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42nd FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship 2023, Slovakia – Results

DAY 1 – SESSION 1

The first championship session saw Scott Nellins come 12th on the River Orava, with Del Spry 13th on the River Hron, James Atkinson 18th on the Lower River Vah, and Howard Croston 22nd on the Upper Vah. On Lake Dedinky, the boat fishing sector, where half the field blanked, Sean Brooks was one of eight anglers to catch a single fish, which put him 11th, while five anglers managed to catch a brace. France got off to a good start, with three first places, to start the championship in 1st place with 15 placing points, with the Czech Republic 2nd with 29 points, and Spain 3rd with 32. England are currently 12th with 76 placing points, with Ireland 15th and Scotland 19th.

DAY 2 – SESSION 2

Day 2 saw James Atkinson come 5th on the Upper River Vah, with Scott Nellins also coming 5th on the Lower Vah. Howard Croston was 17th on the River Hron, and Sean Brooks 19th on the River Orava. Lake Dedinky, the boat fishing sector, saw some better catches than the previous day, with Del Spry getting 3 fish to come 4th, behind Ireland’s Sean Dempsey 2nd with 5 fish, and Mike Cordiner of Scotland 1st with 6 fish. This helped Scotland move up into 9th place overall, while England remained at 12th, and Ireland dropped a place to 16th. Spain overhauled France to lead the competition with 61 placing points, with France 2nd on 82 points, and Finland moving up into 3rd place with 88 points. With two first places Pierre Kuntz (France) leads the Individual rankings, with Gregoire Juglaret (France) 2nd with 3 placing points, and David Arcay (Spain) 3rd with 4 points.

DAY 3 – SESSION 3

In Session 3 on Day 3 Sean Brooks scored a 8th place on the Lower River Vah, Del Spry came 9th on the River Orava, Scott Nellins 17th on the Upper Vah, with James Atkinson 26th= on the River Hron. On Lake Dedinky, the boat fishing sector, Howard Croston landed 4 fish to finish in 3rd place, one fish behind the two top places, which included Pierre Kuntz (France) who added another 1st place to his championship tally. England moved up one place to 11th, with Scotland in 13th place and Ireland 18th. It was all change once again in the top three team places, with France back in 1st place with 95 placing points, ahead of Spain 2nd with 107 points, and the Czech Republic 3rd with 121 points. Thanks to his win on the lake sector, Pierre Kuntz (France) held onto his top spot in the Individual rankings with 3 placing points, with Gregoire Juglaret (France) 2nd with 4 points, and David Arcay (Spain) 3rd with 5 points.

DAY 4 – SESSION 4

Session 4 saw James Atkinson win a convincing 1st place on Lake Dedinky, the boat fishing sector, with 15 fish, 7 more than his nearest competitor. On the river sectors, Howard Croston came 2nd on the River Orava, with Sean Brooks 12th on the Upper River Vah, Scott Nellins 12th on the River Hron, and Del Spry 19th on the Lower Vah. Overall, England moved up one place to 10th, with Ireland 14th and Scotland 15th. The top three teams did not change, with France holding on to 1st place with 125 placing points, Spain in 2nd with 148 points, and the Czech Republic 3rd with 171 points. Individually, Pierre Kuntz (France) hung onto his 1st place with 6 placing points, with Gregoire Juglaret (France) 2nd with 7 points, ahead of David Arcay (Spain) 3rd with 8 points, and Tom Jarman (Australia) 4th, also with 8 points.

DAY 5 – SESSION 5

The final Session saw Sean Brooks come 12th on the River Hron, with James Atkinson 15th on the River Orava, Del Spry 18th on the Upper River Vah, and Howard Croston 22nd on the Lower Vah. On Lake Dedinky, the boat fishing sector, which was won with 3 fish, Scott Nellins was one of ten competitors who failed to catch. England remained in 10th place, with 330 placing points, with Scotland 13th and Ireland 18th. France held on to their top spot to become the 2023 World Team Champions, with 153 points, with the Czech Republic overtaking Spain into 2nd place with 196 points, and Spain dropping to 3rd with 199 points. Individually, after coming 3rd in his previous session, Pierre Kuntz (France) stormed back with another 1st place to become the 2023 Individual World Champion (4 1st places and a 3rd) for 7 placing points. David Arcay (Spain) was 2nd with 9 points, with Gregoire Juglaret (France) 3rd on 10 points.

42nd FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship 2023, Slovakia

The 42nd FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship is being held in the High and Low Tatras, Slovakia, from the 12th-18th September 2023.

AT TEFF is represented by Howard Croston (Team Captain/Competitor), Mark Withyman (Manager/Reserve), Scott Nellins, James Atkinson, Del Spry and Sean Brooks.

The team is sponsored by:

NIS Group Services Ltd
Insulation Contractors
A1 Fire Stopping and Drilling Services
Hardy Fly Fishing
Chatton Trout Fishery
Envirofil Ltd

COMPETING TEAMS

Australia – Belgium – Bosnia-Herzegovina – Czech Republic – England – Finland – France – Hungary – Ireland – Italy – Japan – Latvia – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Mongolia – Montenegro – Nederlands – New Zealand – Poland – Romania – Scotland – Serbia – Slovakia – Slovenia – South Africa – Spain – Sweden – USA

PROGRAMME

Tuesday 12th September
12:00-14:00 Registration of Teams and Check-in
14:00 Captains’ Meeting
18:00-19:30 Opening Ceremony
20:00 Opening Dinner

Wednesday 13th September: First competition session
09:00-12:00 Session 1 (on Dedinky Lake Session lasts from 9:00 till 13:00)
12:00-14:00 Lunch
19:00 Dinner at Hotel

Thursday 14th September: Second competition session
09:00-12:00 Session 2 (on Dedinky Lake Session lasts from 9:00 till 13:00)
12:00-14:00 Lunch
19:00 Dinner at Hotel

Friday 15th September: Third competition session
09:00-12:00 Session 3 (on Dedinky Lake Session lasts from 9:00 till 13:00)
12:00-14:00 Lunch
19:00 Dinner at Hotel

Saturday 16th September: Fourth competition session
09:00-12:00 Session 4 (on Dedinky Lake Session lasts from 9:00 till 13:00)
12:00-14:00 Lunch
19:00 Dinner at Hotel

Sunday 17th September: Fifth competition session
09:00-12:00 Session 5 (on Dedinky Lake Session lasts from 9:00 till 13:00)
12:00-14:00 Lunch
18:00 Medals and Closing Ceremony
20:00 Closing Banquet at Permon

Monday 18th September
06:00 Breakfast – Travel home

SECTORS

Sector 1 RIVER ORAVA
Sector starts at the road bridge in Tvrdosin town downstream till the road bridge over River Orava in Kriva village. Big size river, width from 30 to 50m, average depth 60-120cm, occasionally deep pools 2-3m. River banks highly covered with bushes and trees. Averaged water flow in September is around 15m3/s.
Eligible fish: Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Lake trout, Grayling, Danubian Salmon, White fish

Sector 2 LOWER RIVER VAH (LM)
Competition sector begins at the confluence of River Bela and River Vah and runs downstream till the confluence of Demanovka creek in Liptovsky Mikulas city. Due to the existence of hydro power stations some parts will be excluded. Averaged water flow in September is around 8 m3/s.
Eligible fish: Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Lake trout, Grayling, Danubian Salmon

Sector 3 UPPER RIVER VAH (LH)
Competition sector starts at the confluence of the Rivers Biely Vah and Cierny Vah above Liptovsky Hradok till the road bridge in Liptovska Porubka village. Middle sized river, width from 12 to 20m, average depth 50-100cm, occasionally deep pools up to 2m. Averaged water flow in September is around 6 m3/s. River banks highly covered with bushes and trees. Recommended fly fishing methods are nymphing, dries, wet and streamers too.
Eligible fish: Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Lake trout, Grayling, Danubian Salmon

Sector 4 RIVER HRON
Competition sector starts at the road bridge close to Motorest Grajciar (close to junction to Lubietova) downstream and ends at the road bridge in Salkova (close to Banska Bystrica). Middle size river, width from 15 to 20m, usual depth 50-140cm, occasionally deep pools up to 2m. River banks highly covered with bushes and trees.
Eligible fish: Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Grayling, Danubian Salmon, White fish.

