A Donegal student is excelling in one of the less popular sports for teenagers – fly fishing.
Colm Colye (14), from Crossroads, Killygordon, recently landed another podium finish in the juvenile heats of the prestigious Ulster Youth Winter Fishing League.
Fly fishing is a highly skilled form of angling that uses a lightweight lure – an artificial fly – to catch fish.
The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel and a specialised weighted line.
The light weight requires casting techniques significantly different, and more difficult, from other forms of casting.
A son of Anita and Kieran Coyle, Colm is a student at the Finn Valley College in Stranorlar.
His love for fishing stems back four generations – Colm’s late great grandfather, Peter Coyle, was a very keen and highly skilled angler.
Peter would spend hours fishing on ‘The Steps’ private fisheries, the deep holes and sand beds of the River Finn, which flows just in front of the family home at Blairstown, Castlefin.
He passed down his love for fishing to his four sons: Seamus, Aidan, Pete and John who in turn transferred it to their sons and grandsons.
Colm is a grandson of Seamus Coyle, Monellan, Killygordon.
Colm in action recently.
“I think Colm was just six years-old when granda Seamus first took him to the River Finn to fish, and that’s where Colm got his love for this unique sport,” proud mum Anita told Donegal Daily.
She added that Colm spends ‘long hours’ at Andy Diver’s Ballyheather Fisheries, between Strabane and Derry.
“I leave him down on a Saturday at 7.50 am and he stays there until 10pm during the summer months! Colm only started taking an interest in fly fishing when he was 12 years-old. Now, at the age of 14, he is fishing with the Foyle River-catchment Outdoor Group (Frogs). The coaches there are fantastic, a massive thank you must go to Joe Owens and Damien Devine who have been incredibly helpful to Colm.”