I have just returned from the world fishing games in Italy, so I thought that it would be good to share my experiences with you!
We set of from Leeds Bradford on the 23rd of September for Pisa Italy. The weather was glorious and we landed on time, for once!, but the first worries came when none of our baggage came through. After 2 hours we eventually got our bags and set of to meet our guide for the week.
Our guide was Allesio Falorne. We had a chat with him to get an idea of what lay a head of us over the next couple of days, and thankfully he was full of enthusiasm for our fishing trip.
Our first day of fishing was on the Tail Water Sieve. This was an absolutely stunning river that just looked 'fishy'. We knew from our chat with Allesio that the river was full of big Scuds and Caddis, and therefore there was lots of huge fish. We also knew that it had recently been stocked, so things looked promising.
Our theories were proved correct when I got one literally first cast. What a way to start!. Our day just got better and better as we kept catching fish on all manor of nymphs. Unfortunately we were forced to stop fishing at 12 o'clock due to the 46 degree heat, but none the less the lunch that Allesio prepared was equally as pleasing as the fishing.
We carried on fishing till the evening, were I experienced the upper part of the river, which was wider and deeper, and as I found out very cold!. The wading became very difficult and lead to my first swim of the trip.
For our second day we again fished the Tail Water Sieve. But unfortunately we arrived to find a coloured river due to a small feeder stream, so we were forced to fish further up stream. This may have seemed bad, but after another member of the team caught this fish (below) it didn't seem bad at all.
We had another great days fishing catching many fish including stoked and wild trout.
After these 2 great days fishing we felt confident for the competition the flowing week.
On the Friday we travelled over to the competition water (Tail Water Tevere) to look at the competition sectors. When we arrived we could not believe our eyes. In front of us was one of the most beautiful looking rivers I had ever seen, and what made it even better was the fact that there was fish everywhere rising and feeding at there hearts content. After our riverside walk through the midday sun and 40 degree heat we headed of to watch Allesio fish the river, so we could get an idea of flies and fish behaviour.
We soon found out that these fish were not pushovers, as they would come to look at fly and follow it, just to leave it at the end of the drift. We also found that they were easily spooked by bad wading and high profiles, but they were defiantly attracted to the plop as the fly hit the water.
We watched Allesio for around an hour with no fish caught, but we sore lots of Blue winged olives hatching and some very large spinners dancing. So Allesio swiftly changed to dries only to find the same thing as before, he even got this reaction with size 30 flies and 1.5lb tippet.
finally he got a fish, would you belive it on a streamer.
we decided that it might be time to leave around 7.30 because the mosquitoes were everywhere!.
The next day we checked into the official hotel, and spent the rest of the day preparing kit and fly tying. We soon found that this time spent tying was invaluable to us later in the competition.
Our next task was to attend the opening ceremony. We knew that this would be huge because all of the teams from 25 different championships were going to be there. We also knew it would be a very long day.
This proved to be absolutely true when we left the hotel at 1.30 and returned 11 hours later. All the same it was a tremendous experience to see all of the teams together, and what a privilege to represent your country in front of thousands of people.
The next day was Official Practice. This would be our only chance to test our patterns and methods on the Tevere before the match. We had a very successful day catching many Trout and Grayling on all methods which gave us great confidence in our tactics. This was also a great opportunity to find a good dry fly pattern. Which I did, I had fish rising nearly every cast to it but unfortunately not all of the made the 22cm size limit.
Finally competition day had arrived. We all packed our kit and headed for the buses. The nerves were now starting to kick in and I was shaking when I arrived at my first beat. But all nerves soon went once I had walked my beat and seen many holding pools and rising fish. I started at the bottom of my peg in a deep pocket only to catch nothing so I moved to the next pocket but again nothing, so I changed fly. This proved to be wise as I got one first cast. This proved to be one of many fish that fell to the same fly. I finished my session on 10 fish. This proved to be good as I got 4th position in the first session ahead of the Favorite French and Czech anglers.