Sector 5 LAKE DEDINKY (boat fishing)
Water dam middle size 86 Ha, depth varies from 3 to 28 m, in average 12 m. Dam has regulated banks and the sector itself will be limited with buoyancy line in south close to dam wall and by the first railway bridge over inletting River Hnilec. The provided boats have a capacity of 3 persons and will be equipped with the normalized drogues.
Eligible fish: Rainbow trout, Brook trout, Brown trout, Lake trout.

You will find more information on the Championship website here>>

AT TEFF England Senior World Fly Fishing Team sponsorship announcement

AT TEFF England Senior World Fly Fishing Team have announced a series of sponsorship agreements for the 2023 squad for the upcoming World Championships in Slovakia.

The agreements with three non-fishing related companies represent the first sponsorships in several years of their type, as the team look to help advertise company branding on clothing and videos throughout the championships.

Team Captain Howard Croston “The 2023 England World team is set to compete in Slovakia’s Tatra mountains for the 42nd FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships, this September. This challenging and rigorous event will be contested across five venues over five days of competition by teams from 30 countries.
Team England is greatly indebted to its generous supporters & sponsors, without whom attendance would be impossible.
Consisting of former team & individual world champion Howard Croston (Team Captain/Competitor), Mark Withyman (Manager/Reserve), Scott Nellins, James Atkinson, Del Spry and Sean Brooks, Team England would like to offer particular thanks to –

NIS Group Services Ltd (www.nislimited.com)
Insulation Contractors (www.nislimited.com/icl/)
A1 Fire Stopping and Drilling Services (www.elitefirestop.co.uk)
Hardy Fly Fishing (www.hardyfishing.com)
Chatton Trout Fishery (www.chattontroutflyfishery.co.uk)
Envirofil Ltd (www.envirofil.co.uk)

For their invaluable support on the largest stage in competitive fly fishing.’’

The team depart for Slovakia on September 4th, with the competition week being held from the 11th September across five sessions across the Rivers Vah, Orava and Hron; with Lake Dehdinky as the solo lake session.

41st FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Spain

The 41st FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship was held in Asturias, Spain, from 25th September to 1st October 2022.

AT Team England FF was represented by: Howard Croston, Lewis Hendrie, Andy Taylor, Mark Withyman & Gilliaum Vermeulen

COMPETING TEAMS

Australia – Belgium – Canada – Czech Republic – England – Finland – France – Hungary – Ireland – Italy – Japan – Lithuania – Mongolia – Netherlands – New Zealand – Portugal – Rumania – Scotland – Slovakia – South Africa – Spain – USA – Wales

PROGRAMME

Sunday 25th September
10:00-12:00 Registration at the hotel
15:00 Captains Meeting & Draw
18:00 Opening Ceremony

Monday 26th – Friday 30th September
10:00-14:00 Session in rivers
10:00-10:30 First subsession in lake
11:45-12:15 Second subsession in lake
12:30-13:00 Third subsession in lake
13:15-13:45 Fourth subsession in lake
14:00-14:30 Fifth subsession in lake
14:45-15:15 Sixth subsession in lake

Saturday 1st October
10:00-14:00 Closing Congress
18:00 Medal Ceremony & Closing
21:00 Closing Banquet

SECTORS

Sector 1 CAUDAL RIVER

Sector 2 PILOÑA RIVER

Sector 3 TRUBIA RIVER

Sector 4 NARCEA RIVER

Sector 5 ARENERO LAKE

RESULTS

Session 1

AT Team England ended their first session in 11th place out of 22 teams. Howard Croston came 8th on the Piloña River, Andy Taylor 9th on the Narcea River, Lewis Hendrie 10th on the Caudal River, Gilliaum Vermeulen 12th on the Trubia River, and Mark Withyman 16th on Lake Arenero, in a session which saw 1st-placed Julien Daguillanes (France) catch 58 fish. With two 1st places and two 2nds, Spain dominated the river sections, and were leading the team placings with just 10 placing points, ahead of France 2nd with 22 placing points, USA 3rd with 29 placing points and Canada 4th with 37 placing points. Wales were 14th, Scotland 15th and Ireland 18th.

Session 2

The second session saw AT Team England slip one place to 12th, with Howard Croston coming 7th on the Trubia River, Gilliaum Vermeulen 13th on the Narcea River, and Lewis Hendrie 14th on the Piloña River, while Mark Withyman was unable to avoid a blank on the Caudal River. On Lake Arenero, which saw reduced scores after the high totals in the first session, Andy Taylor came 16th. With several more good placings, Spain remained top of the team championship with 27 placing points, still some way ahead of France in 2nd with 43 placing points, and the USA 3rd with 59 placing points. Finland overtook Belgium to move into 4th place, as Canada dropped to 7th. Ireland moved up to 15th, with Scotland 16th and Wales 17th. Individually, David Arcay (Spain) was leading with two 1st places, with Julien Daguillanes (France) 2nd and Ruben Santos (Spain) in 3rd.

Session 3

Session 3 saw AT Team England retain their 12th place, with Lewis Hendrie coming 4th on the Trubia River, Howard Croston 12th on the Narcea River, Mark Withyman 13th on the Piloña River, and Andy Taylor also 13th on the Caudal River. On Lake Arenero, which continued to show diminishing returns, Gilliaum Vermeulen came 17th. Two 1st places and a 3rd saw France narrow the gap between their 2nd place with 62 placing points and Spain in 1st place with 50 points, while Finland remained 3rd with 97 points, three ahead of the Czech Republic at 4th. Ireland moved up to 14th, with Scotland 15th and Wales 17th. Julien Daguillanes (France) and David Arcay (Spain) still contested the two top Individual places with 4 points each, one ahead of Ruben Santos (Spain) who remained in 3rd. Sean Dempsey (Ireland) was in 9th place.

Session 4

AT Team England remained at 12th place after the 4th session, with Andy Tayor scoring a 5th place on the Piloña River, Lewis Hendrie 10th on the Narcea River, Gilliaum Vermeulen 14th on the Caudal River and Mark Withyman 15th on the Trubia River. In the Lake Arenero session Howard Croston came 16th. Both the Spanish and French teams continued to put in good performances, which saw them remain in 1st and 2nd places respectively, with 65 placing points to 80. Finland stayed in 3rd place with 128 points, with the Czech Republic 4th with 139 points. Ireland remained in 14th place, with Wales 16th and Scotland 17th. Individually, another 1st place for Julien Daguillanes (France) saw him top the listings with 5 points, with Ruben Santos (Spain) 2nd with 7 points, and David Arcay (Spain) 3rd on 8 points.

Session 5

AT Team England finished the 2022 World Championships in 13th place, with Howard Croston getting a 6th place on the Caudal River, Gilliaum Vermeulen 9th on the Pilona River, Andy Taylor 16th on the Trubia River, and Mark Withyman 17th on the Narcea River, while in the session on Lake Arenero Lewis Hendrie came 15th. With both the Spanish and French teams continuing to set the pace the end result was close, with Spain the 2022 Team World Champions with 95 points, and France 2nd with 104 points. The Czech Republic moved up into 3rd place with 154 points, ahead of Belgium 4th with 178 points. Wales finished in 15th place, with Ireland 16th and Scotland 17th. Individually, Julien Daguillanes (France) added another session win to finish the 2022 Individual World Champion with 4 1st places and one 2nd for 6 placing points (to add to the title he won in the 2016 World Championships in Vail, Colorado). David Arcay (Spain) was 2nd with 11 points and Ruben Santos (Spain) 3rd with 12 points. Sean Dempsey (Ireland) finished 12th, with the top AT Team England performer being Howard Croston in 43rd place.

