The Fermanagh 49th Classic Fishing Festival 2026

The 2026 Classic Fishing Festival culminated in a thrilling finale on Friday 1 May on the shores of the Fermanagh Lakelands. Ian Wise, from Nuneaton, demonstrated an extraordinary display of skill, reeling in the heaviest weight of 65.170kg over the three-day event and netting the winner’s cheque of £5,000, the coveted Belleek Trophy and a £1,000 voucher from Tackle Guru.

Presenting the prizes at the farewell gala and prize-giving ceremony at the Westville Hotel, Councillor Barry McElduff, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, congratulated all the winners, saying:

“The Classic Fishing Festival, now in its 49th year, is one of the Council’s longest-established events in Fermanagh. We have been delighted to welcome our local and visiting anglers to the area this past week, and I have no doubt they have enjoyed the best of our local hospitality.

The event is hugely important to the area in terms of direct spend, and we thank all our anglers for contributing to that, but it is also an opportunity for us to showcase the district on a national and international platform.”

The long-continued success of the Classic is due to the partnership approach between Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, DAERA Inland Fisheries and the local community through Erne Anglers, making the Fermanagh Classic Fishing Festival one of the most anticipated premier showcase events in the match coarse fishing calendar. This year once again saw the addition of Tackle Guru as the main supporter of the event. Tackle Guru has helped raise the profile of the festival, which contributed to increased numbers with a total of 224 entrants from across Northern Ireland, as well as the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and Germany.

Enniskillen BID has also been a pivotal partner in bringing the festival atmosphere back to Enniskillen town by facilitating evening entertainment during the week of the festival in four local hostelries, which provided competitors with offers and entertainment over four evenings.

George Bradshaw, Tourism Development Manager for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, said:

“We are spoiled in the Fermanagh and Omagh District to have such stunning natural heritage, and the quality of the Fermanagh Lakelands is what continues to draw so many international visitors to the area. We were delighted to see the return of so many visiting anglers, while also welcoming over 50 first-time competitors, including seven new German anglers.”

Other winning competitors included Michael Stone, from Taunton who secured a remarkable second place, harnessing his angling prowess to reel in an impressive 50.700kg, followed by Paul Boothby, from Penkridge, with 48.480kg, while fourth spot went to Kevin Rowles, from Wiltshire, with 46.460kg.

With so many visiting anglers, the festival includes an International Winner category. This year’s winner was Rüdiger Hansen, from Germany, taking the prize with 45.600kg. It is worth noting that there were a further 11 German anglers competing for this prize.

The four-man team, the Jammy Dodgers, unleashed an unstoppable display of unity and skill, reeling in the hotly contested Masters Team event title with a combined weight of 152.330kg.

This year, a new award was also introduced for anglers aged under 18, with five young men competing. The winner was Kai Hurley, from Bristol, with a weight of 38.000kg.

For detail on the 2026 results, please visit: https://www.fermanaghlakelands.com/dbimgs/Results%202026.pdf Further information available from tourismdevelopment@fermanaghomagh.com.