30 nations representing four continents are battling it out on the waters of Rivers Sarca and Noce in Trentino (Northern Italy).
FIPD-Mouche has chosen Italy, and more precisely Trentino for the 38th edition of the World Fly Fishing Championships, organised by the Italian FIPSAS in close collaboration with the Trentini section and scheduled from 17th to 23rd September 2018. In the heart of the Alps, in an exceptional natural setting, with a good 2000 km of watercourses, almost 300 lakes, and over 800 square kilometres of natural parks, Trentino is ready to welcome anglers from all over the world.
The river Sarca , the river Noce and the Lake ofCornisello – in western Trentino – will be the competition sectors of the international competition. The Terme di Comano will be the headquarters of the Championship, a renowned spa resort overlooking the river Sarca, kingdom of the marble trout as well as that of many other fish species.
Countries entered: Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Channel Islands, Croatia, Finland, France, Japan, England, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Hungary, U.S.A.
Programme
Monday 17th September: Arrival of teams and registration at Grand Hotel Terme – 1st Captains’ Meeting & Draw – Parade and Opening Ceremony in Piazza Duomo in Trento
Tuesday 18th September: 1st & 2nd Official Practice Sessions
(AT TEFF Press Release November 2017) Angling Trust’s Team England Fly Fishing announced today its World squad for the 38th FIPS Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship which will be held in the North East of Italy, at Camano Terme, Trentino in September 2018. The Championship will be held over 5 sessions fished on the Sarca, Noce, Chiese Rivers, and Cornisello Reservoir.
The squad will be led by Paul Page as Captain and Manager with Team Members Andrew Scott, Simon Robinson, Phil Dixon, Howard Croston and Scott Nellins.
The Squad are expected to fly out to Milan a week before the Championship for practice and tactical development.
Team England FF pre-competition practice sessions
Team England FF are already out in Italy preparing for the 38th FIPS-Mouche World Championships. Here are a few pics from their pre-c0mpetition practice sessions.
Andrew Scott scored a 6th place with 16 fish in his section on the River Sarca – Tione, with Phil Dixon coming 7th on the River Noce, and Howard Croston 15th on the River Sarca – Pinzolo. On Lake Cornisello, fishing from the bank, Simon Robinson came 16th, with Scott Nellins 19th on the River Sarca – Arco. Out of 27 teams, England are currently lying in 9th place with 63 placing points. Italy are in 1st place with 13 points, followed by Spain 2nd with 25 points, France in 3rd with 26 points, Poland 4th with 31 points, and the Czech Republic 5th with 34 points. Ireland are 17th with 82 points session_1_teams
Session 2
Simon Robinson came 3rd with 14 fish on the River Sarca – Pinzolo, with Howard Croston 9th on the River Noce, and Scott Nellins 10th on the River Sarca – Tione. Phil Dixon came 12th on the River Sarca – Arco, with Andrew Scott saving a blank on Lake Cornisello to finish 25th. England slipped one place to 10th with 121 placing points. Spain are currently in 1st place with 56 points, ahead of France on 59 points, with Italy 3rd on 60 points, the Czech Republic 4th with 75 points, and the Slovak Republic moving up to 5th with 76 points, thanks to a couple of section wins session_2_teams_cumul Individually, Jordi Oliveras Cortina (Spain) leads the field with 4 placing points, which included a 1st place on the lake, in front of Carlo Sciaguri (Italy) on 5 points, and Sebastien Vidal (France) and Frantisek Kouba (Czech Republic), both on 6 points session_2_indiv_cumul
Session 3
A better session for England saw Howard Croston winning his section on the River Sarca – Arco with 13 fish, plus a 5th place for Andrew Scott on the River Sarca – Pinzolo, and 6th for Phil Dixon on the River Sarca – Tione. Although Simon Robinson came 23rd on the River Noce and Scott Nellins was one of the 50% of the field who blanked on an increasingly difficult lake sector, England still moved up to 8th place. Spain held onto their first place with 94 points, ahead of Italy on 115 points, with France and the Czech Republic both on 123 points session_3_teams_cumul The leading individuals changed, with Vojtech Ungr (Czech Republic) now in 1st place with 9 points, ahead of Igor Lukasik (Slovak Republic), Jyrki Hiltunen (Finland), Carlo Sciaguri (Italy) and Jure Osolin (Slovenia) all on 12 points session_3_indiv_cumul
32 anglers will compete in the AT TEFF River National Final, which will be held on the River Eden on Thursday 27th & Friday 28th September.
The match will be held on Appleby Angling Association water over two beats. Beat 1 from Crooks Beck to Mill Beck in the Sandford area. Beat 2 will begin at Holme Farm and end at Hoff Beck, Appleby.
In both these events (and in any practice days) TEFF rules will apply (see below). The top 5 anglers will form the team, with 6th place as reserve, to represent England in the 2019 Rivers Home International on the River Agivey in Ireland from 3rd to 6th July 2019.
