23rd FIPS-Mouche Cortland Youth [U19 & U24] World Fly Fishing Championships 2026, Ballybofey, Ireland, 16th-22nd July 2026
23rd FIPS-Mouche Cortland Youth [U19 & U24] World Fly Fishing Championships are taking place in Ballybofey, Ireland, from the 16th to the 22nd July 2026.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
YOUTH U19
Czech Republic – England – Finland – France – Ireland – Slovakia – Slovenia – South Africa – USA
YOUTH U24
Czech Republic – France – Ireland – Poland – Slovakia – South Africa – Spain
The Angling Trust Youth U19 team is: Nicholas Blisset, Inigo Burkinshaw, Marcus Cordingley, Haruki Sasaki, Harry Sharrett, Simon Sharrett (captain), Alex Turnbull, Martyn Cordingley and Marsha Blisset (manager).
PROGRAMME
Thursday 16th July
15:00pm Arrival
15:00pm Check in to hotel
15:30pm Registration
16:00pm Captains’ Meeting & Draw
18:00pm Opening Ceremony, Hotel Car Park
19:00pm Opening Dinner at Hotel
Friday 17th July: First competition session
9:00am Start of Session I Youths
12:00pm End of Session I Youths
14:00pm Start of Session I U24
17:00pm End of Session I U24
19:00pm Dinner at hotel
Saturday 18th July: Second competition session
9:00am Start of Session 2 Youths
12:00pm End of Session 2 Youths
14:00pm Start of Session 2 U24
17:00pm End of Session 2 U24
19:00pm Dinner at hotel
Sunday 19th July: Third competition session
9:00am Start of Session 3 Youths
12:00pm End of Session 3 Youths
14:00pm Start of Session 3 U24
17:00pm End of Session 3 U24
19:00pm Dinner at hotel
Monday 20th July: Fourth competition session
9:00am Start of Session 4 Youths
12:00pm End of Session 4 Youths
14:00pm Start of Session 4 U24
17:00pm End of Session 4 U24
19:00pm Dinner at hotel
Tuesday 21st July: Fifth competition session
9:00am-10:00am Cultural symposium (U24 only)
9:00am Start of Session 5 Youths
12:00pm End of Session 5 Youths
14:00pm Start of Session 5 U24
17:00pm End of Session 5 U24
14:00pm-15:00pm Cultural symposium (Youths only)
18:30pm Medals Ceremony
19:00pm Closing Ceremony
19:30pm Closing Banquest
Wednesday 22nd July:
07:30am-09:30am Breakfast
10:00am Check out of hotel
11:00am Travel home
SECTORS
Sector 1 – Lough Craghy, Dungloe (boat)
Tully Lake (Craghy Lough) is a beautiful lough of around 110 acres. It is an interesting lough with several islands, headlands and bays. Tully is best known for sea trout. It only fishes in July if there has been a wet season. August and September are the most favourable. The majority of the sea trout are Finnock and average ¾ lb but the lake can produce fish up to and over 4lb. (A 4.5lb brown trout was taken on a Loch Ordie fly during the 2000 season) Sea trout spend considerable time in Tully and can be free rising. Bank fishing is permitted but access and angling in this area can prove difficult.
Sector 2 – River Dennet, Strabane
Burn Dennett (or Dennet) is a medium sized (5-20 metres width) spate river. Rising on the northern flanks of the main Sperrins ridge, the river drops northwards through Donemana, swinging west through native woodland and pasture before meandering across broad flats to reach the River Foyle upstream of the walled city of Derry/Londonderry. Sea trout peak June to August, with grilse best fished for in July and August and salmon in August and September with the wild brown trout being most active at the start of the season. Throughout it’s length the Dennet is relatively easy to wade with a shale/gravel bottom interspersed with the occasional larger rocks. Due to the fact it is a spate river the depth and colour can change a wading staff and chest waders are highly recommended. Day and season tickets available from the Dennett Anglers Association, who control the fishing rights for the entire river and it’s tributaries.
Sector 3 – Lough Anure, Lettercaugh (Boat)
Lough Anure drains into the sea through the River Crolly (Gweedore River). The Rosses Anglers and the Lough Anure Anglers/ESB control fishing on the Lough. Lough Anure is a big shallow lough of 360 acres. This beautiful lough has a good head of free rising brown trout which average ½lb with many up to 1lb. It also gets a good run of sea trout and salmon from mid-July. The whole lough is fishable and there are hatches of Chironomids, Olives and Sedges. The lough is shallow and rocky and care should be taken especially in a big wave. Boats are available to hire. Engines are allowed but not supplied.
