ANGLINGIRELAND

Darren

Lexus European Team Fly Fishing Championships 2008

Carrickfergus based Team Woodford Greys Ireland recently travelled to Rutland Water, England to compete in the Grand Final of the Lexus European Team Fly Fishing Championships, this would be the 4th time that the team had fished the final of this prestigious event and with a previous 4th place finish the whole team was looking forward to the trip.
The 1st Afternoons Practice.
The team was limited to only 4 members being able to practice; due to 2 of the established team members not being able to travel and their replacements had work commitments. So we decided on the two boats going up the vast South Arm of Rutland to search out the areas holding fish and the methods to catch them. The main areas we stopped in New Zealand Point, Gibbets, Manton Bay, Lax Hill, Browns Island, Old Hall and Yellowstone. We seemed to pick up fish in each of the areas but only 3 of them stood-out as holding fish.
The 2nd Days Practice.
We decided to split the boats up sending 1 boat to the Main Basin to spend the day covering Stockie Bay, The Monument, and Sykes Lane, The Dam Wall, Fantasy Island, Normanton Bank and the open water of the Main Basin. While the other boat was sent back up the South Arm to go over the same water as Day One’s practice. Again the 3 areas up the South Arm stood out and 1 area in the Main Basin.
The 3rd Days Practice.
The team captain’s game plan was beginning to take shape. Today the 2 boats went to the Main Basin to show the other members of the team the area and the method from day two’s practice, to make sure that everyone on the team would know how to catch the fish if they were taken to the Main Basin during the competition. Then both boats went back down the South Arm to check that the 3 areas were still holding fish.

Competition Day 1.
John Horsey event organiser read out the rules and the competition was to be fished to a 4 fish bag plus catch and release with released fish to count as 2lb each, which meant that the competitors would be fishing for the whole day as there was no bag limit. After a quick chat to our boat partners for the day we had a team meeting to make sure that the whole team was not going to the same areas and to make sure we were all clear to what we would be fishing in our areas. The 10am start had 66 boats with 132 competitors heading off with an even split between the South Arm and the Main Basin. Over cast skies and a light SW wind, conditions were near perfect with the fish feeding with-in the top foot of water, dry flies or nymphs fished washing line style was going to be the method. Day one’s competition finished at 6pm and the weigh-in started in alphabetical order so we had a long wait with 21 other teams weighing their fish before us, but we had 40 fish between us so we were looking at a high placing. A few minutes after we weighed in it was confirmed that we had finished 4th after Day 1, 9lb behind 1st placed Kent and Sussex Fly Fishers.
Day 1 top 5:
1st Kent and Sussex Fly Fishers, 41 fish for 92lb 0oz
2nd Team Loop UK, 43 fish for 89lb 1oz
3rd Blagdon Fly Fishers Bristol, 37 fish for 84lb 0oz
4th Team Woodford Greys Ireland, 40 fish for 83lb 11oz
5th Margam Fly Fishers, 38 fish for 83lb 3oz

Competition Day 2.
The whole team was in buoyant mood before the start after yesterday's good result and the confidence that we always do better on the 2nd day, after a quick chat to our boat partners, who all gave us control of the boat’s some even offered to take the engine to let us concentrate on our fishing, we all knew where we were going. A change in the conditions, bright sunshine and a strengthening SE wind, meant that we had to adjust our tactics for the day, nymphs and cormorants on a fast glass line, straight nymphs on a floater and blobs on a di5, again testing the versatility of the team. The 10am start again had the boats splitting between the Main Basin and the South Arm, with a few heading for the North Arm. As the wind strengthened most of the boats headed for the sheltered bays increasing the boat pressure and making the fishing a lot harder, but those that braved the open water were justly rewarded. An earlier finish of 5pm on Day 2 meant that everyone was watching the clock to try and get a few extra casts in before they had to make their way back to the harbour before the 5pm finish. At weigh-in we had 33 fish between us but again this was done in alphabetical order so we had to wait on the other teams weighing their fish (next year we will change our name to something beginning with “A”), this gave us the chance to see how the other top teams had done, Day 1 leaders Kent and Sussex Fly-fishers had only 24 fish, so it was down to the weight.
The results would not be made public until after the presentation dinner, we knew we had done well but we just were not sure if we had done enough. The results for Day 2 were read out first, we had taken top spot on Day 2 for the 2nd time in 2 years, but had we turned around the deficit to win outright.
Day 2 Top 5:
1ST Team Woodford Greys Ireland, 33 fish for 76lb 4oz
2nd Iain Barr Fly Fishing, 35 fish for 74lb 14oz
3rd Aberdeen and District AA, 27 fish for 58lb 2oz
4th Team Tightlines, 27 fish for 57lb 4oz
5th Kent and Sussex Fly Fishers, 24 fish for 56lb 5oz