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

The Angling Trust reports: The 41st World Fly Fishing Championships held in Asturias Spain on 4 highly technical wild trout rivers and one small, stocked stillwater that also proved to be a frustrating venue at times with the small, stocked fish reacting to changeable winds and the intense pressure of very tightly spaced pegs.
The fishing in the rivers was highly technical, centred around light tippets and perfect fly drift, with often only one chance to a target fish, second drifts after an initial refusal often resulted in a spooked fish that then in turn spooked other fish close by.
Team England enjoyed good practice results in the run-up to the event, supported by an excellent local guide, and despite the relative inexperience of the team at World level had hopes for a reasonable finish.
In the end a combination of tough and changeable conditions, combined with some difficult draws didn’t see the result materialise as hoped.
Successful methods for the winning teams varied from single nymph and dry, to dry dropper and double nymph, depending on the beat and water conditions, one common theme was the use of low diameter tippets down to as low as 0.075mm.
Our team led by Howard Croston (fishing and managing), Gilliaum Vermeulen, Andy Taylor, Mark Withyman & Lewis Hendrie are pictured below. Along with images of the beautiful wild river inhabitants landed by Andy & Mark and an amazing lump of a trout returned by Howard, who masterfully brought it to the net on a 0.08mm tippet.
Host nation Spain landed Gold, neighbours France Silver, and the always-in-the-picture team Czech Republic Bronze. England placed thirteenth on unfamiliar and heavily pressured water, however with new caps it’s a reasonable spot. Well done guys, such a difficult venue to tame without a decent set of peg draws.

41st FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Spain

The team of 5 that made it through from the 2021 EPP will head to Spain in September for the World Championships.

The 2022 World Team heading to Spain are: Howard Croston, Andy Taylor, Lewis Hendrie, Gilliaum Vermeulen, and Mark Withyman.

40th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Finland – Results

Session 1

AT TEFF England ended the first session 10th out of 13 teams, with Terry Phillips coming 5th on the lower Kitkajoki s1s5, Scott Nellins 7th on the Kuusinki s1s3, and Davey Parker 10th on the upper Kitkajoki s1s1. On the lakes, Howard Croston saved a blank on Koverrusjarvi to come 7th s1s2, while Harry Fox was one of five competitors to end up fishless on Kylmaluoma s1s4. Finland are currently leading the team rankings with 16 placing points, ahead of Italy on 20 and France on 23.

Session 2

After a better performance in Session 2 AT TEFF England moved up to 5th place overall, thanks to a 1st place by Howard Croston with 31 fish on the Kuusinki river s2s3, and a 2nd by Harry Fox on the lower Kitkajoki s2s5. Terry Phillips scored an 8th place on the upper Kitkajoki s2s1-corrected, while on the lakes Scott Nellins landed 2 fish for 5th place on Kylmaluoma s2s4, with Davey Parker one of 8 competitors to blank on Koverrusjarvi s2s2. Individually, Valdimir Linda of Slovakia, Pierre Kuntz of France and Mikki Rasanen of Finland are the top three, all with 3 points, while Howard Croston is currently 9th s2indivcum.

Session 3

Harry Fox followed his 2nd on the lower Kitkajoki in the previous session with another 2nd on the upper Kitkajoki with 24 fish s3s1. Davey Parker came 7th on the Kuusinki river s3s3, while Terry Phillips saved a blank on the Koverrusjarvi lake to also finish 7th s3s2. Scott Nellins came 13th on the lower Kitkajoki river s3s5, while Howard Croston was one of 11 blanks on the Kylmaluona lake where only 2 competitors caught one fish each s3s4-1, concerning as there are still two sessions to go. AT TEFF England are currently in 7th place, with Finland, France and Slovakia still in the top three places. Heikki Kurtti of Finland currently leads the Individual rankings with 5 points, followed by Pierre Kuntz, France, on 8, and Pablo Castro, Spain, and Kristian Sveda, Slovakia on 9 points s3-indivs-cum. However, anyone who has already fished both lake sectors and avoided a blank, like Sebastien Delcor of France, must be in a strong position.

Session 4

AT TEFF England held on to 7th place overall, with Terry Phillips getting a 6th place on the Kuusinki river s4s3, Howard Croston 8th on the lower Kitkajoki s4s5, and Scott Nellins 13th on the upper Kitkajoki s4s1. On the lake sectors, Harry Fox was one of the 7 competitors who failed to catch on the Koverrusjarvi s4s2, while despite an improvement in returns on lake Kylmaluoma, with 8 competitors scoring, Davey Parker was one of the 5 who failed to catch s4s4. Finland have consolidated their position in 1st place, 23 points ahead of France in 2nd, while Spain have overtaken Italy and Slovakia to move into 3rd. Individually, Heikki Kurtti of Finland retained his lead with 7 points, 3 points ahead of Jari Heikkinen of Finland and Pablo Castro of Spain s4-indivs-cum.

Final Session

A good performance by the Czech Republic in the final session saw them overtake AT TEFF England to leave England in 8th place. Harry Fox continued his good run on the river sectors to score a 3rd place on the Kuusinki with 21 fish s5s3, while Howard Croston was 7th on the upper Kitkajoki s5s1, and Dave Parker 12th= on the lower Kitkajoki s5s5. On the lake sectors Scott Nellins landed 2 fish on the Koverrusjarvi to come 6th s5s2, while Terry Phillips was one of 7 anglers to blank on the Kylmaluoma s5s4. With 4 of their team members in the top 5, Finland were the top team by a convincing margin, with 80 points, ahead of France on 127 points, and Spain with 141 points. Heikki Kurtti of Finland took the top Individual spot, with 8 placing points, with Jari Heikkinen of Finland 2nd with 13 points, and David Arcay of Spain 3rd with 15 points, ahead of Santeri Kinnunen of Finland, also on 15 points. Harry Fox was England’s top performer, finishing 22nd, with Howard Croston 28th, and Terry Phillips 31st s5-indivs-cum.

The AT TEFF England World team is sponsored by Envirofil Ltd – Contamination Control

40th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Finland – Draw: Groups & Captains’ Meeting

io-captains-meeting

40th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Finland

The 40th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship will be held in the Kuusamo and Taivalkoski regions, Finland from August 12th to 16th, 2021.

The Championship will be held over 5 sessions fished at 5 venues; rivers Kitkajoki and Kuusinkijoki, as well as lakes Kylmäluoma and Koverrusjärvi. Following the easing of COVID-related travel restrictions, the AT TEFF World squad will be flying out to Finland before the Championship for venue practices and tactical development.

The squad will be led by the 2019 World Champion Howard Croston as Captain and Manager with team members Harry Fox, Scott Nellins, Davey Parker and Terry Phillips.

This will be Howard’s 12th World cap, while the rest of the team also has numerous World team and European team caps between them. Finland has been a challenge for both Team and Individuals in the past.

World Team Captain and Manager Howard Croston said: – “The team has been carefully selected to deliver the best chance of success in Finland, with a combination of new talent but also a heavy bias towards experience. There are a number of unknowns in this championship, including the use of whitefish lakes that we have little experience in fishing; however, an early practice has already been completed on the venues by an advance practice squad that has given us a good base to work on in the run-up to the event.”

The AT TEFF England World team is sponsored by Envirofil Ltd – Contamination Control

COMPETING TEAMS

Belgium – Czech Republic – England – Finland – France – Hungary – Italy – Lithuania Montenegro – Poland – Slovak Republic – Spain – Sweden

PROGRAMME

Day 1 – Thursday 12th August
12:00 Antigen test before registration
14:00 – 16:00 Arrival of teams & registration
17:30 – 19:30 Captains’ Meeting & Draw
20:00 – 22:00 Opening Ceremony & Dinner

Day 2 – Friday 13th August
5:30 -> Breakfast
7:00-8:00 Buses to Sectors
9:00 – 12:00 Session 1
13:00 -> Bus Transfer, Lunch in Bus
16:00 – 19:00 Session 2
20:00 -> Dinner

Day 3 – Saturday 14th August
5:30 -> Breakfast
7:00-8:00 Buses to Sectors
9:00 – 12:00 Session 3
13:00 -> Bus Transfer, Lunch in Bus
16:00 – 19:00 Session 4
20:00 -> Dinner

Day 4 – Sunday 15th August
5:30 -> Breakfast
7:00-8:00 Buses to Sectors
9:00 – 12:00 Session 5
13:00 -> Buses to Hotel
13:30 -> Lunch
16:00 – 19:00 Prize Giving, Closing Ceremony
19:00 -> Dinner, Closing Banquet

SECTORS

Sector 1 – KITKAJOKI UPPER RIVER, KUUSAMO
Eligible Species Grayling (Thymallus Thymallus) 25cm and White fish (Coregonus lavaretus) 20cm. Bank fishing, wading allowed.

Sector 2 – KOVERRUSJÄRVI LAKE, KUUSAMO
Eligible Species White fish ( Coregonus lavaretus ) 20cm and Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) 25cm. Fishing from drifting boat.