Participation is by qualification only (through Rivers National Qualifiers), and full details of entry procedure and timetable have been sent to all participants.
Confirmed Participants
Alex Adams – Fred Bainbridge – Andrew Baker – Tony Baldwin – Jonathan Barnes – Simon Caddy – Simon Clarke – Cameron Craigs – Andrew Croucher – Julian Curry – Andrew Deacon – Michael Dixon – Paul Fairhurst – Andy Ford – Tony Fox – Andrew Green – Michael Heritage – Tom Hunt – Graham Kennerley – Mark Lynch – Christopher Micallef – Kevin Moran – Carl Nixon – Baz Reece – Christopher Richardson – Paul Runec – Peter Scholes – Adam Sinclair – Derek Spry – Adam Stafford – Mark Thomas – Mark Withyman
Reserves
Peter Cook – Harry Fox – Stan Moore – Andy Taylor – Dave Wiltshire
Cost & Practice Tickets
Entry fee £95 (includes fishing fees, food and admin. Appleby AA members can apply for a refund of the £40 fishing tickets.)
Practice permits: £10 from Pigneys Hardware Store, Chapel Street, Appleby-in-Westmorland
Note: Final day for practice is Sunday 16th September (inclusive). No further fishing on National beats by finalists is allowed.
Entry Information
All entries via the online Angling Trust Booking System at
Note: 1. Entries after the closing date will not be accepted and your place will be allocated to a reserve
2. You must be an individual member of AT before 16th September, or you will not be allowed to compete
There are two different ways to book your ticket, depending on whether you are an individual Angling Trust member at the point of booking. (Full details in correspondence sent to all qualifiers).
In any event, in order to fish this National Final, participants must become a member of Angling Trust before 16th September, and agree to abide by the competition rules of AT-TEFF & fishery rules.
Timetable
Tuesday 25th September
18:00 Draw for Groups and Priority Number at Tufton Arms – all welcome
Thursday 27th September
07:30-07:45 Registration at Broad Close Car Park
07.45 Briefing
08:00 Departure for am sessions
09:30-11:00 Session 1
11:00-12:30 Session 2
13:00-13:30 Return to Broad Close Car Park. Submit score cards and change over
13:30 Depart for pm sessions
15:00-16:30 Session 3
16:30-18:00 Session 4
18:30-19:30 Return to Broad Close Car Park. Submit score cards
19:45 – Day 1 Results available Tufton Arms
Friday 28th September
07:30-07:45 Check in at Broad Close Car Park
07.45 Briefing
08:00 Departure for am sessions
09:30-11:00 Session 5
11:00-12:30 Session 6
13:00-13:30 Return to Broad Close Car Park. Submit score cards and change over
13:30 Depart for pm sessions
15:00-16:30 Session 7
16:30-18:00 Session 8
18:30-19:30 Return to Broad Close Car Park. Submit score cards
19:45 – Supper at Tufton Arms
19:45 – Day 2 & Final Results
Draw
The Draw splits the 32 finalists into 4 groups – A, B, C, D. These groups then fish two sessions and control two sessions on each day. The Draw also identifies a Priority Number, which establishes the precedence that a finalist has over his fellow group members at the start of sessions 1, 3, 5 & 7 to select his start position within his beat. This Priority Number can be used up to 20 mins of the start time for these sessions.
Beat Map & Rules
Fishing will be to ATTEFF International Competition Rules and those Rule Modifications listed below. Copies of the rules are available on this website, but the main points will be briefed on the day. Fishery rules, beat info and parking areas available via interactive map at:
3. In both the Final (and in any practice days), ATTEFF rules and these Modifications apply.
4. The use of the ‘bung’ is strictly banned, any form of foam or cork bodied indicator fly is not allowed.
5. Dry flies used in methods such as trio and duo should be flies that can reasonably be expected to take a fish.
6. ‘Shuffling’ is to be completely avoided.
7. Controllers and Competitors are allowed to cross the river at the official crossing points only. i.e. Blacksyke bridge at Sandford; Stepping Stones at Crackenthorpe; and the cattle grid upstream of the Stepping Stones.
8. Fish have to be netted whilst the fish is in the water. Under no circumstances should a fish be “Aerialised”.
This event will be run and administered by Jeremy Lucas, Paul Page and Baz Reece. If you have any questions please contact Baz on 07811 560383.
