TROUT AREA IRELAND LEAGUE - 2022



General Rules 

Art. 1 - Competitors Registration 

This is an OPEN Competition, in which, the total number of competitors will be divided in 3 groups. Registration must be received no later than the deadline specified in the special regulations, accompanied by the sum of €35 which will include venue fee, organizational costs and prizes. 

Art. 2 - Venue 

The Competition will take place in Annaginny Fishery & Park Farm 

Art 3 - Equipment & Lures 

The fishing rods can not be longer than 9 ft (2.70m). The artificial lures allowed are: spoons, cranks, spinners and soft baits. The use of any natural bait, flyes or any other lures dressed with any time of textile material (fur, hackle, hair) is strictly prohibited. All the lures will be armed with single barbless hooks. All competitors needs to have a landing net (preferably with silicone or rubber mesh) and pliers. The failure in complying with Art. 3 will lead to immediate disqualification without refund of registration fee. 

Art. 4 - Competition System 

The total number of registered competitors will be divided by random drawing in three groups (1st, 2nd and 3rd .group) and the "Trout Area" competition will be divided into 3 phases: 1. - 9 qualifying rounds; 2. - Semifinal; 3. - Final The drawing of the groups, in a totally random way, must take place in the morning of the competition and in the presence of all the competitors.

Art. 5 - Preparation of the competition 

The peg numbers will be equal to one third of the total number of participants and with a distance of 4 meters between them.

Art.6 - The qualifying rounds, semifinal and final. 

From a total number of 9 rounds, each participant will face a different competitor in 6 rounds of 20 minutes each and will act as a steward in other 3 rounds. Will be a 5 min. break between each round, with a 30 min break between first 9 rounds and semifinal. Each pair of competitors will swap the position on the half of each round. (after 10 min.) The moment of position swap will be set by an acoustic signal from the steward - the fish in the net will be considered valid. 

a) Competitors will also play the role of steward and score the captures (eg. out of 9 rounds, each competitor will challenge another participant in 6 rounds while 3 rounds will play the role of steward). 

b) The groups drawing will be made under a mathematical algorithm. Each competitor will fish against a different competitor in each round, and in a different peg 

c) In the first round a competitor of the first group will challenge a competitor of the third group, while a competitor of the second group will act as an steward. 

d) In the second round a competitor from the first group will challenge a competitor from the second group, while a competitor from the third group will be steward. 

e) In the third round a competitor from the second group will challenge a competitor from the third group, while a competitor from first group will act as a steward. 

f) This system will be repeated for 9 rounds, in practice the members of each group, 6 times will compete against members from the other two groups and 3 times will have the steward role. 

g) Before the start, the competitors will be equipped with a randomly assigned number and a card showing the shifts and the various movements that the competitor will have to make. 

- the sequences of the stewards /rounds will be: 

1st, 4th and 7th round-stewards in the 2nd group; 

2nd, 5th and 8th stewards in the 3rd group 

3rd, 6th and 9th round stewards in the 1st group. 

h) To the competitors with the functions of steward will be given a form for the record of the catch that will be returned to the Director of competition at each round; the same will control the regular behavior of the angling (according to the rules and the spirit of the event).

Art. 7 - Prizes 

The prizes will be insured by a part of the registration fee and by spontaneous donations - all the prizes will be communicated before each competition. 

Art. 8 - Prohibitions 

a) To use bait lures with barbed hooks, modified, weighted or dressed - the spoons consumed can be restored only with paint and glitter (immediate disqualification) 

b) To use unsuitable equipment (eg rods longer than nine feet), missing landing net or pliers/disgorgers (immediate disqualification) 

c) Casting with intention outside your peg area will bring you a penalty point. 2 penalty points will bring immediate disqualification. 

d) Fishing stationary and keeping the soft bait on the bottom (without spinning the reel) for more than 15 seconds will bring you a penalty point. 2 penalty points will bring immediate disqualification. 

e) To take anti-sporting attitudes and stipulate agreements that can facilitate or harm oneself or others. 

Art.9 - Movements on the field of competition 

At each turn after the first, the competitors of the first group will position themselves on the next peg, the competitors of the second group will perform two peg jumps, while the competitors of the third group will position themselves, jumping 3 pegs, regardless of the role they will play (athlete or steward). All the peg jumps are clearly marked in each competitor leaflet.

Art.10 - Catches validation 

The capture will be validated if the fish is caught by mouth or if at least one hook is in the mouth (head) of the fish. The fish is valid only after was landed with the net, disgorged without touching the fish with hand (the fish can be touched from exterior of net`s mesh) and released with caution. Trout is prohibited to touch the ground during the landing, or to be kept suspended in the air inside the net. you will be allowed to touch with the hands only the artificial bait and the hook, and the trout in this phase must however remain in the net. If the fish is touched with the hands, the fish touches the ground, is bleeding or was fouly hooked, this wont validate and won`t count on the score sheet. 

Art.11 - Awarding of scores 

For each round, the points will be attributed as follows: 

Victory - 3 points 

Draw (with fish) - 1.5 point 

Draw (without fish) - 1 point 

Defeat - 0 points 

Art.12 - Access to the next phase 

At the end of the 9 rounds, based on the score achieved and reported on the card's column, the first 6th competitors who have accumulated the most points will queue up to semifinals. In case of draw on points and fish from 6th place, the competitors will enter in semifinals based on “golden trout” in a 10 min round. Eg. equal points & catches for 6th 7th and 8th place => golden trout. 

Art.13 - Semifinal In the semifinal 

Will accede the 6 winners of the previous round and they will challenge each other with the same system, in 3 pegs for a time of 20 minutes. The semifinal pairs will be 1-6, 2-5, 3-4. If 2 competitors are with equal results after 20 minutes the competitors will get an extra 10 minutes (will swap position after 5 min). This will allow the organizer to move the 3 pegs anywhere on the lake. In case of tie, will have priority the best result from first 9 rounds. 

Art.14 - Final 

The final will be held by the winners of the semi-finals, then no.3 finalists who will assume their starting position on random draw on 3 pegs 

- the first draw will take the position in first peg 

- the second the position in second peg 

- the third the position of the third peg 

They will fish for a time of 21 minutes and clockwise rotation on the posts of the pegs assigned every 7 minutes - in practice at the first movement the first extract will assume the position of the last extracted, the second will assume the position of the 1st and 3rd position of the 2nd. At the end of the 21 minutes, the victory will be attributed to the competitor who will have made more captures. 

In the event of a tie after 20 minutes the scenery will be as follows: 

If 2 competitors with more captures than the 3rd, the latter will be considered 3rd place and will abandon the peg. The remainers will continue the challenge by competing for 1st and 2nd place (extra 10 min). In this case who catch the first fish will be the the winner of the event. 

If the 20 minutes finish with a competitor with more catches and the other 2 even, the first will be the winner and between the other 2 will have priority the best result from first 9 rounds. 

If all 3 competitors will have same number of fish after 20 min, the first competitor who catch a fish will be the winner and between the other 2 will have priority the best result from first 9 rounds.