Angling Trust Team England Fly Fishing

October 2025

Sunday 12th October – Lower Itchen – Organiser: Tony Fox

Overall Results: 1. Julian Erbsloeh 2. Jay Curry 3. Tim Pottage 4. Alex Adams 5. Alex Tipping 6. Andrew Smith 7. Vinnie King 8. M Cave 9. Baz Reece 10. S Crowder 11. Mike Heritage 12. Harry Chance 13. Gavin Walsh 14. John Bowen 15. Jim Dillon 16. O Palmer 17. Alan Williams 18. John Waters

May 2026

Sunday 17th May – River Tees, Raby Estate – Organiser: Harry Chance

The draw will take place on Saturday 16th May 6.30pm in the bar of the Teesdale Hotel, Market Place, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle DL12 0QG.

Briefing to take place at Withybank Farm at 7.30am Sunday 17th May 2026.

If you are not a member of the club, please purchase a ticket through the High Force Hotel or online Raby Estate – River Tees | Tees | The Fishing Passport.

I recommend that tickets are purchased early as they are limited to 20 per day on their water. Proof of day ticket will be required on the day for you to be able to fish.

The water kindly allocated by Raby Estate for this competition is:

Top of beat A downstream of what3word///dislodge.boosted.burglars this is opposite the beck that enters the Tees there will be a marker put in the ground.

Bottom of beat A is at what3word///skews.burst.specifies this is at the end of the wall that runs upstream from the farmyard to the river.

Top of beat B is at what3word///skews.burst.specifies this is at the end of the wall that runs upstream from the farmyard to the river.

Bottom of beat B is What3word///scariest.looms.talked this is the upstream side of Cronkley Bridge.

The Maps are a guide as to the top and bottom of the beats, the what3word are to be used on the day. A marker will be put in at the top of beat A.

Fishing will be split into 2 sessions.

Session 1: Beat A – 9:15am to 12:15pm

Score cards are to be handed in to H Chance at the end of the session. He will be at location what3wordd///soups.emptied.image. Withybank Farm angler car park.

Lunch 12:30pm to 13:15pm

Session 2: Beat B – 13:45pm to 16:45pm

Return to Withybank Farm angler car park hand in score cards and troughs.

Should you have any questions relating to this event please contact Harry Chance on 07719302747 or email: westcountyff@gmail.com

Max entries: 20

Rules

The competition water will be closed from Sunset Sunday the 9th May 2026.

Fishing will be to AT TEFF International Competition Rules and those Rule Modifications listed below. The main points will be briefed on the day. Fishery rules, beat info, parking areas are on below maps.

Map of Beat A Morning Session

Map of Beat B Afternoon Session

Rule Modifications

1. Trout
2. Size Limit – minimum 20cms
3. In both the Final (and in any practice days), AT TEFF rules and these Modifications apply.
4. The use of any ‘BUNG’ is strictly banned any fish caught using this method will not count.
5. Dry flies used in methods such as Trio and Duo should be flies that can reasonably be expected to take a wild river fish.
6. Any ‘Shuffling’ will result in disqualification.
7. Controllers and Competitors are NOT allowed to cross the river before the match has begun.
8. All Fish must be netted whilst the fish is still in the water. Under no circumstances should a fish be “aerialised”.

Please ensure that your Angling Trust membership is valid and up to date at the time of applying and for your qualifier(s) you are fishing and if you are successful to fish the National, otherwise the Angling Trust reserve the right to refuse entry to fish the event.

Cancellation/Refunds: Please note: If you wish to cancel a ticket, you are able to do this from the Angling Trust website. Alternatively, please inform refunds@anglingtrust.net by email, and include your name, the name of the event you would like to cancel, your membership number & post code. The Angling Trust require 3 days’ notice prior to the event in order to process a refund. Any notification outside this time scale will not be entitled to receive a refund. Please note: There is no secondary market for the sale or transfer of any tickets.

How to enter

Tickets will be available for purchase: 26 March 2026 @ 04:00pm, on the Angling Trust website here>>

June 2026

Sunday 28th June – River Ure, Wensley – Organiser: Paul Page

The Qualifier will be fished to IFFA Section A – Fishing rules and AT TEFF River Qualifier scoring system, on a Catch, Measure & Release basis. Both Trout and Grayling 20cms and above will be eligible for measuring, scoring & the awarding of fish points.

Entrants will be split into 2 groups:
Morning Group – fishing am & controlling pm.
Afternoon Group – fishing pm & controlling am.