Sector 4 – River Quiggery, Omagh
The Quiggery is a small to medium-sized (5-20 metres width) river, which meanders through pasture and wetlands to meet the Drumragh upstream of Omagh. It’s primary tributary, the Seskinore river, is slightly smaller but generally holds a slightly larger average size of trout. Both rivers support good upwing fly populations with a substantial Mayfly hatch occurring around the middle of May. Wild brown trout between 2lbs and 3lbs (0.91-1.4kg) are taken every year. Spate can bring on the bigger fish in the evening. Much of the river is easily waded as the bed is predominantly gravel and access is relatively easy with many stiles along it’s length.
Sector 5 – Lough Deele, (Bank)
Lough Deele is a popular destination for anglers seeking to catch Brown trout. The lake is known for its excellent fishing conditions, especially during the late run of salmon from mid-August to early September. The Deele Angling Club provides day tickets and has the fishing rights for the river, offering a regulated and enjoyable fishing experience. The club also hosts events and activities for its members, fostering a community of fishing enthusiasts. For those interested in joining, the Deele Community Anglers club offers a welcoming environment and a chance to participate in various fishing
You will find more information on the Youth Championship website here>>
FIPS-Mouche Under 24 Championship – Competition Fly Fishers aged 18-23 Invited to Apply for AT TEFF England Team
The Under 18 England River and Bank Fly Fishing Team now have their own website
Go here>> to find out more about the Under 18 England River and Bank Fly Fishing Team and their ‘Reflections from the 25th FIPS Mouche Championship: A Journey of Growth & Discovery’, along with ‘Fly Chronicles’ of their exploits, Mission Statement, and Sponsorship Information.
22nd FIPS-Mouche Cortland World Youth Fly Fishing Championships + 4th FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships 2025, Idaho Falls, USA, 12th-19th July 2025
The 22nd FIPS-Mouche Cortland World Youth Fly Fishing Championships and the 4th FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships took place in Idaho Falls, USA, from the 12th to the 19th July 2025.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
YOUTH
Czech Republic – England – Ireland – Poland – Slovakia – South Africa – Spain – USA
LADIES
Australia – Canada – Czech Republic – Mongolia – New Zealand – South Africa – USA
The Angling Trust Youth squad was: Nicholas Blisset, Inigo Burkinshaw, Marcus Cordingley, Harry Sharrett, Lydia Thomas, Alex Turnbull (reserve), Daniel Williams (captain) and Marsha Blisset (manager), together with Simon Sharrett and David Thomas.
The BBC has articles on the team here>> and here>>
You can also watch the BBC broadcast on Facebook here>>
RESULTS
Session 1
YOUTH
Inigo Burkinshaw caught one fish on Sheridan Lake (boat fishing), to finish equal 7th, while on the other boat fishing sector, Hebgen Lake, Alex Turnbull was one of five competitors to blank. On the river sectors, 8th places were recorded by the other team members, with Nicholas Blissett catching nine fish on the Grey’s River, Marcus Cordingley getting eight on the Warm River, and Harry Sharratt five on Henry’s Fork. England finished the first session in 8th place out of 8 teams on 39 placing points, with Ireland lying in 4th place. The USA were the team leaders with 6pts, ahead of South Africa in 2nd with 16pts.
Session 2
YOUTH
The second session saw England put in a better performance on the lakes, with Harry Sharratt catching two fish on Hebgen Lake to come 2nd, and Marcus Cordingley getting four on Sheridan Lake for 4th place. On the river sectors Inigo Burkinshaw came 7th on the Grey’s River with 5 fish, while Nicholas Blissett was 8th on Henry’s Fork and Alex Turnbull 8th on the Warm River. Despite this, England remained in 8th place with 68 placing points, one point behind Spain, while Ireland moved up a place to 3rd with 39pts. The USA remained in 1st place with 19pts, some distance in front of South Africa on 37pts.
