Lurgan Coarse Angling Club hoping to reel in younger generation

Johnny McKinley thinks Northern Ireland is lacking in fishing facilities

Cast, catch and release - for 40 years Lurgan Coarse Angling Club has been perfecting the finer points of fishing.

This year they reeled in the big one.

In April the County Armagh anglers were crowned champions at the World Club Feeder Fishing Championship on Lough Muckno in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

The event was organised by the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland and attracted competitors from across the globe.

Now the Lurgan club's world beaters want to inspire a new generation and see the standard of local facilities improved.

"This section of the River Blackwater that we're fishing on today, we took the lease off the National Trust last year for this venue," said club chairman Geoffrey McKinley.

"We've got stands put on it with funding and there are a further 15 stands going on it down stream.

Geoffrey McKinley wants to inspire younger generations to take on fishing

"But we need lakes with roach, carp, whatever in it to bring on kids - to get them out of the house because being out in the open air is a lot better than sitting in front of a screen."

Geoffrey's son Johnny was one of the team that tasted success in Monaghan - he believes facilities on this side of the border are lagging behind.

"I wasn't great at the start," he said. "My dad used to take me out but I had more tangles and was more of a nuisance when I first started.

"I grew up, I started getting better at it and started winning competitions and now I'm fishing right at the top level.

"In Northern Ireland some of our fisheries are nowhere near as good as what they used to be.

"A lot of the lakes in the south are better developed. They have better access to where you are fishing - you can drive right behind where you are fishing and the fishing is better too," he added.

The Lurgan club took victory at the World Club Feeder Fishing Championship in April

"Generally that's where all the big competitions are these days - in Northern Ireland we are lacking.

"We do have some good venues but access is a big issue at a lot of them."

'You have to do your homework'

Johnny's clubmate Philip Jackson has fished all over the world.

"Serbia, France, Holland, Belgium to name a few," he said.

"Paris was probably the most quirky one. It was right in the middle of Paris for the World Championships - fishing on the Seine for over a week."

Philip Jackson says fishing is accessible for everyone

He knows what it takes to get young people hooked on the sport.

"The thing with coaching kids is that you have to make sure that they catch fish. If you bring a child fishing for a couple of hours and they don't catch anything that's OK.

"But if you go a second, third, fourth time and you don't catch anything they'll not want to go back so you have to do your homework," he said.

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"Not all kids are the next Usain Bolt or Premier League footballer. Physicality doesn't come in to it, so people with disabilities or mobility issues, all that can be adjusted with fishing.

"You can go somewhere with really good access and still catch some fish."

Like the world championship success, improving facilities and inspiring a new generation will be difficult but one thing fishing teaches in abundance is patience.