World Catfish Classic 2011 event review magazine

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Now you see it.. proven results of the massive clean-up operation at Ebro

Friends of the Ebro: show your support of our camaign We would like to thank everybody that has supported the Friends Of The Ebro campaign and worked so hard, first in the clean up of the river and then with the event itself.

There is a big job to do but with hard work and dedication working together we can all make a difference responsibly. If your company or organisation wants to help please register your support.

We would also like to thank all of the companies listed below for their active support.

Pure Fishing, Catfish Capers, Jarden Corporation, Berkley, The Compleat Ebro Angler, Catfish-Fishing, Ebro Carp, Ebro Crazy Cats, Carp Dream Fishing, Catfish conservation group, Christopher Locke, Vitali Dalke, Caspe Delux Cat & Carp Fishing

About Chiprana: a legend of love Chiprana has a population of under 1000 inhabitants and this number has remained consistent for the past 20 years.

Situated on a marvellous stretch of the river, it is perhaps not surprising that the residents have a romantic story to tell.

Local legend has it that the Rio Ebro was an illustrious gentleman who was searching for a beautiful wife and, of course, he chose Chiprana!

Who among us can argue against his choice?

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From dream to reality... the Catfish Classic 2011 makes its mark on Ebro The First 2011 World Catfish Classic was not an easy birth. It took a huge amount of dedication and care to restore the banks of the river Ebro back to its former glory, but it was well worth the effort. Anglers from all over the world competed in what was to be an exciting and nail-biting event in Chiprana, Spain. And the competition itself could not have been closer .. with the Americans leading the tournament right up to the last 90minutes when the Dutch Duo, Arnout Terlouw and Ron Beugelink, came from zero to hero to clinch the title with all of the fish being caught on the last day.

‘‘

The first WCFC competition was a celebration of catfish angling and I am delighted and proud to say it was a huge success.

All the anglers who took part created an amazing atmosphere and need to be congratulated for that, and to have had a catfish of over 200lbs and numerous 100lbs + catfish caught during this first event has set a very high benchmark.

The event itself generated huge excitement right to the end as Dutch Duo, Arnout Terlouw and Ron Beugelink, beat the Americans on the last day by just over 1lb.

However, it took a tremendous amount of dedication and effort to make this event on the Ebro possible, and that achievement will hopefully carry through to this year, where we have already got teams from around the world registering for 2012 event which will be staged again at this Magnificent location.

Making a difference responsibly ..

Back in 2010, when the World Catfish Classic was being set up, one of the first tasks was to choose a venue that provided the standard of fishing required for a top class event.

After much deliberation and visits to several other sites, the Caspe region of the River Ebro in Spain stood out as the best possible option, but for one vital drawback – the vast amount of litter generated by anglers on the bankside. It would have been an easy option to select one of the tidier venues, but that went against my ethos of being a responsible organiser who holds

‘Leave nothing but footsteps, take nothing but ph Environmental care and fish welfare shouldn’t be a cho www.worldcatfishclassic.com

Angling Spirit.. Competitors gather for the WCFC 2011 official photo outside Chiprana’s ancient church (above), while proud teams proceed down towards the Opening Ceremony to start the event

to be an almost impossible task. To attempt to positively affect the situation might have been considered nothing more than a pipe dream, but using every resource I could muster and reaching out to anglers both locally and around the world for support, a plan was put together with event partners and sponsors Berkley. We jointly decided to tackle the issue head on, also, Mappa got behind the project from the start, providing specialist gloves to all of the helpers, which of course is a vital requirement. Berkley were fully committed to the project we named ‘Friends of the Ebro’ and they were amazingly supportive throughout. It is both commendable and refreshing to witness such responsible commitment from the trade, and full credit must go to PURE FISHING and Berkley, for without them we could not have achieved the result we did.

With the momentum of what was established with Friends of the Ebro, it will be an ongoing initiative for 2012 and beyond, with further areas being lined up also. My hope is that Angling can be proud of what was and will be achieved in the future on the Ebro, and that the ethos of ‘Leave nothing but footsteps, take nothing but photos’ will carry its message across the globe. Environmental care and fish welfare shouldn’t be a choice; they are every angler’s responsibility.

‘‘

care for the environment very highly. There was also the question of perhaps settling for second best and that didn’t sit right with me at all.

