#ANGLING - The Irish Specimen Fish Committee's annual report for 2011 features catch details for 587 specimen fish as well as four new records, according to The Irish Times.

The report comes ahead of the committee's annual awards event at the Red Cow Moran Hotel in Dublin on Saturday 3 March, recogising those anglers who work hard to catch and record the biggest fish of each of Ireland's species.

Those in line for awards include Terry Jackson, who caught a 2.1kh roach/rudd hybrid in the River Lagan; Dutchman Jan Vrieswijk who landed a 1.33kh blackmouth dogfish in Red Bay, Co Antrim; and Noel Lane for his 2.83kg thin-lipped mullet from Cork Harbour.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

A boat angling event in Dublin last week raised €1,000 for the RNLI Howth Lifeboat, The Irish Times reports.

The third annual Paul Lynam Memorial Cup catch-and-release contest, hosted by the Howth Angling Centre, saw 35 anglers from north Dublin compete in perfect calm conditions, with ray, pollack and dogfish among the haul.

Overall winner on the day was Anthony McLaughlin from Rush, who scored 170 points to lift the cup and prize money of €300 in his first big competition victory.

But the bigger winner from the event was Howth lifeboat, which was among the top five busiest in 2010.

Howth RNLI chairman Russell Rafter said: “Our collection boxes from the [Howth Angling Centre] are the highest contributor to the station.”