HistoryYouth International competitive fly fishing started in 1985 after Moc Morgan OBE, the well known and respected Welsh TV personality and angler, issued a challenge to Tom Bilson the senior's International President and one of the founders of the Confederation of English Fly Fishers to select a team of 10 youngsters to compete against a Welsh team on Llandegfedd reservoir. Russell Owen, the 1993 World Fly fishing Champion was a member of that Welsh team. Wales won the match but Henry Bannerman of England was top rod. In 1986 the Welsh were invited to fish against an English team on Chew Valley. The English team was, for the first time, selected at a National competition on Chew organised by Tom Bilson. The winner of this first English National competition was Jeremy Herrman now a long standing member of the English senior international and world teams and 1995 World Champion. Tom Bilson received initial help in setting up the England Youth Fly Fishing Association (EYFA) from many well known anglers including Bob Church, Chris Ogbourne and Geoff Clarkson who recently received an MBE for his services to the sport in the Queens Birthday Honours list, all of whom formed the first committee. In 1987 Scotland entered the fray for the first time in an International competition fished on Llyn Brenig where Wales completed a hat trick of wins. 1988 saw England's first win in the competition with Dave Shipman coaching the team to success on Rutland water. In 1989 Graham Smith, an England senior international became team manager, his daughter Kelly, up to that time the only girl to represent England Youth won the 1988 youth national at Pitsford. Kelly subsequently fished for the team in 89 and 90. In the same year Tom Bilson was made life president of the Association in recognition of his services to Youth fly fishing. Tom has been involved with fly fishing for many years having been a senior international and team manager of the senior team, chairman of the Confederation of English Fly fishers (C.E.F.F.) and organiser, along with Tony Pawson, of the 1987 World Fly fishing championships in England. 1992 bought a new constitution to the E.Y.F.A. under the guidance of a new committee headed by chairman David Prior a head teacher with Graham Pearson, a senior international, as secretary and his wife Rosemary as treasurer. Under their guidance fund raising efforts were re-doubled. Team members were encouraged to raise funds by undertaking sponsored events and sponsors have come forward with much needed assistance. Mick Stevens, from Northampton, another Senior International and senior team Captain took on the team coach’s duties in 1989 and the job of team manager in 1991 since when the team, under his excellent leadership has recorded wins in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. Dave Haseltine took over as team manager in 2002 and helped the team to win on Rutland in the same year.In 1993, with the international being held on Llyn Trawsfynydd in Wales, Ireland joined the competition to make the Home international tournament complete. Over the years the number in the teams has increased, from 1996 each team comprised 14 anglers with the top 12 rods counting. Inviting the top ten rods from the previous year’s national competition to join the top four England rods from the previous years International (age permitting) forms the England team. Competitors for the National competition must be over 12 on the date of the national competition and under 17 on the 1st. August that year. In 1995 the E.Y.F.A. together with the England Ladies and Disabled Associations were invited to become associate members of the Confederation of English Fly Fishers thus unifying all four of the representative bodies in a major step forward in the administration of competitive fly fishing. The Association is also a member of the Salmon & Trout Association and the Anglers Conservation association. 1996, saw the International taking place on Lough Owel in Ireland for the first time on the 14th. August followed by the presentation dinner at which all of the teams exchange mementoes of the occasion and receive their trophies. England again won as they did on Trawsfynydd in Wales in 1997. One of the major aims of the committee is that no young angler should have to pay to represent his country. To this end considerable effort is made to raise funds throughout the year. Masterline, now Masterline International, have, for several years, given each of the International team members a full set of lines, waistcoats and tackle and regularly provide prizes both for our raffles and competitions. The E.Y.F.A. committee perceives it's role as educational, aiming to inform youngsters about the environment, conservation and ethics in competitive angling. The INAUGURAL WORLD YOUTH FLYFISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS took place in Wales from the 9th to the 14th August 1998, England entered two very strong teams who won Bronze and 4th places as well as a Silver Individual medal for Chris Watson from Northumberland. In 1999 we again entered two teams for the Youth World Championships in Ireland where we took Gold and Silver team medals.
In 2003 Lisa Isles, another girl qualified for England and was a member of the Gold winning team. Lisa held her place in subsequent internationals and was captain of the EYFA World Championship team which won bronze medals in USA 2007 our best performance in the Association’s history. Several EYFA team members have progressed to the senior team and in 2007 Joel Beeney, one of the successful Juniors in the World Championships went on to win the Senior Individual Championship later the same year.
With the cost of a days boat fishing on one of our major reservoirs for father and one offspring running at about £ 40.00 and bearing in mind the need for two complete sets of tackle, licences and so on I suppose it is inevitable that youth participation in fly fishing should be less than in other branches of the sport. On the positive side, however, we have organisations like Anglian water offering “Kids Go Free” (12-17 years old) when accompanied by a full paying adult, a whole days casting and fly fishing instruction for £20.00 (Juniors, £30.00 adults) with professionally qualified instructors of the highest standard. For the first time in '98 the Salmon & Trout Association ran a series of Youth Training days, assisted by Guide Flyfishing and Redington rods. This has proved extremely successful and still continues introducing up to 3,000 youngsters a year to the sport. Many clubs run active junior sections, Wansbeck Angling Association in Northumberland, who send a large contingent all the way to the Youth National, organise their own junior competition on Kielder Water. The Bristol Water company organises a junior match on Chew Valley lake in May which is regularly attended by more than 50 young anglers mostly from the South West but with several from the national team who do very well. In 1996 the Scottish Youth team received major sponsorship from the Bank of Scotland which continued for three years. The England team would welcome a similar major sponsor who can contact me.An entry list of more than 70 anglers for the '97 national competition of which 68 actually fished also gave rise to an apparent increase in interest from sponsors and the media. We received extensive coverage on Anglia T.V sports news and filmed a news feature for East Midlands B.B.C. For the first time in 1998 the England Youth Flyfishing Association entered a team for the inaugural Youth World Championships, which took place in Wales from the 9th. to the 14th. of August where we won a Bronze Team medal and Silver Individual. In 1999 at the Youth World Championships in Ireland we took team Gold and Silver medals. The year 2000 World Championship event scheduled to take place in Canada was sadly cancelled by the organisers. Realistically England are unlikely to be able to put together a bid for future Youth World Championships without Lottery (Sports Council) support which is unlikely to be forthcoming without a change of attitude to angling by the Sports Council/p> The England Youth teams are drawn from a pool of age qualified candidates who have previously represented England at either World or International level. These candidates are currently invited to fish a two stage eliminator to Fips Mouche rules from which the top rods are invited to take part in the World Team. |
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