Donagh hooks place on Irish angling team

A Nenagh teenager with a passion for angling has taken his love of the leisurely pursuit one step further by making it his competitive sport.

Now 17-year-old Donagh McSherry has become so skilled in the piscatorial pastime that he has been selected on the Republic of Ireland Under 20 team to compete in the World Coarse Fishing Championhsip to be held in Slovenia in August next year.

Donagh was literally born into a world of angling as he is son of Kevin and Lorraine McSherry, proprietors of the Open Season store in Pearse Street Nenagh that has specialised in angling and outdoor pursuits retailing for decades.

The Nenagh CBS student was introduced to angling by his father Kevin at a very early age.

“I was always into fishing really,” says Donagh. “When I was very young my dad used to take me out fishing for pike on Lough Derg and I just loved it.

“I caught my first pike in Scariff Harbour when I was about eight-years-old and I was literally hooked after that.”

Donagh's passion for angling grew and he was eventually drawn to specialise in coarse angling, which involves the pursuit of a category of species defined as "rough fish" or types of fish generally not considered for the dinner table.

These would be fish such as roach and bream that abound in lakes such as Lough Derg but seldom if ever end up as a meal and anglers who catch them generally return them to the water alive.

“I just got going at the coarse fishing and got in to the competitive end by taking part in a few matches and things took off from there,” Donagh reveals.

He adds: “Coarse fishing is very addictive really. There are a lot of things you have to figure out and it can be very technical, which is part of the attraction.”

Just last month he took part in the World Championship qualifiers held in Lough Muckno in County Monaghan and performed so well that the national team selectors called him up to wear the green blazer and represent at the Republic at the World's in Slovenia.

Donagh is the only team member from Munster on the squad of five that will be pitting their skills against some of the world's best young coarse fishers.

All the efforts at present is focused on having the team match fit for their big test in ten months time.

As part of this preparation, Donagh took part in the first training session with the rest of the team, fishing waters at Carrick On Shannon last weekend.

To anyone who is into coarse angling, the experience of competing in the Worlds in Slovenia could only be a dream come true.

Donagh and the team will enjoy five days of practice angling on some of the most scenic fishing spots on the globe before facing the other countries in two days of competition.

The teams will be in pursuit of a variety of coarse fish species which include bleak, barbel, bream and carp.

What a hook up it is for Donagh, who says he is really looking forward to soaking in the whole experience.