Saturday 20th October – Northern Federation – River Dee, Llangollen & Maelor AA – Organiser: Carl Nixon – Limited to 24 anglers – Grayling only – 20cm size limit – Final practice day is Oct 13th – Please email to secure an entry to matchmanflies@gmail.com where instructions to complete payment, beat details and maps will follow
November 2018
Sunday 11th November – South East FF Federation – Lower Itchen fishery (Official Practice: Saturday 10th November) – Organiser: Tony Fox – Entry: £21 fishing fee + £30 Angling Trust fee = £51.00 total – Practice Days: £37.00 per day – Limit: 28 places – Invitation Letter: RiversQualifierLetter2018
December 2018
Sunday 16th December – Note: This Qualifier is now Full. Reserve names are now being taken – Northern Federation – River Dee, Llangollen & Maelor AA – Organiser: Carl Nixon – Limited to 24 anglers – Grayling only – 20cm size limit – Final practice day is Dec 9th – Please email to secure an entry to matchmanflies@gmail.com where instructions to complete payment, beat details and maps will follow
100 competitors, who had pre-qualified through the Loch-style Qualifiers and the Repechage, fished the two-day 2018 Loch-style National at Grafham Water on Saturday – Sunday 15th-16th September.
The top 28 anglers were selected to represent England in the 2019 Loch-style Home Internationals, with the Spring event being held at Grafham Water, and the Autumn event taking place at the Lake of Menteith, Scotland.
Day 1
233 fish were caught on the Saturday in challenging conditions, with new England World Team Manager John Horsey finishing top rod for the day with 7 fish for 14lb 8oz. Team England member Mark Harrison and Tony Curtis finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, also with 7 fish each for 14lb 5oz. All to play for tomorrow, the forecast was predicting blustery winds but plenty of cloud cover. The very best of luck to each and every one of the anglers out there on Sunday!
(photos courtesy of Grafham Water Fishing Lodge)
Final Results
Congratulations to Frank Sumnall on becoming 2018 AT TEFF Loch Style National Champion! 13 points over 2 days was enough to secure the title by a margin of 6 points from the perennial challenger Mark Miles. Congratulations to the top 28 anglers who will now represent England in the 2019 Internationals, which will be held at Grafham in the spring and Lake of Menteith in the Autumn, subject to ratification by TEFFIC.
Official Top 30 (subject to ratification by ATTEFFIC in November): Official result
(Note: The finishing positions have been amended to take into account minor positional errors in the result originally announced. This has not affected those that are in the top 28.)
A huge thank you to Ian Colclough for all his work in coordinating the competition, to everyone who contriuted to the qualifiers, and to Peter Hartley and the team at Grafham Water Fishing Lodge for organising & delivering the final. Without the work these guys do the competition wouldn’t take place. Well done to everyone who took part, challenging conditions on both days to say the least.
Plans for 2019 are under way and we hope to announce the details soon.
The Angling Trust has announced that experienced international angler John Horsey has been appointed as the manager of next year’s England World Team. John will join Team England Fly Fishing Committee with immediate effect and take up the role of manager following the 2018 FIPS-Mouche World Championships in September 2018.
John’s experience of international fishing is second to none having represented England in FIPS-Mouche World and European Championships on no less than 23 occasions. John has also represented England on 18 occasions in IFFA Loch Style Internationals and 2 IFFA River internationals. His domestic successes include winning both the Loch Style and Rivers National Championships.
John will bring a vast amount of experience and expertise to the role and his first task as manager will be to prepare the team to compete in the FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship in Tasmania in November 2019.
John Horsey said“Competition fly fishing has been a huge part of my life for the last 30 years. Representing Team England has always been my ambition and I have been fortunate to have done this many times. I feel that the time has now come to change roles at World Level from competitor to manager and I am really looking forward to this new challenge. Tasmania could not be a better place to start, as I have fished the waters and run fishing clinics there many times. Thanks to the new Elite Performance Programme, we have what I believe is the right group of anglers to have a serious chance of bringing home a medal.”
Current World Team Manager Paul Page will take the helm of Team England’s European team for 2019 and will lead the team as they head to Montenegro in July to compete in the FIPS-Mouche European Championships.
Paul Page said; “The Fips-Mouche Competition Calendar is changing over the next few years and I’m pleased that we have been able to strengthen our Management Team to respond to the new challenges ahead. John has been in many of the England Teams that I have managed over the years and brings the right skills and experience to help us concentrate on our future team building and success.”
Best Basket: Grant Osler (Scotland) 11 fish 22 lbs 14.125 ozs
Heaviest Trout: Terry Llewelyn (Wales) 3 lbs 7.750 ozs
AT Team England FF were represented by: Paul Angell (manager), John Horsey (captain), Rob Allan, Ashley Davis, Tom Davis, Paul Golding, John Hardy, Paul Haskey, Malcom Hunt, Mike Lightfoot, Eddie Mitchell, Stephen Peart, Leigh Pond, Ben Race & Paul Runec.
AT Team England FF manager Paul Angell reports: 3 days of practice in differing weather conditions showed that there were fish widely spread throughout the reservoir and that many of the fish were concentrated in the upper layers of the water. English rods found that boobies fished on intermediate lines would be the first line of attack with dries also working well when the wind decreased and temperatures rose.
