Loch Style Events

2023 Autumn Loch-style Home International, Lake of Menteith

Country: SCOTLAND
Venue: Lake of Menteith
Dates: 12th to 16th September (incl.)
Match date: Friday 15th September
Accommodation: King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn

RESULTS

1st Scotland 158 fish  336lbs 2.7ozs
2nd England  104 fish  225lbs 3.4ozs
3rd Ireland  100 fish 215lbs 1.1ozs
4th Wales 72 fish  158lbs 15.4ozs

Best Basket: Ronnie Gilbert (Scotland) 20 fish 40lbs 4.5ozs

Heaviest Trout: Brian Mackenzie (Scotland) 4lbs 14.7ozs

Full Results: iffa2023autumn

AT TEFF was represented by: Martin Burgess (captain), Graeme Bell, Dale Burgess, Andy Cottam, David Currie, Tony Curtis, Richard Denney, Tony Fox, David Johns, Alex Johnstone, Mark Macleod, Ben Race, Philip Thompson, Daniel Tranter & Ian Colclough (manager).

Congratulations to Scotland for a convincing victory.

The Angling Trust reports: Today is match day, with teams from Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales practicing for most of the week. We are waiting on the lake shore to see which methods and tactics have worked best.
It’s not fished as well as envisaged due to unseasonal water temperatures. However, with anglers of this high standard fishing they’re sure to winkle out a trout, one of our Irish officials has predicted 10 fish to be a great catch.

The Angling Trust reports: Just under an hour to go and despite the unseasonably warm water and lack of wind, making solid drifting impractical.
The fishing may be a little better than first predicted, after talking to one of the lakes local stalwarts who believes we have an angler with sixteen trout and several chasing tight behind.
There’s a really tight match forming, we popped afloat on the guidance of the Fisheries Manager and witnessed half a dozen fish landed.
Boat 4 containing Scotland’s Derek Hassett & England’s Daniel Tranter was one of these. Then on boat 21 Ireland’s John Mulvanny & Wales’s Chris McAllister were also seen netting fish.
With such a low breeze, it’s only courteous to keep at least 50 metres from the boats. They are also well spread out, so it was quite fortuitous we got these action shots.
The boats are in at 18:00, and we aim to post the results shortly after.

The Angling Trust reports: The boats returned to the lodge at 18:00 last night with the race to decamp boat seats and tackle to the coaches and cars in readiness for the weigh-in.
For our competing anglers to return to the King Robert Hotel for the Gala Dinner and Presentation. This is where the teams and individual anglers celebrate the brotherhood of the sport and proceedings of the day.
Business began with a toast to the monarch and results of the day, teams are first up in order of position, followed by the individuals of the match and top rods of each team.
Scotland showed their intimate knowledge of the venue with a worthy performance to catch the Gold spot, and a creditable Individual performance with top bag of twenty trout.

AT TEFF Team England at Menteith.

With thanks to Craghoppers for their support

 

TEFF Loch Style International – Lake of Menteith, Scotland, 15th September 2023

The International is fished between teams of 14 from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each county hosts an international every other year, one in the spring and one in the autumn.

Team members began to gather for this important Autumn International on 9th September at the team hotel in Bannockburn. Practice took place over the following five days. Conditions were unseasonal with very light or no breezes making covering water difficult. Water temperatures were high following a sustained spell of hot weather. This usually deters the fish from feeding, however the trout at Menteith had not read the script with many fish taking up residency in only 2 or 3 feet of water. Fish were to be seen and caught over open water on pulling tactics but the majority, it was felt, were tucked well into the bank and reed beds. Menteith holds a good head of large fish and several of over 5lb were caught on practice.

After the last day of practice the team had identified several areas that they felt held a good head of trout with one of two areas holding some larger fish. A dozen or so ‘top’ flies were also found to be working and all team members were equipped with these ready for match day. Floating lines with small boobies and nymphs seemed to be working best.

Match day loomed with a flat calm and some brightness – not ideal fly fishing conditions. Most boats headed to either International Bay or Loch End with the rest going out towards the cages or Herons Bay.

Boats arrived back at 6pm and a very quick tot up of the teams catch indicated a total of 104 trout caught. It was apparent that the hosts, Scotland, had caught substantially more that this! The final results were announced at the fishery. Scotland did have a substantial catch – an impressive 158 trout for 336lb. It was nail biting to see if England had secured a second, silver, spot. Ireland weighed in with 100 fish for 215lb and Wales with 72 fish for 159lb. England pipped the Irish by just 10lb with their 104 fish for 225lb giving them second place and a silver medal.

Top English angler was Phil Thompson with an impressive 12 fish for 26lb 5oz – well done Phil.
Phil gets to keep the Grafham Trophy for the year.
Top overall bag went to well known Scottish angler Ronnie Gilbert with a magnificent catch of 20 trout for 40lb 5oz.

Overall the England Team performed very well – it was always a big ask to beat the hosts on a water they know so well. As manager I could not have asked more from them. A great team that gelled really well. A special thank you to Martin Burgess the team captain, his dedication and team management was second to none. Also a huge thank you to all the staff at Menteith fishery and all the people involved in organising this event.

Special thanks to Dan Tranter and Dave Currie of the England team for all the fundraising they did prior to the event to help the team with their financial costs – great work!

The team comprised, Martin Burgess (Captain), Phil Thompson, Dave Johns, Tony Curtis, Ben Race, Alex Johnstone, Dale Burgess, Tony Fox, Mark Macleod, Andy Cottam, Dave Currie, Richard Denny, Dan Tranter, Graeme Bell. Thanks also to travelling reserve Alan Clark for his help with the admin (and fishing so well in support of the team).

Full results are on the IFFA website http://www.iffa.net/

Ian Colclough – Team Manager

ENGLAND TAKE GOLD – 2023 Spring Loch-style Home International, Draycote Water, 19th May

1. ENGLAND 139 fish 8,796pts
2. SCOTLAND 94 fish 5,966pts
3. IRELAND 63 fish 3,990pts
4. WALES 54 fish 3,446pts

Best Basket: Richard Hooper (Wales) 15 fish

Largest Fish: Darren Maguire (Ireland) 68cms

AT TEFF was represented by: Leigh Pond (capt), Rob Allan, Tony Baldwin, Bart Farmer, Ryan Feber, Kevin Glenn, John Hood, John Horsey, Rob Middleton, Mark Miles, Lloyd Pallet, Dave Reynolds, Mark Rose, Jake Wenman & Paul Angell (manager).
Congratulations on a convincing result.

Full Results: iffa2023spring

Ian Colclough reports: AT TEFF Spring Loch-Style Team News

IFFA Spring International 2023

ENGLAND’S GOLD – At this year’s Spring Loch-style Home International, Draycote Water.

