The Angling Trust has teamed up with Scientific Anglers to introduce a new loch style fly fishing competition with an exciting new format and big prize fund
The two-day competition will be for teams of six anglers and be held at Draycote Water and Eyebrook Fishery on the 30th June and 1st July 2018. Based on a sell out of 30 teams, the prize pot will reach a whopping £8,500 and Scientific Anglers will provide prizes from their range of products.
The competition will be open to both Angling Trust and non-Angling Trust member clubs or match groups from the UK and abroad.
The competition will be fished to international rules and scored on a full catch, measure and release basis. Each angler will fish both Draycote and Eyebrook over the course of the event and the combined team length in centimetres over the two days will determine the overall result and winning team.
Entry fees are all inclusive and cover fishing permits and boat hire for two days, the cost of entering for Angling Trust member clubs is just £450, equivalent to £75 per person while non member clubs entry fee is £500. Individual membership is not a requirement to compete. In addition to the discounted entry fee, Angling Trust member clubs will also receive priority access to tickets. Angling Trust Club/Match Group membership starts at £60 and clubs can find more information on the Angling Trust website.
Entry to the competition for Angling Trust member clubs opens on 5th February 2018 and non members can enter from 5th March 2018, with the closing date on Sunday 10th June 2018. Entries for the competition will be via the Trust’s online booking system.
Ben Thompson, Angling Trust’s Senior Competitions Manager, said: “We want to actively promote and encourage team fly fishing but we understand it can be expensive when travel, accommodation, practice and entry fees are factored in. We have structured this new competition in such a way that it minimises those costs for competitors because there are no heats or qualifiers and teams go straight into a big money match.
“The format of the competition will enable anglers to fish in the same boat as their team mates but the use of boat stewards will allow us to regulate the match and protect the integrity of the competition which will ensure a fair and even playing field for all competitors.”
The Loch Style Team Championship is the first phase of the Angling Trust’s plan to create more competitive opportunities for grassroots game anglers. The Trust is also piloting a new approach to entry to its competitions by offering priority access and discounted entry to members while opening events to non Angling Trust members in an effort to increase participation.