Sector 3 – KUUSINKIJOKI RIVER, KUUSAMO
Eligible Species Grayling (Thymallus Thymallus) 25cm and White fish (Coregonus lavaretus) 20cm. Bank fishing, wading allowed.

Sector 4 – KYLMÄLUOMA LAKE, TAIVALKOSKI
Eligible Species White Fish (Coregonus lavaretus) 20cm and Brown trout (Salmo trutta) 20cm and Rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus Mykis) 20cm and Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) 25cm. Fishing from drifting boat.

Sector 5 – KITKAJOKI LOWER RIVER, KUUSAMO
Eligible Species Grayling (Thymallus Thymallus) 25cm and White fish (Coregonus lavaretus) 20cm. Bank fishing, wading allowed.

For more information go to the competition website here>>

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.” 

40th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Finland

This event, due to be held in the Kuusamo and Taivalkoski regions, Finland, has been postponed to next year, and will take place from August 10th to 17th, 2021.

You can follow developments on the competition website here>>

Interview with the World squad on Terry Phillips’ ‘Anxious Angler’ Youtube channel

See more at Terry’s Youtube Channel here>>

AT Team England FF World Team online raffle. As Terry says, Sport England funding is not available and sponsorship limited, therefore the 6 elite English anglers who have qualified to represent England are running raffles and auctions such as this to raise the £15k needed to participate.

We have been very fortunate to receive some fantastic and in some cases exclusive fishing lots to be able to auction to help raise funds for the 2020/21 AT TEFF World Championship squad.

39th 2019 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Tasmania

30th November – 8th December, State of Tasmania, Australia

The competition was held over five days, one session per day, to enable sessions to be staged at the optimal fishing time for each day (e.g. to coincide with anticipated Mayfly hatches) and to enable a more relaxed programme.

There was no official practice, instead the whole of Tasmania’s inland lakes and rivers (except those in use for the competition) was available for practice, at no extra charge, for as long as required.

Draft Programme

Saturday 30th November: Check-in, Team Captains event briefing, Opening Parade & Opening Dinner

Sunday 1st December: Team practice on any waters other than the competition sectors

Monday 2nd December: Competition Session 1 – Lake & River

Tuesday 3rd December: Competition Session 2 – Lake & River

Wednesday 4th December: Competition Session 3 – Lake & River

Thursday 5th December: Competition Session 4 – Lake & River

Friday 6th December: Competition Session 5 – Lake & River

Saturday 7th December: Conservation Symposium, Medal Presentation, Gala Dinner & Prizes Presentation

Competition Sectors

Sector 1: Penstock Lagoon – Lake Boat Fishing

Sector 2: Meander River – River Fishing (wading)

Sector 3: Woods Lake – Lake Boat Fishing

Sector 4: Mersey River – River Fishing (wading)

Sector 5: Little Pine Lagoon – Lake Boat Fishing

You can find out more about this event on the official website here>>, and on their Facebook page here>>

Opening Ceremony

Draw

AT TEFF was represented by Howard Croston (captain), Tony Baldwin, Lee Bartlett, Steve Cullen, Mike Dixon & Bernie Maher (reserve)

Session One

(Daily Update video – Day 1 – FlyLife Magazine – here>>)

England made a good start to the Championships, ending the first session in 4th place with 38 placing points, behind the Czech Republic 1st with 16 points, Finland 2nd with 29 points, and Slovakia 3rd with 36 points session 1 teams. Howard Croston won his boat session on Penstock Lagoon with 11 fish session 1 sector I, while Tony Baldwin finished 6th on Little Pine Lagoon, another boat sector, with 4 fish session 1 sector V, with Steve Cullen 12th on Woods Lake session 1 sector III. On the river sectors Lee Bartlett finished 9th on the Meander River session 1 sector II, with Mike Dixon 11th on the Mersey River session 1 sector IV.

Session Two

(Daily Update video – Day 2 – FlyLife Magazine – here>>)

England built on their good start to end the second session in second place with 61 placing points, just one behind the Czech Republic on 60 points, and ahead of Australia and Slovakia session 2 teams after session. Mike Dixon won his boat session on Little Pine Lagoon with 7 fish session 2 sector V, with Tony Baldwin 7th on Penstock Lagoon session 2 sector I and Lee Bartlett 9th on Woods Lake session 2 sector III. This was backed by a 2nd place for Steve Cullen on the Mersey River session 2 sector IV, and a 4th for Howard Croston on the Meander River session 2 sector II, putting him third in the overall Individual placings, behind Jonathan Stagg (Australia) and Pavel Chyba (Czech Republic) session 2 individuals after session.

Session 3

(Daily Update video – Day 3 – FlyLife Magazine – here>>)

As the competition sectors came under increasing pressure, England slipped to 5th place with 127 placing points, behind Spain 4th with 123 points, France 3rd with 119 points, the Czech Republic 2nd with 116 points and Australia 1st with 115 points session 3 teams after session. Howard Croston came 7th on the boat sector Woods Lake session 3 sector III, and is currently lying in 4th place in the overall Individual placings session 3 individuals after session. Elsewhere on the lake sectors, Mike Dixon came 9th on Penstock Lagoon session 3 sector I, while Steve Cullen was one of nine who failed to catch on Little Pine Lagoon session 3 sector V. On the rivers, Tony Baldwin came 8th on the Meander River session 3 sector II, with Lee Bartlett 20th on the Mersey River session 3 sector IV.

Session 4

(Daily Update video – Day 4 – FlyLife Magazine – here>>)

Howard Croston continued his excellent captain’s performance with a second place on the Mersey River session 4 sector IV and now lies top of the current Individual rankings with 14 placing points, one ahead of Federico Santi Amantini (Italy) in 2nd, with David Garcia (Spain) 3rd with 17 points session 4 individuals after session corrected. Despite this, England slipped to 8th overall with 185 points, as France moved into 1st place with 146, with Spain 2nd on 147, and Italy 3rd on 161 session 4 teams after session corrected. Lee Bartlett avoided a blank on Little Pine Lagoon (where nine anglers blanked) session 4 sector V, as did Steve Cullen on Penstock Lagoon session 4 sector I corrected, while Mike Dixon came 10th on the Meander River session 4 sector II, and Tony Baldwin 13th on Woods Lake session 4 sector III.

Session 5

(Daily Update video – Final Day 5 – FlyLife Magazine – here>>)

Howard Croston is now the 2019 World Individual Champion ! After a 5th place in his final session on Little Pine Lagoon session 5 sec V  he finished with 19 placing points, the same total as David Garcia (Spain) but secured the gold thanks to a higher fish points total, with Kristian Sveda (Slovakia) getting bronze with 22 points, ahead of Sebastien Delcor (France) session-5-individuals-after-session. Well done Howard and a real captain’s performance ! On the other sectors Mike Dixon came 5th on Woods Lake session 5 sec III, Lee Bartlett was 9th on Penstock Lagoon session 5 sec I, with Tony Baldwin 13th on the Mersey River session 5 sec IV, and Steve Cullen 16th on the Meander River session 5 sec II,   In the team championships England hung on to 8th place, finishing with 233 placing points. It was close at the top. France are the 2019 World Team Champions with 190 points, with the Czech Republic getting the silver with 191 points, and Spain winning the bronze with 192 points session-5-teams-after-session.

(Wrap-up video – Highlights of the Championship – FlyLife Magazine – see Howard Croston, Steve Cullen, Mike Dixon etc in action here>>)

Veniard Support The AT TEFF World Fly Fishing Team

The AT TEFF team, who will be competing in the World Fly Fishing Championships in Tasmania later this year, have been given huge helping hand courtesy of Veniard.
The English company, one the oldest fly tying brands in the UK, have put together a massive box of fly tying materials in order to give the team all their fly tying supplies ready for the event.
Everything has been covered to ensure that the team has all the necessary materials to hand, from hooks to hair and everything in between. Veniard has supplied the lot and in big numbers so that the team don’t run low on all the essentials.
The bumper package has even been shipped over for the team with all documentation done and dusted by the fly tying wholesaler.
The World Fly Fishing Championships run from 30th November – 8th December in State of Tasmania, Australia. The competition will be held over five days, one session per day, to enable sessions to be staged at the optimal fishing time for each day.
AT TEFF will be represented by Howard Croston (captain/manager), Tony Baldwin, Lee Bartlett, Steve Cullen, Mike Dixon & Bernie Maher (reserve).