The officially ratified results are:

Top 4 Teams:
1st England – 139 fish, 8796 points
2nd Scotland – 94 fish, 5966 points
3rd Ireland – 63 fish, 3990 points
4th Wales – 54 fish, 3446 points

Top 4 Individuals:
1st Richard Hooper – Wales, 15 fish, 948 points
2nd Kevin Glenn – England, 14 fish, 887 points
3rd Jake Wenman – England, 14 fish, 866 points
4th Mark Rose – England, 13 fish, 830 points

Congratulations to this year’s team on such a solid performance and splendid result. As promised, we have published more about the match and how our successful anglers went about tackling the venue on the day, their choice of flies and methods of presentation.

Including a summary from Team Manager Paul Angell on their brilliant performance to find out how they went about honing their approach on the main day of competition.

https://anglingtrust.net/2023/05/24/iffa-spring-loch-style-international/

Well done to all involved.

Manager Paul Angell reports:

England take Gold in the Spring Loch- Style International

Draycote Water near Rugby hosted the IFFA Spring Loch-Style International between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales between Tuesday 16th and Friday 19th May. The Irish team arrived at the Team Hotel, the Draycote Hotel and Golf Club late on the previous Sunday , with the Welsh, Scots and English arriving on Monday and Tuesday. Monday saw the Irish, Welsh and most of the English team out practicing in cool, breezy conditions. Fish were taken from a range of areas, but Toft, Biggin, the Tower and the Inlet all held concentrations of fish. Tuesday had all 4 teams out on the water with a variety of methods and flies being tried. On Wednesday the winds lightened and the temperature rose and by Thursday the wind had dropped to almost nothing, with bright sunlight.
Over these practice days the English team had refined their options to 3 key methods, all of which had resulted in good catches of fish.

1. Buzzers and egg flies fished static, either by freelining or under the bung, with the bung taking the bulk of the fish at depths from 6 to 12 feet.
2. Tip lines with a FAB on the point, 2 heavy buzzers on the middle droppers and a Nemo on the top dropper. This was again fished static, allowing the flies to drift down through the depths, just keeping up with the line as the boat drifted downwind.
3. Dries cast to moving fish, or fished “blind”.

Match day dawned with light breezes and a mixture of cloud and sunny spells. From the start, the fleet split with a number of boats heading for the far end of Toft, some to Biggin, the Tower and others to Rainbow Corner and the Inlet.
After a couple of hours, boats could be seen moving from area to area with a lot ending up in Biggin Bay. Fish were caught steadily, but it was noticeable that a high percentage of bent rods were in the hands of the red-capped English team.
As well as fishing the shoreline, boats could be seen venturing out across the middle of the reservoir where many of the better fish had been taken in practice.

As the match drew to its close I knew from conversations out on the water that we had some of the England team with good bags of fish but it’s always a nervous time. As the boats pulled up onto the jetty, I collated the fish numbers each English angler had taken and it became obvious that we had done well with half the team recording scores in double figures and none with less than 6.
The match had been fished to total Catch and Release with each fish counting 20 points plus 1 point for each cm length.
The scorecards from each team member were collected and the results entered into a spreadsheet.

Results:
1st England – 139 fish for 8,796 points
2nd Scotland – 94 fish for 5,966 points
3rd Ireland – 63 fish for 3,990 points
4th Wales – 54 fish for 3,446 points

The Brown Bowl for best bag was taken by Richard Hooper of Wales with 15 fish, all caught on dries from around A and B buoys,
England took 6 of the top 10 placings and special mention must go to both Kevin Glenn and Jake Wenman who came 2nd and 3rd respectively, both catching 14 fish in their first International. Full results can be seen on the IFFA website- iffa.net.

From a manager’s perspective, this was an outstanding performance with every member of the team contributing in both the development of the final match strategy through practice, and in their performance in the match itself. Led by Leigh Pond, the group had a mixture of experience and youth, and had quickly developed into a very efficient and effective team, sharing information and supporting each other during practice and developing communication strategies that proved invaluable on match day. The difference in scores between the winning team and the rest of the field is a testament to the commitment and skill shown by this team to which I am very proud to be associated.

The team would like to thank Layher Scaffolding, Nemac Construction and Garrick Eckard for their financial contribution to team funds, and also Fulling Mill, Guide Fly Fishing, Snowbee UK and Craghoppers for their continued support

Paul Angell, Loch-Style Manager

2022 Autumn Loch-style Home International, Llyn Trawsfynydd, Wales

Country: WALES
Venue: Llyn Trawsfynydd
Dates: 26th to 30th September (incl.)
Match date: Thursday 29th September
Accommodation: Celtic Royal Hotel, Caernavon

RESULTS

1st Scotland 112 fish 4477.1cms 6764cms
2nd Wales 92 fish 3731.5cms 5601cms
3rd England 77 fish 3085.3cms 4652cms
4th Ireland 74 fish 3029.3cms 4534pts

Best Basket – Ronnie Gilbert (Scotland) 16 fish 634.3cms

Largest Trout – Robert Flaherty (Ireland) 50.0cms

Full Results here>>

Congratulations to Scotland on a convincing victory.

AT Team England FF was represented by: Craig Barr (captain), Sam Bailey, David Currie, Bart Farmer, Ryan Faber, Si Gaines, Neil Hodgson, John Horsey, Pablo Mullings, Terry Phillips, John Pearn, Mark Rose, Tony Smith, Daniel Tranter & Ian Colclough (manager).

Ian Colclough (Team Manager) reports: Ten members of AT Team England Fly Fishing gathered at the lake on Monday 26th for the unofficial practice day. Despite unfavourable conditions, a rod average of 6.5 was attained.

Day 2 saw the whole team practicing. It was similar conditions, but the rod average fell to 4.6. This was to be expected, as there was a lot of pressure on the main fish-holding areas, and we had decided not to fish them so intently.

The final practice day saw a change in weather with light breezes and sun / cloud. The fish appeared to remain in the same areas and our average catch increased. The feeling of the team was that we knew areas to try on match day, five or six with plenty of fish, and that we had about 10 patterns that were working for us. It was felt that the fish were no deeper than 3 feet so most were using Slow Sink or DI3 lines. Many fish were hard on the bank and a fly cast to within a foot or two had a good chance of taking a fish. The problem was that we had no idea what the other teams were averaging, but the team and I felt that a catch of around 80 fish on the day would put us in with a change of gold.

Match day arrived, and the breeze had freshened and swung to the North East. It was generally sunny and cool. Many boats went to one main area – an area that we had identified as being the one with the highest concentration of fish. As the day wore on boats began to move from this area and seek out other places. Many anglers had their most fish in the first three hours. As the match ended it was apparent that, as a team, we had not improved on our average. Both the Scots and Welsh had some large bags in their team weights. As England weighed in first it was nail-biting to see if the Irish had beaten us. Thankfully, our 77 fish beat their 74 so we attained a third place bronze.