HQ: Three Horseshoes, Wensley, Leyburn, N Yorkshire DL8 4HJ.
am fishing Wensley Beat, pm fishing Bolton Hall Beat
Both Wensley and Bolton Hall beats are closed for practice Saturday 27th June 2026
Fishing Times: Morning group 09:00am – 12:30pm. Afternoon group 14:00pm – 17:30pm
Briefing: 08:00am
Entry Fee: £30.00
Fishing Fee: £25.00 payable on the morning directly to the organiser unless you are a Bolton Estate Season ticket holder or have purchased a Special Limited Season Ticket, from the organiser below.
Min entries: 12 / Max entries: 24
A limited number of day tickets are available from the Estate Office tele.01969 621182
A Special Limited Season Ticket covering 16th – 26th and 28th June inc. can be purchased for £60 in advance from Paul Page. Contact 07768 854849, ventonpage@gmail.com
Please ensure that your membership is valid and up to date at the time of applying and for your qualifier/s you are fishing and if you are successful to fish the final, otherwise the Angling Trust reserve the right to refuse entry to fish the event.
AT TEFF matches now have an AT membership requirement. If you need to renew or sign up, please visit the Angling Trust website here>> or call 0343 5077 006 (option 1).

Cancellation/Refunds: Please note: If you wish to cancel a ticket, please inform refunds@anglingtrust.net by email, and include your name, the name of the qualifier you would like to cancel, your membership number & postcode. We require 3 days’ notice prior to the qualifier in order to process a refund. Any notification outside of this time scale will not be entitled to receive a refund. Please note: There is no secondary market for the sale or transfer of any tickets.

How to enter
Sorry but only members of Angling Trust can purchase tickets for this event.
Entry details here>>

July 2026

Sunday 26th July – River Dee, Llangollen – Organiser: Harry Chance

26 July 2026 9:30 AM – 26 July 2026 5:00 PM
HQ: Hand Hotel, Bridge Street, Llangollen LL20 8PL
Members only

The draw will take place on Saturday 25th July 6:30pm in the bar of the Hand Hotel, Bridge Street, Llangollen LL20 8PL. What3word///fiery.vertical.clip

Briefing to take place at the Hand Hotel at 7:30am Sunday 26th July.

Fishing Times – Fishing will be split into 2 sessions.

Session 1: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Score cards are to be handed in to Harry Chance at the end of the session he will be at location mimes.manuals.indulges
Froncysyllte Community Centre LL20 7RH carpark

Lunch: 12:45pm to 13:30pm

Session 2: 14:00pm to 17:00pm
Return to Froncysyllte Community Centre LL20 7RH carpark hand in score cards and troughs.

Practice: The competition water will be closed from sunset on Sunday the 19th July 2026

Entry Fee: £30.00

Fishing Fee
If you are not a member of Llangollen and Maelor angling association, please purchase a ticket direct from the club.
Proof of day ticket will be required on the day for you to be able to fish.
Website contact Llangollen Maelor Angling about membership to fish on the River Dee, North Wales
The water kindly allocated by Llangollen and Maelor Angling for this competition is.

Top of beat downstream side of Bont bridge what3words///astounded.wipes.cleans.

Bottom of beat upstream side of the viaduct what3words///kicks.presenter.slugs.

This water will be fished in both sessions. Due to this the tickets are limited to 14 total.

Max entries: 14

Should you have any questions relating to this event please contact Harry Chance on 07719 302747 or email: westcountyff@gmail.com

Rules
The competition water will be closed from sunset on Sunday the 19th July 2026
Fishing will be to AT TEFF International Competition Rules and those Rule Modifications listed below. The main points will be briefed on the day. Fishery rules, beat info, parking areas are on the map above.

Rule Modifications

1. Size Limit – minimum 20cms
2. In both the Final (and in any practice days), AT TEFF rules and these Modifications apply.
3. The use of any ‘BUNG’ is strictly banned any fish caught using this method will not count.
4. Dry flies used in methods such as Trio and Duo should be flies that can reasonably be expected to take a wild river fish.
5. Any ‘Shuffling’ will result in disqualification.
6. Controllers and Competitors are NOT allowed to cross the river before the match has begun.
7. All Fish must be netted whilst the fish is still in the water. Under no circumstances should a fish be “aerialised”.

Please ensure that your membership is valid and up to date at the time of applying and for your qualifier/s you are fishing and if you are successful to fish the final, otherwise the Angling Trust reserve the right to refuse entry to fish the event.
If you need to renew or sign up, please visit the Angling Trust website here>> or call 0343 5077 006 (option 1).

Cancellation/Refunds: Please note: If you wish to cancel a ticket, please inform refunds@anglingtrust.net by email, and include your name, the name of the qualifier you would like to cancel, your membership number & postcode. We require 3 days’ notice prior to the qualifier in order to process a refund. Any notification outside of this time scale will not be entitled to receive a refund. Please note: There is no secondary market for the sale or transfer of any tickets.

How to enter
Sorry but only members of Angling Trust can purchase tickets for this event.
Entry details here>>

National Rivers Final

R. Tees – 5th-6th September 2026 [by kind permission of the Raby Estate]

Rivers Qualifier Organiser – Harry Chance westcountryff@gmail.com

Entries & Results Spreadsheet

Team England Fly Fishing is proud to announce a new supporter, The Peacock at Rowsley. Set in the heart of the Peak District, and famous for its fly fishing, The Peacock is giving Team England FF a discount on accommodation only. This is a heritage luxury hotel and restaurant, where hospitality and timeless history meet. And you can relax in glorious surroundings.