Change at the top for Team England Fly Fishing ahead of the World Championships

The Angling Trust has announced a change of leadership for Team England Fly Fishing’s squad that will compete in the 39^th FIPS Mouche World Championships which will be held in Tasmania in November.

One of England’s most recognised and successful anglers, John Horsey was appointed as manager in September 2018 was expected to lead England into the competition. Due to unforeseen personal circumstances John has resigned from the role with immediate effect. Angling Trust moved swiftly to find a replacement and are delighted to appoint another one of England’s most successful and experienced anglers in Howard Croston. Howard will combine his role as a team member with that of the manager and will be assisted by fellow team member Lee Bartlett.

Croston, 42 from Manchester has extensive experience at the highest level having represented England on 21 occasions. His resume includes caps in bank, boat and river Home Internationals and in addition he has 3 European and 12 World caps to his name. He was part of the gold medal team of 2009 and bronze medal team of 2014 while his best individual performance was in Slovenia 2012 when he finished 4^th, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.

Howard said “I have always been very proud to represent England as a competitor and am relishing the challenge of also taking on the role of fishing captain/manager for Tasmania, as with any WFFC it will be fiercely contested and down to the finest of margins. The host nation has made exceptional progress over the last few years in all aspects and will be favourites on their home waters along with the likely suspects of the top European teams and the constantly improving USA.”

“That being said England’s strengths lie in boat fishing and this year’s format should suit our skill set well. We have a motivated team of skilled anglers, all bringing something different to the table that should hopefully let us push for a medal at this event.”

Ben Thompson of the Angling Trust said “The loss of John as manager is undoubtedly a blow, his knowledge and experience of the FIPS Mouche events and in particular Tasmania would certainly have given England an advantage going into the event however, we understand circumstances change and we wish John all the very best in the future. We are delighted to have appointed someone of the calibre of Howard Croston, Howard brings a wealth of experience and we have no doubt that the team are in the best possible hands. We have high hopes that under Howard’s leadership the team can head to Tasmania and compete for medals and we wish Howard, Lee and the squad the very best of luck.”

The World Championships will take place in Tasmania from the 30^th November and conclude on the 8^th December 2019. The host nation have a dedicated website for the event which can be found at www.wffc2019.com

World & European Teams 2019

Angling Trust’s Team England Fly Fishing announced today its World and European teams for the forthcoming 39th FIPS Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship and 25th FIPS Mouche European Fly Fishing Championship.

The World Fly Fishing Championship will be held in Tasmania in December 2019 and based at Launceston. The Championship will be held over 5 sessions fished at 5 venues; either at – Mersey, Meander or South Esk Rivers, Woods Lake, Little Pine or Penstock Lagoons.

The squad will be led by John Horsey as Captain and Manager with Team Members Howard Croston, Lee Bartlett, Michael Dixon, Tony Baldwin and Steve Cullen. The World squad are expected to fly out to Tasmania two weeks before the Championship for acclimatisation practice and tactical development.

World Team Captain and Manager John Horsey stated: – “A World Championship in Tasmania is a mouth-watering prospect. For the first time since England won Gold in Scotland, there will be 3 stillwater sessions and only 2 river sessions. The emphasis is on lake fishing and the team reflects this. Our lads also have exceptional river skills so I am really confident we can bring back a medal from these Championships”.

The European Fly Fishing Championship will be held in Montenegro in July 2019 and based at Plav. The Championship will be held over 5 sessions fished on the Lim & Ljula Rivers, and Lake Plav.

The squad will be led by Paul Page as Captain and Manager with Team Members; – Mark Harrison, Terry Phillips, Ben Bangham, Simon Kidd, Harry Fox and Bernie Maher as reserve. The European squad are expected to fly 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”

2019 world & european team press release

2019 world & european team press release

38th 2018 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Italy

17th-23rd September 2018, Trentino, Italian Alps 

30 nations representing four continents battled it out on the waters of Rivers Sarca and Noce in Trentino (Northern Italy).

FIPD-Mouche chose 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 of Cornisello – 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

Wednesday 19th September: 1st & 2nd Competition Sessions

Thursday 20th September: 3rd Competition Session

Friday 21st September: 4th & 5th Competition Sessions

Saturday 22nd September: Closing Ceremony in Thermal park

FIPS-Mouche Press Release: CS_camp_mondiale_pesca_intern EN-1

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

Angling Trust’s Team England Fly Fishing squad was led by Paul Page as Captain and Manager with Team Members Andrew Scott, Simon Robinson, Phil Dixon, Howard Croston and Scott Nellins.

Team England FF pre-competition practice sessions

Here are a few pics from Team England Fly Fishing’s pre-c0mpetition practice sessions.

Press Release:

2018 World Team press release

Opening Ceremony

Session 1

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 were 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 were 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) led 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) 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

Session 4

This session saw some more good performances from England, with Andrew Scott coming 3rd on the River Noce, and Phil Dixon saving a blank on Lake Cornisello to finish 7th, where again, half the field failed to catch. Scott Nellins came 10th on the River Sarca – Ponzolo, Simon Robinson 11th on the Sarca – Arco and Howard Croston 16th on the Sarca – Tione. Even so, England slipped to 9th place overall with 230 placing points, as it got increasingly tight at the top. With one session to go, Spain and Italy both had 164 points, with the Czechs just 4 points behind on 168, ahead of Poland on 192 and France on 194 session_4teams_cumul Individually, Jyrki Hiltunen (Finland) was currently 1st with 16 points, one point ahead of Igor Lukasik (Slovak Republic), David Garcia Ferreras (Spain), and Jure Osolin (Slovenia) session_4indiv_cumul

Session 5

The final session saw Andrew Scott get a 5th place on the River Sarca – Arco, with Simon Robinson coming 10th on the Sarca – Tione, and Phil Dixon 19th on the Sarca – Pinzolo. On the River Noce Scott Nellins came 19th, but Lake Cornisello continued to prove difficult, with Howard Croston one of the 10 who failed to catch. England finished the Championships at 9th place on 310 placing points, with Ireland 13th on 369 points. There was little to split the top three teams, but a good performance by Spain saw them become the 2018 World Champions with 182 points, with the Czech Republic taking silver with 187 points, and Italy bronze with 194 points. A good performance by the USA in this final session saw them finish 4th with 224 points, with Finland 5th on 230 points, and France 6th with 243 points session_5_teams_cumul  David Garcia Ferreras (Spain) is the new individual World Champion, with 19 placing points, ahead of Jyrki Hiltunen (Finland) on 21 points, with Andrea Pirone (Italy) 3rd with 24 points. England’s best performer was Andrew Scott, who came 20th, with Phil Dixon 31st session_5_indiv_cumul

Captain/Manager Paul Page reports: “This year the Team’s practice accommodation was at one of the Championship Hotels which was situated adjacent to the main practice beat on the River Sarca between Competition Sectors I & III. This gave Team members continuous access for practice throughout the 8 days prior to the start of Championship Session 1.

37th 2017 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, Slovakia

The 37th 2017 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship was held on the 5th-11th September in Slovakia. The event was fished on the rivers Váh, Belá, Poprad and Orava and on the water dam Palcmanska Maša „Dedinky“, situated in the Gemer, Liptov, Orava and Spis regions in the central and eastern part of Slovakia.

Programme:

5th Sept – Team Registration, 1st Captains Meeting & Draw, Opening Ceremony & Welcome Dinner 

6th Sept – Official Practice Sessions 1 & 2

7th Sept – Competition Sessions 1 & 2

8th Sept – Competition Session 3 & Free time

9th Sept – Competition Sessions 4& 5

10th Sept – Conservation Symposium, Awards & Closing Ceremony, and Final Banquet

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

AT Team England FF was represented by: Howard Croston, Phil Dixon, Scott Nellins, Simon Robinson, Andrew Scott & Paul Page (captain/manager).

Session 1: Howard Croston had a good start, catching 32 fish to come 2nd in Sector V on the Vah river, with Scott Nellins coming 14th on the Poprad river, Andrew Scott 27th on the Bela, Phil Dixon 25th on the Orava, and Simon Robinson 19th on Dedinky Lake. After the first session England were in 19th place, with France 1st, Slovakia 2nd and Spain 3rd.