Congratulations to first cap Terry Phillips for weighing in the best England basket with 13 fish for 784 points. Well done to Scotland for a resounding win. Thanks to the fishery and Welsh organisers. I’d like to thank the whole team for what was a tremendous four days. The team spirit was second to none, all were fully committed and determined, but on the day we came up a little short. Thank you, especially to Craig Barr team captain, who took much of the pressure off me. Also to Paul Angell who came along on Day 1 to help.

Ian Colclough – Team Manager

2022 Spring Loch-style Home International, Lough Melvin, Ireland

1. Ireland  36 fish  1030.8cms  1761pts

2. Scotland  31 fish  894.8cms  1526pts

3. Wales  21 fish  604.8cms  1029pts

4. England  18 fish  517.3cms  882pts

Best Basket: Denis Goulding (Ireland)  7 fish  190.3cms  332pts

Largest Trout: Toby Bracey (Scotland)  33.4cms

Top England rod: Tony Baldwin  3 fish  79.1cms  140pts 

There is more coverage of this event on the BBC News website – Northern Ireland, see here

AT Team England Fly Fishing was represented by: Paul Angell (manager), Andy Cottam (captain), Tony Baldwin, Martin Burgess, Peter Crowe, Graham Currie, Ashley Davis, Kim Green, John Hood, Alex Johnstone, Eamon Mounter, Ben Race, Richard Slater, Paul Sweatman & Tim Wellman.

Congratulations to Ireland on a convincing victory.

Full Results: iffa2022spring

 

2020 Loch-style Home Internationals

In light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and its impact on this year’s Loch-style Internationals, the AT TEFF Executive has taken the decision to ‘hibernate’ this year’s events.

This means that the Loch-style teams due to fish in Spring and Autumn 2020 will roll over to 2021. Whether this is at the same venues is yet to be decided. This action means that this year’s Loch-style qualification process has been cancelled.

As and when further information is available, it will be posted on this website.

AT TEFF Executive

2019 Autumn Loch-style Home International

Country:	SCOTLAND
Venue:	Lake of Menteith
Dates:	17th to 21st September (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 20th September
Accommodation:	Buchanan Arms Hotel, Drymen

Results:

1. Ireland    109 fish    251 lbs 2.8 ozs
2. Wales    104 fish    242 lbs 14.1 ozs
3. Scotland    94 fish    229 lbs 1.1 ozs
4. England    92 fish    221 lbs 9.5 ozs 

Best Basket: Arden Pollock (Ireland)    15 fish    32 lbs 7.0 ozs

Heaviest Trout: Neill Barrett (Scotland) 4lbs 9.4 ozs

Full Results: iffa2019autumn

Congratulations to Ireland on their victory.

AT Team England FF was represented by: Mark Miles (captain), Tony Baldwin, John Bowen, Martin Burgess, Phil Burgess, Lee Cartmail, David Eames, Martin Griffiths, Mike Laycock, Mike Lightfoot, Paddy Mounter, Paul Roach, Michael Walker, Jonathan Wood & Paul Angell (manager).

The Angling Trust reports: The 2019 Autumn Loch-Style Home International took place at the Lake of Menteith between the 17^th and 21^st September. The England team spent four days prior to the match on the 20^thSeptember practicing to find the most productive spots and to fine-tune their tactics. The fish were widely spread around the lake, with large concentrations evident in certain areas. The quality and size of the fish the team caught were first class and a credit to the fishery.

Steady winds from the south west coupled with dappled cloud cover meant that fishing dries and washing line tactics in the top foot of the water were most successful tactics during practice however, all options were trialled to make sure that the team built up as complete a picture of what to expect on the match day.

Match day dawned to a different weather pattern with dense mist covering the lake which soon burnt off to bright sun and little or no wind. After the traditional march down to the lake by the teams accompanied by a piper, the anglers from the four teams set off at 10am. The boats split with some heading towards International Bay and Lochend, some to Otter Bay, others to Hotel Bay and the rest towards Gateside Bay.  It quickly became obvious that some areas that had previously produced good bags of fish were not going to perform as well in these difficult conditions. Dries were not an option for most and static washing line tactics on lines from Midge Tip’s down to Di3 were producing most fish, especially from the deeper water of Gateside Bay.

As the match progressed, a light breeze developed from the north east, allowing some movement of the drifting boats which improved the chances of anglers covering fish. Later on, during the last couple of hours, some anglers were even catching on dries, but this was never the dominant tactic it had been earlier in the week.

As the match finished, and the anglers returned to the lodge for the weigh in, it was obvious that despite the tough conditions, some anglers had recorded excellent bags. Unfortunately, from an England point of view, they were around a fish a man light off where they had hoped to be.

Paul Angell, England Autumn Loch-Style Manager said, “Despite our fourth place in the match I cannot fault the commitment and efforts of the team in practice or on match day. They worked together, shared ideas, and supported one-another well, ably led by their captain Mark Miles.”

The England team would like to thank Craghoppers for providing team clothing, and Fulling Mill, Guide Fly Fishing, Seapower and Snowbee for their continued support for the team.

 

2019 Spring Loch-style Home International

Country:	ENGLAND
Venue:	Grafham Water
Dates:	7th to 11th May (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 10th May
Accommodation:	Marriott Hotel, Huntingdon

GOLD for Loch-style Team England!!

Results:

1. England   109 fish   229 lbs 2 ozs

2. Scotland   84 fish   184lbs 13 ozs

3. Wales  78 fish   163lbs 7 ozs

4. Ireland   70 fish   148lbs 15 ozs

Best Basket: Alan Banwell (Wales)   17 fish   33 lbs 10 ozs

Heaviest Trout: Kevin McCabe (Scotland)   5 lbs 3 ozs 

AT Team England FF were represented by:  Stephen Peart (manager), Brad Gifford (captain), Sean Brooks, Andy Campbell, Andy Cottam, Tony Curtis, John Hardy, Mark Harrison, John Horsey, Kim Green, Paul Jones, Tim Joyce, Dom Sherrate, Frank Sumnall & Paul Wild.

Well done guys – an absolutely brilliant result to be proud of !

Full Results: iffa2019spring

 

2018 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country: WALES

Venue: Llyn Brenig

Dates: 4th to 8th September (incl.)

Match date: Friday 7th September

Accommodation: Beaufort Park Hotel, Buckley 

Results:

1. Scotland   79 fish   164 lbs 0 ozs

2. Wales   70 fish   144lbs 8 1/8 ozs

3. England 65 fish   134lbs 13 1/2 ozs

4. Ireland   51 fish   107lbs 10 3/8 ozs

Best Basket: Grant Osler (Scotland)   11 fish   22 lbs 14.125 ozs

Heaviest Trout: Terry Llewelyn (Wales)   3 lbs 7.750 ozs 

AT Team England FF were represented by: Paul Angell (manager), John Horsey (captain), Rob Allan, Ashley Davis, Tom Davis, Paul Golding, John Hardy, Paul Haskey, Malcom Hunt, Mike Lightfoot, Eddie Mitchell, Stephen Peart, Leigh Pond, Ben Race & Paul Runec.

