World Fly Fishing Championships — What’s it all about?

39th WORLD FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS COMES TO TASMANIA

The 39th FIPS Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship will be held in Tasmania, December this year. Here are all the details on the event and how it is run.

What is FIPS Mouche?

In English the full title translates to the International Sport Fly Fishing Federation. Essentially it is the world regulatory body of competitive fly fishing. It sets the rules and arranges for competitions to be held. In doing so, FIPS Mouche aims to foster friendship, understanding and participation in accordance with the Olympic ideals. It is an organisation that is committed to conservation of the environment. A conservation symposium is held in conjunction with every world championship and the symposium is open to the public. To find out more about FIPS Mouche visit www.fips-mouche.com.

Who is organising the Championship?

The Championship is being organised by the Australian member body of FIPS Mouche, Fly Fish Australia Inc. (“FFA”) - a not for profit incorporated association. FFA and its State committees organise State and National fly fishing competitions and selects Australian representative teams to compete in international events. FFA has established an organising committee to conduct the Championship in Australia under the auspices of FIPS Mouche. To find out more about FFA visit www.flyfishaustralia.com.au

Sage LL, DART and new X colours are here

We have every Sage model and size available

Sage Dart #0, #1, #2, #3 and #4

Sage Trout LL #3, #4, #5 and #6

Sage X - Tactical Green 9’ - #4, #5 and #8 Sage X - Electric Teal 9’ - #5 and #6

essential FLYFISHER

Recreational fly fishing is enjoyable and relaxing with the number of fish caught being immaterial to the rewards. Recreational fishers enjoy participation in their Snapper seem to be spreading their range and increasing in numbers around Tasmania. This will give more local anglers a chance to target them on soft plastics, which can be highly effective at times. sport with varying skill levels and get to choose where and when they fish. There are no rules other than State laws that dictate how the recreational angler can fish. Competition fly fishing, on the other hand, involves competing against other fly fishers with the aim of catching the most fish in accordance with a set of rules. Fishing times, the weather and venues are out of the control of the competitor. The time constraints imposed by the competition mean that successful competitors are extremely efficient. A successful competitor must have high skill levels in all techniques. The rules that apply to competition fishing are extensive and detailed as are standards that apply to equipment. The aim is to enable skill to prevail. In competitions barbless hooks must be used and all fish must be quickly and carefully measured and released.

How is the Championship funded?

Hosting the Championship involves a substantial expense budget. Registration fees paid by competitors and accompanying participants goes part way to meeting those expenses. The balance is being met through the generous support (cash and in kind) of Event Partners (Events Tasmania and the Inland Fisheries Service) and Major Sponsors (Huon Tasmania, Hydro Tasmania, Goldwind, DJ Motors, FlyLife and iWader).

Where will the Championship be held?

The Championship will be held in Tasmania, based out of Launceston. The event programme is as follows:

Saturday 30 November 2019:

Team Registration; Opening Parade and official welcome

Sunday 1 December 2019:

Captains meeting and draw

Monday 2 December:

Competition Fishing Starts at all venues

Monday 2 December 2019:

Competition Session 1 Tuesday 3 December 2019:

Competition Session 2

Wednesday 4 December 2019: Lakes are:

Little Pine Lagoon,

Woods Lake

Penstock Lagoon. Rivers are:

Mersey River

Meander River.

Will the venues be closed prior to and during the event?

In order to support the Championship limitations on access to the venues have been made at the request of the organisers and following consultation with Anglers Alliance Tasmania and angling clubs in Tasmania.

The lake venues will be closed to recreational fishing for the duration of the Championship from midnight on Sunday 1 December to midnight on Friday 6 December inclusive. The competition sections of the river venues (see below) will be closed to recreational fishing from midnight on Sunday 24 November to midnight on Friday 6 December inclusive.

The Mersey River downstream of the Olivers Road Bridge (on C138) to Hoggs Bridge (on C153).

The Meander River downstream from the Huntsman Lake Dam to Barretts Bridge on Long Ridge Road (on C166).