Session 2: Scott Nellins did well on Dedinky Lake, landing 6 fish for 5th place, with Simon Robinson coming 8th on the Vah river, Howard Croston 10th on the Orava, Phil Dixon 18th on the Bela and Andrew Scott 25th on the Poprad river. England moved up to 14th place, while France remained in 1st place with 60pts, ahead of Slovakia and Spain, both on 72pts, with the Czech Republic 4th with 82pts Teams-after-session-2 Individually, Jordi Oliveras of Spain currently leads with two 1st places, with two Czechs, Antonin Pesek and David Chlumsky in 2nd and 3rd with 3pts and 4pts Individual-after-session-2

Session 3: After a great performance in this session England moved up to 8th place overall, with 1st places for Andrew Scott with 11 fish on Dedinky Lake and Simon Robinson with 50 fish on the Orava River. Phil Dixon was 4th on the Poprad river, Howard Croston was 4th on Bela, with Scott Nellins 11th on the Vah river. France extended their lead overall with 80pts, ahead of the Czech Republic on 107pts, Spain on 117pts, and Slovakia on 123pts Teams-after-session-3 Individually, the Czech Antonin Pesek is in the lead with 5pts, with David Chlumsky, also Czech, 2nd with 7pts, and Gregoire Juglaret of France 3rd with 8pts. Out of the French team, four are currently in the top 7 places. Howard Croston is currently in 12th place. Individual-after-session-3

(The afternoon of the 8th September is designated as Free Time with the 4th and 5th Sessions to be fished on the 9th.)

Session 4: England remained in 8th place overall, with a 1st place for Phil Dixon with 16 fish on Dedinky Lake, Andrew Scott coming 6th on the Vah river, Howard Croston 7th on the Poprad river, Simon Robinson 19th on the Bela river, and Scott Nellins 28th on the Orava river. The Czech Republic drew level with France on 127pts each, with Spain 3rd on 141pts, and Slovakia 4th on 170pts session-4-teams-after-session

Session 5: England finished in 9th place overall, with Andrew Scott getting a 2nd place with 40 fish on the Orava river, Howard Croston coming 6th on Dedinky Lake, Simon Robinson 7th on the Poprad river, Scott Nellins 21st on the Bela river, and Phil Dixon 28th on the Vah river. With 124pts France drew clear of the Czech Republic on 168pts to become the 2017 World Champions, with Spain 3rd with 179pts and Slovakia 4th with 219pts session-5-teams-after-session Individually, Antonin Pesek of the Czech Republic is the 2017 World Champion, with Gregoire Juglaret, Sebastien Delcor and Julien Daguillanes of France in 2nd, 3rd and 4th place session-5-individuals-after-session

36th 2016 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship

The 36th 2016 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship was held on the 10th-18th September in Vail, Colorado, USA, on the Eagle, Colorado and Blue Rivers and Sylvan Lake.

Programme: 

11th Sept – Captains’ Meeting, Parade of Team, Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner

12th Sept – Official Practice Sessions 1 & 2

13th Sept – Official Practice Sessions 3 & 4

14th Sept – Competition Sessions 1 & 2

15th Sept – Competition Session 3 & Free Session 4

16th Sept – Competition Sessions 5 & 6

17th Sept – Conservation Symposium, Medal Presentation, Closing Ceremony & Awards Banquet

You will 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 FIPS-Mouche here.

Team England FF was represented by Howard Croston, Phil Dixon, John Horsey, Simon Robinson, Andrew Scott and Paul Page (manager). 

Session 1: England scored two 13th places (Phil Dixon and John Horsey – on the lake), a 14th (Andrew Scott), and a 15th place (Howard Croston), finishing in 17th place out of 22 teams. France took an early lead, ahead of Slovakia, with Spain 3rd and the Czech Republic in 4th place. session-1-teamss 

Session 2: A better performance saw England move up to 14th place, with a 5th place for Howard Croston and 6th places for Simon Robinson and John Horsey. Although Team USA moved into 2nd place, France extended their lead at 46 points to 68, with Spain and Slovakia both on 72 in 3rd and 4th place, and the Czechs 5th with 73.  session-2-teamss-cumm Individually, Jon Stagg of Australia was in the lead with 3 points, one ahead of France’s Sebastien Delcor and Pat Weiss of the USA.

Session 3: Despite another 6th place to Simon Robinson, England slipped  to 15th place in this session. Team USA continued to do well, closing the gap between them and the French (still in 1st place) to just one point, 85 to 86. Spain also had a good session, remaining at 3rd place with 93 points. session3-teams-cum With a 1st and two 3rds, Sebastien Delcor of France is currently in 1st place, one point ahead of Lance Egan (USA), with Julien Daguillanes (France) 3rd, and Pat Weiss (USA) 4th, both with 9 points. session3-indivs-cum

[Session 4 is a free session. The next competition session, Session 5, begins at 9.00am (local time) on Friday] 

Session 5: Phil Dixon got a 4th in his section, and Howard Croston an 8th, but England ended this session in 16th place. Spain continued to improve, moving up to 1st place overall with 106 points, ahead of France with 120 and the USA with 123 points. session5-teams-cum A 2nd place moved Julien Daguillanes of France into the Individual lead with 11 points, one ahead of Lance Egan (USA) on 12, with Jordi Cortina (Spain) 3rd with 13 points. session5-indivs-cum

Session 6: Andrew Scott came 4th in his section in the final session, with Phil Dixon getting a 6th place and Simon Robinson a 7th on the lake, to see England finish the championship in 15th place. Spain extended their lead to end up the World Champions with 133 points, with France 2nd with 150 points, and the USA 3rd with 162 points. session6-teams-cum

Individually, another 2nd place saw Julien Daguillanes become World Champion (with a 7th, two 1sts and two 2nds) on 13 points, with Jordi Cortana (Spain) 2nd with 14, and Lance Egan (USA) 3rd with 18 points. session6-indivs-cum

Out & About Fly Fishing Champs – Practice Sessions

Google Earth Virtual Tour

The America Cup, Inc. brings The World Fly Fishing Championships to USA

The Angling Trust reports: The 36th World Fly Fishing Championships were held in Colorado, USA from 11th to 18th September 2016. Set in the stunning Rocky Mountains, the Eagle, Colorado and Blue Rivers provided the river sectors while alpine mountain lake of Sylvan State Park gave anglers the opportunity to fish Loch Style. 28 nations from around the world descended upon the Rocky’s with 133 individuals competed in the competition over 6 sessions.

Team England based themselves at Beaver Creek which had good access to the competition and practice venues. This gave England the opportunity to cover the majority practice and competitions venues however, there was no access  to Sylvan Lake but England were able to gain access to two other lakes nearby that contained wild brook trout and stocked rainbows.

England’s first session saw the team tackle the predominantly skinny water and small river beats, along with the gin clear water of Sylvan Lake. The team’s efforts produced less fish than that was expected from the practice days performances and England finished 16th by the end of the first session.

The second session saw a considerable improvement with Howard Croston finishing in fifth place while John Horsley and Simon Robinson ended up 6th in their respective sectors. Sylvan Lake continued to fox the team, however four of the other nations appeared to have identified the correct approach and England finished 8th in the session giving an overall place of 14th after two sessions.

The third session saw England head back to the river beats and the enigma of Sylvan Lakes.  Simon Robinson delivered a 6th place on the Eagle river. England ended the session in 14th place which saw them drop to 15th overall.

The fourth fishing session brought a new morning and renewed optimism that some good pegs would be drawn. Phil Dixon produced a 4th on the upper Eagle and the largest fish of the Championship 88cm Rainbow. The Lake continued to flummox the team and the other river sectors proved challenging. England ended the fourth session in 10th place and dropped further in the overall placings to overall to 16th.

The fifth and final session proved much the same for England but two bright spots gave were Andrew Scott’s 4th place along with Phil Dixon a 6th place during the session. The team’s efforts resulted in England finishing the session in 10th finishing and a final position of 14th overall.

Paul Page, Team England’s World Team Manager stated ”The team produced top 3 numbers of fish when practicing on the Blue, Colorado and Eagle rivers. With no boat fishing opportunities on gin clear Alpine Lakes Sylvan Lake was always going to be an open book to the team. The river beats, 24 per sector, varied tremendously in their fishing quality, mainly due to their shortness and low water levels. This unfortunately meant that the Championship was very peggy, however the top teams did perform well above average on the beats they were drawn”. Many thanks go out to all those who enter our regional qualifiers where a portion of their entry fee goes to support our International, European and World teams, along with our major fund raiser (John Ball) without who’s efforts Individual participation would be very expensive.”

