The England Youth Fly Fishing team is all set for the World Angling Championships in Italy next month and aiming to beat their best recent result abroad of a bronze in USA 2007.

Dave Mee, Team Manager said “The teenage team is undaunted by the challenge of competing against the other countries. We know it will be tough to beat the host nation Italy on the Tuscany Rivers and the ever consistent Czechs. The Tevere tail waters are both challenging and quite different from anything in England.”

EYF World Team Captain Rob Thomas added “We have been practising hard for the past year, but it will still be a big test fishing a strange river under International rules as we don’t get much time to practice before the competition day.”

The 2009 EYF Captain, and now the team’s Coach and mentor, Lisa Isles added “The team have developed and honed their skills with EYF, both at home, and abroad in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The World Angling Games this year present a fantastic opportunity to fish and represent England as well as making lifelong friends around the World. It will be an awesome experience for all.”

The EYF team will be competing as part of the Angling Trust’s Team England for the first time and one of over 20 teams competing in the Coarse, Sea and Fly Fishing World Championships all taking place at various locations in Italy this summer.

The full team will consist of:
Rob Thomas from Kent
Tom Gott from Yorkshire
Carl Malpass from County Durham
Oliver Avis from Manchester
James Atkinson from Lancashire

You can follow the team’s performance on Facebook at England Youth Fly Fishing World Championships. Also the Youth Team fishing in the Home International in Scotland both in July on www.eyfa.co.uk.