The Association of Major Flyfishing Clubs
2009 ewsletter
May - All the Round Two Results
Editorial
All the Ups and Downs!
The decision by Queen Mother
F.F. not to accept promotion
from Group Two to Group One
generated some discussion at
the Annual General Meeting
and the Committee Meeting in
particular.
There is both a philosophic and
pragmatic reason why the
Association developed the
rules about promotion and
relegation.
By 1991 there were ten
member clubs and Chew
Reservoir did not have enough
boats so that we could all fish
together. It was unthinkable
to exclude Chew as a venue so
we had to divide into two
groups.
How to divide the groups
became the most serious
problem the Association has
yet faced. Some members
favoured a division by merit.
Others were opposed to this
and came up with proposals for
selection by lot, or a
geographical division. The
1991 season was fished with
the groups decided by lot and
one Club resigned for that year.
A special Meeting held at
Grafham on 11th. October 1991
Editor: Peter Firth, 4, West Field Lane, Thorpe on the Hill, Lincoln L6 9BF
All the Results –All the Reports – Each Round
reversed this decision and
future groupings have been
decided by merit.
For those Clubs who did not
want the matches to be too
competitive a compromise was
reached so that promotion was
voluntary. Last season’s
decision by Queen Mother not
to accept promotion was the
second time this has happened.
With membership fluctuating
only one place in each group
can be guaranteed. The
winner of each group will
either remain or be promoted.
All the other group members
will be influenced by the
number of teams at any one
time.
This year, with an extra group,
there was considerable
movement with more than one
team in each of last year’s
three groups having to move
down to the group below.
This rule is not sacrosanct and
can be changed at a General
Meeting. Refusing promotion
has only happened twice in the
APPOLOGY
Two mistakes were made in the last
newsletter in the Grafham result:
Richard Kesek not Richard Starling
caught 6 fish – and - the total was
12lbs 2oz not as reported 11lbs 4oz
01522-682668
twenty years (this year) of the
Association. In both cases
because the club felt they
would be more comfortable
staying in that group.
However members may now
feel that since this privilege is
only available to winning clubs
and extending choice to all
other teams would make the
groups impossible to arrange, it
is time to reconsider.
The Weather
I suspect that we have all heard
that the Met. Office has
forecast a high probability of a
‘B.BQ’ summer.
The last two years have given
good fly- fishing weather with
many days of cloud and cool
temperatures. Last year, in
particular, the fish remained in
the surface almost every time I
fished.
It is two years since I last used
a DI7 and it has remained in a
cupboard ever since. If the
forecast is right we may have
to get these lines ‘out of
hiding’, make sure they are still
useable and always carry one
Not a possibility I am viewing
with any great with
enthusiasm.
peter@fishfly.plus.com
 Results not yet available for
Group One – Round Two Match
Fished on Bewl on 25th. May
With no official match report A number of anglers did not
being available I have spoken catch until after 4.0pm. perhaps
to a number of anglers who influence by the angle of the
fished in the match. They sun.
made the following
observations. Only one angler (Phil
Thompson from the Fish
Bewl was not in the best Hawks Team – pictured below)
Individual’s results condition. The water was managed a limit. His time
quite coloured with green bonus proved critical since the
are not available at algae. There had been vast Bewl Bridge ‘A’ Team had one
this time. blooms of dapnia in Bewl this more fish than the winning
year and the fish were fighting Fish Hawks Team. My
fit. Even though the fish were information is that the
I am informed that quite high in the water, sadly difference was only one pound
on the day, there seemed little in weight.
the Team Results evidence of much feeding until
quite late in the afternoon.
are as follows
Even though dapnia had been
***** the main food typical dapnia
feeders methods did not seem
to work too well. The
1. Fish Hawks ‘A’ majority of fish which were
caught were taken on nymphs.
2. Bewl Bridge ‘A’ The washing line on slow sink
lines seemed the best method.

3. Hanningfield F.A. The day was bright, sunny and

warm with a gentle breeze
from the west.
4. Rutland W.F.F.
The best drift was across the
deep water, drifting from Ferry Fish Hawks ‘A’ Winners
5. Soldier Palmers ‘A’ Point onto the point of of Round Two
Chingley Wood.
*****

In the event of this

information being
wrong it will be
corrected in the
next Newsletter.
 Grafham Water produces an amazing 2lbs 7oz average weight
For the Group Two Round Two Match on 23rd. May

Results An average weight of 2lbs 7oz 3.00pm. He used a very fast

per fish is, in my memory, the sink line (DI8) with a sunburst
"ame "o Weight best in the Association’s and coral booby and pulling
history. Not only that, but , at the flies up, through the fish.
Bristol Reservoirs F.A. least at the start of the match,
Sag Griffiths 8 21lbs 11oz
with conditions less than
Mark Stevens 4 9lbs 9oz
Peter de Kremer 1 2lbs 13oz perfect a rod average of just
Clive Perkins 1 2lbs 7oz under four and ONLY one
Mark Hazzard 1 2lbs 7oz blank - Group Two had a pretty
Martin Cottis 6 14lbs 11oz
good match.
TOTAL 53lbs 10oz