Session 3
LADIES
‘The Australian ladies have been unable to fish in the World Championships in Idaho, USA. US Angling have failed to provide medical assistance insurance coverage as required by the rules of the peak body FIPs Mouche. Australian ladies were told that US Angling expected them to rely on their own travel insurance.’ Sport Fly Fishing New Zealand – Facebook
YOUTH
In the third session Marcus Cordingley came 5th on the Grey’s River with thirteen fish, while Harry Sharratt scored a 6th place on the Warm river with eleven. On the boat sectors, Nicholas Blissett was one of three anglers who blanked on Hebgen Lake, while Alex Turnbull also failed to catch on Sheridan Lake. Inigo Burkinshaw came 8th on the Henry’s Fork. England remained in 8th place with 103 placing points, while Ireland dropped to 4th place. The USA held onto their lead with 29pts, with South Africa 2nd on 58pts. With three 1st places Lawson Braun (USA) was the Individual leader.
Session 4
YOUTH
The fourth session saw a 1st place for Inigo Burkinshaw who topped the field on Hebgen Lake with four fish. On the other boat sector, Sheridan Lake, Harry Sharratt came 8th. On the river sectors, Alex Turnbull came 6th with eight fish on the Grey’s River, while Marcus Cordingley was 8th on Henry’s Fork, and Nicholas Blissett 8th on the Warm River. England remained in 8th place with 134 placing points, while Ireland moved back up into 3rd with 86pts, four points behind Poland in 2nd place, with the USA consolidating their top spot with 44pts. Three USA anglers occupied the top three Individual places, with Lawson Braun in 1st place with 6pts.
Session 5
LADIES
YOUTH
Paul Page reports: “After Inigo Burkinshaw got the team’s first individual sector win on Hebgen Lake on Thursday, Nicholas Blissett followed suit yesterday with another individual sector win, this time on Sheridan Lake. To top this the team also won the final day with 51 fish and 14 placings.” This was helped by Marcus Cordingley getting a 2nd place on Hebgen Lake (where only three anglers caught), Harry Sharratt coming 3rd on the Grey’s River with seventeen fish, Alex Turnbull coming 4th on Henry’s Fork, and Inigo Burkinshaw also getting a 4th place on the Warm River. Although England closed the gap between them and Spain they finished the competition in 8th place, while Ireland dropped to 4th. The USA easily won the Team competition with 65 placing points, with Poland 2nd on 103pts and South Africa 3rd on 108pts. Lawson Braun (USA) added a 2nd place to his tally of three 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd place to take the Individual top spot, with Jan Zielinski (Poland) 2nd on 11pts, and Blake Hall (USA) 3rd with 13pts. Paul Page commented: “Session wins are a prized achievement in any FIPS-Mouche Championship and are personal treasured moments, to cap that with a team 1st in the last session, especially as it’s the team’s first FIPS-Mouche championship, and a long way from home waters in the USA, is a massive achievement and bodes well for the future progress of the team. Well done AT World Youth Team”.
CLOSING CEREMONY VIDEO here>>
PROGRAMME
Saturday 12th July
2:00-5:00pm Registration of teams and check-in
6:30pm Parade of Nations (to the Museum of Idaho)
7:00pm Opening Ceremony & Opening Banquet in the Museum of Idaho
8:00pm Conservation Symposium
Sunday 13th July
9:00-10:00am Captains’ Meeting (Ladies)
10:00-11:00am Captains’ Meeting (Youth)
6:00-8:00pm Dinner at hotel
Monday 14th July: First competition session
9:00am-12:00pm Session in Sectors I and IV (Youth)
9:00am-12:00pm Session in all Sectors (Ladies)
2:00-5:00pm Session in Sectors II, III and V (Youth)
6:00-8:00pm Dinner at hotel
Tuesday 15th July: Second competition session
9:00am-12:00pm Session in Sectors I and IV (Youth)
9:00am-12:00pm Session in all Sectors (Ladies)
2:00-5:00pm Session in Sectors II, III and V (Youth)
6:00-8:00pm Dinner at hotel
Wednesday 16th July: Third competition session
9:00am-12:00pm Session in Sectors I and IV (Youth)
9:00am-12:00pm Session in all Sectors (Ladies)
2:00-5:00pm Session in Sectors II, III and V (Youth)
6:00-8:00pm Dinner at hotel
Thursday 17th July: Fourth competition session
9:00am-12:00pm Session in Sectors I and IV (Youth)
9:00am-12:00pm Session in all Sectors (Ladies)
2:00-5:00pm Session in Sectors II, III and V (Youth)
6:00-8:00pm Dinner at hotel
Friday 18th July: Fifth competition session
8:00am-11:00pm Session in Sectors I and IV (Youth)
8:00am-11:00pm Session in all Sectors (Ladies)
1:00-4:00pm Session in Sectors II, III and V (Youth)
7:00-10:00pm Closing Ceremony & Banquest (Waterfront at Snake River Landing)
Saturday 19th July: Departure from hotel
SECTORS
Sector 1 – Snake river – Henry’s Fork
The Henry’s Fork is one of the most storied and scenic rivers in the United States. At over 175 kilometers the Henry’s Fork contains good numbers of trout and whitefish throughout its length. Some stretches of the river contain as many as 4,000 trout per kilometer.
