European

2023 European Fly Fishing Championships

The 27th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships was held in Covilha, Portugal, from the 22nd-28th May, 2023.

Competing Teams

Belgium – Czech Republic – England – Finland – France – Ireland – Netherlands – Norway – Portugal – Slovakia – Spain

AT TEFF was represented by Bernie Maher (Captain/Manager), Joel Beeney, Del Spry, Mark Withyman & Andy Taylor.

Results

Session 1

In the first session Del Spry scored a 3rd place on the Upper Zêzere River, with Andy Taylor coming 5th on the Paul River. Mark Withyman saved a blank with one fish on the Lower Zêzere River to come 7th, ahead of Andy Croucher, fishing for Norway, who blanked. Joel Beeney blanked on the Alva River, while Bernie Maher also failed to catch on Rossim Lake. England were lying 10th out of 11 teams. France were in the top spot, with 15 placing points, ahead of Finland 2nd with 25pts, and Spain 3rd with 26pts.

Session 2

In the second session Andy Taylor came 3rd on the Lower Zêzere River with 2 fish, while Joel Beeney came 4th on Paul River, and Bernie Maher 6th on the Upper Zêzere River. Del Spry came 11th on the Alva River, despite catching, while on Rossim Lake Mark Withyman was one of five competitors who failed to catch. England moved up one place into 9th (out of 11 teams). France remained in 1st place, with 34 placing points, but a good performance saw Spain move into 2nd with 44pts, with the Slovak Republic 3rd on 49pts. Nicolas Abadia (Spain) led the Individual rankings, with two 1st places, ahead of Lionel Fouvier (France) in 2nd with 3pts, and Erlend Vivelid Nilssen (Norway) 3rd with 4pts.

Session 3

In the third session Andy Taylor saved a blank at Rossim Lake to come 7th, while Bernie Maher also scored a 7th place on the Alva River, and Del Spry came 8th on the Paul River. Mark Withyman caught on the Upper Zêzere River but still came 11th, while Joel Beeney failed to catch on the Lower Zêzere River. England stayed at 9th, while Ireland, who had been in 5th place, dropped back to 7th. France remain in 1st place, with 55 placing points, with Spain still at 2nd with 66pts, and the Slovak Republic 3rd on 72pts. Individually, a 2nd place in the session saw Nicolas Abadia (Spain) remain 1st with 4 placing points, with Lionel Fouvier (France) still in 2nd with 5pts, and Daniel Martin (Spain) moving up into 3rd place with 6pts.

Session 4

The fourth session saw the fishing pressure apparently start to affect the results. Mark Withyman scored a 5th place on the Alva River, while Bernie Maher also came 5th on the Paul River. On the Lower Zêzere River Del Spry was one of six competitors who failed to catch, while Andy Taylor was one of the seven who blanked on the Upper Zêzere River. On Rossim Lake all 11 competitors in the session failed to catch, which included Joel Beeney. England dropped one place to 10th, while the French held on to their lead with 86 placing points, with Spain remaining in 2nd place with 96pts, and Finland moving into 3rd with 106pts. A blank on the lake saw Nicolas Abadia (Spain) fall out of the top three, which was now led by Lionel Fouvier (France) with 8 placing points, with Vincent Mathieu (Belgium) 2nd with 11pts, and Daniel Martin (Spain) remaining 3rd with 12pts. Unlike Vincent and Daniel though, Lionel was yet to fish his lake session, so the final session could see these positions altered once again.

Final Session

In the last session Andy Taylor came 4th on the Alva River, Mark Withyman came 4th on the Paul River, and Joel Beeney came 5th on the Upper Zêzere River. Bernie Maher failed to catch on the Lower Zêzere River, and Del Spry was one of the six competitors who blanked on Rossim Lake, where only seven fish were caught in the session. One of these was caught by Lionel Fouvier (France), which gave him the 4pts he needed to become European Individual Champion, 1pt ahead of Vincent Mathieu (Belgium) in 2nd with 13pts, and Daniel Martin (Spain) 3rd with 15pts. England finished the competition in 9th place with 194 placing points, behind Ireland in 8th with 185pts, whose team member Robbie Phelan won the final session on the lake with 2 fish. France ended up European Champions with 111pts, getting four of their five team members in the top 15, with Spain in silver with 130pts, and Finland bronze with 139pts.

Sectors

Sector 1 – Upper Zêzere River
The upper sector of the Zêzere is a typical mountain river. The sector has an approximate extension of 8 km. Composed of wells and currents, a fish community mostly of wild trout, as well as repopulated for this event. The river passes over an essentially granite soil, embedded in a pronounced valley.

Sector 2 – Alva River
The river Alva also has its source in Serra da Estrela. The typology at the championship site is a river regulated by a dam. It presents a great diversity of water types and requires fishermen to know different techniques.

Sector 3 – Paul River
Ribeira do Paul is a tributary of the river Zêzere. From its source, also in Serra da Estrela, it presents a great diversity in terms of water type. It has an approximate length of 7km. In most of your catches, although they are small/medium sized trout, don’t be surprised if you get the trophy of a lifetime!

Sector 4 – Lower Zêzere
The Baixo Zêzere sector is a larger version of the Alto Zêzere, but with increased difficulty for competition. Clear waters, with different types of structures and current speeds. Very scary trout, with some trophies there! It will also take population reinforcement with farmed trout exclusively for the test.

Sector 5 – Rossim Lake
The Lagoa do Vale do Rossim sector is the lakes sector of this competition. Located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters, it offers stunning landscapes in the heart of Serra da Estrela.

You can find more information at the Championship website here>> and also on their Facebook page here>> and on their Instagram page here>>

2022 European Fly Fishing Championships

The 26th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships & 1st FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships was held at Stop-Elvdal and Rendalen in Norway, from the 4th-10th July, 2022.
AT TEFF was represented by Bernie Maher (Captain), Tony Baldwin, Ben Bangham, Gilliaum Vermeulen & Mark Withyman.
Sheena Goode represented England Ladies in the World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships as an individual.

