People often debate whether fishing is a real sport or not. Given that it requires skills, practice and knowledge to do well, it’s easy to see why more people than ever before are convinced that it could be the next big pro sport to take off in Ireland.
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Easy to Take Part In
Finding somewhere to go fishing in Ireland isn’t particularly difficult, since the country is filled with rivers and lakes where a great variety of fish can be found. The relatively low requirement for equipment means that just about anyone can start fishing without a lot of expense or delay.
There are more fishing and angling competitions around Ireland than you might think. For example, the Lough Muckno July Festival recently took place over five days, and the field of just 13 anglers showed us that there’s scope for more people taking part in events like this.
The NCFFI is the name of the body that organises events and competitions here, including the All Ireland Cup. The NCFFI All Ireland Championships usually take place on the Sunday before the August bank holiday weekend, and this event has a history stretching back more than six decades.
As for the best places to fish in the country, those taking part in the sport are spoiled for choice. This list suggests that the Great Western Loughs are best for finding wild trout in a magnificent natural setting, while the excellent variety of coastal fishing spots means that virtually nowhere is far from a good destination.
Source: Pixabay
Fishing in Popular Culture
The presence of fishing in popular culture is another factor that suggests that fishing could become a bigger sport than it currently is. Movies about fishing include A River Runs Through It, which was directed by Robert Redford and gave Brad Pitt his first major leading role. It’s a gentle, subtle film that uses fishing as a metaphor for the way that life throws up surprises time after time.
We can also see fishing-based slot games in a new online casino, where Big Bass Bonanza and several spin-off titles can be played. Fishin’ for Gold and Alaskan Fishing are among the other slots, which are divided into categories such as jackpots, Megaways and recent releases. This is one of the many different slot themes that are now popular, with others letting players search for treasure in different parts of the world.
Fishing has also become more prominent on TV in the last few years, with the American series Bassmasters probably the best example. Fishing TV is a digital platform that gives access to fishing-related on-demand content on devices such as smartphones. It has channels like the Carp Channel and the Fly Fishing Channel, and although it might not yet be mainstream the fact that it even exists as a subscription service suggests that the appeal of fishing is growing.
All of these factors show us that fishing has a great deal of potential as a sport in the near future, but there will always be people who simply enjoy it as a hobby instead of fishing on a competitive basis.