Grafahm Water F.A ‘A’ Mark Brinkman of Grafham

Peter Hartley 2 4lbs 14oz W.F.A., the organising Club,
Mark Brinkman 8 20lbs 13oz reported that ‘the weather
Andy Linwood 2 5lbs 12oz
forecast was for sunshine all
Richard Kesek 6 14lbs 4oz
Gorden Alleyen 3 8lbs 10oz day and although it started with Mark Brinkman (Grafham)
John Batter 6 13lbs 1oz full sun, it soon clouded over with 8 fish and Ron Lusardi
TOTAL 67lbs 8oz to become near ideal (Iver) with 6 fish found Hedge
conditions; with a moderate End almost deserted. They
Iver F.C. SE-SW breeze’. used a fast glass line with
Ron Lusardli 6 16lbs 12oz
Ray Simpson nymhs and cormorants to
Eddie Gray 5 12lbs 7oz At the start, almost all the become best boat.
Roy Palmer 4 11lbs boats headed for the North
Reg Reen 1 1lb 13oz
Shore. The majority headed The successful Navy/Marines
Alan Dixon 1 1lb 13oz
TOTAL 43lbs 13oz to G Buoy. This worked well team also deserted G.Buoy,
in the early part of the match although they concentrated on
Queen Mother F.F. but boat pressure eventually the corner of Church Bay,
Sue Hunter 3 5lbs 12oz worked against the anglers and where the fish were close in.
Micky Bewick 2 3lbs 13oz
it became more difficult in the
Phil Hall 3 7lbs 6oz
Dave Kidby 7 16lbs 10oz afternoon. With back to back wins the
Louise Callow 4 11lbs 3oz Navy/Marines are on a roll!
Steve Radcliffe 1 2lbs 5oz Sag Grifiths, (pictured) who The last two rounds of the
TOTAL 47lbs 1oz had the best bag, stayed in this Challenge Table are on Chew –
Royal "avy/Marines A.A. area. He finished just before their home water so it looks
Neal Jones 7 16lbs 15oz good for them!
David Morton 2 5lbs 8oz
Charles Bowers 6 16lbs 13oz
Tony Wilkinson 7 15lns 12oz
Royal avy/Royal Marines Angling Association
Chris Anderson 3 6lbs 3oz Unbeaten so far this season
Mark Close 3 8lbs 14oz
TOTAL 69lbs 15oz

Best Bag 21lbs 11oz

Sag Grifiths (Bristol Res.)

Best Fish
Louise Callow (Q. Mother)
Charles Bowers (R"RM)
 Group Three – Round Two
Bewl Bridge F.C. ‘B’ Team uses Local Knowledge for an Easy Win

Results
Both Group Three and Group
#ame #o Weight Four (see next page) fished
their Round Two matches at
Bewl Bridge F.C. ‘A’ Bewl Water on Saturday 2nd
Bob Shaw 8 16lbs 8oz May.
Martyn Gray 5 9lbs 10oz
Chris Nunn 8 16lbs 5oz
Conditions with bright sun,
Nick Cox 8 16lbs 13oz
Ryan Elder 8 14lbs 7oz rolling fluffy clouds and only
Mick Phipps 8 17lbs 0oz an intermittent ripple were
TOTAL 90lbs 11oz unlikely to give easy fishing.
(see picture on next page).
Crawley F.C. But Bewl, being the most
Baz Reece 8 19lbs 2oz
Bob Birchall 5 8lbs 11oz enigmatic of waters, provided
Stef Van Furens 2 3lbs 2oz superb fishing for Group Two.
Alan Hall 6 10lbs 6oz
David Eames (Fish Hawks ‘B’
Tony Kaatze 3 5lbs
There were large shoals of fish BEST BAG
*******
TOTAL 46lbs 9oz along Chingley Wood and out
into the main bowl. This was The local team, Bewl ‘B’ know
Fish Hawks ‘B’ where most boats started the of the fish in the main bowl
Keith Jones 8 18lbs 8oz day, and even if they had BUT they also know of fish at
Dave Eames 8 20lbs 14oz the extremities of the reservoir.
moved away for a short time,
Andy McKay 8 16lbs 9oz
any boat, with anglers who had There were fish at Rosemary
Mark Groves 5 8lbs
******* not caught limits, returned. Lane and the top of Hook
******* Straight. It was these fish that
TOTAL 64lbs 5oz Lines and methods suggested gave them the edge, using
two depths of fish. One white boobies and cormorants
Invicta F.C. ‘A’ on a washing line on slow sink
Graham Williams 5 8lbs 15oz group fairly close to the
Mark Searle 6 9lbs 10oz surface and the other well lines.
Lawson Wight 8 17lbs 13oz below the 12 foot mark.
John Mees 8 18lbs 13oz Fish Hawks ‘B’ must regret
Lines, flies and techniques
Chris McLeod 5 8lbs 6oz
John Caldwell 3 4lbs 5oz
TOTAL 67lbs 4oz

Soldier Palmers ‘B’

