The 72 hours competition took place at Lac Du Bourdon in France from 21st - 24th September 2016, and is the official FIPSed World Championships. A record breaking 26 nations took part, the largest field ever in an international carp fishing match, with England as defending champions.

The format is a team event, with three pairs representing each country. Such a large number of participants this year meant the sections were split into 2 groups, and all eye’s were on the big 5. The draw saw England facing favourites France in all three sections, heavyweights Russia and Croatia in one, but avoiding Romania altogether.

Hot and flat calm weather made for difficult angling conditions but England went into an early lead on day 1 and looked strong. Home nation France were immensely powerful and took the lead in two sections by the end of day 2. They put on an impressive display throughout the match to take individual gold and silver honors. A poor draw for their final section meant that they could not amass enough points to take the overall win. England battled hard throughout, but simply could not get the fish to feed in the numbers required to take the gold for a second time.

“It was an amazing exciting exhilarating and disappointing competition all at the same time” announced England Manager Rob Hughes. ‘One extra fish in two of our sections could have put England on the podium, but the same could be said for a number of teams. The positions around us were changing all of the time, and one minute we were out of the running, the next back in. Conditions were tough, nothing like practice, and the result was influenced as much by what other teams were doing rather than what we were. It was a scratching match and fished hard, and so did we but at the end of the day we were not good enough this year to win. A massive well done to Russia and France for their amazing performances”.

As with last year, when England won the title, there was drama right at the very end. Lithuania took the lead on the final night, and led Russia by 1 point with Romania 1 point below again. On the last morning with the clock almost run down, Russia caught a fish in C Section that would gain them a point, tie them with Lithuania, and they would win on a weight count back. Russia had snatched championship victory with 1 hour left to go.

The England team members were;
Rob Hughes (Manager)   Graham Mabey ( asst Manager)
Mark Bartlett (captain)   Harry Charrington
Billy Flowers     Jamie Londors
Tom Maker     Kev Hewitt
Wayne Mansford     Ryan Need
Neil Rivers     Chris Holmes
Karl Pitcher

Top 6 Team Results;
Gold Russia   7
Silver Lithuania   7
Bronze  Romania   11
4   France 13
5   Croatia 13.5
6   England 14

Individual results;
1 Matthieu Farge / Matthieu Neyrat   Fr
2 Olivier Renaud / Anthony Hennequin  Fr
3 Dalibor Danaj / Hrvoje Jakopcevic   Cr

Report provided by Rob Hughes, Team England Manager

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Administered by the Angling Trust in partnership with the Environment Agency, the AIF reinvests income from rod licence sales into ventures that aid freshwater fishing nationwide.

With every project also attracting financial or in-kind support through match-funding, it means that schemes totaling over half-a-million pounds have benefitted from the fund.

The latest winning applications include projects to protect fisheries from predation, encourage more people to go fishing, improve facilities at clubs and fisheries, and to safeguard venues. They were awarded under the following foutr themes:

Otter-proof fencing:

Unsustainable predation by otters can have a devastating effect on angling venues and has become an issue of major concern to anglers. Applications from commercial fisheries and clubs for otter-proof fencing projects were invited and eight projects have been selected for funding (bringing to 11 the total number supported through the AIF) and will share awards worth £31,926. Fencing projects are an expensive undertaking and the match funding secured by these projects, worth more than £158,000, is critically important.

Best unfunded proposals from previous rounds:

More than 300 applications were submitted to the first two rounds of the AIF, many more than could be funded. Aware of the large number of good projects it had to decline, the judging panel reviewed past entries and awarded funds totalling £77,931 to 21 projects, including 17 focused on junior angling. Most of the winning projects are now in place or are close to completion and the amount of match funding secured by the applicants totalled over £81,000 in this category.

Community waters:

As a key part of making fishing much more accessible to those new to the sport, funding was allocated to projects involving park ponds and other types of ‘community water’, such as fishable rivers and canals in towns and cities. Being close to urban areas they offer unparalleled opportunities to get out fishing, safely, cheaply and close to where you live. However, they tend to face a number of challenges, including poor water quality, litter and general neglect, and their creation, protection and development is a key objective of the National Angling Strategy.

