2013 Bank International Team 
The Team England FF Bank Team for 2013 will be (right):
Phil Dixon (Captain); Glen Appleby; Howard Croston; Rob Frame; Tim Gilchrist (Reserve); Gordon Swain; Andy Taylor; and Alan Jenkins (Manager). 
They will represent Team England FF at the Bank International in October at Lochter fishery, Inveruie, Aberdeenshire. Here they are (below) at a recent team squad day at Seighford Lakes, along with Jim Tuck, Bank Organiser, and Clothing Sponsor John Grant from Grantz Clothing, who supplied the team outfits.
England win 2012 Bank International in Wales
England convincingly won the Bank International at Garnffrwd fishery in South Wales by a record margin with a tremendously consistent team performance over two sessions. The team consisted of Simon Robinson as captain with team members Terry Phillips, Dean Appleby, Phil Dixon, Jim Tuck and Mark Harrison, with Andy Taylor as reserve and Alan Jenkins as team manager.
Full report: Bank International 2012
Full results: 2012 Bank International Results
Teams
1st England total placings – 88 (76 fish)
2nd Scotland total placings – 158 (51 fish)
3rd Wales total placings – 163 (50 fish)
4th Ireland total placings – 194 (41 fish)
Individuals
1st Terry Phillips (England) – total placings – 3 (19 fish)
2nd Dean Appleby (England) – total placings – 3 (17 fish)
3rd Stephen Corsar (Scotland) – total placings – 9 (13 fish)
4th Brian Kerr (Ireland) – total placings – 10 (14 fish)
5th Matthew Jones (Wales) – total placings – 12 (13 fish)
6th Simon Robinson (England) – total placings – 12 (12 fish)
7th Phil Dixon (England) – total placings – 14 (12 fish)
8th Jim Tuck (England) – total placings – 14 (11 fish)
2012 Bank International Team
The Team England FF Bank Team for 2012 will be:
Alan Jenkins (Manager); Simon Robinson (Captain) from Whickham, Tyne & Wear; Dean Appleby, Peterlee, Co Durham; Terry Phillips, Bursclough, Lancashire; Jim Tuck, Ashington, Northumberland; Phil Dixon, Seighford, Staffordshire; Mark Harrison, Walsall, West Midlands; and Andy Taylor (Reserve), Stafford, Staffordshire.
2011 Bank International, Barfinnihy Lake, Kenmare, Ireland
Final results are:
1. Scotland 146 placing points
2. Ireland 179
3. England 190
4. Wales 203
Total Fish caught: 45
Top Individual: Terry Kelly (Ireland) 8 place points
Best Fish: Lee Patten (Wales) 50cms
Top England rod: Davey Parker 6th (25 placing points)
Team England Bank Squad Day
A day was organised for a get-together to familiarise the team taking part in the Bank International at Barfinnihy Lake, Kenmare, Ireland in October.
Ed Foster, a late replacement to the team, was unable to join us, as was Dave Parker who was representing England in the Czech Republic.
The day started with strong winds but, not to be deterred, after some strong coffee a briefing was given on the best possible areas and methods to fish.
Soon we all set out to try for the hard-fighting brown trout stocked in the reservoirs. First to find a good fish of a pound and a half was Mike Dixon, who had travelled up from Crewe that morning.
Unfortunately, for the rest of the squad the morning proved fruitless, with the exception of a few pulls and a lost fish to Glen Appleby.
At lunch time we all headed off to the Moorcock Inn, where we were greeted by the welcome sight of juicy bacon rolls and thick homemade chips. After the excellent lunch a brief team talk as given by Team Manager Alan Jenkins, followed by a presentation of Team England shirts and badges to the new Internationals Bart Farmer and Rob Frame.
Smiddyshaw Reservoir was our afternoon venue, when we were again greeted with strong sunshine and even stronger winds. However, we persevered for a few hours longer before deciding to call it a day.
England Youth World Team member Carl Malpass, who joined us after lunch, decided to stick with the conditions and managed a nice fish for his efforts.
Preparations are now well in hand for the second Bank International, which will be held on the 19th October 2011 in Ireland. The organisers are the Trout Anglers Federation Ireland (TAFI), who will be our hosts for this event.
Team Profile
Glen Appleby
22 years old, from Peterlee in the North East of England, Glen’s interest in fly fishing began when he was 10, and he has always received encouragement from his father Peter. He qualified for the England bank team last year for the first Bank International, and is back in the side again for 2011. “I love all types of fly-fishing methods and my tip is to try to find the depth the fish are at, and to adapt.”
Mike Dixon
Since he started fishing in 2000, Mike has belonged to the same 6-man team, qualifying for the finals of every competition bar three! He’s also represented England in Loch Style Internationals 5 times, and made it to two Rivers Nationals. “As you know, we won the Airflo Team final last year, and I finished as the top individual. I’ve also won the Hanningfield Masters.”
Ed Foster
Ed is well known for owning and operating Elinor Trout Fishery, voted in Trout Fisherman as the best medium-sized water in the UK, and a regular venue for the Airflo Classic Final. He has represented his country four times in Loch-style Internationals (at Lough Owel, Trawsfyndd – twice – and Loch Leven), and will be captaining the side in the Autumn International at Grafham.
Bart Farmer
In Bart’s own words, he “Never stops fishing”. Despite only starting in 2004, he’s put the hours in, getting out at least twice a week, on the small waters through the winter and the reservoirs the rest of the time. A member of the Rib Valley and Hanningfield clubs, he is usually well placed in most of their competitions. As for international experience, “From 1988 to 1998 I competed at the highest level in the sport of pro paintball”.
Rob Frame
An electrical estimator from Newcastle upon Tyne, Rob has 41 years’ experience to call on, and is currently a member of the 3-man North East Fly Fishers Team. His ambition has always been to fish for England with some of the top anglers in the country, to learn and become a better angler. “My favourite style of fishing? Top of the water with dries or straight lining a team of buzzers or nymphs.”
Dave Parker
Dave started competition fishing in 1991, winning lots of local events before landing the team gold in the 2001 Airflo Classic. In the same year he won team gold in the European and team silver at Loch Leven. He’s since followed this by winning the Rivers National, along with more appearances in Rivers Internationals, Europeans, and his first World Championships in Finland 2007. “I started with my Dad and Uncle, at the age of 6, fishing my local rivers – Tweed, Till, Teviot, Coquet and Pont.”
Team Manager: Alan Jenkins
(Images supplied courtesy of Graham Robinson of GRP)