Sectors
Sector 1 – Atna River
Sector 2 – Upper Glomma River
Sector 3 – Lower Glomma River
Sector 4 – Mistra River
Sector 5 – Storsjøenlake

Opening Ceremony at Koppang

Session 1

Ladies – Results

In the Ladies’ World Championship Sheena Goode, fishing as an individual, came 3rd in her section on the River Atna, and was 14th out of 46 in the overall individual placings. In the team placings, the Czech Republic were 1st with 11 placing points, with Australia 2nd with 21 points, and the USA 3rd with 23 points.

European – Results

After Session 1 England were lying 9th out of 16 teams. Ben Bangham scored a 6th place with 5 fish on Lake Storsjøen, while on the River Atna Mark Withyman also came 6th with 6 fish. Guilliaum Vermeulen came 8th on the Lower Glomma, Bernie Maher 11th on the Upper Glomma, with Tony Baldwin 15th on the River Mistra. Finland were in 1st place overall, with 12 placing points, ahead of the Czech Republic in 2nd with 26 points and Spain in 3rd, also with 26 points.

Session 2

Ladies – Results

Sheena Goode, fishing as an individual, managed to save a blank on the Upper Glomma to finish 6th in a section where four ladies failed to catch. She was 19th out of 47 in the overall individual placings. In the team placings, the Czech Republic were still 1st with 23 placing points, ahead of Australia 2nd with 45 points, with Norway moving into 3rd place with 46 points.

European – Results

Session 2 saw England remain at 9th place out of 16 teams. Mark Withyman scored a 3rd place with 16 fish on the Upper Glomma, while Ben Bangham came 5th on the River Atna. Guilliaum Vermeulen came 7th on the River Mistra, with Tony Baldwin 11th on Lake Storsjøen, and Bernie Maher 15th on the Lower Glomma. Finland retained their 1st place overall, with 35 placing points, with Spain moving up into 2nd place with 46 points, and France moving up to 3rd with 57 points.

Session 3

Ladies – Results

Sheena Goode, fishing as an individual, came 8th on the Lower Glomma with 4 fish, and was 25th in the overall individual placings. The Czech Republic hung onto their lead in the team placings with 40 placing points, with Finland moving into 2nd place with 64 points, and the USA going up into 3rd place with 68 points.

European – Results

Session 3 saw England slip to 10th place, with Guilliaum Vermeulen scoring a 9th place on Lake Storsjøen. On the rivers Mark Withyman came 10th on the Lower Glomma, Bernie Maher 11th on the River Mistra, Ben Bangham 12th on the Upper Glomma, and Tony Baldwin 13th on the River Atna. Ex-England International Andy Croucher, now fishing for Norway, was 21st in the individual rankings, having had a 6th place on the lake, and a 4th and 8th place on the rivers. Finland consolidated their 1st place overall, with 60 placing points, ahead of Spain in 2nd place with 76 points, and France in 3rd with 83 points.

Session 4

Ladies – Results

Sheena Goode, fishing as an individual, came 10th out of 10 on the Nordre Renaelva, even though she managed to catch, and dropped to 31st in the individual rankings. The Czech Republic remained top of the team placings with 55 placing points, with Finland still in 2nd place with 75 points, and the USA in 3rd place with 97 points.

European – Results

England moved back into 9th place in Session 4, thanks to Guilliaum Vermeulen winning his session on the River Atna with 13 fish, and Ben Bangham coming 3rd on the Lower Glomma. Bernie Maher came 7th on Lake Storsjøen, while on the other river sectors Tony Baldwin was 13th on the Upper Glomma, and Mark Withyman 14th on the River Mistra. The top three team placings saw a reshuffle, with France moving from 3rd to 1st place with 101 placing points, Spain moving into 2nd with 105 points, and Finland dropping to 3rd with 108 points. The Individual leaders were Luigi Brunelli (Italy), ahead of Jussi-Pekka Myllymaki (Finland), both on 9 placing points.

Session 5

Ladies – Final Results

Sheena Goode, fishing as an individual, had a better session on Lake Storsjøen, coming 4th with 3 fish, and ended the championship in 27th place. Wth four of their team making up the top four individuals, the Czech Republic are the 2022 Ladies World Team Champions by a convincing margin, finishing with 62 placing points, ahead of Finland in 2nd place with 96 points, with Norway moving into 3rd place with 120 points, just one point ahead of the USA. Tereza Rutova (Czech Republic) is the Individual World Ladies Champion, scoring two 1st places, two 2nds and a 3rd in her five sessions.

European – Final Results

A disappointing final session saw England slip back down to 10th place and 241 placing points, with Mark Withyman coming 10th on Lake Storsjøen, Bernie Maher 11th on the River Atna, Tony Baldwin 12th on the Lower Glomma, Ben Bangham 15th= on the River Mistra and Guilliaum Vermeulen 16th on the Upper Glomma. In the team rankings France held on to their 1st place to become the 2022 European Champions, scoring 128 placing points, the same total as 2nd place Spain, but with higher fish points. In 3rd place was Finland with 135 points, ahead of Poland on 149 points, Slovakia on 164 points and Norway on 177 points. With a 1st place on the lake, Luigi Brunelli (Italy) stayed top of the individuals to become the 2022 European Champion, scoring a 1st, three 2nds, and a 3rd place in his five sessions, with Jussi-Pekka Myllymaki (Finland) staying in 2nd place and Jean-Guillaume Mathieu (France) moving up into 3rd. Guilliaum Vermeulen finished 34th overall, Ben Bangham 38th, Mark Withyman 41st, Bernie Maher 54th and Tony Baldwin 74th. Former England international Andy Croucher, fishing for Norway, finished in 46th place.

Symposium, Presentation of Prizes and Closing Ceremony

You will find more information at the Championship website here, and and on their Facebook page here

2022 European Fly Fishing Championships – Update

Due to the postponement of the European Championships, the anglers who finished in the European team qualifying spots in the 2021 EPP will head to Portugal in 2023. The carried-over European team from the 2020 EPP will finally be heading to Norway in 2022. They are: Bernie Maher (Captain Manager), Tony Baldwin, Simon Kidd, Ben Bangham, Gilliaum Vermeulen, and Mark Withyman (Reserve).

Angling Trust Position Statement on Team England travel to World & European Championships in 2021

The Angling Trust reports: The global pandemic resulted in most home nations and international championships being either cancelled or postponed during 2020 and while many restrictions are being eased in the UK, Covid-19 continues to have an impact on the ability for our national teams to travel and participate in this year’s World and European championships.