Congratulations to Scotland on their victory.

Full Results: iffa2018autumn

AT Team England FF manager Paul Angell reports: 3 days of practice in differing weather conditions showed that there were fish widely spread throughout the reservoir and that many of the fish were concentrated in the upper layers of the water. English rods found that boobies fished on intermediate lines would be the first line of attack with dries also working well when the wind decreased and temperatures rose. 

The start of the International saw boats scatter with numbers starting around the cages, others heading to the Coves and the Hafoty Shore and some drifting across the middle of the lake. It quickly became obvious that the fishing was not going to be easy and boats started moving to alternative areas to try to find feeding fish. This was to continue throughout the match, with some anglers building good scores whilst others struggled to boat fish.

By the 6pm finish, the 56 competitors had caught a total of 265 fish giving a rod average of 4.7 

As England Manager, I consider that the team worked together extremely well under the excellent leadership of experienced captain John Horsey, to produce a great team spirit.  Practice had gone well but match day found us an average of a fish a man behind the winning Scottish team. 

The England Team would like to thank their clothing sponsors Craghoppers and Snowbee for their support, also Guide Fly Fishing, Fulling Mill, Snowbee and Costa Sunglasses for their continued support with tackle and other essential equipment.

AT Match Report: AT Brenig Report

2018 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country: IRELAND

Venue: Lough Mask

Dates: 8th to 12th May (incl.)

Match date: Friday 11th May

Accommodation: Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar 

Results

1. Ireland 45 fish 1552.3 cms 2469 pts
2. Wales 25 fish 905.8 cms 1415 pts
3. England 23 fish 805.3 cms 1273 pts
4. Scotland 20 fish 681.2 cms 1090 pts

Best Basket: Dave Egan (Ireland) 8 fish 273.2cms 438 pts

Biggest Fish: Andy Dunn (Scotland) 51.2 cms

Full Results: iffa2018spring

AT Team England FF were represented by: Stephen Peart (manager), Ron Gent (captain), Charlie Abrahams, Sam Bailey, Iain Barr, David Bromley, Martin Burgess, Martin Introna, Tim Joyce, Mark Mathieson, Mark Thomas, Phil Thompson, Robert Toptalo, Graham Willis & Mark Withyman

Congratulations to Ireland on their convincing victory.

2018 AT Team England Home International Loch-style teams

Spring Home International Loch-style team 2018, Lough Mask, Friday 11th May

Stephen Peart (manager), Ron Gent (captain), Charlie Abrahams, Rob Allan, Iain Barr, Sam Bailey, Martin Burgess, Martin Introna, Tim Joyce, Mark Mathieson, Mark Thomas, Phil Thompson, Robert Toptalo, Graham Willis & Mark Withyman

Autumn Home International Loch-style team 2018, Llyn Brenig, Friday 7th September

Paul Angell (manager), John Horsey (captain), David Bromley, Ashley Davis, Tom Davis, Paul Golding, John Hardy, Paul Haskey, Malcolm Hunt, Mike Lightfoot, Eddie Mitchell, Stephen Peart, Leigh Pond, Ben Race & Paul Runec

Congratulations and the best of luck to everyone involved.

England Loch Style teams 2018: England Loch Style teams 2018

2017 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country: SCOTLAND

Venue: Lake of Menteith

Dates: 12th to 16th September (incl.)

Match date: Friday 15th September

Accommodation: Buchanan Arms Hotel, Drymen

Another win for AT Team England FF! Following gold at the Spring Loch-style International at Chew, Team England FF achieved another convincing victory at the Lake of Menteith.

Results 

1. England 101 fish 4214.2 pts 
2. Wales 65 fish 2757.3 pts
3. Ireland 64 fish 2730.8 pts
4. Scotland 63 fish 2711.0 pts

Best Basket & Top English Rod: Iain Barr (England) 17 fish 712.0 pts

Best Fish: Iain Barr (England) 64.0 cms 

AT Team England was represented by: Stephen Peart (manager), Iain Barr (captain), Craig Barr, Tom Bird, Martin Burgess, Mike Dixon, Tony Donnelly, Ed Foster, Tony Fox, Tom Gott, Mark Rooney, Phil Shaw-Browne, Tom Speak, Andy Taylor & Mark Tremain-Coker.

Congratulations to all AT TEFF members for another great performance.

Full Results: iffa2017autumn

Manager Stephen Peart reports: Following on from the convincing win for AT Team England at the Spring Loch Style International held at Chew Valley, the Autumn team were feeling the pressure to replicate a similar result in Scotland. The Autumn AT England team had a youthful appearance with five of the fourteen team members under the age of 30, adding a youthful vibrancy which was complemented with seasoned Internationals and three first-time caps.  Iain Barr had been appointed captain due to his previous experience, energetic personality and ability to lead anglers in a match that historically has a highly charged competitive edge. 

Three days of variable weather conditions, ranging from moderate winds and sun to perfect balmy overcast conditions, meant that each day of practice provided very different challenges for anglers from the four home nations. The teams identified that a lot of fish were to be found in Gateside Bay around to Stable Point, and from Stable Point down to the Mallings.

During practice the England team quickly identified these areas fished differently depending on the conditions. When it was sunny and windy Di3 and Di5 lines fished with a four fly cast consisting of either two Fabs or Boobies with Diawl Bachs sandwiched between caught consistently. The Fabs were either Biscuit or Tequila in sizes 10 to 14, while the Boobies used were either a Cat Booby or a Candy Booby. The Diawl Bachs were quite flashy, with pearl and red holographic ribbed flies the main patterns, which were fished very slowly and hung deep.  When the winds dropped the England team fished the Snowbee 3ft Buzzer Tip line with the same combination of flies, fished washing line style.  

Team England also identified the shallow water from Reedy Bay down to the Hotel Bay holding a large head of fish which responded well to floating line techniques. During practice Tony Fox and Andrew Taylor caught well on small Orange F Fly, Yellow Owl and Hare’s Ear Culs finding favour with the obliging trout.  Otter Bay also responded well to dry fly tactics but as this area tended to hold residential trout, the area only fished for the England team when the conditions were favourable and the trout rising freely. Tom Bird enjoyed some fantastic sport during the Wednesday practice taking ten rainbows in a hectic two hour spell on Black Midas dries. 

Lochend was the final area that held a good head of fish and again this area responded well to both the Snowbee 3ft Buzzer Tip and Booby/Fab combination with Diawl Bachs, and Dries when the conditions allowed. 

As match day dawned the weather was cloudy and overcast. As is traditional in an England Squad, Iain Barr delivered the daily captain’s team meeting and briefing on match tactics and individual expectations. The match tactic was to get as many English rods into the area from Mallings to Gateside Bay and effectively block off the area from the other competing nations. To do this we would require luck in the toss of the coin for captaincy and control of the boat. As I talked to all of the team members prior to the match start it was apparent that the coin toss had been kind and at least 8 English boats had won control of the boat for the first two hours. 

