Today was the first relaxation day since we arrived in Ireland for the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships. Team USA slept in after a late night catching up with old European friends. I didn’t move until around 8 AM. After breakfast I gave my tackle a once over to get ready for the tournament. The actual fishing starts on Wednesday.
At 4 PM we boarded a bus to head to downtown Galway to kick off the opening ceremonies for the event. We began with a parade where each team marched with their flags for about a half mile. The streets are narrow and pubs line both sides of them. There were a ton of folks lined up cheering. It was a fun party atmosphere which is found throughout Ireland.
After the parade the mayor of Galway kicked off the tournament and we returned to the Connacht Hotel for a dinner celebration. It’s been a long fun day. Tomorrow will be official practice and we’ll get a chance to fish two of the competition lakes.