There are so many aspects that contributed to the mess – a general disregard for the environment by visiting and local anglers coupled to the poor distribution of litter collection points and facilities which created the scenario where a build-up of rubbish had taken place over many years, and nobody seemed able or willing to take responsibility or action. To be perfectly honest here, I was utterly shocked and dismayed by what I saw but, delving into the reasons behind this environmental eyesore, I knew that I had to try to make a difference.

In those few days prior to the World Catfish Classic, and with massive commitment and effort by my team and support helpers, over 25 tonnes of indescribable waste was cleared from the banks, including the stinking corpses of mutilated carp and catfish that had been butchered or simply left to die by fish thieves. The local community have pledged their support to ensure that everything possible will be done to maintain the area, and the Friends of the Ebro project now has the support of the Spanish government.

At first, it may have been seen by many

hotos’ will carry its message across the globe. oice; they are every angler’s responsibility.

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Kicking off the occasion in style..

The format of the Catfish Classic proved an exciting concept with competitors, offering something completely new to most.

Fishing days only, from a different section on each of the three days appealed greatly as this daily change of swims meant that they would not be stuck in a non-productive or awkward swim for the duration which provided a level playing field. In addition, catfish angling doesn’t require a mountain of tackle to fish unlike other big events such as the World Carp Classic. Anglers could set up and be fishing in just a few minutes, and where most of the pegs were positioned, it was mostly a case of fishing from the back of the car.

The event’s host town, Chiprana, has an ancient church atop the rocky crag that the town is built upon and this provided the distinctive backdrop for the official competitors’ group photo. From there, it was back through the town to begin the colourful procession as competitors, proudly holding their national flags aloft, were led by a traditional Spanish drum band downhill towards the opening ceremony.

After all the pageantry and a tasty, traditional Spanish meal, speakers were invited on stage to welcome the participants. Among the presentations was the announcement that the ‘Friends of the Ebro’ campaign, brainchild of Ross Honey, had exceeded all expectations. Genuinely emotional, Ross explained that in just four days, members of the world catfish classic team, event marshals and local people had cleared an amazing 25 tonnes of rubbish along the river bank for over 6 kilometres. A proud moment indeed!

A huge buzz of excitement then surged around the hall as the draw was made.

When competitors register, they draw from a pot to determine the order in which they go up on stage to draw their pegs, the anticipation was torturous! As with any competition, this is hugely important in determining the fortunes of its participants. In this event, it was more difficult to assess due to the three-swim aspect.

Day One:

A blustery wind meant conditions were safe to use boats but it made towing lines and dropping bait extremely difficult so nothing was as accurate as it could be.

The evening fiesta, was followed by the daily results. ‘King Cat’ for the day, and first to stake a claim for the incredible prize of a Berkley bass boat was Thierry Lang of France, who caught a massive 73kg catfish, the biggest of the day. In total, 36 catfish were caught on opening day, weighing a staggering 1,198kg. At this early stage, the American pairing of Phil King and Tim Haynie had made a highly impressive start to the competition with a total of 267.70kg, almost 130kg more than the 2nd placed Snowy Barton and Mike Davis.

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Magic moments..

Ross with the French team holding the biggest catch of the event (top left). Team USA who took 2nd place (top right), and overall champions Ron Beugelink and Arnout Terlouw (above)

Day Two: The daily results showed that Phil King and Tim Haynie of the USA were still ahead of the pack without even adding to their day one tally, but now, the father and son duo of Chris Locke and David Locke had pulled to within 40.10kgs of the Berkley USA team with 227.60, which represented just one reasonable fish. Game on!

Meanwhile, Jeremy Josserand of France

had banked an incredible fish of 91kg (201lb) to claim King Cat for the day and put himself firmly in the running for the Berkley bass boat... Jeremy’s delight was easily measured in decibels!

Day Three:

The Champions Fiesta was a hugely enjoyable occasion, especially for the prize winners, but good spirited applause

FINAL LEADER BOARD

PEG

PAIRS

Weight/KG

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th

B8C8A8 B11C11A11 A5B5C5 C8A8B8 A15B15C15 B14C14A14 C1A1B1 C3A3B3 C12A12B12 A6B6C6

Ron Beugelink & Arnout Terlouw, Netherlands Phil King & Tim Haynie, USA Chris Locke & David Locke, England Alina Padurean & Tracey Lewis-Wilson, Spain Sebastien Francois & Jeremy Josserand, France Snowy Barton & Mike Davis, Spain Adrian Shaw & Dave Hall, England Daniel Tomi & Moise Pavel Tomi, Spain Hans Sissingh & Mark Huizinga, Netherlands Roland Nagy & Zoltan Winkler, Hungary

268.30 267.70 227.60 207.10 200.00 185.00 183.50 152.90 145.70 137.80

www.worldcatfishclassic.com

or 2 f w 01 e i 2 v PreCFC W Take your places for this year’s Catfish Event I am delighted to inform you that the dates for the event in 2012 have been confirmed. The 23rd -25th May 2012 will see even greater numbers of top catfish anglers from around the world assembled to battle it out on the River Ebro for the Title of World Catfish Classic Champions 2012.