At the off, half of the field headed towards Gateside Bay, with an even split of boats heading towards Lochend and Otter Bay, with a further 6 boats heading into Hotel Bay. The tactics that had worked well in practice were still working on match day. Tom Speak, fishing his first International Loch Style match, had two fish from Reedy Bay on Dries in the first ten minutes, which quickly settled any pre-match nerves. As the match wore on it was becoming obvious that the England team were catching consistently, with information being filtered around the team on who was fishing where and the best methods. The English team managed to execute their plan perfectively with eight boats spread from Mallings to Gateside Bay catching constantly, and with no other teams around to challenge, accumulated a match wining total.

Iain Barr had 17 fish for the match to claim the Brown Bowl. He concentrated his efforts from Mallings down to Gateside Bay for the entire match. He fished a Snowbee Buzzer Tip line for the first two hours with the Fab/Diawl Bach combination accounting for eight of his 17 trout. As the wind got up and the sun came out he changed between Di3 and Di5 lines with the same cast of flies to continue catching a superb bag of trout. Second placed angler in the match was England’s Martin Burgess who also had 17 trout for the match, narrowly missing out on the top individual spot. Martin also fished Gateside around to the Mallings using an Airflo 6ft Slow Tip with a Cat Booby/Diawl Bach combination. A brilliant catch by both anglers. England then blocked out the three top individual spots with Tony Fox landing 10 fish. He caught two from Otter Bay on his Orange F-Fly in the first hour of the match before also moving into Gateside Bay where he took another fish on his Orange F-Fly dry. A move to the Mallings drifting towards Dog Isle resulted in a further 5 fish in one drift on a Pink-arsed Fab /Cruncher combination.  The top three rods resulted in 44 trout towards the England final total of 101 and was the backbone of a fantastic team performance. 

England weighed in first, and it was quickly obvious that they would be the team to beat, with all the team having fish to measure. Their total of 101 trout turned out to be a huge 36 trout ahead of second placed Wales. My favourite analogy from England vice-Captain Ed Foster was that we had won by 15 meters if you had laid out the 36 fish in a straight line and measured them!!! In a sprint finish that is a country mile. By the end of the weigh in, England had claimed 4 of the top 5 places with Iain Barr adding the largest fish trophy to go with his Brown Bowl. Phil Shaw Brown fishing his first senior International match finished in 5^th place.

This was a real team effort, pre match knowledge sharing on flies and tactics, backed up by dedicated and well organised practice and record keeping. Communication on the water was the key element to our success, and each and every team member, from experienced captain Iain Barr to new caps Phil Shaw Browne, Tony Donnelly and Mark Tremain Coker, all contributing to a performance to be proud of.

AT Team England FF would like to thank our sponsors: 

Craghoppers and Snowbee for their continued support with team clothing and Fulling Mill, Guide Flyfishing, Snowbee for tackle requirements and Costa for their help with sunglasses.

Menteith Fishery Manager Quint Glen and the staff for providing an exceptionally well stocked and run fishery. Over the two official practice days and match day, Team England caught and returned 280 trout. 

The Buchanan Arms Hotel for accommodating the teams and hosting the Gala dinner and prize giving.

Report & pics: AT Lake of Menteith Report 2017

2017 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country:	ENGLAND
Venue:	Chew Valley Lake
Dates:	16th to 20th May (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 19th May
Accommodation:	Wookey Hole Hotel, Somerset

Results 

1.England  43 fish  112.85 lbs

2. Scotland  29 fish  84.110 lbs

3. Wales  21 fish  58.960 lbs

4. Ireland  15 fish  38.120 lbs 

Best Basket: Andy Cottam (England) 8 fish 20.770 lbs

Heaviest Trout: Stuart McLean (Scotland) 5.550 lbs

Top English Rod: Andy Cottam 8 fish 20.770 lbs

AT TEFF was represented by: Paul Angell (manager), Nikki Long (captain), John Braithwaite, Dave Bromley, Andy Cottam, Nick Dunn, Ryan Feber, Mark Haycock, Alex Johnstone, Matt Kingdon, Mark Miles, Mark Rose, Steve Smalley, Dave Summers & Roger Truscott.

Congratulations to all AT TEFF members for a convincing victory.

Full Results: iffa2017spring

Manager Paul Angell reports: Three days of variable weather conditions ranging from strong winds to torrential rain meant that each day of practice provided very different challenges for anglers from the four home nations. The teams identified that a lot of fish were to be found behind Denny Island, in Herons Green Bay and smaller pods of fish spread around the lake. Nymphs fished static or dries were the methods of choice for most anglers as the fish were high in the water.  

Match day dawned with bright sun and wind, conditions which traditionally mean that fishing at Chew would be challenging, and so it proved to be. At the off, the bulk of boats headed behind the island with most of the rest to Herons Green Bay. Anglers quickly found that tactics and flies which had worked well during practice might have to be rethought if they were to be successful. England had a code system which allowed team members to talk to one another and share successful flies and lines without making anglers from the other nations aware of what they were doing and this, together with key information found during practice meant that they were able to adapt to the conditions best, and it was noticeable form quite early in the match that English rods were bending with more regularity than those of the other nations. Key flies were Hares Ear and skinny Diawl Bach nymphs fished on a washing line set up on lines varying from full floaters to midge tips of various lengths.

As the match progressed most of the English team had managed to boat a fish or two with several doing much better. Captain and local angler Nikki Long was still fishless at 5 o’clock and decided that a move of area was needed. He and his boat partner headed to the top of Villice Bay where he had found fish earlier in the week, and where earlier in the match he had lost a fish, being smashed off. This move was to prove fortuitous as he picked up a rainbow trout before latching onto something much more substantial. After a prolonged fight he landed a brown trout of 15lb 3oz, the fish of a lifetime. Match rules stated that all Brown Trout were to be returned and would be counted as 2lb. Nikki spent a long time trying to revive the fish, but due to its extreme size and the prolonged length of the fight this proved impossible and, much to Nikki’s disappointment, the fish had to be dispatched and was brought in at the end of the match.

England weighed in first, and it was quickly obvious that they would be the team to beat, with all but one of the team having fish to weigh. By the end of the weigh in, England had claimed 4 of the top 5 places with West Country angler Andy Cottam as top rod and Brown Bowl Winner with 8 fish. Nick Dunn was not far behind on seven and first cap Matt Kingdon on six taking the top 3 spots.

 Paul Angell, team manager, stated that this had been a real team effort, with a nucleus of local anglers providing detailed knowledge of the water, backed up by dedicated and well organised practice and record keeping. Communication on the water was the key element to our success, and each and every team member, from experienced captain Nikki Long to new caps David Bromley, Alex Johnstone, Matt Kingdon, and Dave Summers all contributing to a performance to be proud of.