Having consulted with team managers recently, it became clear that some national teams have already taken the decision not to compete this year. However, a number have indicated their desire to compete in their respective events and we have worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to clarify the position on travel restrictions and Covid-19 insurance cover for group travel, to enable these teams to compete.

The government’s Elite Sports Exemption Policy enables professional, Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth athletes and teams to travel overseas to train and compete in international competitions. Unfortunately, angling does not qualify for this exemption and is therefore subject to the same travel restrictions faced by other amateur sports and UK citizens.

The government’s Foreign Office currently advise against all but essential travel to countries placed on the amber or red list and travelling to compete in an amateur sporting event is not considered essential. This means that as of today’s date, our national teams can only travel to compete in countries on the green list. In addition to the difficulties around travel restrictions, providing adequate travel insurance that includes Covid-19 cover is currently very problematic.

Throughout the pandemic and the When We Fish Again campaign, the Angling Trust has worked with the government to ensure that angling is viewed as part of the solution and not part of the problem and as the recognised Governing Body for Angling in England, maintaining the health and wellbeing of international team members on international duty is an absolute priority.

However, we must emphasise that we consider this a very fluid situation and remain committed to sending teams to compete in international competitions where government travel restrictions allow, appropriate travel insurance is available, and the host nation has adequate Covid-19 safety protocols in place.

Following an extremely positive, open and constructive consultation meeting held last night (June 14th) with national team managers from all disciplines, we have agreed to monitor the emerging international event calendar and work with individual managers to establish bespoke “go or no go” timelines for their events and to continue with our efforts to source appropriate travel insurance and monitor government travel restrictions to permit entry and travel.

Ultimately, when the criteria on travel and insurance can be satisfied, the Angling Trust will give each team the freedom to make its own decision on whether they wish to travel or not. Managers, coaches, anglers and support personnel must feel safe and comfortable with the situation.

Rob Hughes, Carp Team England Manager, said: “Obviously we really want to compete in the Ukraine this year, but we are very mindful of the challenges faced in a number of areas, especially those regarding travel and our and the host nation’s government regulations. It’s a time to be fluid, and if we can go, we will. If not, we’re happy to respect the decision of both the government and the Trust.”

Paul Page, of Team England Fly Fishing, said: “As soon as we are allowed to enter international championships this year, we have teams eager and ready to get back to competitive fly fishing.”

Mark Downes, Team England Nations, Euros and U25 Manager, said: “Competing on the international circuit is massively important for the integrity of match fishing here in the UK. Sadly, in these difficult times, where international travel has been severely curtailed and many world events are in jeopardy, we must make sure that when the opportunity arises, we take every step to return to the international arena.

“Obviously, all events are governed by travel restrictions both to and from the host countries and we must always ensure that we do not break the host government’s or our government’s advice. However, the situation is extremely fluid and changes on a weekly basis, so as soon as the opportunity arises, we will be ready and prepared to move at a moment’s notice.”

Jamie Cook, Angling Trust CEO, said: “We all wish to see the return of international competitions and will continue to monitor the situation regarding travel and government restrictions and work closely with our team managers. We have worked extremely hard to ensure anglers adhere to government guidance and we were able to maintain both participation and competitions though lockdowns as a result. We must continue to act responsibly and when permitted, the Angling Trust will do all it can to support our teams to enable them to compete safely abroad in their quest for World and European medals.”

2021 European Fly Fishing Championships – Update

Euro/Ladies 2021 Cancelled

Following recently published COVID strategy and cancellation process to be applied on 2021 FIPS-Mouche championships and taking into account the results of online status meetings with International Organizers, FIPS-Mouche Board due to Covid situation decides to cancel:

• 26th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championship 2021 Norway
• 1st FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championship 2021 Norway

After the recent holiday there was an significant increase in virus spreading with mutated variants. Soon the Easter holidays are upcoming and there is expected even more spreading of COVID-19 due to this. The Government has announced that large part (regions) of the country in lockdown at this time (new update 16.4.2021). Herewith some restrictions as of today:

• In order to limit the risk of infections imported from abroad, the government further tightened non-Norwegian citizens’ entitlement to enter Norway.
• Non-Norwegians citizens resident in Norway
• The border is effectively closed to all non-Norwegian citizens who are not residents go Norway. Norwegian citizens are always entitled to enter Norway.
• Register 72 hours prior arrival
• Persons arriving from abroad must also provide proof of a negative test taken no earlier than 24 hours prior to entering Norway.
• All persons arriving in Norway must take a test at the border.
• All arrivals must quarantine in a quarantine hotel (for 10 days).
• Only elite sporting events are permitted

Events that bring people together from different municipalities should be postponed or cancelled

Norway has delayed vaccination program (stopped Astra Zeneca at time) and will most likely restrictions this summer as a minimum will be:

• Register 72 hours prior arrival
• Persons arriving from abroad must also provide proof of a negative test taken no earlier than 24 hours prior to entering Norway.
• All persons arriving at Norway must take a test at the border.
• All foreign citizen arrivals must quarantine in a quarantine hotel (7-10 days).

The Government expects that regular tourism will be possible not earlier than August September.

As of today FIPS-Mouche Board starts an intensive communication with all effected future host countries (category Euro/Ladies) on alternative to shift all scheduled future events by one year in order the above cancelled event for 2021 can be postponed to 2022. FIPS-Mouche will inform all members on any progress in this matter.

Best wishes and stay all safe

Mario Podmanik, FIPS-Mouche President

AT TEFF announces Manager for 2021 European team

Angling Trust Team England Fly Fishing announced today that European Team member Bernie Maher has been appointed the European Team Captain and Manager for the 2021 European Championship in Roros, Norway.

The 2021 European Championship is the rolled-over 2020 Championship, which was cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Bernie has represented England at World, European, Commonwealth and Home International Championships during the last 15 years and brings a wide range of skills to both team management and development.

“ Whilst it was sad to hear that Andy Croucher could no longer fulfil the role of captain and manager of the England team for the European Championships in Norway in 2021, we are pleased to have someone with the wealth of experience that Bernie has step into this position. Bernie has competed at the highest level and his knowledge and experience of competition fishing at World, European and Commonwealth level will be a huge asset to the team. We wish Bernie and the team all the best in Norway in 2021.”

