New Year's Day 2005 in Donegal was different as over 200 anglers broke with tradition and did not join in the race to catch the first salmon of the season yesterday. Every year the first salmon has been landed on Donegal's Bundrowes or the Leanann, but that was not the main concern this year. What worries the club angler this year is the way in which their angling is diminishing due to the state policy of drift netting. Anglers had protested in the past and after marches and public meetings to the then Minister Frank Fahey TD who promised to resolve the main issues. Some national officers were sceptical of his word on these promises, and wanted them in writing. The Minister eventually did this and to seal it further, the deal was read into the Dail record. Ever since that time the national anglers federation, FISSTA, have sought from every Marine Minister to have these promises honoured. But excuses were cited until one after another promise was broken as the ever patient angler lost their patience.

So, as this new season opened yesterday, the local and visiting anglers agreed to protest by refusing to fish until the Government repair their broken promises now. At first light on New Years Day, the first club out were the Creeslough anglers on the Lackagh River, who erected signs informing all visiting anglers of the 'no fishing' protest on their waters. All over the county, anglers who would normally fish this or other rivers such as the Leannan or Bundrowes refused to buy their licenses and stayed away in support of the action. They were protesting over the five broken political promises and they are calling on visiting anglers "to fish with us and not instead of us" by supporting them in their peaceful and legal action. The decision by Creeslough Anglers to refuse to buy a rod license and so called 'new permit' being introduced for the first time by NRFB has been supported by the national federation, FISSTA, who represents the majority of salmon anglers in Donegal. The protest was well organised and undertaken in a spirit of very good humour tone and all with the minimum disruption to traffic. The Secretary of FISSTA Noel Carr, addressed the crowd and expressed the support of FISSTA for the many who braved the elements to protest on the Bundrowes. "Time has run out for and we are now dealing with our third Minister to get delivery of our promises. Although, it is not of his making, as the Minister in charge, it now falls on Minister Pat the Cope Gallagher TD to save our angling and salmon from its imminent death".

The organisers of the protest thanked the many anglers who joined the protest, and especially to those who ceased angling and joined with the crowds of protesters with placards on the Bundrowes bridge at Tullagahan.

The many anglers who joined the locals in protest on the Lackagh and Bundrowes came from Mayo, Galway, Sligo and the North. Many cars and a large bus travelled from Ballina in support of the action and Chairperson Josephine Egan stated that "Anglers have sent a clear message to the Minister to resolve these 5 broken promises now so that we can all go back to fish as we should be doing today".