In judging the entries, the panel wanted to see a clear demonstration of the issues facing the venue and the benefits the projects would bring.

Eighteen projects have received an offer of a grant, sharing £75,784 of AIF funding. They include six councils, two well-known charities in the National Trust and the Canal & River Trust, two park Friends Groups, an enterprise focusing on popularising canals, and seven angling clubs. With partnership and in-kind contributions totalling close to £80,000, the total value of these projects is over £155,000.

Schools and colleges:

Intervention projects involving angling have an uncanny ability to connect with children, boosting confidence and offering valuable learning opportunities and life skills. It would be great if fishing could be offered in all schools and that was the motivation behind this theme.

The fund received lots of very promising applications, however the most sustainable in the long-term included a clear role for the school or college. Offers have been made to seven projects with awards totalling £25,462. Two projects will involve students taking land-based college courses. 

Sarah Chare, Deputy Director for Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “If you buy a rod licence from the Post Office then you are helping to protect and improve fisheries through the Angling Improvement Fund. These 54 projects will improve the facilities that anglers tell us they want most and encourage new people to try fishing.

“Angling is great for people’s health and anglers help to protect the environment, so we want to get as many people involved as possible.”

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, said: “The Angling Improvement Fund has been a great success in ensuring that there is a transparent and fair process for clubs, fisheries and community groups to apply for the funds available. The funding awards have been given to those who can demonstrate that they will make the biggest impact for the good of fishing, not only by attracting match funding but also by working in partnership and involving the local community in their plans.

“It’s vital that we get the best value for money from the funds raised from anglers buying rod licences. Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to the success of the fund and I look forward to hearing about more excellent projects in the next round.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Glorious sunshine ensured a great turnout for an action packed day on the water at Strand on the Green, Chiswick.

The Tideway Angling Championship saw a record weight of bream for the winner Martin Davies who feeder fished maggots alongside Oliver's Island below Kew Bridge.

32 anglers fished the two zones at Barnes and Strand on the Green and despite hot sunny conditions and the presence of over 2000 people enjoying walks, paddle boarding, kayaking, river cruises or simply strolling along the towpath, the bream fed well. 

Three weights of over 30lbs were recorded, with the winner, Martin Davies landing 46lb 11oz of bream up to 8lbs from the zone at Strand on the Green - a TideFest match record. In second, with the top weight from the Barnes zone, was Ricky Tomala with 32lb 11oz, followed by Steve Edwards with 30lb 9oz then Gordon Bullock with 20lb 8oz. The top four shared a £1000 pay out.

The event was sponsored by Tideway - formerly Thames Tideway Tunnel - and Thames Water and the match was organised by the Angling Trust, with invaluable support from Will Barnard, Angling Development manager at Thames Water.

Organiser Martin Salter from the Angling Trust said:
"Another great TideFest took place on the tidal Thames in London on Sunday. It was fabulous to see so many Londoners enjoying the day and learning more about this fantastic river. We had some stunning weights in our Tideway Angling Championship with good bream to 8lbs showing well in both sections.

"The roach were quiet this year although there have been some great pleasure catches of redfins this summer. The guys doing the seine netting by Kew Bridge even managed to catch several baby bass which now use the tidal river as a nursery area. This all goes to show what a great river, wildlife and recreational corridor we have here in the heart of London - a river that will be even cleaner and better once the Thames Tideway Tunnel is built."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

They include EastEnders’ star and carp fanatic Scott Maslen, The Big Fish Off winner James Stokoe, ex-Formula 1 Technical Director Ross Brawn, journalist and author Charles Clover, Carp Talk magazine owner Bev Clifford, and England international fly-fisher Lisa Isles.

The 20 new faces join a celebrated list of Ambassadors that includes ex-England footballer David Seaman, comedian Paul Whitehouse, Commonwealth gold medal winner Dean Macey, TV presenter and photographer Henry Gilbey, and writer and broadcaster Matt Hayes who all support the work of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal and our efforts to create a strong, unified voice to protect fish and fishing.

