitions.
Competitions 2025
The 2025 Competition Programme is available here. – Click Here to download
Angler of the Year 2024
Damian Murtagh, Competition Secretary and his assistants worked tirelessly to run an extensive, exciting, and challenging competition programme in 2024. Competitions were held on the Corbet Lough, River Bann, Lough Lene, Co Westmeath and Spelga Dam.
The competition programme in 2024 attracted all the usual competition anglers and every now and again a few newcomers. The competitions were extremely competitive and as enjoyable as ever. The Angler of the Year competition this year became a 2 horse race between Roger McClements, a multiple Angler of the Year winner and Geoff Hylands, a former World Champion in the later part of the season. Roger was in great form throughout the season winning 8 competitions namely the Bruce Carson Trophy, the Dominic Downey Cup, the Jos Willis Cup, the Patsy McGivern Shield, the Jim Ledlie Cup, the Otterburn Trophy, the Dessie Smyth Cup and the Shooter Cup . Geoff’s season was hindered as he recovered from some knee surgery which kept him out of action for a month or so but he still won 5 competitions and was placed in a number of other competitions. At the end of the season the experienced Roger won the Angler of the Year 2024 title with 31 points. This was an incredible sixth occasion that Roger has won the Angler of the Year title.
In the Juvenile section of the Angler of the Year competition there was a few anglers fishing the competition scene for the first time. At the end of the season Khalid Hassan Noor and Jamie Cooper were level on points. Khalid who won the Barlow Shield competition and the Corbet Cup competition and took the Juvenile Anger of the Year 2024 title on the basis of a count back of the weight of the fish.
The Club’s junior competitions were primarly fished over the summer months. Indeed it was a tough year for the juniors as the fishing at the Corbet was extremely hard over the summer months. Elijah Parks won the Corbet Lough Cup and he took the accolade of Junior Angler of the Year 2024. This is the fourth occasion that Elijah has won the Junior Angler of the Year accolade.
Congratulations to Roger, Khalid and Elijah on their great success in 2024.
To view the full table of winners of the Angler of the Year award from 1975 to 2024. – Click Here