Athlone angler catches giant trout on Lough Ree!

One of the biggest trout ever caught on Lough Ree was landed by Athlone man Mark Gaffey last weekend.

'I will remember this for the rest of my life. It was like lifting the Champions League Cup!' said Mark, after the catch officially weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs, 12 and 3/4 ounces.

The local man struggled for 20 minutes, on his own, to bring in the trout at around 5.15pm last Sunday.

Mark has been a member of the Athlone Anglers club since 1976 and won the Kevin Griffin Cup competition with this catch.

He said it was, by some distance, the biggest fish he had ever caught.

'The biggest one before that would have been around 5 lbs,' said Mark.

'Athlone Anglers was formed in 1937 and I have been told that it was probably the biggest trout ever caught and weighed in by a club member in the history of the club. The man that beats it, I will shake his hand!'

A Brawney Square resident who is originally from St Mel's Terrace, Mark was using a 7-centimetre Rapala bait when he caught the trout.

He said he was planning to have the fish mounted and placed above his mantelpiece.

In total, 31 boats took part in the Athlone Anglers competition last Sunday.