Team England Fly Fishing would like to thank Mr Simon Caddy, who has stood down from being the England Rivers Manager, for all his hard work and dedication to the Rivers Team. In response to this Team England Fly Fishing are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Paul Baker as the New Rivers Team Manager for 2026, we wish Paul Baker Good luck and Tight Lines for the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Keith Wallace, Sponsorship & Marketing

https://www.itv.com/watch/news/man-to-lead-england-fly-fishing-team-set-to-make-first-trip-back-to-country-he-served-in/164gnwm

The BBC also has coverage of Del here>>

Veteran heads back to Bosnia for fishing champs

Del Spry completed three tours of the Balkans in the 1990s and early 2000s

Mark McAlindon and Hannah Mitchell, North East and Cumbria

An army veteran who served in the Bosnian war is to return to the country to compete in the European Fly Fishing Championship.

Derek Spry, known as Del, is the captain of the England team.

The former soldier, from Carlisle, served with the UN Forces during the Bosnian war, and his return for the competition in June will be the first time he has visited the country since then.

“I said I never wanted to go back,” Spry said. “The destruction throughout the country was eye-opening.”

He completed three tours of the Balkans in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“The difference I saw was quite dramatic in terms of the country’s recovery,” he said.

“I initially wasn’t going to go back, but I know some of the Bosnian fishing team and they say it’s a nice place these days.

“Twenty-five years later, I think it’s going to be a nice experience.”

Spry said the competition would be “tough”

Spry also served in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, where he was injured by an improvised explosive device.

The veteran first started fly-fishing when he was 12 and found returning to the sport after serving in the army to be “very relaxing”.

“Getting in the river, three hours can fly by,” he said. “It’s almost like meditation – the focus on everything, making a nice cast, tying flies, changing flies and trying to trick a wild fish into taking it.”

The 30th European Fly Fishing Championship will be held in Mostar and Livno regions of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with teams competing on the Buna River and Mostar Lake in Mostar, and the Sturba River in Livno.

“It’s going to be tough,” Spry said. “A lot of the other teams have easier access to fishing in those kinds of rivers than we have. They have a lot of skills, a lot of experience, a lot of funding.

“But we’ve got a pretty good team and we’ll do our best.”

This competition consists initially of 4 Qualifying events around the country. These Qualifiers are in Block A.
There will then be a further group of 4 Heats in Block B.
Finally, there will be a single further ‘Catch All’ Qualifier in Block C.
From these three blocks anglers will qualify for the National Loch-style Final at Chew Valley Lake on 26th & 27th September 2026.
Maximum number of entries per angler is 3, one in Block A, one in Block B, or one in Block C. Or you can just enter Block B and C, or C only. (Note: Anglers may only fish one heat from each Block.)
Entries to Block A heats open at 7pm on Monday 19th January and close at midnight on 12th April.
Please only enter one heat at a time in any one Block. You may enter into Block B and/or Block C if you are unsuccessful in Block A.
Block B entries open on 12th May and close on 22nd May.
Block C entries open 16th June and close on 22nd June.

Please note: To compete in the Loch-style Heats and National Final you must be a valid member of Angling Trust, you can join here>>

Cancellation/Refunds: Please note: If you wish to cancel a ticket, you are able to do this from your member account by navigating to “Your Dashboard” in the top right of the website and selecting the “Your Competitions” tab. Alternatively, please inform refunds@anglingtrust.net by email, and include your name, the name of the qualifier you would like to cancel, your membership number & post code. We require 3 days’ notice prior to the qualifier in order to process a refund. Any notification outside of this time scale will not be entitled to receive a refund. Please note: There is no secondary market for the sale or transfer of any tickets.

Competition Rules are here>>

Risk Assessment is here>>

Block A Qualifiers

Grafham Water – Sunday 19th April – enter here>>
Blagdon Lake – Sunday 26th April – enter here>>
Sweethope Loughs – Sunday 3rd May – enter here>>
Ladybower Fisheries – Sunday 10th May – enter here>>

Block B Qualifiers

Blithfield Reservoir – Friday 29th May – enter here>>
Wimbleball – Sunday 31st May – enter here>>
Chew Valley Lake – Sunday 7th June – enter here>>
Rutland Water – Sunday 7th June – enter here>>

Block C ‘Catch All’ Qualifier

Draycote Water – Sunday 28th June – enter here>>

National Final

Chew Valley Lake – 26th-27th September 2026

Links

Pre-register for the Semperfli Yorkshire Fy Fishing and Fly Tying Roadshow here>>

See the massive range of Semperfli materials, available directly online, and at stores across the UK here>>

The Essential Fly, your dedicated online retailer for the fly angler and fly tyer. Browse their range of top brands here>>