The organisers would like to thank all anglers for their understanding and support of these temporary regulations.

Will the competitors be able to fish the venues before the Championship?

The competition venues will be closed to competitors and their agents (eg team captain and managers) for 60 days prior to the Championship. As a consequence, most of the competitors from overseas will be fishing the venues for their first time when they compete.

Will the venues be stocked for the Championship?

No fish will be stocked into the rivers or Little Pine Lagoon or Woods Lake. Penstock Lagoon will receive its normal annual stocking of wild brown trout as determined by the Inland Fisheries Service. The organisers of the Championship want competitors to experience the Tasmanian wild trout fishery in its natural state.

Is the championship open to spectators?

The Championship will begin on 30 November with an opening parade through the streets of Launceston culminating with an official welcome in Launceston City Council Outdoor reception area. Members of each team will walk behind their flag bearer with school children and local bands involved. Members of the public are welcome and are encouraged to view the parade and attend the official welcome.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony is a formal event with the Her Excellency the Governor of Tasmania and other dignitaries in attendance. There is an official reception after the opening which is limited to the teams and officials.

On the days of competition members of the public are welcome to watch the competitors fish. At the lakes spectators will be able to watch the fishing from the shore. On the rivers there will be viewing areas established for spectators and access will be made available subject to landowner permission. Spectators are asked to stay well back from the rivers so as not to spook fish or unsettle the competitors. The championship will provide an excellent opportunity for spectators to see the skills of some of the world’s best competition fishers.

How will boat fishing on the lakes be organised?

There will be two competitors in each boat together with a volunteer controller who will drive the boat, deploy the drogue as requested and measure and record type and length of fish caught. The competitors will toss a coin to determine who chooses where the boat should drift for the first half of the four-hour session and whether or not the drogue should be deployed. After two hours the other competitor is in charge of where the boat goes and the use of the drogue. Only one fly rod per fisher may be assembled. Spare rods must remain in a rod tube. For safety reasons competitors must fish while seated and wear a life vest at all times. Competitors are permitted to stand to net a fish. The rules prohibit shooting head lines, articulated flies and so on - see Rules and Rule Modifications published in www.wffc2019.com.

Competition Session 3 Thursday 5 December 2019:

Competition Session 4

Friday 6 December 2019:

Competition Session 5 Saturday 7 December 2019:

Conservation Symposium and medal presentation;

Gala Dinner

Sunday 8 December 2019:

Farewell breakfast

The Championship venues comprise three lakes and two rivers. The lakes will be fished from drifting boats. The rivers will be divided into beats and competitors will be permitted to wade. Session times on the lakes will be four hours (from noon to 4 pm). Session times on the rivers will be three hours (from 1 pm to 4 pm).

On Little Pine Lagoon competitors will fish from volunteered boats (made available to the organisers by members of the angling community) ranging in size from 4.25 to 4.8 metres in length. On Woods Lake competitors will fish from volunteered boats ranging in size from 4.4 to 5 metres in length. On Penstock Lagoon competitors will fish from Coulam Defender 152 boats.www.coulam.uk.co These boats are used on the major fly fishing reservoirs in England and are being imported for the event. By way of sponsorship, Coulam Boats are supplying the boats at a significantly reduced price. These boats will be offered for sale by tender. Tender details on the Fly Fish Australia web site www.flyfishaustralia.com.au send an email to the controller coordinator with some photographs of your boat.

Volunteers/Controllers who commit to the five days of the competition will receive an event show bag containing an event shirt, a pair of chest waders and other fly fishing samples. These items have been made available by a number of sponsors. Volunteers will also be invited to attend the medal presentation and gala dinner to be held on the evening of 7 December. Depending on ticket availability other guests may be able to be invited.

Former World Champion, now living in Tasmania, Martin Droz fishing the Meander River. Martin will not be a competitor. Two of the Australian team, Tom Jarman (top) and Christopher Bassano.

How will the competitors fish the rivers?