The Angling Trust was formed in 2009 and now employs 55 members of staff. As the national governing body for angling in England, the Trust represents anglers at every level, campaigning for fish and fishing in sea and freshwater, developing participation in angling and managing national and international competitions and teams.

Fish Legal takes action through the courts to protect its member clubs and fisheries from environmental damage and other issues which impact on fishing. The expert in-house legal team has recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages and costs from polluters over the past seven years.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal said: “We are very grateful to all these high profile supporters for agreeing to become Ambassadors for the Angling Trust and Fish Legal to help encourage more people to join us.

“All our campaigning and legal work is funded by membership subscriptions, donations and legacies, all of which are steadily growing as more and more anglers, clubs and fisheries support the unified body for all angling. Our organisations make a real difference at a national and local level, but we need more support.”

The 20 new Ambassadors are: James Stokoe, Robin Morley, Charles Clover, Steve Rowley, Scott Maslen, Budgie Price, Tony King, Trevor Harrop, David Wolsoncroft-Dodds, Lisa Isles, Paul Devlin, Sam Edmonds, Gary Edmonds, Andy Ford, Jo Stephenson, Bev Clifford, Rod Sturdy, Ross Brawn, Barrie Welham and Nigel Horsman.

James Stokoe, The Big Fish Off – Earths Wildest Waters Finalist
“Fishing to me isn't just a sport or hobby it's a lifestyle and has been a huge part of my life since I was 13, without the Angling Trust the new generation of young anglers won't be able to experience what we have so as an angling nation we need to stick together and support this amazing organisation as the future of angling lies in the kids and fish stocks of today! Tight lines.”

Scott Maslen – TV star and carp angler
“I have been fishing all my life and I have got so much pleasure from it.  I think it’s really important that we protect our sport, now and in the future.  The Angling Trust and Fish Legal do a fantastic job protecting fish and fishing and they really need the support of every serious angler.  Please join now and encourage everyone you know to do the same.”

Nigel Horsman – Bass Anglers Sport Fishing Society and campaigner
“When I discovered all was not well with bass I hit the campaign trail. The Angling Trust has been an invaluable partner in that campaign, fighting for the rights of all anglers. The Angling Trust are just as passionate as me about all types of fishing (I also coarse fish and fly fish) and I think it is essential that we all support them in the fight for better fishing for all of us. So please, do as I did and join the AT. It doesn't cost much, especially compared to how much we spend on gear, and it might just improve your fishing far more than the next piece of shiny new tackle you buy!”

Jo Stephenson - Big Fish Off Semi Finalist, Fly Tyer and Guide
“Like most fishing fanatics I want to see our fish and their waterways looked after and protected, not only for me but for the future of fishing, I want to see more young people (and more women) encouraged to pick up a rod and shown how to love and respect our fish and pastime. The Angling Trust is there to do just those things for the benefit of all of us. Every angler should support the Angling Trust and their campaigns or our way of life could become a way of the past.”

Paul Devlin, Managing director, Glasgow Angling Centre
“I believe that all anglers should join and support the Angling Trust & Fish Legal.  Fishing needs a voice strong enough to deal with, not just individual local issues that affect our fishing, but can also be heard on a national level;  a voice that can deal with any UK and EU policies that threaten the future of our recreational fishing. I strongly believe we need to become united to protect what we have and hopefully by doing so we will make things better for future generations.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

With bankside temperatures exceeding 42 degrees and evening temperatures of up to 35 degrees conditions were almost unbearable.

The River Guadiana in Merida however was in absolutely cracking form and the 15 competing nations enjoyed some of the best fishing ever in the Ladies Championship. In 2012 the European Championship produced some excellent weights of carp with fish of 2 to 3 kilos making up most of some 30 kilo catches. This time around however these bigger fish refused to feed in numbers and consequently did not play a major part in catches. Instead small 30 to 40 gram Carrassio's made up nearly all the weights making the competition a small fish race. Even bleak which were there in huge numbers became only secondary to the chunky Carrassio's with anglers catching up to nearly 500 of them each day.