John Gamon 8 17lbs 6oz
Gaz Cullen 2 3lbs 4oz
Jamie Thomas 8 18lbs
Pete Mumford 5 7lbs 9oz
Andy Croucher 8 16lbs 12oz
Rob Jackson 8 18lbs 14oz
TOTAL 81lbs 13oz

Best Fish 2lbs 10oz

Andy McKay (Fish Hawks)
Bewl Bridge F.C. ‘B’ WI##ERS
Best Bag 20lbs 14oz
Dave Eames (Fish Hawks)

Rod Average 6.4 reflected this. Fish were taken only turning up with four
early on nymphs and the anglers. Between them they
Average Weight 1lb 11oz washing line but later in the had the best bag (David
day fast sinkers and blobs etc. Eames) and the best fish (Andy
caught the daphnia feeders as McKay). Two more anglers
the daphnia moved lower in the and they would have been in
water away from the light. there with a shout.
 After a Two Year Absence East Midlands T.F.A. Return with
Back to Back Wins

Individual Results Back to Back Wins for the blobs and cormorants, either on
Returning East Midlands medium sinkers like DI5’s and
ame o Weight T.F.A. pull – or rather slower with a
figure-of-eight on slow sinker
East Midlands T.F.A. Fished on the same day as the or intermediates.
Graham Bodsworth 8 14lbs 1oz Group Three Match, (See
Mick Facey 8 19lbs 9oz
Ian Pow 8 15lbs 3oz previous) Group Four had an Intermittent cloud remained all
John Duffield 8 13lbs 3oz excellent match to start their day but there was a shift in the
Melvin Parrott 1 1lb 15oz Group Programme. wind as the day progressed.
John Clark 8 19lbs In the morning it had a touch
TOTAL 82lbs 15oz
East Midlands, in particular, or N.W. blowing onto
Grafham Water F.A. had a successful day. With Chingley Wood – around
Chris Bobby 8 17lbs 7oz only one angler failing to catch lunchtime it died away for a
Steve Ellerbeck 8 17lbs 13oz a limit they comfortably won couple of hours and when it
Peter Waterhouse 2 3lbs 4oz the group. They also had a returned it was from the West,
Chris Lane 7 11lbs 15oz
Joan Russell 4 6lbs 4oz clean sweep with Best Bag blowing along the Wood.
Lianne Frost 8 14lbs 15oz (Mick Facey) and Best Fish
TOTAL 72lbs 4oz (Graham Bodsworth). Not unusual, the fishing
Invicta F.C. ‘B’
Garry How 2 4lbs 4oz
John Btown 3 5lbs 6oz
Keiran Caulfield 8 19lbs 1oz
John Krailing 4 6lbs 14oz
Simon Sell 3 4lbs 14oz
Ian Wilson 4 7lbs 5oz
TOTAL 47lbs 12oz

Tunbridge Wells F.F.S.

Scott Benton 7 11lbs 20z
Sean Brooks 4 6lbs 4oz
Mickey Heasman 4 8lbs 5oz John Duffield of East Midlands
Bob Holland 4 7lbs fishing in calm conditions across the
Alex Nicholson 3 4lbs 6oz Main Bowl. Concentration and
Mick Priest 6 9lbs 4oz Success! become more difficult in the
TOTAL 46lbs 5oz afternoon although three of the
Bob Holland of Tunbridge limits caught by East Midlands
Best Bag 19lbs 9oz
Wells F.F., who organised the T.F.A. came within the last
Mick Facey (East Midlands)
match, reported that, similar to hour. Nearly all the other
Group Three, the best areas limits (in both matches) were
Best Fish 2lbs 9oz
were along Chingley Wood completed by early afternoon.
Graham Bodsworth (E. Mid)
and out into the Main Bowl.
Bob reports that there is
Rod Average 5.4
Again, similar to Group Three, already a ‘great spirit,
he reported that the most developing in this Group.
Average Weight 1lbs 11oz
successful tactics were to fish

Drift along Chingley for Graham Bodsworth (casting) Best Fish

 Challenge Table 2009 – Running Scores

Points scored for: Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Totals Position

Not
Group One official

Bewl Bridge F.C. ‘A’ 3 4 7 1=

Fish Hawks ‘A’ 2 5 7 1=
Hanningflield F.A. 4 3 7 1=
Rutland Water F.F. 1 2 3 5
Soldier Palmers ‘A’ 5 1 6 4

Group Two
Bristol Reservoirs F.A. 3 3 6 3
Grafham Water F.A. ‘A’ 4 4 8 2
Iver F.C. 0 1 1 5
Queen Mother F.C. 0 2 2 4
Royal (avy/Marines 5 5 10 1

Group Three
Bewl Bridge F.C. ‘B’ 3 5 8 1=
Crawley F.C. 1 1 2 5
Fish Hawks ‘B’ 4 2 6 3
Invicta F.C. ‘A’ 5 3 8 1=
Soldier Palmers ‘B’ 2 2 4 4

Group Four
East Midlands .T.F.A 4 4 8 1
Grafham Water F.A. ‘B’ 3 3 6 2
Invicta F.C. ‘B’ 1 2 3 3=
Tunbridge Wells F.C. 2 1 3 3=