35th FIPS-Mouche World Championships, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 15th – 21st June 2015

The 35th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships was held from 15th – 21st June at the city of Jajce in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Tuesday 16th: Teams arrive at official hotel

Wednesday 17th: Official Practice Sessions 1, 2 & 3

Thursday 18th: Competitions Sessions 1 & 2

Friday 19th: Competition Session 3

Saturday 20th: Competition Sessions 4 & 5

Sunday 21st: Awards Ceremony & Closing Banquet

Competition Sectors: 1. Pliva River – Sipovo 2. Sana River – Ribnik 3. Sanica River – Kljuc 4. Pliva Lakes – Jajce 5. Vrbas River – Donju Vakuf

Championship Bulletin No1: Bilten Svjetsko prvenstvo eng..

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

Team England FF was represented by: Phil Dixon, John Tyzack, Andrew Scott, Simon Robinson, Scott Nellins, Andy Croucher (reserve), and Paul Page (captain/manager).

Team CVs: 2015 team CV’s

Session One: England were  in 9th place, which was a good start to the competition. Individual Placings: Phil Dixon 5th, Scott Nellins 24th, Simon Robinson 64th, Andrew Scott 77th & John Tyzack 104th.

Session Three: England were  in 10th place, still all to play for ! Individual Placings: Andrew Scott 23rd, Phil Dixon 27th, Simon Robinson 61st, John Tyzack 67th & Scott Nellins 88th.

Session Five: England were  in 12th place. Individual Placings: Andrew Scott 36th, Simon Robinson 38th, Phil Dixon 43rd,  John Tyzack 86th & Scott Nellins 97th.

Session Six: After a strong final session England finished 9th. Individual Placings: Simon Robinson 24th, Phil Dixon 30th, Andrew Scott 47th, John Tyzack 71st & Scott Nellins 88th. Teams: 1st: Spain 200 pts, 2nd USA 228 pts, 3rd Bosinia / Herzegovina 4th France.

34th FIPS-Mouche World Championships, Czech Republic 25th May-2nd June 2014

The 34th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships was held from 25th May-2nd June, at Frymburk in the Czech Republic.

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

The competition will be fished on three river sectors, one boat sector, and one bank sector. The sectors will be: Sector 1 – Vltava 29 P (river); Sector 2 – Vltava 29, Lake Lipno (boat); Sector 3 – Vltava 28 (river); Sector 4 – Malse 6, lake Kvetonov (bank); Sector 5 – Vltava 27 (river). Practice waters include Vltava 28, 27, 25, 26, Malse & Cerna. 

Tues 27th May: Arrival of teams at Official Hotel, Captain’s Meeting, Opening Ceremony – Wed 28th May: Official Practice (two sessions) – Thurs 29th May: Official Practice (two sessions) – Fri 30th May: First & Second Sessions – Sat 31st May: Third & Fourth Sessions – Sun 1st June: Fifth Session, Prize Giving & Closing Ceremony, Closing Banquet

Team England FF was represented by: John Horsey, Phil Dixon, Howard Croston, John Tyzack, Andrew Scott, Mike Dixon (reserve) & Paul Page (captain/manager) 

Team CVs: 2014 team CV’s

Opening Ceremony

Official Practice – Day One

Official Practice – Day Two

Competition – Day One

Session One: Andrew Scott was 7th, Phil Dixon was 4th, and John Horsey 6th on the river sections, with John Tyzack 7th on the lake (boat), and Howard Croston 20th on the lake (bank). England are currently 5th, behind the Czech Republic 1st, Belgium 2nd, USA 3rd, and Finland 4th. Team positions after 1st session: session-1-teams

Session Two: Phil Dixon won his session on the lake (bank), while Andrew Scott also did well on the lake (boat) finishing 3rd. On the river sections Howard Croston was 6th, John Tyzack was 7th, while John Horsey was 16th. England have moved up into 3rd place on 75 pts, behind the Czech Republic 1st (49 pts) and France 2nd (70 pts): TEAMS-AFTER-SESSION-2. Jean Guillaume Mathieu (France) is currently top Individual, with two first places, with Phil Dixon lying 5th, and Andrew Scott 14th: INDIV-AFTER-2-SESSIONS1

Competition – Day Two

Session Three: England was the top team in Session Three. On the river sections Andrew Scott came 2nd, Howard Croston 5th and Phil Dixon 7th. On the lake (boat) John Horsey came 3rd, with John Tyzack 7th on the lake (bank). England had moved up to 2nd place (99 pts), 20 points behind the Czech Republic 1st (79 pts), and ahead of France in 3rd (102 pts): TEAMS-AFTER-SESSION-3. Lubos Roza (Czech) was currently top Individual on 7 pts, with Phil Dixon 5th and Andrew Scott 6th (both 12 pts): INDIV-AFTER-SESSION-3.

Session Four: On the rivers sections John Tyzack was 1st, Phil Dixon was 6th, and John Horsey 9th, with Howard Croston 15th on the lake (boat), and Andrew Scott 4th on the lake (bank). England were now 3rd with 134 pts behind France 2nd (125 pts) and the Czech Republic 1st (109 pts): TEAMS-AFTER-SESSION-4. In the Individual rankings, Lubos Roza (Czech) hung onto his 1st place with 12 pts, with Andrew Scott 4th (16 pts) and Phil Dixon 5th (18 pts): INDIV-AFTER-SESSION-4.

Competition – Day Three

Session Five: Andrew Scott was 6th, John Tyzack 15th, and Howard Croston 17th on the river sections. John Horsey was 5th on the lake (bank), with Phil Dixon 9th on the lake (boat). England finished in 3rd place with 184 pts, behind France 2nd with 166 pts, and the Czech Republic World Champions with 149 pats: TEAMS-AFTER-SESSION-51. Lubos Roza (Czech) is the new Individual World Champion with 14 pts. ahead of Piotr Armatys (Poland) 2nd with 22 pts, and Andrew Scott (England) 3rd, also with 22 pts: INDIV-AFTER-SESSION-51. Well done AT Team England FF and Andrew Scott!!

Medal Ceremony

John Horsey is also covering this event on his Facebook page

33rd FIPS-Mouche World Championships, Norway 11th-18th August 2013

The 33rd FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships was held from 11th-18th August, in the Vefsna region of Norway. 

There was more information on the championship website and also on their Facebook page and YouTube channel

New this year was Live Center, delivering live statistics on how competitors are doing, during the sessions! You could see whether our boys could save a blank with half an hour to go!  You could also follow John Horsey on Facebook.

Results after 1st session: England had three good results, with Scott Nellins winning his river sector, John Horsey coming 4th= on the lake (bank) sector and Simon Robinson 7th on one of the river sectors, along with a 15th place and a blank, and ended 6th. France were 1st, (on 14pts – a 1st, two 2nds, a 3rd, and a 6th), ahead of Poland on 29pts, and the Czechs on 37pts. 

Results after 2nd session: England dropped to 9th place, with Scott Nellins 6th on a river sector and John Horsey 8th on the lake (boat). The Czechs overtook the French with 73pts to their 76pts, ahead of Italy on 111pts. Individually, Andrea Adreveno (Italy) and Tomas Adam (Czech) were joint leaders, winning both their morning and afternoon sessions. Scott Nellins was 8th and John Horsey 12th.

Below: Highlights from the first day

Results after 3rd session: England recovered to 6th place and 229pts, thanks to Phil Dixon and Simon Robinson coming 3rd and 9th on two of the rivers sectors. The Czechs had just a two point lead over the French, 134pts to 136pts, with Italy third on 150pts. Three people were sharing Individual 1st place – Andrea Adreveno (Italy), Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) and Martin Droz (Czech), on 8pts each.

Below: Highlights from day two

Results after 4th session: England moved up to equal 5th place with the USA on 297pts, after a win for Scott Nellins on the lake sector (boat), plus a 3rd for John Horsey and a 14th place for Phil Dixon on two of the river sectors. The Czechs were lying 1st with 172pts, ahead of Italy (208pts) and France (237pts). Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) was the top Individual on 13pts but would be facing the tough sector 3 on the rivers in his last session. With many of these sessions about saving a blank, these positions were likely to change by the end of the day.

