This article is from page 74 of the 2008-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 74 JPG
TWO Ennis fishing groups cast out together last week in a bid to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) society of Ireland.
Members of both the Ennis District and Angler’s Association (EDAA) and the Fergus Salmon Anglers de- scended on Dromore and Ballyline lakes near Ruan last Sunday for a charity pike fishing competition
MS Ireland as fishing enthusiasts took to the water to compete.
MS is a chronic condition of the central nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain
and spinal cord.
It is the most common disabling neurological condition of young adults, affecting approximately 6,000 in Ireland, 85,000 people in the United Kingdom, 250,000 in the USA.
“We have been out collecting for flag days and we’ve had a few other events ourselves but this time we de- cided to try and do something for an- other organization. The MS society do great work’, said EDAA president Gerry Kenny, explaining the motiva- tion behind the event.
Established in 1935 and 1980 re- spectively, both the EDAA and the Fergus Salmon Anglers have played
important roles in sustaining sal- mons stocks on the River Fergus and maintaining the appearance of the river and the surrounding environ- mental habitat.
A massive renewal programme commenced five years ago aimed to restore the River Fergus system and develop it as a major tourism re- elt Keee
The work, grant aided by the Her- itage Council, involved the rehabili- tation of the River Fergus fishery, improving the access to the water- ways, working with local landowners and consultation with the Heritage Council and the Regional Fisheries Board.
Improvement works carried out so far include the erection of vortex weirs, bank-side pruning and the placement of random boulders.
Gerry explained that while many improvements have taken place along the river, old problems still persist.
“Our main work has been stocking the river with salmon and keeping numbers up’, said Gerry, “We have done and awful lot of development work, tidying up sewage and other litter that gets thrown into the river, re-gravelling and repairing the river walls. Pollution though is still the biggest problem we have at the mo- ment. Its unfortunate, but pollution is still a big issue on the Fergus”’.