England's plan of feeding a medium to heavy groundbait for a 3 metre whip and 6 metre pole line seemed to be a perfect plan with hardly a practice day going by without all the girls recording at least 9/10 kilos each. By feeding a small ball after nearly every fish this slightly heavier groundbait kept the bleak on the surface targeting the Carrissio lying underneath.  Also in fishing a small piece of worm on the hook bleak were almost eliminated. It was a plan used by nearly every team and those that did it better finished at the top of the table. The few teams expecting a late burst of carp fell by the wayside as with only a few exceptions the larger carrassio's and carp were conspicuous by their absence.    

England Ladies Manager Dave Brooks said “After day one we were lying in 5th place but only 8 points behind leaders Spain so it was not a disaster, but with other top teams all in contention we knew it would be difficult to win gold but with a good draw a podium position was still attainable.”

Day one
1st Spain 20 points
2nd Poland 22 points
3rd Czech Rep 24 points
4th Italy 26 points
5th England 28 points
6th  France 29 points

“On day two I saw no reason to change tactics but to try and be more efficient feeding both the whip at 3 metres and short line areas at 6 metres. It paid off to a certain extent in that we finished with two points less than on the Saturday. Unfortunately Italy, Spain and in particularly Poland who put together a remarkable session went further ahead but we did move up a place to 4th.  In all I was very pleased with our ladies having to fish whips for a species that we don't have in England complicated by ridiculously high temperatures making the result of finishing fourth almost bearable. The whole of our management team performed fantastically well and I can't thank them enough”.

The England Ladies team consisted of;
Julie Abbott, Helen Dagnall, Sam Sim, Abbi Kendall, Kayleigh Smith and Wendy Locker.
Manager: Dave Brooks
Assistant: Joe Roberts
Delegate: Dick Clegg, OBE
Squad members: Jeannette Halliday, Jason Kirk, Rob Wright and Adam Dowd.

Final 5 team classifications; 
1st Poland 33 points
2nd  Spain 35 points
3rd Italy 39 points
4th England 52 points
5th France 70 points

Final 3 individual classifications;
1st Silvina Turrini Italy 3 points (superior weight)
2nd Ornella Tosta Villino Spain3 points
3rd Larisch Bozena Poland 3 points  

Team England Ladies positions;
6th Helen Dagnall 5 points
14th Sam Sim 9 points
21st Abbi Kendall 11 points
23rd Julie Abbott 11 points

Wendy Locker fished the first day with Kayleigh Smith taking over on day two.

Dick Clegg stated “ I would like to thank everyone who helped to raise funds and in particular Sensas for their continued support in supplying all the groundbait and also MAP who kitted out the squad with clothing and luggage making us look a very professional outfit.  Thanks also to Sarah Taylor and her mum and dad for being in attendance and supporting and helping with bankside problems.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

She went to the Lakeside Country Park accompanied by Martin Salter, National Campaigns Manager for the Angling Trust, and FLE director Graham Mabey.

The Angling Trust is the national representative body for all forms of recreational fishing and delivers many angling participation programmes across the country. FLE are partners in the Eastleigh Council's Park Sport Summer Programme and are busy delivering angling sessions for young people every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between July 25 and Aug 28 at the Country Park.

Martin Salter said:"We were delighted when Mims Davies showed her support for Britain's most popular pastime by joining the All Party Parliamentary Angling Group and we are pleased that she is taking an interest in how young people in her constituency can get the fishing bug.

"It's also great to see local councils like Eastleigh including angling in their summer holiday activity programmes. There is no doubt that kids benefit from getting out in the fresh air and away from their computer screens and angling is just the sort of hobby that can deliver a lifetime of enjoyment."

Graham Mabey added: "For Life Experiences is a Social Enterprise dedicated to getting people from all walks of life and of all ages into the positive outdoor pursuit of angling. This summer FLE is providing fishing tuition for 540 young people through the Eastleigh Borough Council's Park Sport Programme which allows youngsters from the borough to enjoy a whole host of sporting activities over the holidays.

"We are also delivering a six-week Sportive course on Sundays for youngsters wanting to learn more about fishing. FLE is not all about junior provision though and on Sunday afternoons FLE is providing Family Fishing Sessions to local families to help them learn a new hobby that the whole family can enjoy."

