International Brenig 2008

Police Sport UK

International Fly Fishing Championship

Match Report

Brenig Reservoir 4^th September 2008 9.30am – 5.30pm

 

 

 

 

 

Mick Carlidge (England) & John Malcolm (N.Ireland) prepare to leave the jetty. (Little did they know they were about to embark on a fantastic days fishing). 

 

Although the Olympics are slowly drifting into a distant memory Scotland came with same vigour of Team GB seeking the third gold medal at this event. This years Home International Fly Fishing Championships took place in Lynn Brenig in North Wales, with the teams based at the Beaufort Park Hotel in Mold. The current champions captain Alan Hill’s (Strathclyde) approach had a real professional air to it, by ensuring that members of his team were on the water two days prior to the event. By match day he had good insight into how the water would fish and what tactics to use. As it was to transpire this tactical move by the Scots arriving early enduring wind and rain paid dividends in the end.

Ian Wood (Region 1 Secretary) and organiser of this event, implemented the rule change set by the Scottish Secretary, Insp. John Friel (Region 10) at the previous year’s event.  He set a four fish limit, with a scorecard to record fish that were returned. Again these rules were well received by the competitors, who acknowledged they would have to fish right to the very end of the competition in the hope of catching another fish to assist their team in winning the contest.

Once an angler had reached their limit, it was compulsory to move to barb less hooks and no longer use boobies. 

 

Mr Mark Small sounding the    horn on the morning of the 2008 International Championships at Lynn Brenig

Lynn Brenig can be a cold, wet and windswept place at times, the weather that greeted the anglers on the practice day in my opinion could not have been much windier or wetter. Though in the shelter when the rain stopped for that two or three minute period during the day it was quite pleasant. Though not pleasant enough to stop 50% of the competitors leaving the water by lunchtime. A thirty mile per hour south west wind swept along the length of the lake creating six foot waves at the North end (subsequently put out of bounds) leaving only areas adjacent to the dam, the Yachting Club and parts of Brenig Arm suitable for fishing. Those that did brave the big wave they did manage to pull out a few by presenting dabblers and other bushy flies on the surface.

Conditions were very different for the day of the competition, I would go as far as saying it was almost perfect as the anglers set off from the pier. The match was started by the sounding of a horn by Mr Mark Small (General Manager of the Beaufort Park Hotel). Although a number of boats headed to the east side of the reservoir the wooded area and quarry, others headed further North to the arm and the yacht club bay. The wind was still out from the south–west, though only 5-10mph, it was cloudy with the occasion rain shower, however by the end of the day the sun had managed to break through the clouds and make Lynn Brenig look very picturesque.

 

 Dave Mateer (Scotland) with Roy Pascoe (Wales) motor up Brenig Arm in search of more fish.

If tactics were to play any part in this championship it would be to keep your flies in the top six inches of water, for although not many fish were seen rising naturally they were there in great numbers just under the surface.

As the International Championships progressed it became clear that a couple of anglers from Scotland and England were starting create distance between themselves and their nearest rivals. Ray Harrison & Alan Hill (Scotland) Mick Cartlidge & John Comer (England), it was noted some other individuals who had located the fish early and caught their first four were struggling to commence into the catch and release part of the competition, with doubt starting creep in as to whether or not they were still using the correct tactics.

Mick Cartlidge (England) who was eventually announced as the top rod on the day was fishing with a slow sink line. He was using three flies on a 6lb leader, an orange blob (though specially treated with a secret concoction to ensure it was more fluorescent than your normal blob) a black hopper in the middle and a small cat’s whisker on the tail. John Malcolm (N.Ireland) who was fishing with Mick using the exact same flies seen no success until Mick provided him one of his killer blobs out of his box. Analysis on the fly did not show that it had been lacquered by some performance-enhancing drug. When examined by match secretary Ian Wood he confirmed it was an Orange blob though slightly dishevelled (though after a dozen fish what do you expect).

A number of fish were caught as always in the last hour, but nothing that would affect the result.

 

  

 

 

 Winning team from Scotland with team captain Alan Hill (centre) holding the Charles Landell Trophy

 

 

The Results

Scotland          59       Trout  for        91lb 15oz       Bonus of  76lb Total 167lb 15oz

England           54        “           “          87lb 11oz       Bonus of  42lb    “     129lb 11oz

N.Ireland          46        “           “           79lb 14oz       Bonus of    6lb    “       85lb 14oz

Wales             33        “           “           56lb 02oz       Bonus of    8lb    “       64lb 02oz

 

Prize Winners

Winners (Charles Landell Trophy)              Scotland         

Runners Up                                                                 England

 

(Oscar Evans Wooden Spoon)                               Wales

 

Individual Champion

(Cambridge Cup)        Mick Cartlidge            England    14 fish for 26lb 05oz

Runner Up                       Ray Harrison           Scotland   10 fish for 21lb 13oz

Third                                John Comer            England    10 fish for 18lb 05oz

 

(Hampshire Cup)

 Best four fish caught    Gary Smith            N.Ireland    4 fish for  12lb 0oz

 

(Derrick Scougal Trophy)

Awarded to      Gary Smith      N. Ireland    with a Rainbow Trout for 4lb 08oz

(Gary retained both trophies for the second consecutive year)

 

 (Gwilym Hughes Trophy)

The most consistent Angler in both the National & International Championships awarded to Mick Cartlidge  England  having come second and first respectively.

 

The event concluded with the prize giving and Presentation Dinner at the Beaufort Park Hotel in Mold, North Wales. Mr Charlton Chief Superintendent of the host force Cheshire Police (albeit just across the border) attended and presented the prizes. The Sections Chairman Mr Martin Baker Chief Constable of Dorset Police and committee members joined him at the top table, along with two representatives from Lynn Brenig.

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