Autumn International 2011 - Grafham, 23 September
Autumn Home International 2011, Grafham Water, Friday 23 September
After a period of indifferent weather during five days of practice, today’s (Friday) weather must have been a pleasant change for the fifty six anglers contesting this years Autumn Home International held on Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water. At the shotgun start all the twenty eight boats headed south for G Buoy, the Willows and the Dam frontage. England’s Nikki Long was quickly out of the blocks. Fishing the Willows with a floating line, Nikki had five fish to the boat within the first hour and a half. Teammate Iain Barr didn’t share the same luck. Iain had control of the boat for the first two hours of the competition and was four two up on boat partner Wales Mark Davies when Mark rightly exercised his two hour control to move the duo to an area of his choice. However, you don’t become World Champion for nothing and as Iain headed up the reservoir for Church Bay he was sharply into fish bringing six more to the boat within a thirty minute purple patch. Wales David Hoppe was another angler into fish bringing three to the boat by eleven thirty. Ireland’s Laurence Gibb was leading the way for the emerald Islanders with four fish. The catch limit for today’s International is four fish then catch and release at 2lb per fish bonus and England’s Paul Shaw suffered much ribbing due to his unfortunate ‘incident’ last week. It look like most competitors were catching but you would have to say at the half way point that England were ahead, Ireland second, Wales third and Scotland fourth, but I have to emphasise that this is an educated guess, going on what John Mees and I saw during a motor round the lake, and not one set in stone. It’s three and a half hours to go and anything can happen. England secured an emphatic win by a clear 29 fish from second placed Scotland. Iain Barr was the top England rod steering the team to victory with a classy performance of 16 fish for 37lb 6.250oz. Iain said, "It's the first time I've gone out at the start of a major competition with a floating line. I used a Booby on the point with Crunchers on the droppers. The fish wanted it very slowly, almost static, I think many anglers were moving the flies too quickly." Team captain Ed Foster paid glowing tributes to his team for a consistent performance throughout practice and match. New caps Carl Nixon fished well catching an impressive 8 fish equally matched by Tom Davis. Nikki Long was in hot form with 13 fish followed closely with by team captain Ed Foster with 12 fish. Mike Cocks took 9 fish and Paul Shaw bounced back to top form, after his trials and tribulations, catching an impressive 7 fish. Overall there was only one blank from the whole field, going to prove in some part, practice does pay off. One last winner was Fishypics Cliff Waters who won the Anglian Water wardens sweepstake for the number of fish caught during the match, correctly guessing 277 fish, which happened to be the exact number!
Results:
1. England 105 fish for 223lbs 15.375oz
2. Scotland 76 fish for 168lbs 8.375oz
3. Wales 62 fish for 137lbs 8.625oz
4. Ireland 34 fish for 79lbs 13.124oz
Brown Bowl Winner: David Hoppe, Wales 18 fish for 39lb 10.375oz - all caught on Crunchers fished on a Midge Tip drifting into Marlow Bay
Biggest fish: Iain Barr and Seamus O'Loughlin rainbow 4lb 14.125oz
Top England Rod: Iain Barr 16 fish for 37lb 6.250oz
Top Irish Rod: Derek O'Brien 4 fish for 11lb 6.375oz
Top Scottish Rod: Kevin McCabe 9 fish for 21lb 8.750oz
Top Welsh Rod David Hoppe 18 fish for 39lb 10.375oz
Official's Trophy: George Barron 4 fish for 11lb 10.625oz
Best Boatman: Graham Watson 26 fish for 55lb 6.50oz
After a period of indifferent weather during five days of practice, today’s (Friday) weather must have been a pleasant change for the fifty six anglers contesting this years Autumn Home International held on Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water. At the shotgun start all the twenty eight boats headed south for G Buoy, the Willows and the Dam frontage. England’s Nikki Long was quickly out of the blocks. Fishing the Willows with a floating line, Nikki had five fish to the boat within the first hour and a half. Teammate Iain Barr didn’t share the same luck. Iain had control of the boat for the first two hours of the competition and was four two up on boat partner Wales Mark Davies when Mark rightly exercised his two hour control to move the duo to an area of his choice. However, you don’t become World Champion for nothing and as Iain headed up the reservoir for Church Bay he was sharply into fish bringing six more to the boat within a thirty minute purple patch. Wales David Hoppe was another angler into fish bringing three to the boat by eleven thirty. Ireland’s Laurence Gibb was leading the way for the emerald Islanders with four fish. The catch limit for today’s International is four fish then catch and release at 2lb per fish bonus and England’s Paul Shaw suffered much ribbing due to his unfortunate ‘incident’ last week. It look like most competitors were catching but you would have to say at the half way point that England were ahead, Ireland second, Wales third and Scotland fourth, but I have to emphasise that this is an educated guess, going on what John Mees and I saw during a motor round the lake, and not one set in stone. It’s three and a half hours to go and anything can happen. England secured an emphatic win by a clear 29 fish from second placed Scotland. Iain Barr was the top England rod steering the team to victory with a classy performance of 16 fish for 37lb 6.250oz. Iain said, "It's the first time I've gone out at the start of a major competition with a floating line. I used a Booby on the point with Crunchers on the droppers. The fish wanted it very slowly, almost static, I think many anglers were moving the flies too quickly." Team captain Ed Foster paid glowing tributes to his team for a consistent performance throughout practice and match. New caps Carl Nixon fished well catching an impressive 8 fish equally matched by Tom Davis. Nikki Long was in hot form with 13 fish followed closely with by team captain Ed Foster with 12 fish. Mike Cocks took 9 fish and Paul Shaw bounced back to top form, after his trials and tribulations, catching an impressive 7 fish. Overall there was only one blank from the whole field, going to prove in some part, practice does pay off. One last winner was Fishypics Cliff Waters who won the Anglian Water wardens sweepstake for the number of fish caught during the match, correctly guessing 277 fish, which happened to be the exact number!
Results:
1. England 105 fish for 223lbs 15.375oz
2. Scotland 76 fish for 168lbs 8.375oz
3. Wales 62 fish for 137lbs 8.625oz
4. Ireland 34 fish for 79lbs 13.124oz
Brown Bowl Winner: David Hoppe, Wales 18 fish for 39lb 10.375oz - all caught on Crunchers fished on a Midge Tip drifting into Marlow Bay
Biggest fish: Iain Barr and Seamus O'Loughlin rainbow 4lb 14.125oz
Top England Rod: Iain Barr 16 fish for 37lb 6.250oz
Top Irish Rod: Derek O'Brien 4 fish for 11lb 6.375oz
Top Scottish Rod: Kevin McCabe 9 fish for 21lb 8.750oz
Top Welsh Rod David Hoppe 18 fish for 39lb 10.375oz
Official's Trophy: George Barron 4 fish for 11lb 10.625oz
Best Boatman: Graham Watson 26 fish for 55lb 6.50oz