Mims Davies said: "I was delighted to visit ‘For Life Experiences’ (FLE) summer holiday fishing project at Lakeside Country Park and to meet their dedicated teaching team of Graham Mabey, Tom Oliver and Michael Wickens along with Martin Salter from the Angling Trust. I joined many young boys and girls from across my Eastleigh constituency attending an hour and half’s tuition on a beautiful sunny day on the bank.
 
"It was wonderful to see how excited and engaged everyone seemed, catching and releasing a variety of fish. Fishing is a great outdoor sport for all ages, with a small set up cost for the basic equipment. It is an accessible hobby with many benefits including a break from technology and fast pace of modern life.

"My daughters were totally enchanted and are keen to try fishing again. I think FLE are delivering a wonderful project and a great introduction to the sport for young people which can turn this initial experience into a long term hobby."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The report, commissioned from research company Substance, will help shape the Angling Trust's strategy to boost fishing over the next few years. England's representative body for angling has used the study to design angling participation projects this year and it will play a key role in shaping future programmes to help people start to fish, improve facilities for disabled anglers, encourage more people to come back to the sport and to get out by the waterside more frequently. This continues the Angling Trust's work to position angling as an even more attractive option for the UK's increasingly time-pressed, aging and financially challenged population so that they can become part of angling's £1 billion contribution to the English economy and the 37,000 jobs it sustains.

Work carried out by the Angling Trust to promote angling and run events to increase participation, is funded by Sport England and the Environment Agency and gets tens of thousands of people fishing each year.

This research highlights how fishing is an activity that can be done with family to relax and unwind, be close to nature and have fun with friends, as well as enjoying the personal challenges associated with catching a fish. Importantly the results of the research, which reached out to 13,000 people, endorse the Angling Trust's refocus on tactics that incorporate new and social media to speak to a population that might not have recently considered fishing, but who would love to combine it with other sports and pastimes, or include angling as an option in their holiday time.

The Angling Trust's Participation Team hopes that everyone who has an interest in angling will benefit by downloading the summary report available at www.bit.ly/AnglingInsight

Key Findings

• One third of the adult population of England have tried angling at least once
• Of those who have tried angling, around half have some interest in doing it again
• Angling attracts higher than average numbers of disabled people
• 70% of current anglers said combining angling with other activities would encourage them to go
• 45.6% said that fishing events where family can do other things would encourage them to go
• 70% said that combining angling with short breaks or other activities would encourage them to go
• 24.4% said that social media to find people to fish with and places to fish would encourage them to go
• 40.5% of current anglers surveyed said to relax and de-stress was their most important angling motivation

Clive Copeland, Head of Participation at the Angling Trust said: "This year we've developed a range of events that our team of Regional Officers can use to sustain the involvement in angling that provides so much enjoyment to those who go fishing. The research from Substance has helped shape the content of hundreds of Get Back Into and Get Into Angling days and Let's Go Family Fishing sessions. These events have already brought thousands of anglers into or back to angling this year alone. By working alongside Get Hoked on Fishing and National Fishing Month we are providing a joined-up participation campaign based on sound research. We are confident that angling will be in a better place in years to come after this investment in its future."

Will Smith, Angling Promotions Officer, for the Angling Trust added: "The insight that the surveys of 13,000 anglers and non-anglers provides, gives reassurance that the work we have initiated - which makes free fishing sessions easy to find at www.getfishing.org.uk and on our social media - will get more people fishing more often. We know that people want to go fishing and we aim to join with other sports to help make fishing a realistic choice for busy people that love spending time outdoors."

Sarah Chare, Deputy Director for Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: "Angling is good for people's health, improves educational performance and creates 37,000 jobs, so it's important to understand what makes anglers tick and how to get more people involved. Anyone can have a go, all you need is a £27 rod licence. All of this money is invested in protecting and improving fisheries and angling. Rod licences can be bought online or by phoning 0344 800 5386"

Paul Kendall, NGB Relationship Manager at Sport England commented: "We are very encouraged that the Angling Trust has demonstrated its commitment to further understanding why people go angling and the role it plays in their lives. We are particularly supportive of the ways in which they are using this insight to shape what they do."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Cash prizes for adults and tackle vouchers for juniors (the junior competition is for those aged 15 and under)

All entrants will receive a free golden raffle ticket to enter the draw for 10 days free fishing at Fontburn.