The team would like to thank:

Craghoppers and Snowbee for their continued support with team clothing and Fulling Mill, Guide Flyfishing, Snowbee, and Seapower UK  for their help with tackle and sunglasses.

Bristol Water Fishery Manager John Harris and the staff at Chew Valley lake with their help and support in hosting, organising and running these championships.

The Wookey Hole Hotel for accommodating the teams and hosting the Gala dinner and prizegiving.

Match Report: Website match report

(Images courtesy of the Angling Trust)

2017 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country:	SCOTLAND
Venue:	Lake of Menteith
Dates:	12th to 16th September (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 15th September
Accommodation:	Buchanan Arms Hotel, Drymen

2016 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country: WALES

Venue: Llandegfedd Reservoir

Dates: 20th to 24th September (incl)

Match date: 23rd September

Accommodation: Holiday Inn, Newport

Result:

1. Scotland   35 fish  59lbs 1.50ozs
2. Ireland   37 fish  57lbs 15.00ozs
3. England  30 fish 47lbs 4.00ozs
4. Wales   26 fish 38lbs 13.00ozs

Best Basket: Andrew Duncan (Ireland) 7 fish 12lbs 9.500ozs

Heaviest Trout: Peter Aucterlonie (Scotland) 2lbs 1.500ozs

Top English Rod: Phil Thompson 7 fish 12lbs 5.500ozs

AT TEFF was represented by: Stephen Peart (manager), John Hardy (captain), Craig  Barr, Dale Burgess, Ian Colclough, Peter Elliott, Harry Fox, Tom Gott, Gary Haskins, Mark Miles, John Pearn, Bill Rankin, Mark Rooney, Philip Thompson & Graham Willis.

Congratulations to Scotland on a tight victory.

Full Results: iffa2016autumn

2016 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country:IRELAND

Venue:Lough Lein

Dates:24th to 28th May (incl)

Match date:Friday 27th May

Accommodation:Randles Hotels, Killarney

Result:

1. England   18 fish  4.111kg
2. Wales   13 fish  3.302kg
3. Scotland  13 fish 2.788kg
4. Ireland   8 fish 1.780kg

Best Basket: Alan Steven (Scotland) 4 fish 0.907kg

Heaviest Trout: Marco Orsi (Wales) 0.430kg

Top English Rod: John Horsey 3 fish 0.711kg

AT TEFF was represented by: Paul Angell (manager), Nick Dunn (captain), Charlie Abrahams, Tony Curtis, Ben Dobson, Ian Donaldson, Tony Donnelly, Bob Fitzpatrick, Brad Gifford, John Horsey, Carl Nixon, Richard Slater, Gilliaum Vermeulen, Paul Wild & Mark Withyman.

Congratulations to all AT TEFF team members for a convincing victory.

Full Results: iffa2016spring

The Angling Trust reports: 4 Teams of 14 anglers representing England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales took part in the IFFA Spring Loch-Style International from 24th – 27th May 2016 at Lough Leane, Killarney, Ireland.

The Team members representing England were; Nick Dunn (Captain) Charlie Abrahams, Tony Curtis, Ben Dobson, Ian Donaldson, Tony Donnelly, Bob Fitzpatrick, Brad Gifford, John Horsey, Carl Nixon, Richard Slater, Gillaum Vermeulen, Paul Wild, Mark Withyman, Paul Angell (Manager).

In practice the conditions had varied from light winds to strong breezes, but match day saw the teams take to the water in bright sunshine with very little wind. The bulk of the fleet headed for Victoria Bay or Gaureen Bay, both of which had been found to hold good numbers of “keepers”.

Lough Leane is a wild brown trout fishery with a large head of small fish. To count as a keeper the fish had to measure 10” from the nose to the fork of the tail. Fishing to local association rules, the first 4 fish of takable size were to be killed, with any over 10” after this released after being measured and agreed with boatman and their boat partner. Released fish were to count as 250g in the final weigh in.

The team fished sink or midge tipped lines with nymphs and hoppers. In calm hot conditions, a heavy buzzer was fished on the point to take the flies down to where the fish were. It was hard work, needing high levels of concentration to react to the fast taking, small brown trout. Many undersized fish were landed and returned, but the tally of takeable fish rose slowly during the day. Conditions improved in the last hour of the match, with the heavy, oppressive air lifting as a breeze filled in, and some who had been struggling all day managed to hook and land those elusive 10”+ fish.

At the weigh in, all fish taken were checked to make sure they reached a minimum of 10”. No-one wanted any penalties for weighing in an undersized fish. England went to the scales first and recorded 18 takeable trout, with the best bag being 3 from multi-capped John Horsey.

Ireland, on their home water weighed in 8 fish, with both Scotland and Wales recording 13 fish. When the weights were announced, England took the gold by a clear margin, with Wales piping Scotland for second place on weight of fish, and Ireland in 4th.

Best bag of the day and winner of the Brown Bowl was Alan Steven of Scotland who weighed in 4 fish, and heaviest fish went to Marco Orsi of Wales with a brown Trout of 430g.

Paul Angell, Autumn Loch-Style Team Manager stated “It had been a great team performance, based on the sharing of knowledge and ideas to develop a strategy that produced a Gold medal in difficult conditions. He also thanked the organisers for putting on a good competition in beautiful surroundings, and the boatmen who helped the team practice prior to the match.

Many thanks go to all the team sponsors, with a particular thank you to Wychwood for supplying the team with their new Hybrid Jacket, and to Angling Trust for all their help and support. Also to all team members who helped raise funds towards the cost of the week.”

2015 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country:	Scotland
Venue:	Lake of Menteith
Dates:	15th to 19th September (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 18th September
Accommodation:	Buchanan Arms Hotel, Drymen

Scotland take Gold in a tight contest

Results:

1st Scotland (91 fish) 207lbs 9ozs

2nd England (92 fish) 201lbs 0.6ozs

3rd Ireland (84 fish) 182lbs 10ozs

4th Wales (63 fish) 139lbs 8.2ozs

Brown Bowl for biggest bag: Craig Smith (England) 14 fish for 30lbs 0.2ozs

Full Results: iffa2015autumn

AT TEFF Chairman Clive Collier commented, “We knew this was going to be a tight match, and as the day progressed it seemed as though the eventual result would be very difficult to call. Congratulations to Brown Bowl winner Craig Smith of England, and to Scotland for coming out top in a very close contest”. 

AT Team England FF was represented by: Ian Colclough (capt), James Atkinson, Rob Barden, Chris Bobby, Martin Burgess, Mark Glass, Kim Green, Paul Golding, Gary Haskins, Mike Heritage, Carl Malpass, Craig Smith, Mark Stevens, Mark Withyman & Paul Angell (manager).

