Competition is not everyone’s cup of tea, however E.L.F.A. runs the two events which have a more ‘serious’ side to them which are all about choosing teams to represent England in the Home International and European Championships. If your preference is not to be involved on the competitive side then these two events are probably not for you, however this is just a small part of what E.L.F.A. is about. There are many other events, which should suit you.
In fact E.L.F.A. was established to primarily promote flyfishing for and amongst ladies. In this respect we hold various events annually and try to get as many members and non-members to attend to meet this aim. The majority of the events are not competitive and are fun and social occasions, with the opportunity to meet fellow lady and indeed male anglers who fully support the inclusion of ladies in the sport, improve your skill and knowledge and expand this great sport.
However E.L.F.A. participation in the Home International and European Championships serves many purposes, one of which is key in the overall scheme of things; that is to raise the profile of ladies in the overall angling community. We have been very successful in this respect and we are the most successful Home International Association in terms of membership and competition results and are recognised as such. We are now competing against our male counterparts in Europe and have started to turn heads with our performances, which can only help ensure we are taken seriously and lady anglers are accepted as the norm. So even if you do not want to compete, please be aware of the positive impact that the ladies who do represent England can have on the perception of females in angling.
If you do wish to represent your country you will need to know the following. If not join us anyway and join in on the many other events.
Criteria to Fish in the Home International:
The Home International is an annual event fished between, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (usually in the month of June). Each country takes it in turn to host the event; 2006 Wales, 2007 England, 2008 Scotland and 2009 Ireland.
This competition is fished from drifting boats (loch Style – specific rules apply). Each team comprises 14 anglers and a travelling reserve.
If you want to be one of those 15 anglers here’s how to do it:
The Top 4 anglers from the previous Home International automatically pre-qualify for the next Home International, this provides a core of a team with knowledge and experience.
To identify the other 11 anglers a competition is held annually (Loch Style National competition), usually in August on one of the reservoirs in England. Any ‘English’ lady can enter the competition, the entry form will be posted on the website in advance of the competition or will be available from the membership secretary. You do not have to be a member of ELFA to compete but if you are successful and want to represent you country you must join ELFA to be part of the Confederation of English Flyfishers and be covered by our Insurance.
The competition is of 8 hours duration and a fish limit is usually set. The result is determined by weight of fish caught and we identify the top 11 anglers as well as the pre-qualifiers to represent England the following year. The winner becomes the Ladies National Champion, holds the trophy for a year and has their name engraved upon it.
Criteria to fish the Rivers National
Any ‘English’ lady can enter the competition, the entry form will be posted on the website in advance of the competition or will be available from the membership secretary. You do not have to be a member of ELFA to compete but if you are successful and want to represent you country you must join ELFA to be part of the Confederation of English Flyfishers and be covered by our Insurance.
The competition will be held on a designated river is of 6 hours duration (2, three hour sessions) and is a catch and release competition, with each angler having a controller to measure the fish. The result is determined by points awarded for number of and length of fish caught. The winner becomes the Ladies Rivers Champion, holds the trophy for a year and has their name engraved upon it.
Criteria to fish the European Championship
The European Championship is an annual event fished between the European Countries (usually held in the months of June or July), the majority of teams entered are male competitors. The Confederation of English Fly Fishers usually receives an invite for two teams and has to date offered the second invite to E.L.F.A. to enter a team (some countries enter two male teams). The European Championship is mainly a rivers based competition and therefore the E.L.F.A. holds a rivers National competition annually (usually in the months of September or October).
To fish in the European Championship an assessment is held for Ladies who meet the following criteria:
i) Top 10 competitor in the ELFA Rivers National
ii) Top 10 competitor in the ELFA Loch style National
iii) Having fished in the European Championships, current year
If you meet the criteria you can chose to be assessed and be part of the 5 strong team, plus a travelling reserve to go to the European Championships, 2006 Slovenia, 2007 Norway, 2008 Eire.
The assessment is necessary in order to establish that you possess the necessary skills and equipment to represent England in a very competitive and quite challenging environment. All candidates will receive full feedback to help them develop as required.