1st Prize £150
2nd Prize £100 and
heaviest fish Prize £50.

For juniors, there will be 1st Prize £50 tackle voucher, 2nd Prize £40 tackle voucher and heaviest fish prize £30 tackle voucher and Greg Robinson Memorial Trophy (if the heaviest fish is caught by the first or second place winners the next heaviest fish will win the prize).

Fishing lodge open from 7am. Entry fees and registration from 7am. Adults £23. Juniors £10.

Eight fish catch limit. Competition time 8am – 3pm. Normal fishery rules apply. Weigh in prize presentations and golden ticket draw from 3pm.

For further details contact the Ranger Team on 01669 621 368 or NCBA on 01670 514 316. 

Source: Northumberland County Blind Association

Anglers aged 17 or under on 9th April 2017 are eligible to compete and the cost of entering the competition is very attractive at just £5 per heat.

Competitors will have the chance to win prizes supplied by Greys Fishing at each of the heats and in the grand final while being recognised as the Greys Junior Bank National Champion.

The inaugural 2015 competition was won by Angus Cameron, aged 16 from Wimborne, as eight fish was enough to beat off competition from 17 other young anglers and secure the title of Greys Junior Bank National Champion 2015. Angus has since gone on to be selected for England Youth Fly Fishing and will be part of the England team that heads to Ireland to compete in the Youth International in August.

Angling Trust’s Senior Competitions & Talent Manager Ben Thompson said: “The Greys Junior Bank National is an ideal competition for young fly fishers to get their first taste of competitive action.

"Last year’s competition saw a number of experienced fly fishers compete against those dipping their toe for the first time and the final proved that skill and determination will prevail regardless of experience.”

Regional Qualifying heats:

North East
Aldin Grange Fishery, Co Durham, 20th August - 15 pegs
North West
Bank House Fishery, Lancashire, 18th Sept - 15 pegs
East Midlands
Lakeside Sporting Fishery , Loughborough, 24th Sept - 15 pegs
West Midlands
Ellerdine Fishery, Shropshire, 23rd Oct - 15 pegs
South East
Millets Farm, Oxfordshire, 16th Oct - 15 pegs
South West
Exe Valley Fishery, Somerset, 23rd Oct - 15 pegs

All heats will be run to local fishery rules

Grand Final
Ellerdine Fishery, Shropshire, 9th April 2017 - 18 pegs

How to enter:

To book your place on one of the qualifiers, simply download an entry form at www.anglingtrust.net/juniorbanknational  and send to the Angling Trust competitions team via email to corina.smith@anglingtrust.net or by post to:

Corina Smith
Angling Trust Competitions
The Old Police Station
Wharncliffe Road
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 5GF

Cost of Entry
£5 entry fee is payable on the day direct to the fishery.

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The meeting in Brussels, which was arranged before the UK voted to leave the European Union, was attended by Mark Owen, the Angling Trust’s Head of Freshwater and David Mitchell, the Angling Trust’s Head of Marine – both of whom have been actively involved over many years defending fish and the rights of anglers at a European level.

Amongst topics discussed with the Commissioner were the impact of bass conservation measures on anglers and the involvement of angling in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.

David Mitchell, Angling Trust’s Head of Marine, said:

“It is important that the Commissioner responsible for the management of fish stocks and the aquatic environment knows the social and economic importance of angling to wellbeing and the economy.

“The UK is leaving the EU but there will be an immense amount of work to do figuring out how this will affect fish and fishing. We need to make sure angling isn’t invisible when a new relationship and agreements affecting fish and fishing develop between the UK and the EU.”

Mark Owen, the Angling Trust’s Head of Freshwater, said:

“It was apparent that the Commissioner very much valued the social and economic benefits of angling, given the 25 million anglers across Europe including the UK at present. We will be building on this recognition as we campaign to ensure that fish and fishing will not be impacted by leaving the EU.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News