The start of the International saw boats scatter with numbers starting around the cages, others heading to the Coves and the Hafoty Shore and some drifting across the middle of the lake. It quickly became obvious that the fishing was not going to be easy and boats started moving to alternative areas to try to find feeding fish. This was to continue throughout the match, with some anglers building good scores whilst others struggled to boat fish.
By the 6pm finish, the 56 competitors had caught a total of 265 fish giving a rod average of 4.7
As England Manager, I consider that the team worked together extremely well under the excellent leadership of experienced captain John Horsey, to produce a great team spirit. Practice had gone well but match day found us an average of a fish a man behind the winning Scottish team.
The England Team would like to thank their clothing sponsors Craghoppers and Snowbee for their support, also Guide Fly Fishing, Fulling Mill, Snowbee and Costa Sunglasses for their continued support with tackle and other essential equipment.
Sunday 5th November – South East FF Federation – Lower Itchen fishery (Official Practice: Saturday 4th November) – Organiser: Tony Fox – Results: 1. Mike Heritage 2. Andrew Green 3. Jay Curry 4. Baz Reece 5. Andy Ford 6. Tony Fox – Full Results: Lower Itchen results 2017
January 2018
Saturday 27th January – River Dee, Llangollen/Maelor AA Waters – Qualifier Cancelled. Date now Saturday 21st July (see below). Preference given to 27/1/18 Entrants. Fished to a minimum 20cm size limit with fishing for grayling & trout in season – HQ: Hand Hotel, Llangollen – Organiser: Carl Nixon, Northern Federation – Entry Form and Risk Assessment 27-01-18 00538 (PP)
February 2018
Saturday 3rd February – River Test, Wherwell – Organiser: Andrew Croucher – Results: 1. Adam Sinclair 2. Alex Adams 3. Andrew Green 4. Andy Ford 5. Cameron Craigs 6. Andy Deacon – Full Results: Wherwell Results 3rd Feb 2018
Saturday 17th February – River Dee, Llangollen/Maelor AA Waters – Organiser: Carl Nixon, Northern Federation – Results: 1. Mark Withyman 2. Kevin Moran 3. Peter Scholes 4. Tom Hunt 5. Paul Runec 6. Tom Speak – Full Results: Qualifier 17.02.18
April 2018
Sunday 8th April – River Ure, Wensley – Bolton Castle Estate waters – Organiser: Paul Page – Results: 1. Jonathan Barnes 2. Mark Tyndall 3. Ashley Cook 4. Keith McAdam 5. Fred Bainbridge 6. Del Spry – Full Results: 2018 Score Card (River Ure) Results Summary
Friday 20th April – River Eden – R. Eden, Sandford – from Far Bank End upstream via Black Syke Bridge to Warcop (Appleby AA water) – Organiser: Jeremy Lucas – STOP PRESS: Qualifier Cancelled. Due to insufficient applications by the closing date for entries, the Eden qualifier has been cancelled. Please note that the National Rivers Final will still go ahead on the Eden, as scheduled.
July 2018
Saturday 21st July – River Dee, Llangollen/Maelor AA Waters (rearranged qualifier) – Organiser: Carl Nixon, Northern Federation – Results: 1. Mike Dixon 2. Chris Richardson 3. Paul Fairhurst 4. Simon Clarke 5. Carl Nixon 6. Simon Caddy – Full Results: Qualifier 21.07.18
Sunday 22nd April – Bewl – Organiser: John Pearn – Results: 1st Sean Brooks 2nd Ian Whiteside 3rd Kim Green 4th Phil Thompson 5th John Pearn 6th David Franklin (through to National Final) 7th Rob Toptalo 8th Ray French* 9th= Robert Barden 9th= Paul Canning 11th Mike Heritage 12th Jim Letham (invited to Repechage)
*Unable to fish Draycote. Place at Repechage will be lost.