As we met for lunch it seemed most of the team had found similar success with three 4th and one 3rd placings. This left the team in 3rd place overall.
Unfortunately we struggled to keep this momentum up in the second session. In this session I had 13 fish but only 7 measured the 22cm limit which left me in 5th place in my group. Although it was not great, it was very respectable especially as the angler fishing that beat before me only had 1. Unfortunately not all the team were so lucky and we dropped to 8th place.
The next morning we awoke tired after spending lots of time preparing the night before, but none the less we went out optimistic as we were not for from the French in 4th place. My beat looked very good at the start as the was lots of rising fish, but as the start of fishing came it was obvious the fish switched of. I had no option but to fish the deep slow water below a wear. This was very hard as it was to slow to nymph fish and as the were no fish rising, dry's were ruled out leaving only streamers. I managed 4 fish which was not very good and left me in 8th for that session.
We had a free afternoon that day which we used to tie flies and to catch up some much needed sleep.
Before we knew it we had come to the last day of fishing, and looking at the results a couple of good sessions would put us around 4th which would have been very good. My morning session was the dry fly only session. I was looking forward to this even ore than the other sessions. After walking my beat I had identified that three quarters of it was not fish-able due to high banks and stupidly deep water. So I again started at the tail of the pool were there was a drop off and some moving water. I started with a black beetle only for every fish I saw refuse the fly. I could some some pale olives hatching so a changed to a yellow dry on a size 20, and cast it at a fish that had taken station in front of me, and without hesitation it came splashing up and the first fish was in the net.
two more fish followed very quickly. But after that it went dead. There was no hatching flies and no rising fish. So I went back to the Beetle. I saw a small hole in some bushed where I could see some smaller fish, only for them to swim away as the fly hit the water, so I thought I had ruined a very good cast. Then a huge mouth appeared and swallowed my fly. What came next was a very determined deep fighting fish, until I moved my feet. It them dashed down stream and under a sunken tree, but determined to get the fish in I waded out over the top of my waders and up to my neck to pass the rod under the tree. Thankfully the fish still on but heading for another tree, thankfully some side strain stopped it and after 20 minutes it was in the net. It turned out to be a 53cm brown ( around 6 pounds) but it was very thick and fat. I felt lucky to have landed this fish of a lifetime especially because it was caught on 2 pound line. This fish also turnout to be the biggest English fish and the 4th biggest of the competition. I got one more in the last minute after landing the fly on the back only for a fish to take it just as it fell of the ground. I finished in 3rd place above the local Italian.
The final session came and I felt good after my good session in the morning, but this soon went when I saw my beat. It was only about 75 metres long and most was to shallow and overgrown to fish. It did not even span bigger then my rod in places. But determined to get atop twenty place I started fishing. After a struggle I got my first fish. My coach them turned up and told me that to even have got fish was good. I still fished on and 3 more unfortunately 1 was undersized. Then I hooked a fish around 45cm which went ballistic jumping 7 times before diving under a sunken branch. I waded out feeling down the line to try and free the fish but unfortunately it just snapped as it came trough the last bit of weed. 4 Fish and 8th place.
After 5 sessions I was in 24th position, one place below the top English rod Tom Gott but he is 3 years older than me and in his 3rd championships and I was in my first. The coach said that I had put in a sterling performance with some bad beats and did extremely well. I had got up to 17th place at one stage and might have even got higher I don't know.
The closing ceremony and Gala dinner were something very special. with the awards being given and all the teams having a great time.
We then set of to the airport at 1am. we did not arrive home till 2 pm that afternoon, and I did not go to bad for nearly 2 day. But all the same it was a one in life time experience and I really enjoyed it.
The results were:
1st USA
2nd Italy
3rd Spain
1st Lukas Starychfojtu - CZE
2nd Dan Marino - USA
3rd Mateusz Irsak - POL
So well done to all the anglers and a huge well done to those who won medals. Well done!
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