Andy Taylor, Angling Trust, Competitions Support Officer.

” I feel extremely honoured and humbled to have been offered the role of Captain and Manager of the England Fly Fishing Team to Norway in July 2021. The fishing will be challenging in Norway, and I have complete confidence in every member of the European Team, and from my part I will make a positive contribution.”

Bernie Maher, Angling Trust Team England European Team Manager.

Press Release: 2021 European Team Manager press release

26th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships & 1st FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships

These events have been postponed to next year, and will be held at Stop-Elvdal and Rendalen in Norway, from the 5th-11th July, 2021.

You will find more information for both competitions on their website here>>

2019 European Fly Fishing Championships, Montenegro

The European Fly Fishing Championship took place in Montenegro on 1st-7th July 2019 and was based at Plav. The Championship was held over 5 sessions fished on the Lim & Ljula Rivers, and Lake Plav.

The squad was led by Paul Page as Captain and Manager with Team Members; – Ben Bangham, Harry Fox, Simon Kidd, Bernie Maher, Terry Phillips, and Gilliaum Vermeulen as reserve. The European squad flew out to Montenegro a week before the Championship for practice and tactical development.

European Team Captain and Manager Paul Page stated: “Montenegro is a newcomer to Fips Mouche Fly Fishing Championships and this is the first time they have hosted a European Championship. This is uncharted territory for most competing nations and gives the England team a great opportunity to use their varied skill sets at a new venue and to be among the medal winners”

You will find more information at the Championship website here, and on their Facebook page here

Fly fishing on the Lim River:

Programme

Monday 1 July – Arrival of teams, Registration, Captains’ Meeting for Practice, Opening Ceremony, Banquet.

Tuesday 2 July – Official Practice Sessions

Wednesday 3 July – First Session + Second Session

Thursday 4 July – Third Session + Free Afternoon

Friday 5 July – Fourth Session + Fifth Session

Saturday 6 July – Captains Meeting, Prize Giving & Closing Ceremony

Opening Ceremony

Group Draw: 65637195_2393732654025088_3125222816811581440_n

Session 1

Terry Phillips won his session on Sector 1 Luca River – Gusinje with 20 fish, while on the Lim River – Plav Bernie Maher was 12th with 8 fish. Ben Bangham came 14th on the Lim River – Andrijevica, with Simon Kidd 15th on the Lim River – Berane. David Porter of Ireland won the boat session on Lake Plav with 3 fish, but half the field failed to catch, including Harry Fox. A point to note is that these championships were fished to a single fly rule, which would no doubt have affected the tactics applied. Spain took the lead with 22 pts, ahead of the Czech Republic with 27 pts and Poland with 32 pts. England were in 12th place (out of 20 teams). session-1-teams-after-session

Session 2

Lake Plav continued to prove difficult with Terry Phillips one of the two thirds who failed to catch. Simon Kidd came 10th on the Luca River – Gusinje, with Harry Fox 11th on the Lim River – Plava, Bernie Maher 11th on the Lim River – Andrijevica, and Ben Bangham 12th on the Lim River – Berane. The Czech Republic moved into 1st place on 49 pts, with Spain 2nd on 57 pts. Individually, Jean-Guillaume Mathieu is currently leading with two 1st places, which helped France move into 3rd place on 60 pts. England moved up into 10th place, two places behind Ireland. session-2-teams-after-session session-2-indiv-after-session

Session 3

Ireland scored another win on an increasingly tough Lake Plav, with Michael Drinan getting 3 fish. There was one other 3-fish bag, plus single fish to four others. Simon Kidd was one of the 14 others who were unable to avoid a blank. Harry Fox came 10th on the Lim River – Andrijevica, while Ben Bangham came 15th on the Luca River – Gusinje, with Terry Phillips 18th on the Lim River – Plav, and Bernie Maher 15th on the Lim River – Berane. Individually, Jean-Guillaume Mathieu (France) added a 2nd place to his two 1st places, to keep the lead with 4 pts ahead of Ander Perez (Spain) on 7 pts, and Lubos Roza (Czech Republic) on 8 pts session-3-indiv-after-session. The Czech Republic held onto their 1st place with 81 pts, while France moved into 2nd place on 89 pts, with Poland 3rd on 108 pts. A tough session for England saw them slip to 14th place session-3-teams-after-session.

Session 4

The penultimate session saw some good performances from England, with Simon Kidd winning his session on the Lim River – Plav with 19 fish, and Ben Bangham one of only 10 people to avoid a blank on Lake Plav. This lake session also saw the current individual leader Jean-Guillaume Mathieu (France) reinforce his top spot with another win, putting him 9 pts clear with one session to go session-4-indiv-after-session. On the other sectors, Terry Phillips came 12th on the Lim River – Andrijevica, Harry Fox 15th= on the Lim River – Berane, and Bernie Maher 19th= on the Luca River – Gusinje. The top three team places saw some movement, with Slovenia up to 2nd place with 134 pts, behind the Czech Republic on 114 pts, with Poland 3rd with 138 pts. England slipped one place to 15th session-4-teams-after-session.

Session 5

Lake Plav remained challenging, with half the field blanking, Bernie Maher among them. On the river sectors, Terry Phillips came 4th on the Lim – Berane, with Ben Bangham 10th on the Lim – Plav, Simon Kidd 12th on the Lim – Andrijevica, and Harry Fox 20th on the Luca – Gusinje. Individually, Jean-Guillaume Mathieu (France) rounded off an outstanding performance with yet another 1st place, to become the 2018 European Individual Champion with just 6 placing pts, (4 1sts and a 2nd), well clear of Michal Greszta (Poland) in 2nd with 16 pts, and Maciej Korzeniowski (Poland) in 3rd with 17 pts session-5-indiv-after-session. The Czech Republic held onto their lead to become the 2018 European Champions with 143 placing pts, with Slovenia 2nd on 159 pts, Bosnia-Herzegovina 3rd on 178 pts, Poland 4th 182 pts, and France 5th 184 pts. England finished the competition in 14th place, with Scotland 15th and Ireland 8th session-5-teams-after-session.

Closing Ceremony

2018 European Fly Fishing Championships, Czech Republic, 6th-11th June

The 2018 FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships took place from the 6th-11th June in Vyšší Brod, Czech Republic, on the Vltava River and the Květonov reservoir near Kaplice.