The Angling Trust reports: “After four days practice in a variety of conditions England knew that there were fish to be caught in most areas of the lake. Tactics and areas to be fished would be dependent on the weather conditions on match day. Friday saw bright sunshine with very light breezes which would make the fishing challenging. As expected the start saw the fleet split evenly with around half the boats turning left out of the harbour and heading towards Lochend, with the rest going to Gateside Bay. Tactics would be to use a washing line, with buzzers between various boobies and fabs, and to vary the line according to conditions. The retrieve would be either to fish static, or a figure of 8 retrieve, with dries becoming a major tactic during the afternoon, especially if cloud cover came in. The rules for the day were to kill your first 3 fish, then fish catch and release, with each subsequent fish counting as 2lb.

The warm and bright and almost still conditions meant that boats had to search out fish. Eventual Brown Bowl winner, Craig Smith, winning his first cap for England, fished Otter bay and Kate’s Brae for the first 5 hours, taking 8 fish, before moving to Gateside Bay where he took the remainder of his 14 fish final tally. A superb result when the rod average for the day was just under 6.

At the weigh in, it was obvious that the result would be a closely run thing. Scotland with 90 fish just eased ahead of England, who caught 91, on the weight of a couple of large fish. Ireland finished with the bronze, with Wales in fourth place.

Paul Angell, Autumn Loch-Style Team Manager stated “It was a great team performance, based on the sharing of knowledge and ideas to develop a strategy that very nearly produced another gold medal and an outstanding performance to take the individual top position by new cap Craig Smith. The team wish to thank all the sponsors of Team England Fly Fishing for their help and support, and particularly Craghoppers for supplying the team clothing for the event and we look forward to 2016.”

2015 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country:	England
Venue:	Rutland Water
Dates:	26th to 30th May (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 29th May
Accommodation:	Marriott Hotel, Peterborough

Congratulations to Scotland, who beat AT Team England by 5 fish and just over 6lbs

1. Scotland (66 fish) 125-1-2

2. England (61 fish) 118-11-0

3. Ireland (45 fish) 87-6-6

4. Wales (43 fish) 84-10-6

Brown Bowl: Derek Purvis, Scotland – (12 fish)

AT Team England FF were represented by: Tony Baldwin (capt), Lee Bartlett, Joel Beeney, Steve Cullen, Paul Davison, Brad Gifford, John Hardy, John Horsey, Pete Kempton, Gary Morris, Lloyd Pallett, Richard Slater, Frank Sumnall & Richard Wood

2014 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country:	Wales
Venue:	Llyn Brenig
Dates:	9th to 13th September (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 12th September
Accommodation:	Hand Hotel, Llangollen

Another convincing victory for AT Team England FF!!

1. England (94 fish) 175-9-2

2. Scotland (84 fish) 155-5-12

3. Wales (65 fish) 118-10-8

4. Ireland (51 fish) 90-2-0

Brown Bowl: Phil Dixon, England – (19 fish)

Full Results: iffa2014autumn

AT Team England FF have followed their victory in the Spring Home International at Lough Owel with another convincing performance on Brenig. Well done to all of the AT Team England FF team: 

Phil Dixon (captain), Lee Bartlett, Paul Bebb, John Bowen, David Currie, Peter Elliott, Ryan Feber, André Gysler, John Hood, Tim Joyce, Michael Laycock, Gary Owen, Simon Robinson, Mark Rose & Paul Angell (manager).

Paul, our new Loch Style Manager for the Autumn International team reports: “After three days practice in light wind and often bright sunshine, the teams from the four home nations took to the water on match day, in overcast conditions with a slightly stronger breeze and a wind shift to a steady Southerly. The boats scattered to various parts of the lake, with many heading to the Northern end of the lake which had been producing fish all week. However, the change in conditions had obviously affected the fish, and soon boats were seen moving to other areas to try to locate fish that were willing to take, with varying degrees of success.

The England team tactics were to use Boobies, Dabblers, and foam-bodied Daddies on a variety of lines, according to the depth at which the fish were found on the day, popping the flies through the surface to start with, and holding on the hang at the end of the retrieve. Team captain Phil Dixon led by example, putting together a Brown Bowl winning score of 19 fish, eight more than his nearest rival, and was well supported by his team members who came in with a total of 94 fish, ten ahead of Scotland in second place, Wales with 64 in third, and Ireland with 51 in fourth.

I regard this as a great team performance, based on the sharing of knowledge and ideas to develop a winning strategy, and an outstanding captain’s performance to comfortably take the individual top position by Phil Dixon.

The team wish to thank all the sponsors of Team England Fly Fishing for their help and support, and particularly Craghoppers for supplying the team clothing for the event.”

Paul’s Bio: Age 59, a retired schoolteacher from the West Midlands with almost 40 years experience of fly fishing. I have represented England at Loch-Style 3 times between 2011-13, including captaining the side at the Lake of Menteith in 2013. In addition I am Chairman of “The Nomads” Flyfishing Club and act as an education advisor for the Countryside Alliance Fishing 4 Schools project

 

2014 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country:	Ireland
Venue:	Lough Owel
Dates:	27th to 31st May (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 30th May
Accommodation:	Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar

AT Team England FF in convincing victory!!

1. England (59 fish) 75-11-0

2. Ireland (32 fish) 41-9-4

3. Wales (33 fish) 41-2-2

4. Scotland (29 fish) 37-11-0

Brown Bowl: Phil Longstaff, England – (10 fish) 11-12-8

Biggest Fish: James Atkinson, England – 3-3-0

Official’s Trophy: Stephen Peart, England – (4 fish) 5-2-8

Full Results: IFFA 2014 Spring Results

Well done to all of the Team England FF team:

Stephen Peart (Manager), Mark Withyman (Captain), James Atkinson, Tony Baldwin, Joel Beeney, Vince Brooks, Tony Curtis, John Humphry, Dave Johns, Phil Longstaff, Gary Morris, John Pearn, Clive Perkins, Leigh Pond & Bill Rankin.

Spring Loch Style Manager Stephen Peart: Age 40, currently employed as a Manufacturing Production Manager for Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics, a global medical devices company. I have over thirty years fly fishing experience with twenty years dedicated to competitive fly fishing. Represented England  at Loch Style 4 times winning three Gold medals and captaining the side in 2002 at Loch Leven to Gold. In addition I am a member of the Ospreys Fly Fishing Team and over the years have been fortunate to fish with and learn from some of the finest anglers the UK has to offer.

2013 Autumn International, Lake of Menteith, 20th September

Fourteen of the top English loch-style anglers will be travelling to the Lake of Menteith, Scotland, in mid-September for the Autumn Home International against the host nation, Wales and Ireland.

The England team comprises the top anglers from the National final fished last year at Bewl Water in Kent. The team is captained by Stafford angler Paul Angell, who had this to say about the team’s prospects in Scotland.

“With just over a month to go until the Autumn International at the Lake of Menteith, the anticipation and excitement are really starting to build. The England team has a good mix of new caps and experienced internationals, and a great team spirit is emerging. We are all looking forward to pitting ourselves against the other home nations and believe we have the talent and the qualities needed to produce a winning result.

