
The Helm in Westport hosted their annual Skate Festival over last weekend, and once again it was a roaring success for Vinny and his crew in the Helm. 100 anglers competed over the two days, all vying to catch the biggest skate in the bay, with a massive €2,000 prize on offer for the best fish. The fishing this year was excellent, and a new record was set with 8 skate landed over the weekend, plus 2 lost, as well as large numbers of dogfish, in addition to thornback ray and bull huss.

Every year, on the first weekend in October, The Helm hosts the largest fishing festival of it's kind in Europe when seventy to a hundred fishermen and their families come from all over Ireland, the UK and further afield to compete for a €2000 prize aimed at conserving and promoting the research of marine life in Clew Bay.