Programme: 

6th June –  Arrival of Teams, Registration, Captains’ Meeting and Opening Ceremony

7th June – Official Practice Sessions 1 & 2

8th June – Competition Sessions 1 & 2

9th June – Competition Session 3

10th June – Competition Sessions 4 & 5

11th Sept – Prize Giving & Closing Ceremony & Closing Banquet

You will find more information at the official website here, and on their Facebook page here.

Team England FF was represented by Ben Bangham, Andrew Croucher, Mike Dixon, Harry Fox, Andy Cliffe, Steve Cullen and Martin Dixon (manager).

First Day

Session 1: England made a good start and are currently in 5th place with 35 placing points. Andy Cliffe won his session on Lake Kvetonov (boat) with 34 fish, while Steve Cullen was 5th off the bank. On the Vltava River, Mike Dixon was 7th, Ben Bangham 10th and Andy Croucher 12th. France are in first place with 19 placing points, ahead of the Czech Republic on 26 points, Spain with 27 points, and the Czech Ladies with 33 points session-1-teams-after-session-1

Session 2: England’s good form on the boats continued with Steve Cullen scoring a 4th place with 15 fish, although Andy Croucher was one of four who failed to catch in the bank lake sector. On the river, Ben Bangham came 6th, Andy Cliffe came 11th and Mike Dixon 12th. This was a good session for the Czech Republic, who overtook France to move into first place with 44 placing points, with Spain 2nd on 48 points, France 3rd with 51 points, and the Czech Ladies 4th with 61 points. England dropped to 7th position with 85 points, behind Scotland on 81 points and Finland on 73 points session2-teams-after Individually, Finland’s Ville Ristolainen is leading with 4 points, ahead of the Czech Republic’s Pavel Chyba and Tomas Adam, both on 5 points, with the Czech Lady Marketa Prochazkova 4th on 6 points. Steve Cullen is currently in 11th place with 9 points session2-indivs-after-session

Second Day

Session 3: Ben Bangham came 5th on the lake bank sector with 4 fish, while Andy Croucher came 9th in the boat sector with 12 fish. On the river, Andy Cliffe came 7th, Mike Dixon 11th and Steve Cullen came 12th. England dropped a place to 8th with 128 points, just one point ahead of Slovakia and Ireland, and two points behind Italy. A bad session for the Czech Republic saw them drop to 3rd place with 82 points, with France returning to 1st place with 74 points, one point ahead of Spain in 2nd. The Czech Ladies are still 4th with 100 points session-3-teams-after-session Individually, Pavel Chyba of the Czech Republic is lying 1st on 6 points, ahead of Finland’s Ville Ristolainen, also on 6 points, with Tomas Adam of the Czech Republic 3rd with 8 points session-3-indivs-after-session

Final Day

Session 4: With one session to go, England put in some good performances on the lake with Ben Bangham coming 2nd on the boats with 13 fish, and Mike Dixon getting 3 off the bank to put him 8th. On the river, Andy Cliffe came 9th in his session, Steve Cullen 10th, and Andy Croucher 16th. England dropped to 10th place with 173 points, five behind Scotland and eight ahead of Ireland. France extended their lead with 88 points, with Spain 2nd with 98 points, the Czech Republic 4th with 103 points, and the Czech Ladies 4th with 141 points session-4-teams-after-session Individually, a win in the lake bank session saw the Czech Republic’s  Pavel Chyba retain his 1st place with 7 points, ahead of Spain’s Luis Alfonso and Daniel Martin, who are both on 12 points session-4-indivs-after-session

Final Session: Mike Dixon continued his good spell on the lake to finish 3rd with 7 fish in the boat session, while Andy Cliffe saved a blank on the bank. On the river, Ben Bangham came 6th (just missing out on 5th place by largest fish), with Andy Croucher 11th and  Steve Cullen 13th. Even so, England still dropped a place to finish 11th with 217 points, with Ireland 10th with 208 points, and Scotland 9th on 206. The top three team places saw a dramatic reversal with the Czech Republic the 2018 European Champions with 119 points, France 2nd with 132 points, Spain 3rd with 143 points, and the Czech Ladies an impressive 4th with 168 points session-5-teams-after-session Individually, Pavel Chyba of the Czech Republic held onto his lead to become the 2018 European Champion with three 1sts,  a 4th and a 5th, with France’s Sebastien Vidal and Jean-Benoit Angely 2nd and 3rd, and the Czech Republic’s Tomas Adam in 4th place. The top ladies were Marketa Prochazkova 10th, Tereza Rutova 11th, and Katerina Svagora 25th (all Czech Republic). England’s Ben Bangham put in a consistent performance to finish just out of the top ten at 12th session-5-indivs-after-session

Andy Cliffe – Winner Sector 5 (lake – boat)

Wychwood links up with Team England Fly Fishing 

Angling Trust has announced a new partnership with Wychwood that will see the tackle firm become Official Supplier to Team England Fly Fishing’s European Team.

The team is currently in the Czech Republic participating in the 24th FIPS-Mouche European Championships which will be held between the 6th – 11th June. The Milton Keynes based brand Wychwood will be supporting the team with a variety of clothing and accessories.  

Pat MacInnes, marketing manager for  Wychwood said; “As part of its ongoing growth the brand is working with Angling Trust, angling’s national governing body that organizes and runs the system of teams that represent England at international level. We’re immensely proud to be involved with Team England and with one of our own staff on the team – Steve Cullen, brand manager for Wychwood – we are wishing the boys huge success on this world stage.”

Ben Thompson, Senior Competitions & Performance Manager for Angling Trust said; “We are delighted to be working alongside Wychwood. The team at Wychwood have a vast amount of experience in producing high quality tackle and clothing, their support as Official Supplier to Team England Fly Fishing European squad for 2018 is a sign of their commitment to promoting and supporting Team England and competitive fly fishing at the highest level. Both the Angling Trust and the team members are very grateful for their support and we wish the team the very best of luck in the forthcoming championship.”

The team’s progress can be followed as the competition unfolds at https://www.facebook.com/anglingtrustcompetitions/

2017 European Fly Fishing Championships, Portugal, 14th-21st May 2017

AT TEFF decided not to enter a team in the European Championships at Arcos de Valdevez, Portgugal, 14th-21st May 2017.