Sunday 22nd April – Stocks – Organiser: Paul Page – Results: 1st Phil Burgess 2nd Sam Bailey 3rd Craig Barr 4th Geoff Thomas 5th Andy Axon 6th Matt Nuttall (through to National Final) 7th Andy Campbell* 8th Ryan Feber 9th Ian Gaskell 10th Pete Scholes 11th Neil Hodgson 12th Lee Cartmail* (invited to Repechage)
*Now qualified at Stocks 2 – place at Repechage will be lost
Sunday 22nd April – Blagdon – Organiser: John Horsey – Results: 1st Alex Johnstone 2nd Martin Burgess 3rd Dave Johns 4th Paul Golding 5th Gary Morris 6th Andy Haskins 7th Dale Burgess 8th Lloyd Pallet 9th Tony Baldwin 10th Roger Truscott 11th Paul Jones 12th Paul Roach (through to National Final) 13th John Horsey* 14th Andrew Weeks 15th Graham Currie 16th John Braithwaite 17th Mark Withyman* 18th Peter Runnals 19th David Bromley 20th Julian Weddle 21st Tony George 22nd Vince Howley 23rd Malcom Hunt 24th Jeff Mason (invited to Repechage)
*Now qualified at Chew – place at Repechage will be lost
Sunday 29th April – Rutland – Organiser: Peter Hartley – Results: 1st Steve Smalley 2nd Tony Curtis 3rd Paul Runec 4th Norman Rushton 5th Pablo Mullings 6th Nick Dunn 7th Ed Smith 8th David Newing 9th Paul Wild 10th Stephen Peart 11th Mark McLeod 12th Graham Hayward 13th Lloyd Thompson 14th Mark Patten 15th Mark Rose 16th Phil Shaw-Brown 17th Ryan Feber 18th Charlie Abrahams 19th Mark Haycock 20th Ian Whiteside* (through to National Final) 21st Ian Donaldson** 22nd Frank Sumnall*** 23rd Edward Mitchell 24th Andy Axon**** 25th David Eames 26th Paul Haskey 27th Iain Barr 28th Martin Introna 29th Gareth Tilley***** 30th Paul Calvert 31st Bradley Gifford 32nd Ashley Davis 33rd William Rankin****** 34th Ron Gent 35th Kim Green******* 36th Robert Rudd 37th Eamon Mounter***** 38th Paul Tweddle******** 39th Sean Hanlon 40th Jamie Thomas (invited to Repechage)
*Already qualified at Bewl – his place at National will go to 21st angler at Rutland – Ian Donaldson
**Replaced a dual qualifier – place at Repechage will be lost
***Now qualified at Carsington – place at Repechage will be lost
****Already qualified at Stocks – place at Repechage will be lost
*****Now qualified at Eyebrook – place at Repechage will be lost
******Now qualified at Blithfield – place at Repechage will be lost
*******Already qualified at Bewl – place at Repechage will be lost
********Now qualified at Stocks 2 – place at Repechage will be lost
Sunday 13th May – Carsington – Organiser: Ian Colclough – Results: 1st Mark Harrison 2nd David Currie 3rd Michael Laycock 4th Frank Sumnall 5th Ben Fox 6th Nick Donald 7th John Henshall (through to National Final) 8th Lester Booth 9th Leigh Pond 10th Mick McLintic 11th Mike Dixon 12th Richard Hood 13th John Hood 14th Warren Langridge* (invited to Repechage)
*Now qualified at Stocks 2 – place at Repechage will be lost
Sunday 20th May – Chew – Organiser: John Horsey – Results: 1st John Horsey 2nd Mark Withyman 3rd Mark Miles 4th Matt Kingdon 5th Michael Walker 6th John Bowen 7th Tim Wellman 8th Andy Cottam (through to National Final) 9th Alan Williams 10th Gary Haskins 11th Jay Curry 12th John Braithwaite* 13th Malcom Hunt* 14th Keith Gollop 15th Andre Gysler 16th Jim Letham* (invited to Repechage)
*Already has Repechage place – this place will be lost
Sunday 27th May – Eyebrook – Organiser: Run by Fishery – Results: 1st Eric Caisley 2nd Bradley Gifford 3rd Paul Davison 4th Thomas Bird 5th Paul Haskey 6th Ben Race 7th Gareth Tilley 8th Mark Thomas 9th Jonathan Wood 10th Eamonn Mounter (through to National Final) 11th Lee Cartmail* 12th Bart Farmer 13th Richard Slater 14th Ian Gaskell* 15th Mick McLintic* 16th Ashley Davis* 17th Ron Gent* 18th Mark Tremaine-Coker 19th & 20th Leigh Pond* & Tom Davis (invited to Repechage)
*Already has Repechage place – this place will be lost
Friday 8th June – Blithfield – Organiser: Ian Colclough – Results: 1st Andy G Taylor 2nd Yousef Dar 3rd Simon Caddy 4th John Hardy 5th Mike Lightfoot 6th Dom Sheratte 7th Tim Joyce 8th Tom Gott 9th Tony Baldwin* 10th Mark Miles** 11th William Rankin (through to National Final) 12th Andrew Esplin 13th Jay Curry*** 14th Mark Withyman**** 15th Peter Crowe 16th Dermot Speight 17th Peter Hartley 18th Paul Davison***** (invited to Repechage)
*Already qualified at Blagdon
**Already qualified at Chew – qualifying place goes to William Rankin
***Already has Repechage place – this place will be lost
****Already qualified at Chew – this place will be lost
*****Already qualified at Eyebrook – this place will be lost
Sunday 17th June – Stocks – Organiser: Paul Page – Results: 1st Warren Langridge 2nd Andy Campbell 3rd Neil Hodgson 4th Lee Cartmail 5th Neil Heath 6th Paul Tweddle (through to National Final) 7th Martin Griffiths 8th John Braithwaite* 9th Graham Willis 10th Ian Gaskell* 11th Bob Fitzpatrick 12th Derek Moore (invited to Repechage)
*Already has Repechage place – this place will be lost
Repechage – Saturday 14th June – Draycote – Organiser: Ian Colclough – Results: 1st Graham Willis 2nd Gary Haskins 3rd David Eames 4th David Bromley 5th Paul Calvert 6th John Braithwaite 7th Richard Hood 8th Martin Griffiths 9th Alan Williams 10th Leigh Pond 11th Ron Gent 12th John Hood 13th Ashley Davis 14th Bart Farmer 15th Malcom Hunt 16th Eddie Mitchell (through to National Final)
The new Angling Trust Loch Style Team Championship competition, sponsored by Scientific Anglers was hosted at Eyebrook Trout Fishery. Televised by BT Sport, the teams competing were:
1. BRFFA Team Cortland
2. The Ospreys
3. FNF Nymphomaniacs
4. Elinor
5. Fish Hawks
6. Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs
7. The Renegades
8. Pitsford Pirates
9. Draycote Rio Masters
10. H.F.A
11. Tannerhill Raiders
First Day
The first session saw challenging conditions with a clear sky, warm temperatures and a brisk wind. This was likely to be a low scoring affair but fish were being caught.
