Angling Trust Team England Fly Fishing

The Team England FF Annual General Meeting was held on 27th November 2011 at Egleton Bird Centre, Rutland Water.

During this meeting the new TEFF Constitution was ratified. For full details (incorporating all changes agreed at this meeting) see TEFF Constitution

Among other motions discussed, it was voted not to revert to the roll-over system for Loch-style International teams.

A motion proposing that anglers be allowed to enter as many qualifiers as they wish, ie multi-qualifier entry to Nationals, was withdrawn.

A motion proposing a two-day Loch-style National was defeated.

It was also agreed to assign a working party to look at the possibility of rationalising the current federations into fewer and larger organisations.

The possibilities for expansion of the Bank competition would also be examined.

For a full report see TEFF AGM 27-11-11

A squad day has been arranged for the Spring and Autumn teams at Rutland Water on Saturday 28th April 2012.

All team members are requested to attend, including the reserves. We shall be holding a fund-raiser on the same day, where the format will be run as a 30 boat ‘Pro-Am’ competition. If anyone would like to enter this event and have the chance to share a boat with a current England International, please contact me for full details. All proceeds will go towards the Loch-style teams.

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Martin Introna, Boat Manager

Following the meeting of the Team England Fly Fishing International Committee (TEFFIC), the World, Norwegian training, Loch-style, Rivers and Bank International teams have been selected, as ratified by the TEFF AGM.

2012 TEFFIC teams

Mike Heritage followed his victory in the Commonwealth fund-raiser on the same venue with a stunning 34 fish score in the afternoon, miles ahead of others fishing in the same session.

Overall results were: 1. Michael Heritage 2. Harry Fox            3. Tony Fox 4. Ray Burt 5. Terry Mann 6. Hector Rodriguez  7. Bill Rankin 8. Sean Brooks 9. Clive Collier 10. Andrew Green 11. Vince Brooks 12. Gavin Walsh 13. Paul Canning   14. Wesley Boyd

Full report on the South East federation web-page here

This annual event is fly-only catch and release, and will be fished on the River Dee over the weekend of 28th and 29th January 2012.

The top anglers over the two days will qualify to fish the England Rivers National next summer.

Full details: 2012riverspressrelease

Final results are:

1. Scotland        146 placing points

2. Ireland          179

3. England        190

4. Wales           203

Total Fish caught: 45

Top Individual: Terry Kelly (Ireland) 8 place points

Best Fish: Lee Patten (Wales) 50cms

Top England rod: Davey Parker 6th (25 placing points)

Individual Final, Saturday 8th October

1. Phil Dixon

2. Simon Robinson

3. Terry Phillips

4. Dean Appleby

5. Mark Harrison

6. Jim Tuck

Full Results: Greys individual Results

Team Final, Sunday 9th October

1. Hardy Greys (Phil Dixon, Fred Bainbridge, Howard Croston)

2. Cortland Cats (Simon Robinson, Andrew Scott, Dave Parker)

3. Triple A’s (Peter Appleby, Glen Appleby, Dean Appleby)

Full Results: Greys Team Finals

Saturday 8th October. Cameron Craigs won the morning session with 19 grayling for 877 pts, ahead of Baz Reece with 14 for 674 pts. The afternoon was won by Jay Curry with 18 grayling for 864 pts, with Martin Bailey in second place with 14 for 636 pts. Best fish was a 39cm grayling to Andy Croucher.

Full Results Itchen Results

The South East federation will be holding their own rivers qualifier on the same venue on Sunday 13th November. More information on the South East federation web page

England secured a convincing victory in the Autumn International on Friday 23rd September, finishing 29 fish in front of second-placed Scotland.

Although the moderate South Westerly wind repeated the pattern seen for much of the week, the promising cloud cover which welcomed competitors at the start of the match rapidly thinned out to give harsh, bright conditions.

Despite covering the whole reservoir intensively during practice, at the gun nearly all boats headed for an area between G Buoy and the Willows to the North end of the Dam.

England’s Nikki Long got off to a good start, boating five fish within the first ninety minutes. Although the deteriorating weather conditions might have favoured pulling, it was noticeable how the numbers of those figure-of-eighting on floater or midge-tip increased during the morning.

Drifts around D Buoy produced fish early, with Iain Barr having two productive drifts there, but in the afternoon G Buoy and the Jetty switched on, where he continued to catch.

Iain finished as top English rod with 16 fish for 37-6-4, later remarking, “It’s the first time I’ve gone out at the start of a major competition with a floating line…The fish wanted it very slowly, almost static, I think many anglers were moving the flies too quickly”.

Iain’s performance was only eclipsed by Wales’ David Hoppe, who took the Brown Bowl with a stunning 18 fish for 39-10-6. Graham Watson, former England loch-style team manager and his boatman for the day, commented, “This was probably the best display of nymph angling I’ve ever seen”.

Team captain Ed Foster, who himself landed a dozen fish, paid glowing tributes to his team for a consistent performance throughout the practice and the match. Nikki Long finished with 13 fish, Mike Cocks had 9, while new caps Carl Nixon and Tom Davis both landed 8 fish, a great start for their first international! Congratulations to the whole squad, and particularly team manager Richard Slater.

1. England       (105 fish)   229-6-10

2. Scotland               (76)      168-8-6

3. Wales                   (62)     137-8-10

4. Ireland                 (34)       79-13-2

Brown Bowl – David Hoppe (Wales) 18 fish for 39-10-6

(Images courtesy of Cliff Waters, Fishypics)

Full results 2011 Autumn International results

England Team Manager Richard Slater’s report (courtesy of Mid-Northants TFA)

Video of the march down to the boats courtesy of Martin Introna. Stirring stuff!

The South East federation will be holding their Rivers Qualifier (for the 2012 Rivers National) on Sunday 13th November at the Lower Itchen fishery, near Eastleigh, Southampton.

A grayling-only match, competitors have been given exclusive access to our usual match length, not just for the match day Sunday 13th, but also for the Practice Day on Saturday 12th November. The fishery opens for grayling fishing from after the first week in October onwards.

More information on the South East federation web page