The Henry’s is incredibly diverse starting as a primarily spring fed river it transforms to tailwater stretches as it goes through various impoundments. Some of the stretches are among the most famous in the world; Box Canyon, Railroad Ranch, Cardiac Canyon and numerous world class float and wade fishing segments before it joins the South Fork of the Snake River. All age classes of fish can be found in the river. Above Mesa Falls the river contains mostly Rainbow Trout and Mountain Whitefish, with some Brook trout. Below the falls Brown Trout become common.
There will be water available for practice on the river in advance of the championship.
Target Fish Species: Brook trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow trout, Cutbows and Mountain Whitefish
Sector 2 – Hebgen lake (boat fishing)
Fed primarily by the Madison River as it exits Yellowstone National park, Hebgen is perhaps the highest quality trout lake in all of Montana. The lake covers about 12500 surface acres. Famous for its summer Gulper fishing there are plenty of dry fly fishing opportunities on the lake. Large Brown and Rainbow Trout with many exceeding 40 cm populate the lake. Mountain Whitefish can also be caught in the lake and there are possibilities to catch remnant Arctic Grayling and Cutthroat. Championship fishing will be limited to the Madison Arm of the lake. Because of the scarcity of rental boats, all practice will be coordinated by the organizer. Practice times will be limited and scheduled.
Target Fish Species: Arctic Grayling, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow trout, Mountain Whitefish
Sector 3 – Warm river
A tributary to the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River the Warm River is primarily spring fed, is crystal clear and has an average temperature of about 10 degrees celsius year round. It ranges in width from just a few to more than 20 meters wide in places. The upper stretches are low gradient and have prevalent watercress and clean gravel bottoms. The middle section increases in gradient, reduces in width and turns into a mix of pocket water and deep runs. The lowest section of the river changes again with a reduction in gradient where the river again gains in width and depth until it meets with the Henry’s Fork downstream. This river has some of the widest fish diversity in the area, with regular catches of Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and Mountain Whitefish. Brook Trout can also be found and it is possible to catch Cutthroat or Hybrid Rainbow/Cutthroat Trout. The river is a nursery to the Henry’s Fork and has a wide range of fish sizes with most trout measuring less than 35 cm. Many of the largest fish in the river will be Mountain Whitefish that can reach 45-50 cm in length.
There will be water available for practice on the river in advance of the championship.
Target Fish Species: Brook trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow trout, Cutbows and Mountain Whitefish
Sector 4 – Sheridan lake (boat fishing)
One of the premier trout lakes in North America, Sheridan is a private lake with restricted access. The lake covers about 250 surface acres and has an average depth of 3 meters with some areas as deep as 8 meters. The lake is stocked with primarily Kamloops Rainbow Trout. These are hard fighting and fast growing fish. It is possible to catch Cutthroat Trout in the lake as well. Most fish will exceed 35 cm in length with some achieving 50 cm or more.
There will be no practice available at the lake in preparation for the championship.
Target Fish Species: Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow trout
Sector 5 – Grey’s river
The Grey’s River is the primary drainage river for the Wyoming Range in western Wyoming. 100 kilometers long the Grey’s ends in the Snake River as it enters Palisades Reservoir. Made up of primarily small snow melt creeks, the river experiences high spring and early summer flows that make the river habitat perfect for the native species. The Greys River presents perhaps the best opportunity to catch Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat Trout and Mountain Whitefish in good numbers. Many of both species will exceed 40 cm in length.
There will be water available for practice on the river in advance of the championship.
Target Fish Species: Brook trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow trout, Cutbows and Mountain Whitefish
You will find more information on the Youth Championship website here>> and on the Ladies Championship website here>>
Angling Trust Team England Fly Fishing 