With Day 2 results read out the time had come to announce the overall results, the match statistics were read first then the positions from 10th place to 1st, in 3rd place was Iain Barr Fly Fishing, 61 fish 134lb 10oz, 2nd place went to Kent and Sussex Fly Fishers, 65fish for 148lb 5oz and in 1st place was Team Woodford Greys Ireland with 73 fish weighing 159lb 15oz.
The Team had done it with a margin of 11lb 10oz; making Team Woodford Greys Ireland, Lexus European Fly Fishing Team Champions for 2008.
The 1st Irish based team to win a major 6-man team Grand Final on an English water. Every member of the team had given 100% both in practice and during the 2 days of the final and as a man once said, “You can’t beat 100%”.
Congratulations to the Team, Campbell Baird (Captain), Ross Hill, Darren Haggan, Darren Wallace, Kenny Ferguson and Clinton Irvine, Replacements Peter Appleby and Rob Edmonds.
Special thanks to Bill McIlroy for all his help, advice and support over to past few years also thanks to Peter and Rob, who both stepped forward to replace existing team members at such short notice. Also thanks to the customers and staff of Woodford Fly Fishery for their support and interest in Team Woodford Greys Ireland, Lexus European Fly Fishing Team Champions for 2008.

Grand Final Team Results:
1st Team Woodford Greys Ireland, 73 fish 159lb 15oz
2nd Kent and Sussex Fly Fishers, 65 fish 148lb 5oz
3rd Iain Barr Fly Fishing, 61 fish 134lb 10oz
4th Team Tightlines, 61 fish 133lb 1oz
5th Nymph A Manics, 63 fish 132lb 7oz
6th Foremark Falcons, 56 fish 131lb 15oz
7th Team Loop UK, 62 fish 130lb 1oz
8th Blagdon FF Bristol, 53 fish 127lb 12oz
9th BRFFA team Orvis, 55 fish 121lb 13oz
10th Guideline Rutland Raiders, 55 fish 120lb 10oz
11th Margam Fly Fishers, 52 fish 120lb 3oz
12th Orvis Alba FF, 54 fish 119lb 0oz
13th Team Lochstyle, 53 fish 116lb 8oz
14th Cormorant Fly Fishers, 49 fish 110lb 13oz
15th Team Rio Draycote Flyers, 47 fish 103lb 15oz
16th Angus Lads, 48 fish 103lb 0oz
17th Aberdeen & District AA, 46 fish 102lb 14oz
18th Llanilar Ty-nant, 42 fish 95lb 14oz
19th Prince Albert AS Falcons, 42 fish 95lb 6oz
20th Team Wellbank, 42 fish 91lb 6oz
21st Masterline Stocks “B”, 38 fish 86lb 5oz
22nd Adail Ty-nant, 22 fish 50lb 15oz

Event organiserJohn Horsey, Darren Wallace, Rob Edmunds, Peter Appleby, Anglian Waters Jon Marshal, Darren Haggan, Captain Campbell Baird, Ross Hill

Darren Very Happy

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Team Woodford Greys Ireland
Lexus European Fly Fishing Team Champions 2008

harry_lfc · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:14 am Post subject:

well done to everyone Laughing

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its not the flies its how u use them

fossil-fish · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 668 Location: Carrickfergus

Brilliant result and a great report.

Thank you Darren.

Very Happy

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"The world and the universe is an extremely beautiful place, and the more we understand about it the more beautiful does it appear."
Richard Dawkins

Watty's Rock · Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 324 Location: Co. Antrim

Excellent report, congratulations and well done to all. Cool

CiaranM · Joined: 24 Aug 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Swatragh

Great result to all the team i'm really chuffed for you all Darren but watch out Team Turnaface will be hunting you's down next year lol

Beatnik69 · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 149

Very well done indeed lads. When I was in our hotel in Rome I was perusing the bar list and spotted a Woodford Reserve whiskey so I had to sample it. Very nice it was too - Bourbon. Very Happy

FIREY BROWN · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 582 Location: belfast

Fantastic result for Team Woodford,,well done Darren and congratulations to everyone

the fries must be on YOU Darren this time Cool

FIREY BROWN
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Work is only for those who dont know how to fish
http://www.troutandfly.co.uk/

adriany · Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 361

Abso fooking fantastic lads well done. Nice to see a local fishery get its reward for the hard work put in by staff and the anglers who fish it.

Well done and team Straid would of whipped your arse big jackie in his float tube using a 9ft for a 4 with a leadhead cats whisker on it and 2 hares ears with lead in them... hard to beat...hard to cast...even harder to listen to lol.
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IF YOU CAN DREAM IT... YOU CAN DO IT

FIREY BROWN · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 582 Location: belfast

P M S L

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Work is only for those who dont know how to fish
http://www.troutandfly.co.uk/