This year’s final returned to Bolton Abbey on the River Wharfe in Yorkshire.
With the weather improving the river was in tremendous form with good fly hatches and fish being caught on nymphs and dry flies.
Top rod receiving the Tom Bilson trophy and 2009 Champion was Thomas Gott with a total of 25 fish; Tom is the first Youth to have held both the EYFA loch style and river titles.
On Saturday we held a Masterclass on Burnsall’s water immediately upstream to practice, leaving the Bolton Abbey stretch a rest the day before the competition. In practice we caught over 80 trout and grayling with fish up to 40cm about 1½ lb.
Along with some of the regular participants in the Rivers events it was good to see a number of new members enjoying the fishing on offer.
On Sunday we fished the competition, parents were enlisted as controllers, and we fished two 2½ hour sessions one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The competition got off to a great start with fish being caught within the first couple of minutes. Top of the morning session was Terry Mann with 11 fish, closely followed by the 2008 Rivers Champion Rob Thomas.
In the afternoon Tom Gott had a superb session landing 17 fish, with Matthew Kidd in second place.
At the end of the match we all met up in the Village hall for food, results and Prize giving.
A total of 121 trout and grayling were caught giving a rod average of 11 fish.
Largest trout was 46cm caught by Rob Thomas, largest grayling was 39.8cm caught by Mark Harrison.
Results
Champion Thomas Gott
2nd Terry Mann
3rd Rob Thomas
4th Matthew Kidd
5th Oscar Boatfield
6th Carl Malpass
The results will go through to help select the World Team for 2010 which are to be held in Slovakia. The team and captain is traditionally announced at the AGM in December.
We would like to thank a host of people who came together and helped provide a great couple of days. Mike and Marjorie Mee for helping and with the catering along with Mandy Gott. Bolton Abbey estates and Burnsall and Appletreewick for allowing us to use their waters. Mark Whitehead the River keeper. Richard Wheately for their kind and generous sponsorship of the prizes.
Finally a big thank you to all the members and the parents you made it a really fun event and probably our best rivers final to date. Looking forward to fishing with you again hopefully very soon.
