RIP Alan

Hardy Caster · RIP Alan

found out very bad news today Sixmile water Fishery manager Allan Kirkpatrick , ( Abi) Died last night . im in Shock , i was talking to him on
Friday , and fished with him last week ,, he was 48 or 49 i knew him all my life , and worked and guided with him., it will be a very sad loss for the Sixmile River .. cant believe this , it was so sudden... he will be missed.

Stevie

FIREY BROWN · Abi

Very sad news indeed Stevie,,he was a well known figure throughout the fishing industry and will be saddly missed by all........

fossil-fish

Stevie,

I did not know and had never met Mr Kirkpatrick. However I had seen him interviewed on TV and heard him on the radio several times. He was obviously a man who was totally committed to the care and conservation of this river. Very sad news indeed.

adriany

Dear me Stevie Im really sorry to hear this mate. Abi will indeed be sorely missed. He really was MR Sixmile and worked around the clock day in day out for the benefit of the water.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Adrian

Watty's Rock

Very sad news indeed. A man who was committed to our great sport and pastime.
AMC

Beatnik69

Stevie,

I didn't know the guy but I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and sympathy to his family as well.

Gary

ChrisDickey

he will be sadly missed, always was a wealth of information anytime he came up for a chat at tildarg

my thoughts are with his family

Hardy Caster

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obituary- Alan Kirkpatrick (1957 - 2008)

Alan Kirkpatrick was a native of east Co Antrim; he enjoyed 'Hunting,' Shooting' and Fishing,'" and was remarkably good at it. His love of fly-fishing, which began in childhood, never left him. Converting our interests into a career must be an unfulfilled dream for most of us at some time but Alan did this seemingly effortlessly. To list all of Alan’s efforts and achievements in angling would take too long but the following are an indication of his dedication. Alan was the head water bailiff on the river Maine for Shane ‘s Castle Estate where he also guided. He was also a fellow fully qualified angling guide and GAIA fly casting instructor in Trout and Salmon, and was one the directors of the newly formed Lough Neagh Fishing Tours. A Company promoting fishing and tourism on the British Isles biggest Lough (a big lough for a big Man) His last fish from the lough was caught just one day before he passed away a fine Dollaghan trout of 7lb.

Also and, maybe one of Alan's biggest challenges, was as head bailiff and fishery manager of the Sixmile Water. A river that he cared passionately about, where he was a life long member of its largest club, Antrim and District Angling Association. It is a credit to Alan and a few others that the Sixmile River is one of the best places close to Belfast to get a salmon at the end of the season. I remember the times that to take a salmon in this water was a rare thing but with the work that Alan and men like the late Newell McCreight undertook it has turned into a regular event.

Alan was a constant thorn in the side of any polluter that would harm the river or its fish, and a great annoyance to many a poacher. He was a great bailiff, which is not an easy job in this part of the world. One of the many stories I could tell about Alan was the time he came across a guy poaching the river and the creature pulled a knife on him. When I asked him what happened he told me he told the so and so to put it away before he cut himself. Believe me the guy put the knife away.

Alan fought tirelessly against polluters and went to many meetings in regard of this plight, more than many of us know and for the Antrim clubs he was worth his weight in gold. Sometimes it may have seemed a thankless task but many of us knew its worth and reaped the benefits.

I knew Alan all my life and enjoyed his company, fishing with him and his humour. We often fought like cat and dog but always made up. I will miss him a lot, my heart goes out to all his Family especially his wife Pauline, daughter and son James.

Stevie Munn

Hardy Greys Academy Fly Casting Instructor
Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructor - Casting (APGAI)
Association Professional Game Angling Instructor-Fly Tying (APGAI-Ire)
Professional Angling Guides & Instructors Network. (PAGIN)
__________________
www.anglingclassics.co.uk