Top 4 Team Results: 1. France 64 pts 2. Spain 79 pts 3. Czech Republic 108 pts 4. Italy 133 pts

Top 4 Individual Results: 1. Sebastien Delcor (France) 8 pts 2. Pierre Kuntz (France) 9 pts 3. Ruben Santos Becerro (Spain) 12 pts 4. Francisco Cabrera Rocha (Spain) 12 pts

2016 European Fly Fishing Championships, Poland, 3rd-9th October 2016

The 2016 FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships took place from the 3rd-9th October in the Slupsk area of Central Pomerania, Poland, on the River Lupawa and Swan Pond.

Programme: 

3rd Oct – Opening Ceremony and Captains’ Meeting

4th Oct – Official Practice Sessions 1 & 2

5th Oct – Competition Sessions 1 & 2

6th Oct – Competition Session 3

7th Sept – Competition Sessions 4 & 5 

8th Sept – Award & Closing Ceremony & Farewell Dinner 

You will find more information at the official website here, and on their Facebook page here.

Team England FF was represented by Ben Bangham, Andrew Croucher, Mike Dixon, Scott Nellins, Andy Cliffe and Martin Dixon (manager).

Opening Ceremony

First Day

Session 1: England scored a 6th place in Sector 1 on the river (Scott Nellins), along with a 10th, 12th, and 14th place, plus a 6th place on the lake sector (Andy Cliffe), which put them in 9th place, behind Scotland in 8th and Ireland 5th. Poland were leading with 13 placing points, three ahead of Finland Men, with the Czech Republic 3rd with 26 points sess1team

Session 2: Ben Bangham came 8th on the lake, but on the river sectors England scored three 10th places and a 15th, dropping to 11th overall. After a good session the Czech Republic drew level with Poland on placing points with 37 each and are currently 2nd, with 68960 fish points, with Poland 1st on 80600 fish points. Finland Men are 3rd with 50 placing points, and Spain 4th with 62 sess2teamcumul Piotr Zieleniak (Poland) is leading individually, ahead of Ruben Santos Becerro (Spain) – both with two first places – with Lukas Jahn (Czech) third, with a 2nd and a 1st. Michael Drinan of Ireland is currently 9th sess2indivcumul

Second Day

Session 3: A 1st place by Scott Nellins, plus a 3rd by Ben Bangham, both on the river sectors, helped England get back to 6th place overall on 127 placing points, just behind Ireland on 121. The Czech Republic are currently in 1st place, on 55 points, five ahead of Poland in 2nd and Finland Men 3rd with 86 points, three ahead of Spain sess3teamcumul Individually, another 1st place saw Piotr Zieleniak (Poland) keep his lead, one point ahead of Lukas Jahn (Czech) and Ruben Santos Becerro (Spain), both on 4 placing points sess3indivcumul

Third Day

Session 4: England’s highest placed team member in this session was Ben Bangham with an 8th on one of the river sectors, with a 9th to Scott Nellins, and 11th to Andy Cliffe (also on the river), and an 11th to Mike Dixon on the lake. England slipped to 10th place overall, with Ireland 7th. Poland overtook the Czech Republic to gain 1st place, 73 points to 77, with Spain 3rd with 119 points sess4teamcumul Individually, Piotr Zieleniak (Poland) scored yet another 1st place to stay in the lead with 4 points, ahead of Lukas Jahn (Czech) on 6 points (two 1sts and and two 2nds), with Ruben Santos Becerro (Spain) on 7 points with two 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd sess4indivcumul

Session 5: England did better in the final session with Scott Nellins coming 3rd on the lake, and 8th places to Andy Croucher and Ban Bangham on the river sectors. They finished in 8th place with 219 points, just behind Ireland on 205 points. Poland increased their lead to become the 2016 European Champions with 81 total placing points, with the Czech Republic 2nd with 105 points, and Spain 3rd with 143 points, Finland Men 4th and France 5th sess5teamcumul Individually, Piotr Zieleniak (Poland) managed a clean sweep of 1st places, scoring just 5 placing points to become the 2016 Individual European Champion. Lukas Jahn (Czech) was 2nd with 8 points, and Piotr Armatys (Poland) 3rd with 12 points. Michael Drinan of Ireland scored a 3rd in his final session to finish 6th overall. England’s top performer was Scott Nellins at 21st, with Ben Bangham 33rd sess5indivcumul

European Championships 2015 – Italy September 21st-27th 

The 2015 FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing was held on the 21st-27th September in Trentino, Italy, on the Sarca river and the Lake of Nembia. 

Programme:

21st Sept – Parade and Opening Ceremony

22nd Sept – Official Practice Sessions 1 & 2

23rd Sept – Competition Sessions 1 & 2

24th Sept – Competition Session 3

25th Sept – Competition Sessions 4 & 5

26th Sept – Closing Ceremony & Gala Dinner

Official Programme: PROGRAMM-DEPLIANT_EN

You will also find more information at the official website here, and on their Facebook page here. John Horsey also covered this event on his Facebook page here, as did Ben Bangham here.

Team England FF was represented by John Horsey, Lewis Hendrie, Howard Croston, Tony Baldwin, Mike Dixon, Ben Bangham (reserve) and Ian Greenwood (captain/manager).

Session One

After the first session England were in 6th place, with the Czech Republic 1st, Italy 2nd, Finland 3rd, France 5th and Poland 6th. Howard Croston came 3rd in his session on Sector 4 on the Sarca river with 49 fish, while Lewis Hendrie came 4th with 3 fish in Sector 5 on Lake Nembia, just two fish behind the 1st place in this sector. Team Results after Session One: Session_1_Team_Results_provisional Individual Results after Session One: Session_1_Indiv_Results_Provisional

Session Two

After the second session England moved down to 7th place, with the Czech Republic 1st, Finland 2nd and France 3rd and Poland 4th. Team_results_after_session_2 Mike Dixon came 4th and Tony Baldwin 5th in their sessions on the Sarca river, while Howard Croston came 5th on Lake Nembia. Sebastian Delcor of France is currently the top individual, ahead of Roman Heimlich of the Czech Republic. Howard Croston is currently 15th and Mike Dixon 26th. Individual_results_after_session_2