Day 1 Results:
FNF Nymphomaniacs 517cms
Elinor 513cms
BRFFA Team Cortland 414cms
The Renegades 335cms
Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs 241cms
Fish Hawks 208cms
Draycote Rio Masters 175cms
The Ospreys 163cms
Pitsford Pirates 121cms
Tannerhill Raiders 93cms
H.F.A 78cms
Second Day
This looked like another challenging day with similar conditions but a lighter wind.
Congratulations to FNF Nymphomaniac’s on winning the first Loch Style Team Championship and securing a cheque for £4,000 in the process!
Congrats also go to Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs on finishing 2nd and to Fish Hawks finishing 3rd, winning £1,500 & £1,000 respectively.
Huge thanks to all who took part, to the team at Eyebrook Trout Fishery and our competition sponsors Scientific Anglers. Andy Ford has confirmed that an hour long special covering the event will be broadcast on BT Sport on July 16.
Andy Ford comments: “I’ve been wanting to cover a Loch Style event for TV for years. And now I have.
Just got back from filming the Angling Trust Loch Style Team Championships. It was a fantastic competition, brilliantly run and at a stunning location.
The weather did its best to stuff things for the anglers, with water temperatures at Eyebrook up to 20 degrees at times, bright sunshine, zero colour cover – but the class of the field ensured we got loads of action. I reckon there were well over a hundred international caps shared between the 66 anglers on show.
Great to meet up with so many people at a location that was simply fantastic. Properly supported, this has potential to be a huge competition. I reckon there will be an awful lot more than 11 teams wanting to take part next year. I sense there won’t be many of those who were in it this year who won’t be back!
We’ve filmed for an hour-long show, which will be on BT Sport on Monday July 16th. I’ll advise times and channel as soon as the schedulers let us know. Please like and share this post to get the word around.
In the meantime, I’ve put together a short promo film to give you a taste. Great pictures from James Roberts.”
Official Film
The Angling Trust reports:
FNF Nymphomaniacs Win the Angling Trust Loch Style Team Championships
Saturday 30th June, 11 teams of six anglers from around the UK gathered at Eyebrook Trout Fishery in Leicestershire to compete in the new Angling Trust Loch Style Team Championship which was to be held over two days. The event was filmed by BT Sport, bringing loch style angling to the main stream and raising the general profile of angling in the process.
There was a lot at stake over the weekend as anglers had the opportunity to land a huge cash payout of £6,500, product packs from competition sponsors Scientific Anglers and the top five teams would receive an invite to the Airflo Invitational event in spring 2019.
A new format in Loch Style match fishing featured three 3-hour sessions each day, fished on a full catch, measure and release basis with the cumulative total over two days determining the winning team. Four anglers from a team fished each session while the other two team mates were boat stewards for another team. One familiar feature for the competitors was the match being fished to international rules however a general feeling of excitement and trepidation greeted the organisers on day one, would the format work, would the conditions spoil the event?
The weather in the week leading up had been relentless sunshine with a stiff breeze and the weather looked set to continue over the weekend of the event and so it proved but, any concerns about the format soon disappeared after the first session when anglers were afforded the opportunity to regroup to discuss their tactics, change boats and disappear off for the second session without a hitch.
The conditions on day one were harsh to say the least, water temperature began at 16C and rose to 20C by the time the final session ended, clear skies dominated the day, air temperatures peaked at 28C and the brisk breeze meant boats drifted quickly. With the majority of fish sitting deep in the main basin and reluctant to take a fly fished quickly, anglers were presented with the challenge of getting and keeping their flies deep enough without fishing behind the boat. FNF Nymphomaniacs, Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs and Elinor got out of the block fast with six, five and five fish respectively and set the tone for what appeared to be a three-way battle at the top of the leader board until the end of the competition. A total of 68 fish were caught on Day 1, catches peaking in session one and as expected, gradually deteriorating as the day unfolded. FNF Nymphomaniacs led the way but only just, 4cm ahead of Elinor in second place.