“All the teams are strong, but the Scots, on their home water, and with their excellent organization and recent record, will certainly start, on paper, as the favourites. Having said that, we are going to be fishing for stocked rainbow trout, which is something most of the teams will be very used to. Who will emerge as the winning team on the 20th September will be largely down to who has prepared best and who has been best able to adapt to the conditions on the day. Of course a little bit of luck is always important, but at this level, luck only plays a minor role.

“The Lake of Menteith is a top quality fishery, with clear water, and hard fighting fish. What more could you ask for in an International venue? At 700 acres it is big enough to provide a real challenge, but not so large as to make fish location a major problem on the practice days leading up to the competition.

‘Team England will be going flat out to go one better than in the Spring International where the Scots were victorious, beating us convincingly into second place, but no-one should forget that there are four teams of dedicated anglers, all at the top of their sport, all of whom will be giving their all in pursuit of victory. May the best team on the day win. All I know is that I am immensely proud to be leading a great bunch of guys, and captaining my country at the sport which I love.”

The full England team will comprise: Paul Angell (Captain), Glenn Appleby, Tom Bird, Martin Burgess, Howard Croston, Tom Davies, Paul Davison, Anthony Fox, Martin Griffiths, Gary Hedges, John Hood, Paul Kitchen, Mark Macleod, and Steve Smalley

Good luck to them all!

Courtesy of the Angling Trust

Result:

1st: Scotland (135 fish) 299-14-8

2nd: Ireland (107 fish) 247-4-7

3rd: Wales (106 fish) 243-4-0

4th: England (99 fish) 234-1-4

Best Basket (Brown Bowl): Ray Anderson (Scotland) 18 fish for 37-10-2

Heaviest Trout: Colin MacDonald (Scotland) 7-4-0

Congratulations to Scotland for another convincing victory.

Full Results: iffa2013autumn

2013 Spring International, Bewl Water, 17th May

1. Scotland (63 fish) 127-14-0

2. England (42 fish) 79-8-8

3. Wales (32 fish) 61-11-8

4. Ireland (21 fish) 42-3-8  

Best Basket: Peter Auchterlonie (Scotland) 9 fish for 20-5-0

Heaviest Trout: Richard Hooper (Wales) 3-3-0

English best basket: Roger Truscott 8 fish for 16-1-0  

Irish best basket: Francis McSharry 6 fish for 13-8-8

Scottish best basket: Peter Auchterlonie 9 fish for 20-5-0

Welsh best basket: Jason Heath 4 fish for 9-2-8

Full Results: iffa2013spring

Some practice days had seen strong winds, which did not help the fishing, but conditions improved with a moderate SSE the day before the match, which saw most teams do rather better. On match day, however, the wind swung round to a chilly NNE. Scotland nevertheless sealed a convincing victory, taking the top three individual spots. Overcast conditions saw the wind drop to a good nymphing speed, encouraging some competitors to take off the DI3 they went out on, to switch to the floater or midge-tip. Birds were active as a few areas saw heavy hatches of green midge, with fish holing up in tight pockets near the bank. Hook Straight saw the most boats, but Ferry Point and Monty’s Seat was also popular. The following represented Team England FF:

Richard Slater (captain), John Ball, Robert Barden, Paul Canning, Andy Croucher, Steve Cullen, Harry Fox, John Hardy, John Horsey, Simon Kidd, Paul Lee, Denis Symonds, Roger Truscott & John Tyzack, with Clive Collier (manager).

Our congratulations to Scotland, and our thanks to Bewl Water management for providing such a fair venue, and to the Mercury Tunbridge Wells hotel, Pembury, for their hospitality.

(Images courtesy of Cliff Waters of Fishypics. Our thanks also go to photographer Alan Ward, Fieldsports Britain YouTube channel, and Andy Ford from Sky TV’s Tightlines, who also covered the event. Catch the Fieldsports Britain coverage here – from 16.13 onwards. You can catch the Tightlines broadcast as a podcast here)

Autumn Loch-style team, Lake of Menteith 20th September

Paul Angell (Capt), Glenn Appleby, Tom Bird, Martin Burgess, Howard Croston, Tom Davies, Paul Davison, Anthony Fox, Martin Griffiths, Gary Hedges, John Hood, Paul Kitchen, Mark Macleod, Steve Smalley, Reserve – Andrew Taylor

TEFF Boat Manager: to be advised

2012 Spring Loch Style Home International

Country:	Ireland
Venue:	Lough Sheelin
Dates:	15th to 19th May (incl.)
Match date:	Friday 18th May
Accommodation:	Crover House Hotel

For more information visit the The Lough Sheelin Boatmen  site.

The Team England FF team for this year’s Spring Loch-style Home International on Lough Sheelin consisted of:

Martin Introna (Manager), Bill Rankin (Captain), Paul Angell, Sean Brooks, Steve Collins, Ian Donaldson, David Drake, Stephen Ellerbeck, Martin Greatbach, Kim Green, Mark Howard, Mark MacLeod, Colin Martin, John Stevenson and Mark Withyman.

Ireland won Gold with Keiron Thomas of Wales taking the Brown Bowl with 7 fish.

1st Ireland        34 fish        2076 points

2nd Wales        32 fish         2004 points

3rd Scotland     27 fish         1692 points

4th England      13 fish          788 points

Brown Bowl: Kieron Thomas (Wales)

H. Emyr Lewis Trophy: Frank Kelly (Ireland)

Full Results: iffa2012spring

 

 

Manager Martin Introna recently confirmed that Stena Line are sponsoring the Spring Home International loch-style team by offering reduced ferry rates. Martin added, “We appreciate Stena Line’s help and can fully endorse them as ferry operators”. The Spring Loch-style International will take place in May at Lough Sheelin, so the cost of travel and logistics to Ireland is a major consideration.

 

2012 Autumn Loch Style Home International

Country:	Wales
Venue:	Llyn Brenig
Dates:	4th to 8th September (incl.)
Match date:	7th September
Accommodation:	Hands Hotel Llangollen

Martin Introna (manager)

Rob Sosbe (captain)

Peter Appleby
Fred Bainbridge
Alistair Beaumont
Andrew Croucher
Steve Cullen
Nick Dunn
Ron Gent
Brad Gifford
Christopher Micallef
David Morris
Lloyd Pallett
Paul Shaw
Richard Slater

Results:

1. Scotland    52 fish    72lbs 3ozs

2. England    38 fish    52lbs 2ozs

3. Ireland    32 fish    45lbs 10ozs

4. Wales    17 fish    23lbs 9ozs

Brown Bowl: John Buchanan (Scotland) 9 fish 12lbs 7.25ozs

Full Results: iffa2012autumn

England team boat manager Martin Introna commented, “Just a huge thanks to all involved at the Autumn International, especially Wynnora Thomas who worked tirelessly organising this event. I wish to thank my team for winning silver on my second international as manager and being the only team not to record a blank. Rest assured we shall be stronger next year you have my word on that!”