Session Three

England were lying in 8th place after the third session, with the Czech Republic still in 1st, in front of France who moved into 2nd, ahead of Poland in 3rd, while Finland dropped to 4th. Team_results_after_session_3 John Horsey won his session on Lake Nembia, the only angler to catch four fish. Individually, Sebastian Delcor of France is still in 1st place, ahead of Roman Heimlich of the Czech Republic, with both anglers scoring three 1st places in their three sessions. Individual_results_after_session_3

Session Four

Following some good individual performances, England recovered to 7th place after the fourth session. The Czech Republic are still 1st with 61 points, ahead of France in 2nd with 84 points and Poland 3rd with 92 points. Team_results_after_session_4 Lewis Hendrie won his session on Sector 3 of the Sarca River with 26 fish, 15 more than the Czech competitor in second place, while Howard Croston got 2nd on Sector 2, also on the Sarca River. Individually, Sebastian Delcor of France is still in 1st place on 6 points, with three 1sts and a 3rd, ahead of Roman Heimlich of the Czech Republic on 7 points, with three 1sts and a 4th place. Individual_results_after_session_4

Session Five

England finished the Championships in 7th place. The Czech Republic are the new European Champions, with 74 placing points, some distance ahead of France in 2nd place with 102 points, and Poland 3rd with 112 points. TRENTINOEFFC_Team_results_after_session_5

Individually, Roman Heimlich of the Czech Republic is the European Champion, winning his last session on the Sarca River, with Sebastian Delcor of France taking the Silver after coming 3rd in session five. Bronze medallist was Tomas Adam of the Czech Republic. TRENTINOEFFC_Individual_results_after_session_5

 

European Championships 2014 – Sweden August 12th-18th 

The 2014 FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships was held on the 12th-18th August in the Jämtland region of Sweden, on the Ammerån river, and the Öravattnet and Ösjön lakes.

Programme:

12th Aug – Opening Parade.

13th-14th Aug – Official Practice. 

15th-17th Aug – Competition Days

18th Aug – Closing Awards Ceremony

You will find more information at the official website here, and on their Facebook page here

Team England FF was represented by: Scott Nellins, Simon Robinson, Andy Croucher, Tony Baldwin, Lewis Hendrie, and Ian Greenwood (manager/captain/reserve)

In the first session Andrew Croucher came 4th, Scott Nellins 5th and Tony Baldwin 9th in their sections on the Ammerån river, with Simon Robinson 6th on Öravattnet lake (boat), and Lewis Hendrie one of thirteen anglers who suffered a blank on Ösjön lake (boat) where only one fish was caught. Individual results after first session: Ses1Indiv The Czech Republic was in the lead with 24 placing points, ahead of Spain with 30 points, with England in 3rd place with 35 points. Team results after first session: Ses1Team

In the second session Simon Robinson came 2nd, Scott Nellins came 4th and Tony Baldwin 11th in their sections on the Ammerån river, with Lewis Hendrie 4th on Öravattnet lake (boat). The Ösjön lake (boat) continued to be a hard section and saw only two fish caught in this session, with Andrew Croucher one of a dozen anglers who failed to catch. With two 1st places the Czech Tomas Adam was currently leading in the Individual results, with Simon Robinson 10th and Scott Nellins 11th: AfterSes2Indiv The Czech Republic was still the first placed team with 49 points, with Spain 2nd with 55 points, Poland 3rd with 62 points, and England 4th with 67 points: AfterSes2Team

In the third session Tony Baldwin came 3rd, Simon Robinson came 6th and Lewis Hendrie 11th in their sections on the Ammerån river, with Andrew Croucher 2nd on Öravattnet lake (boat). Scott Nellins did exceptionally well to win his session on the Ösjön lake (boat), which again only saw two fish caught, and this performance pushed him into 3rd place in the Individual rankings, behind Ander Perez (Spain) and Tomas Adam (Czech) who was still in 1st place with two firsts and a second. Simon Robinson was 9th: AfterSes3Indiv With 79 points Spain were just one point behind the Czech Republic on 78 points, with England back in 3rd place with 90 points, two ahead of Poland: AfterSes3Team

In the fourth session England put in another good performance which saw Lewis Hendrie winning his section on the the Ammerån river, with Simon Robinson 4th and Andrew Croucher 8th. Although Tony Baldwin failed to catch on the Ösjön lake (boat), which again only saw two fish caught, Scott Nellins scored another lake win on Öravattnet lake (boat), which helped him keep his 3rd place in the Individual rankings, behind Ander Perez (Spain) and Tomas Adam (Czech) both of whom caught in their Ösjön lake session. Simon Robinson is now 7th: AfterSes4Indiv With the Czech Republic dropping to 4th place, Spain have moved into 1st with 103 points, ahead of England in 2nd with 117 points, one point ahead of Poland on 118: AfterSes4Team

In the fifth and final session the provisional results show that England experienced mixed fortunes on the Ammerån river, with Lewis Hendrie coming 3rd and Andrew Croucher 8th in their sections, but Scott Nellins unable to score. Tony Baldwin finished 9th on Öravattnet lake (boat), while the Ösjön lake (boat) sector was another struggle, producing just one fish, with Simon Robinson failing to catch. Individually, Tomas Adam (Czech) finished with an exceptional run of four first places and a second for just 6 points to become European Champion, ahead of Ander Perez (Spain) with 15 points in 2nd, and former Champion Martin Droz (Czech) in 3rd with 22 points. Scott Nellins finished 7th, with Simon Robinson 17th, Lewis Hendrie 19th, Andrew Croucher 20th, and Tony Baldwin 39th: AfterSes5Indiv Having figured in a medal position for much of the competition, England finished in 4th place with 163 points, behind Poland in 3rd with 154 points, and Spain in 2nd with 146 points. After staging a dramatic recovery in the final session, the Czech Republic are the European Champions with 143 points: AfterSes5Team

European Championships 2013 – Slovakia  September 15th-22nd 

 The FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championships was held from 17th-22nd September in Slovakia, on the Belá, Váh and Poprad rivers, venues which were previously used for the 1999 European and 2005 World Championships. 

You will find more details on the championship website here

The competition took place solely on river sectors:

Sector 1. River Bela – Sector 2. River Vah no.21 – Sector 3. River Vah no.22 – Sector 4. River Poprad – Sector 5. River Vah no.19

You will find a complete guide to the sectors here. 16 countries took part.