The river lived up to its reputation in the first event with a huge 200.2lb Catfish being caught by the French team and what a great fish it was.

The event itself could not have been closer with the Dutch team of Arnout Terlouw and Ronny De Groote just pipping the American team by 600grms in the last hour of the event to create a nail-biting climax. The entire event had a tremendous atmosphere that was enjoyed by all and everybody who participated is looking forward to next year.

from everybody in the hall greeted them on stage. King Cat for the day was Adrian Shaw of England with a fine 71.20kg fish, but the overall King Cat and worthy winner of the Berkley Bass boat, was Jeremy Josserand of France with his fantastic day-two capture of a 91kg catfish.

In 4th place with a very creditable 207.10kg were the Ladies pairing of Alina Padurean and Tracey Lewis-Wilson representing host nation Spain. In third were Englishmen Chris Locke and David Locke 227.60kg, and in 2nd place were Phil King and Tim Haynie of Team Berkley USA who, disappointingly for them, failed to add to their first day tally.

Ultimately, there had been an incredible story unfolding throughout the day on section A peg 8... Ron Beugelink and Arnout Terlouw had been seriously amongst the fish following a fishless first two days. The Dutch pair had a blinding last day to overcome the American pair to snatch first place by just 0.600kg – What a story, proper Roy of the Rovers stuff!

There are going to be a few very slight changes for the next event and these are: The draw at the opening ceremony will decide the competitors section and peg for the first day, this process will also determine the zone order for the event. There will be a draw on each of the two following nights to determine which peg number competitors will fish from the following day. The zones will be decided on the first night’s draw and will follow on from that, for example, if peg B5 was drawn at the opening ceremony, on day 2 the competitors will fish in zone C and day 3 zone A.

l Change in possible angling combination: Pair (2 anglers) or Trio (3 anglers) but only 4 rods may be used.

l A clearly identified Team Runner will also be allowed in pairs combination.

l 50kg of bait may be used per day and this can be either squid, halibut pellets or boilies.

l If a fish is snagged competitors can call the

2012 ITINERARY May 21st 2012:

Competitors registration open

May 22nd 2012

l Competitors registration l Flag parade through Chiprana l Opening Ceremony l Peg Draw l Opening fiesta provided

May 23rd 2012

09.00 - 18.00: Round 1 l Return to HQ l Announcements of days results l Presentation of daily prizes l Draw l Evening meal provided

May 24th 2012

09.00- 18.00: Round 2 l Return to HQ l Announcements of days results l Presentation of daily prizes l Draw l Evening meal provided

May 25th 2012

09.00- 18.00: Round 3 l Return to HQ l Announcements and presentation of prizes l Inaugural World Catfish l Classic Champions crowned l Champions fiesta provided l Closing ceremony

May 26th 2012

Competitors depart

marshall and it may then be allowed for one of the anglers to go out in a boat to free the fish from the snag. The rod must stay on the bank at all times. The freed fish will count in the event.

ON PAGE 6!

W O N 12 20 R O F R E T REGIS www.worldcatfishclassic.com

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REGISTRATION FORM

2012 WORLD CATFISH CLASSIC RIVER EBRO, SPAIN 23rd-25th May, 2012 l Entry into the event is with a minimum of 2 anglers entry fee £1,100 l Entries may have a team runner to row the boat and place baits but not touch rods or fish £150 l New for 2012! entries may have 3 anglers (all of who can fish with a total of 4 rods between them): £1,500 per Trio - special launch price l Team Entry: 3 complete entries (Pairs/Trio) can form a Team and represent a sponsor or a country to be come team champions. Best three teams to share £10,000 team prize table.

ENTRY FORM

PAIR ENTRY: 2 ANGLERS WHO CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY A POSSIBLE TEAM RUNNER – please read rules carefully

Prizes..