Below: Friday highlights

Final Results: 1st Czech Republic 231pts 2nd Italy 283pts 3rd France 295pts 4th Finland 362pts 5th USA 366pts 6th Norway 376pts 7th Poland 383pts 8th England 393pts 9th Australia 399pts 10th Luxembourg 405pts

Individuals: 1st Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) 14pts 2nd Martin Droz (Czech) 19pts 3rd Julien Lorquet (Belgium) 26pts 4th Antonin Pesek (Czech) 37pts 5th Sebastian Delcor (France) 39pts 6th Bertrand Jacquemin (France) 40pts 17th John Horsey (England) 55pts 21st Scott Nellins (England) 58pts

Below: Saturday highlights

27 teams formally registered (24 as teams + 3 as individuals), including first-timers Chile and Mongolia. A full list of registered teams is here 

Sectors that were used for the competition include the Austervefsna (river), the Fiplingdalselva (river), Nedre Svenningvatn (lake), Storvatnet (lake) and the Vefsna (lake). You will find an illustrated guide to the sectors here 

Programme: Sunday 11th – Parade, Opening Ceremony, Captains’ Meeting & Draw; Monday 12th – Training Sessions 1 & 2; Tuesday 13th – Training Sessions 3 & 4; Wednesday 14th – 1st & 2nd Competition Sessions; Thursday 15th – 3rd Competition Session; Friday 16th – 4th & 5th Competition Sessions; Saturday 17th – Seminar & Prize Ceremony

The whole event was given TV coverage on TV2 Norway, TV4 Sweden, Yle TV Finland, Sportska Televizia Croatia and Fox TV Australia through media company IEC in Sports, who delivered daily highlights, plus an event summary. Live results were updated from the competition days, along with videos, interviews of national teams, and other highlights and information directly from the World Championships in Mosjøen. Vive! Deportes, Chile, plus The Sports Channel, Israel, were the confirmed broadcasters of the daily highlights between Wednesday 14th and Saturday 17th August.

The Team England FF team was: Ian Greenwood (manager/captain), John Horsey, Simon Robinson, Phil Dixon, Howard Croston, Scott Nellins & Tony Baldwin (reserve).

32nd FIPS-Mouche World Championships, Slovenia 3rd-10th June 2012

Paul Page (captain/manager), John Horsey, Phil Dixon, Simon Robinson, Howard Croston, John Tyzack and Scott Nellins (reserve) are representing Team England FF in the 2012 World Championships 2012 World team profiles

You will find more information at the official site as well as their Facebook page. The competition will be fished over four river sessions, on the Sava Bohinjka, Sava and Kokra rivers, and one lake session, on the lake by Most na Soči. 30 teams are currently registered to take part.

(See FIPS-Mouche Rules Competitionrules 2011 English_v2 and Rule Modifications RM SLOVENIA 2012 – final eng-1.)

Official practise is on the Monday and Tuesday 4th-5th, with the competition taking place from Wednesday-Friday 6th-8th June.

There is also more information in the Championship Bulletin, Sector Maps and a Guide to Fly Fishing in Slovenia

Fly Fishing in Slovenia

England made a good start in the first session, finishing 4th behind Spain in 1st place, Finland 2nd, and Slovakia 3rd. Scotland were 8th and Ireland 23rd. Teams 1session Howard Croston was 3rd individual, with John Horsey 5th, both winning their respective sessions, Howard on the lower Sava Bohinjka river, John on the Lake at Most na Soči. Dick Logan of Scotland also won his session on the upper Sava Bohinjka river and was placed 2nd overall. Individuals 1st session

The Czech Republic won the second session session2 teams and now lead the competition with Bosnia & Herzegovina 2nd and Italy 3rd. England are now 8th, with Scotland 9th and Ireland 23rd. session1&2 teams Howard Croston followed his win in the first session with a 2nd place session2 indiv and is now in 1st place overall session1&2 indiv with Phil Dixon 23rd and John Horsey 25th. Dick Logan (Scotland) is 8th, Jake Harvey (Scotland) 11th and Michael Twohig (Ireland) 43rd.

Belgium won the third session teams session3 ahead of the Czech Republic who increased their overall lead, with Spain in 2nd place, and France 3rd. England are currently 11th, with Scotland 10th and Ireland 24th. teams after session3 Individually, the most outstanding feat was from Bertrand Jacquemin (France) who scored 76 fish on the Lower Sava Bohinjka river, where Phil Dixon had 23 to come 6th. session3 indiv Howard Croston had a good session on the lake scoring 4 fish to come 4th, and retains his overall individual lead, ahead of 2011 World Champion Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) and David Arcay Fernandez (Spain). Phil Dixon is 15th and Dick Logan (Scotland) is 9th. indiv after session3

France won the fourth session session4 teams taking them to 2nd in front of Italy 3rd and behind the Czech Republic at 1st. England moved up to 8th, ahead of Scotland at 11th with Ireland 23rd teams after 4 sessions Individually, John Tyzack won his session on the Kokra session4 indiv Howard Croston came 9th on the Sava, dropping to 6th overall. The first three were 1st David Arcay Fernandez (Spain), 2nd Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) and 3rd Tomas Adam (Czech Republic). Jake Harvey (Scotland) was 24th indiv after 4 sessions

In the fifth and final session France slipped back teams in session5, finishing 4th, with the final top three placings being 1st Czech Republic 2nd Italy and 3rd Spain. England finished 7th, Scotland 13th and Ireland 25th teams after session5 Despite a section win by Amantini indiv in session5, David Arcay Fernandez (Spain) hung onto his first place to become World Champion, with 2011 World Champion and 2012 European silver medallist Valerio Santi Amantini (Italy) 2nd, Tomas Adam (Czech Republic) 3rd and Howard Croston 4th. indiv after sesion5 Well done Howard!

2011 World Championship – ITALY TAKE THE GOLD

Italy 28 August – 4 September

Captain/Manager  Ian Greenwood

Simon Robinson

John Horsey

Iain Barr

Mike Tinnion

Phil Dixon

Howard Croston (reserve)

For detailed information click here

Official website here

England made a good start in the first session, lying 2nd behind the Czech Republic, ahead of Poland in 3rd place and France in 4th. Individually, Phil Dixon was placed 12th, John Horsey 23rd, Mike Tinnion 30th, Iain Barr 34th, and Simon Robinson 51st.

The USA won the second session (Tuesday afternoon), moving up to 4th place. England dropped to 5th, along with the French who slipped to 7th. After session two the top three teams were: 1. Czech Republic 2. Poland 3. Slovakia. Individually, John Horsey improved his position to 13th place, with Simon Robinson 32nd, Iain Barr 35th, Mike Tinnion 54th and Phil Dixon 58th.

In the third session England slipped to 7th place, level on place points with the USA in 6th and one ahead of the French. The top three places were: 1. Czech Republic 2. Slovakia 3. Poland. Individually, Spanish angler Pablo Castro was in first place, ahead of Norman Maktima, USA, 2nd and Piotr Konieczny, Poland, in 3rd, with Iain Barr 17th, John Horsey 30th, Phil Dixon 34th, Mike Tinnion 54th and Simon Robinson 57th.

Early reports from the fourth session said that the Czechs hung onto their 1st place, while Italy jumped three places into 2nd, with Poland remaining 3rd. England appeared to have dropped out of the top ten.

The final results confirmed that Italy had taken Gold (after lying in 13th place after the first session!), ahead of the Czech Republic with the Silver and Poland the Bronze. 4th Spain and 5th USA (their best ever placing), 6th Slovakia, 7th France, 8th Belgium, Scotland in 9th with England in 10th place. Ireland 15th and Wales 17th.

Lance Egan of Team USA has an excellent report on their experiences here

Individually, Valerio Santi Amanti, Italy, was World Champion. Tom Drinan of Ireland finished 5th, with Simon Cocker, Scotland, 7th. Phil Dixon was 21st, John Horsey 34th, Iain Barr 50th, Mike Tinnion 59th and Simon Robinson 90th.

1st session results mosca_300811

Results after 2nd session mosca_seniores_2g

Results after 3rd session mosca_seniores_3g

Final results mosca_seniores_finale

Images from Opening Ceremony here together with video