The Team England FF team was: Paul Page (captain/manager), Iain Barr, John Tyzack, Baz Reece, Andrew Gooding, Andrew Scott & Andy Croucher (reserve)

Team CVs: 2013 team CV’s

First Session: Spain took the lead in the first session, ahead of the Czech Republic, with France in third place. England were 8th, with Terry Phillips and John Tyzack 22nd and 23rd. Team results after 1st session: Session1-Teams Individual results after 1st session: Session1-Individuals

Second Session: Spain have hung onto their lead, ahead of the Czech Republic and France. England have moved up to 6th, thanks to a section win by Andrew Scott and a 5th place by John Tyzack. Team results after 2nd session: After-Session2-Team Individual results after 2nd session: After-Sesion2-Indiv

Third Session: Andrew Scott had another good session, coming 2nd, and is now 7th in the Individual listings. Spain increased their lead over the Czechs, with Poland 3rd, one point ahead of France in 4th place. England dropped back to 8th. With two firsts and a second place, the Individual leader is currently Pablo Castro Pinos (Spain). Team results after 3rd session: After-Session3-Team Individual results after 3rd session: After-Session3-Indiv

Fourth Session: Spain did well again, extending their lead over the Czech Republic, with France overtaking Poland to 3rd place. England dropped to 11th place, but Andrew Scott is currently lying 9th in the Individual listings. Pablo Castro Pinos (Spain) scored another second place to remain the Individual leader by five points. Team results after 4th session: After-Session4-Team Individual results after 4th session: After-Session4-Indiv

Fifth Session: The Czech Republic had a good session, scoring two firsts, a third and a fourth, to overtake Spain for first place, with France in 3rd. Andrew Scott did well again, with another 2nd place, and was lying 5th in the overall Individual rankings. This helped England to recover to 9th place. Team results after 5th session: After-Session5-Team Individual results after 5th session: After-Session5-Indiv

Final Session: Although Spain put in a good performance, the Czechs hung onto their lead to take the Team Championship, with Spain 2nd and France 3rd. Despite a 5th place by Terry Phillips, England finished 10th. Pablo Castro Pinos (Spain) recorded another 1st place to become Individual Champion, ahead of Martin Bachleda (Slovakia A) and David Chumsky (Czech). Andrew Scott was our best individual, finishing 12th. Team results after final session: After-Session6-Team Individual results after final session: After-Session6-indiv

Report by Paul Page: 2013 European report

European Championships 2012 – Portugal  May 13th-20th 2012

At the Team England FF AGM last November (See Report TEFF AGM 27-11-11) it was decided not to enter a team into the European Championships (a competition we would have very little chance of doing well in) and instead organise a training trip to Norway, the venue of next year’s World Championships, to be better prepared for this event. Even so, TEFF still covered this year’s European event.

12 teams took part in this year’s event, which was held from the 13th-20th May, near to the Montebelo Aguieira resort. (See more details here: 18th European Fly Fishing Championship – Portugal(1)) It was held over five river sessions, on the Rio Mondeggo, Rio Alva and Rio Ceira.

France took an early lead after the first session, ahead of Spain, Romania, Italy and the Czech Republic. Ireland were 7th with Scotland 10th. TEAMS

Individually, Ludovic Chaomleffel of France led the first session, with Thomas O’Connor of Ireland in 4th place and Kenny Riddell of Scotland 19th. INDIVIDUAL

The Portugal 2 team won the second session, ahead of the Czech Republic and Italy. Scotland were 9th and Ireland 11th. TEAMS-1 Individually, three Portugese, an Italian and a Finnish competitor were in the top five places. INDIV

After two sessions, the Czech Republic were leading, with Portugal 2 second and France third. Ireland were lying 9th and Scotland 11th. TEAMS 1&2(1)

In the Individuals, former World and European Champion Pavel Chyba (Czech Republic) was 1st, with Ludovic Chaomleffel (France) 2nd and Laurent Gagneux (France) 3rd. Thomas O’Connor (Ireland) was 13th and Keith Renton (Scotland) 27th. INDIV 1&2

Spain won the third session Teams Individuals which put them into 1st place overall, with the Czech Republic 2nd and Portugal 2 3rd. Ireland were lying 10th and Scotland 11th Teams cummulative.

Individually, former World Champion Martin Droz (Czech Republic) was now lying 1st, with Ludovic Chaomleffel (France) 2nd and David Garcia (Spain) 3rd. Thomas O’Connor (Ireland) was 20th and Keith Renton (Scotland) 34th. Individuals cummulative

The Czech Republic won the fourth session TEAM INDIV and overtook Spain to lead with 74 points to third 76, with Italy 3rd on 86 points, and France and Portugal both on 97 points. TEAM CUMUL(1)

After winning his session Martin Droz (Czech Republic) remained top Individual, two place points ahead of David Garcia (Spain) in 2nd, Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) 3rd, and Pavel Chyba (Czech Republic) 4th. Thomas O’Connor (Ireland) was 20th and Kenny Riddell (Scotland) 37th. INDIV CUMUL

Spain also won the fifth and final session TEAMS while Martin Droz recorded another session win, as did Valerio Santi Amantini INDIVS.

Final Results are: 1. Spain 89 pts 2. Czech Republic 98 pts 3. Italy 107 pts 4. Portugal 2 125 pts 5. France 129 pts 6. Poland 153 pts 7. Portugal 1 163 pts 8. Romania 179 pts 9. Finland 213 pts 10. Scotland 221 pts 11. Ireland 237 pts 12. Netherlands 258 pts TEAMS CUMULATIVE

Individuals: European Champion: Martin Droz (Czech Republic) 2. Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) 3. David Garcia (Spain). Thomas O’Connor (Ireland) finished 31st and Kenny Riddell (Scotland) 39th. INVID CUMULATIVE.

European Championship 2011

Czech Republic 31 May – 6 June

Manager / Captain – Paul Page

Davey Parker – All sessions

Andrew Gooding – All sessions

Scott Nellins – All sessions

John Emerson – All sessions

Alex Bobba – 3 River Sessions

Baz Reece – 1 lake boat seesion, 1 lake bank session and team reserve

For detailed information click here

Full Match Report