#Angling - Four new records dominate the record fish list for 2014 which has just been published by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee (ISFC).
The most recent is a new record carp of 14.24kg caught by Aaron Cummins at Loughgall in Co Antrim on 26 October.
In August a new thin-lipped mullet record was set by Ian Mulligan, who reeled in a 2.86kg specimen at Clonakilty, Co Cork on the 23rd of the month.
Also in Cork, Stephen O'Neill set the new golden grey mullet record with his 1.2kg catch in Cork Harbour on 16 July.
And Tom Walsh is in the books for his 11.06kg spur dogfish landed at Red Bay, Co Antrim on 3 June.
The ISFC says 2014 was a very good year for anglers, with large numbers of specimen-sized fish caught besides the four new records established.
High water temperatures during the summer meant very good news for many sea anglers, with some of Ireland’s more exotic species like thin lipped mullet, golden grey mullet and gilthead quite prominent in the overall specimen fish listings. Specimen painted ray and thick-lipped mullet were also plentiful.
A total of 526 specimens were ratified in 2014, and the ISFC expects anglers both at home and abroad will be reading the report carefully to plan their angling trips in 2015, with the new year seeing tope, spurdog, smooth-hound and blue shark allowable as length-based specimens.
In other specimen fish news, the ISFC Awards Day will be held on Saturday 21 February to coincide with the Irish Angling Show weekend.
Invitations will be issued to anglers from Ireland next week. If any angler plans to attend, contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
Overseas anglers are also very welcome to attend. Certificates, etc will be posted to anglers who cannot attend, and it is intended to present anglers in the Netherlands with their awards at the VISMA 2015 angling show in Rotterdam.
The 2014 Irish Specimen Fish report is available as a PDF to read or download HERE.
Hard copies of the report will be available free of charge from the Inland Fisheries Ireland offices in Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24 in early January. For further information contact ISFC secretary William Roche at 01 884 2600.