Competitors will fish the rivers employing a range of techniques to match the water that is being fished: dry fly, nymph under dry, European nymphing, swinging wet flies and fishing streamers. Some competitors will carry multiple rods on their person and will change rods/techniques repeatedly. A volunteer controller will follow each competitor from the bank. The competitor will present each fish caught in their net to the controller who will measure and release the fish, recording details on the score sheet. On the Meander River beats will be approximately 200 metres long. On the Mersey River beats will be approximately 600 metres long.

Are volunteers and volunteered boats required?

Many volunteers and volunteered boats are required for the event. Members of FFA and of a number of Tasmanian angling clubs have registered to be controllers on the river venues. A number of FFA members and Tasmanian boat owners have also volunteered their boats for the event. At this stage it would appear that there are sufficient volunteers. However, anyone who is interested in volunteering for the event should still send an email to controller. coordinator@gmail.com as a list of reserve volunteers is being kept. In relation to boats, as team registrations do not close until 31 August it is not known how many boats will be needed and more may be required. If you have a boat between 4.25 and 5 metres in length which you believe would be suitable for competition fishing (competitors must be able to fish from seated positions, both seats at the same height from the water) please

Landowners and their support!

The event could not be held without the support of landowners whose properties front the Meander and Mersey rivers. Landowners have given their permission for the event to be held on sections of the rivers which run through their properties and have been assured that their properties will be treated with care and respect. All landowners will be invited to attend the gala dinner to be held at the conclusion of the Championship on 7 December.

Who is in the Australian team?

FFA selects the team to represent Australia in world championships according to selection criteria based on competition results in State competitions and the national championships over a three year period.

The members of the Australian team for this Championship are:

Christopher Bassano - Tasmania

Joshua Flowers - Tasmania

Jon Stagg - Tasmania

Tom Jarman - Victoria

Mark Bulley- NSW

David Hemphill - NSW

Craig Carey - Captain (Tasmania)

Mischa Berndtson - Manager (NSW)

What are the benefits to Tasmania?

There will be economic benefits to Tasmania flowing to hotels, restaurants, shops, and other tourist based businesses as a consequence of the participation in the Championship of teams and their supporters (estimated to number at least a few hundred). Teams are likely to be in Tasmania practising and competing for two to three weeks. A number of team representatives (from England, New Zealand, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland and the Netherlands) have already visited Tasmania during the past six months to practise on the competition water and check out accommodation etc.

It is anticipated that in the years that follow the Championship many competitors will return on a number of occasions to visit the friends made during the Championship and to further enjoy the spectacular wild Tasmanian fishery.

Infrastructure improvements for anglers.

Several important infrastructure projects were planned and are underway which will benefit Tasmanian anglers. For example, the road into Woods Lake has been upgraded, toilet facilities are being constructed at 13 lakes and greater angler access is planned for the Meander River.

The Championship will also be filmed by FlyLife as part of their sponsorship. This footage will showcase the Tasmanian fishery. The Championship and the related media coverage (including social media) will significantly promote Tasmania as a tourist destination.

Benefits to volunteers and spectators.

Those who host teams or otherwise assist them during their practice fishing or who are controllers or spectators will have a great opportunity to see and learn new fly fishing skills. Competition anglers are always refining techniques and fly patterns to give them an advantage. Some of the developments that have originated from competition fishing include bead head flies, a full range of barbless hook styles, European style nymphing, the use of long lightweight rods, specialist fly line designs and new fly patterns.

The Championship will bring together approximately 250 visitors and many locals who share a passion for fly fishing. Apart from cementing friendships with each other competitors will form friendships with many Australians that will endure for years into the future. These friendships provide Australians with the opportunity to visit other countries and to be introduced to some of the best fly fishing those countries have to offer.

The Championship will showcase what competition fly fishing is all about and it is hoped that those who watch the Championship will be encouraged to participate in the sport. Not everyone gets to fish at this level but competing at State and National level or at a different international level (eg, at Commonwealth, Oceania and World Masters championships) are all opportunities to learn new skills and to form friendships with other fly fishers. The sport is welcoming and encouraging to all.