Anglers arrived on Sunday to a forecast much the same but importantly the brisk wind that had caused issues on day one had eased and this made a big difference to the tactics and approach that would be adopted and ultimately the catches. Boats didn’t drift as quickly meaning anglers could stay at the correct depth for longer but the fish appeared to come up in the water as fish were seen both feeding and splashing around, presumably trying to remove any little critters that had settled on the fish after a few days in the depths. This gave anglers the opportunity to change their approach and still add to their tally, dry fly proved successful while others persisted with sinking lines and continued to catch throughout the day. FNF Nymphomaniacs, Elinor and Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs continued to lead the way in session one and two and it looked a three-way battle however Fish Hawks caught steadily and a stunning final session resulted in nine fish landed and propelled the Fish Hawks into the mix. As the final session came to an end, uncertainty about the result was evident and the wait for the official results began. A total of 123 fish were caught on Day 2 giving a total catch of 191 for the weekend, a great result in such hostile conditions and testament to the quality of anglers on show.
As the results were read out it became evident that things were tight at the top and the Fish Hawks final session proved vital as they leapfrogged Elinor into 3rd place by a margin of just 23cm, enough to secure a cheque for £1,000, on such fine margins are competitions decided. The consistency of both FNF Nymphomaniacs and Flash Attack Reservoir Dogs from start to finish meant they were competing for first place and a cheque for £4,000. It was the Nymphomaniacs who triumphed with 34 fish and a total length of 1488cm and the top prize, beating the Dog’s 29 fish which gave them 1241cm and a cheque for £1,500.
FNF Nymphomaniacs team captain Gareth Jones said: “When the AT Loch Style was announced, our team couldn’t wait to enter and we joined the AT immediately to ensure we got an early entry. We just love going away as a team and feel that as a group we need to support all the events we can during the course of the season.
“The fishing was tough and in very difficult conditions we expected the fish to be deep. With very limited practice we hatched a plan to fish water depths of 20ft-25ft where we stood the best chance of keeping our flies on the deck for longer. Matt Griffiths played a blinder and his 15 fish deep on the Booby Basher was an incredible feat over the two days, when most other competitors just looked on in awe.”
“As a team, we feel incredibly privileged to have won the inaugural event and the cash prize of £4,000 will go a long way to funding our fishing during the rest of the season. So, a massive thanks to all involved in running the event and we’re looking forward to defending the title next season.”
Ben Thompson, Senior Competitions & Performance Manager at Angling Trust, said: “I am delighted with how the competition went and the feedback from anglers has been incredible. Conditions were tough to say the least but the sheer determination, perseverance and skills on show were immense, demonstrating just how high the standard of the competitor is in the UK.
“This is the first step we are taking to improve and increase our offer to competitive fly fishers and it has been a successful first step. We have a competition that we hope will now become a flagship event and only grow bigger in future years. Plans for 2019 are well underway and judging by the feedback we have received, the competition will be even more popular next year and we hope to be able to announce the dates soon.”
He added: “On behalf of the Angling Trust I would like to thank all the competitors for entering and supporting the event, the fishery staff at Eyebrook for their hospitality and commitment to providing an excellent event and to competition sponsors Scientific Anglers for their support. Make sure you tune into BT Sport on July 16th to see the action unfold.”
A New Loch-style Team Fly Fishing Competition
With a top cash prize of £4,000, there is a guaranteed minimum pay out of £6,500 in total spread between the top 3 teams and product packs for 4th – 6th placed teams from competition sponsors Scientific Anglers. The 2 day competition will be broadcast on BT Sport and you can book your ticket via the link below
Unique format and structure, something totally new in Loch Style team fishing, a televised major fly fishing competition and a big cash pay out. Hopefully the start of something that will grow year on year!
The Angling Trust has teamed up with Scientific Anglers to introduce a new loch style fly fishing competition with an exciting new format and big prize fund.
The two-day competition will be for teams of six anglers and be held at Draycote Water and Eyebrook Fishery on the 30th June and 1st July 2018. Based on a sell out of 30 teams, the prize pot will reach a whopping £8,500 and Scientific Anglers will provide prizes from their range of products.
The competition will be open to both Angling Trust and non-Angling Trust member clubs or match groups from the UK and abroad.
The competition will be fished to international rules and scored on a full catch, measure and release basis. Each angler will fish both Draycote and Eyebrook over the course of the event and the combined team length in centimetres over the two days will determine the overall result and winning team.