£50,000 PRIZE TABLE Overall:

£7,500 Cash plus products

Runners Up: £3,000 Cash plus products

3rd Overall: £2,000 Cash plus products

Prizes for 4th to 10th place Team Prize Daily King Cat Prize Biggest catfish: Prize and trophy given to captor of Event King Cat

For full list of prizes online at: www.worldcatfishclassic.com

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Captain Name Email address Telephone number Vice Captain’s Name E-mail address Telephone number

I enclose payment full payment of £1100 to confirm our place in the World Catfish Classic 2012 I enclose a non-refundable deposit of £500 then two £300 post-dated cheques at monthly intervals from date of first cheque I wish to enter a Team Runner at £150 – Name:

TRIO ENTRY – 3 ANGLERS

3rd Angler’s Name Email address Telephone number

I enclose payment full payment of £1500 to confirm our place in the World Catfish Classic 2012 I enclose a non-refundable deposit of £700 then two £400 post-dated cheques at monthly intervals from date of first cheque.

I wish to add a Sponsor link to our pair for £100.

Name of Sponsor Sponsor URL www.

Sponsor name/link on official web list & where relevant + given an official logo to add to his own marketing material

I wish to enter a Team in the event. Name of Team

(3 pairs can enter as a team for an added £360 per team entry – dedicated prize table to be shared by the best 3 Teams)

Pair’s captain must sign the entry form to validate pair’s entry and to confirm acceptance of the terms and conditions Captain’s Signature

Date

Anglers to be 16 years of age minimum. Only anglers 18 and above allowed though on boats at all time.

Confirmation of registration in the event will be sent once form & payment have been received in full.

Cheques to be made payable to Angling Spirit Ltd – Post dated cheques to be issued at monthly interval from date of the first cheque. Please email us to be sent our bank details should you like to organise a bank transfer. Payments can also be made using a Paypal facility: www.worldcatfishclassic.com/event/event-2012/register

Angling Spirit Ltd World Catfish Classic 15 Walden Gardens Horndean England P08 9PP Telephone: +44(0) 239200 6500 Fax: +44(0) 207183 0924

FULL ONLINE ENTRY AT: www.worldcatfishclassic.com

Catfish angling –

an extreme adventure that calls for extraordinary equipment.

sors n o p s d u o r Black Cat porld Catfish Classic! the 2012 W

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CATLINE XH-O

A high-performance Catfish line for all methods of demanding Catfish sport. The orange colour provides perfect visibility in adverse weather conditions, and in the beam of a head-torch at night. Extreme durability and a tight round braid with no water absorption are the hallmarks of this line endorsed

by Stefan SeuĂ&#x;.

FIN-NOR OFFSHORE

When it comes to landing truly giant fish, delicate reels are not the order of the day. The Fin-Nor Offshore is the fighting machine that ticks all the boxes. This is no fashion accessory, it is a no-frills powerhouse.

POWER LEADER

The leader is the connection between the Catfish and the angler. Only the strongest and most friction resistant materials will result in a successful fight. Black Cat Power Leader is the optimal leader for all Catfish angling methods.

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OUR WORLD CATFISH CLASSIC BLACK CAT-TEAM:

designed Exklusivelyn Seuß!

by Stefa

STEFAN SEUSS: »I will be around during the WCC. Who wants to meet with me, could contact me there or visit me on Facebook (Stefan Seuß/1814037868).«

Ingo Kuprian

Uwe Barthel

DF CAT BUSTER II No fewer than nine Catfish over 100 kilos have fallen to the Cat Buster in recent years. Stefan Seuß regards it as perfection in rod design. No other rod has yet managed to achieve the same balance of power and parabolic action.

BLACK CAT DIP

The matching dip for Black Cat Chunks, with a base of strong smelling extracts with aromas of blood, meat and liver – perfect for giving Black Cat Chunks or catfish pellets an additional boost.

SINGLE HOOK MEGA

BIG BAITER II 3,20M With a casting weight of 400g and a length of 3.20 metres, the Big Baiter 2 is a buoy rod par excellence.

BLACK CAT CHUNKS

Highly attractive catfish boilie. Thanks to its huge dimensions the boilie is highly distinctive and stays on the rig for long periods while pellets, for example, need replacing more often.

BLACK CAT 680 FDX

The Black Cat 680 FDX offers precisely what is required of a top catfish reel: indestructible shaft, deep spool for high line capacity, twist-free transmission, drag discs and a powerful handle.

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