Entry fees are all inclusive and cover fishing permits and boat hire for two days, the cost of entering for Angling Trust member clubs is just £450, equivalent to £75 per person while non member clubs entry fee is £500. Individual membership is not a requirement to compete. In addition to the discounted entry fee, Angling Trust member clubs will also receive priority access to tickets. Angling Trust Club/Match Group membership starts at £60 and clubs can find more information on the Angling Trust website.
Entry to the competition for Angling Trust member clubs opens on 5th February 2018 and non members can enter from 5th March 2018, with the closing date on Sunday 10th June 2018. Entries for the competition will be via the Trust’s online booking system.
Ben Thompson, Angling Trust’s Senior Competitions Manager, said: “We want to actively promote and encourage team fly fishing but we understand it can be expensive when travel, accommodation, practice and entry fees are factored in. We have structured this new competition in such a way that it minimises those costs for competitors because there are no heats or qualifiers and teams go straight into a big money match.
“The format of the competition will enable anglers to fish in the same boat as their team mates but the use of boat stewards will allow us to regulate the match and protect the integrity of the competition which will ensure a fair and even playing field for all competitors.”
The Loch Style Team Championship is the first phase of the Angling Trust’s plan to create more competitive opportunities for grassroots game anglers. The Trust is also piloting a new approach to entry to its competitions by offering priority access and discounted entry to members while opening events to non Angling Trust members in an effort to increase participation.
Scotland Secure Gold in the International Fly Fishing Association Rivers International
Friday, June 22nd, probably the most difficult conditions this season in terms of conditions for fly fishing. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales met on the River Ure to contest the IFFA River International on the magnificent Bolton Castle Estate in North Yorkshire. The harsh reality of the results suggests indeed that the conditions were hostile, despite the conditions each and every angler gave their all and it was Scotland who prevailed and took the gold medal.
Team England was ferociously captained by Fred Bainbridge whose boundless energy drove the entire team, which included three new caps, Gilliaum Vermeulen, Del Spry and Mark Harrison, such that even this comparatively inexperienced team was always going to be a threat. Fred’s intimate knowledge of the Ure, and tactical prowess was shared with the team from the day he was made captain and the team also benefited hugely from the experience of veteran dry fly master, Jonathan Barnes.
The draw for starting pegs did not aid England’s cause, but then a draw should never be an excuse. The standard at international level, on rivers, is now higher than it has ever been, and vastly experienced England manager, Jeremy Lucas commented “In my own observation I witnessed an exemplary performance, both in the build-up preparation and the international itself, of each team member. This includes the perception and experience of our seasoned reserve, Scott Nellins. It was heartening to see them go out there, with the entire range of methods and fly types at their disposal, with strength throughout a team – which was biased towards the inexperienced at this level – and then to see such a performance.”
The morning sessions were generally poor for England and the team found themselves in last place at the lunch time break. In such testing conditions avoiding the blank was incredibly important, but unfortunately for England, through no lack of effort, they recorded a couple. However, Jonathan Barnes secured two first placings in his morning sessions, while both Fred Bainbridge and Del Spry secured one second placing. Although with the afternoon to come, England were still confident they could recover and move up the table.
To a degree, England showed this as the team romped away to two firsts and two seconds in the third session, but the river had also ‘died’ by this time. Clear skies and bright sunshine meant conditions failed to improve, while a strong downstream wind developed making conditions even more challenging for all anglers on the water. The final session came down to avoiding the blank and England’s Mark Harrison took two fish, enough to win his section in very challenging conditions. Despite the team registering measurable fish it wasn’t enough to challenge the other nations for the title and Team England finished in third place as the event came to an end.
The ever popular and magnificent competitor Terry Bromwell, of Wales, to great applause, won the Moc Morgan trophy for the top individual, while his team fished hard they could only manage a fourth place. Ireland pushed the overall winners closely and had the consolation of the Mike Childs trophy for the day’s biggest fish (42.9cm), though it was Scotland who stole the day.
Jeremy went on to say “On such tiny things do international fly fishing championships hinge. Had Jonathan Barnes caught a fish in his last session, he would have won the day. Had the single fish caught by Fred, Gilliaum and Del been a little bigger, they too would have massively influenced the results. Finally, the best team on the day always wins, but Team England performed admirably, all the way back to the moment it was formed on last year’s National Final, and each member can hold his head high with pride. It was a great privilege to be with them throughout the campaign. Our congratulations go to Team Scotland on winning the event and to Terry Bromwell and Brian Russell on their individual achievements.”
Individual: Terry Bromwell, Wales, with six placing points. Top England rod, in 5th, was Jonathan Barnes. Other Team England placings: Fred Bainbridge (Captain), 11th; Del Spry, 15th; Gilliaum Vermeulen, 16th; Mark Harrison, 18th.
Our right to fish is under serious threat. Little by little our right is being eroded. What are you going to do when you can no longer go fishing, play Tiddlywinks?
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