NZ Hosts the World Fly Fishing Champs over Easter

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Fishing at Lake Rotoaira,one of the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championship venues.

Media Release: 17 March 2008

New Zealand Hosts the World Fly Fishing Championships over Easter

The FIPS-MOUCHE World Fly Fishing Championships are being held in the central North Island over Easter week with the opening on Easter Saturday. Nineteen fly fishing teams from around the world and four individual anglers representing a further four countries will gather in Rotorua to compete for team and individual championship titles. Some teams, including the US team, return after having spent time in January when the waters were still open to competitors, becoming familiar with the venues.

Following two practice days, there are three days of competition at five different lakes and rivers involving both bank and boat fishing. Results are posted at the end of each day's competition at competition headquarters and on the website www.nzfishing.com.

The New Zealand team, the Silver Flies consists of five members, the captain and a reserve. The captain, Paul Dewar, says it is a top quality team which he believes has a great chance of taking out the world title. New Zealand won the event when it was last hosted here in 1991, and won gold in the Oceania champs against Australia last year.

Timed to coincide with the world champs, the very first NZ National Open Fly Tying Competition, sponsored by Feather Merchants and Umqua, is being held at the Kingsgate Hotel in Rotorua on Sunday 23rd March. Viewing of the flies and the master fly tiers at work is from 3 to 4.30pm.

The world champs organisers, Sports Fly Fishing New Zealand (SSFNZ), have also arranged a conservation symposium on the Rotorua Lakes Ecology and Restoration Programme to follow the competition days. This event is free and open to the public. It takes place on Saturday 29th from 10am-12.30pm also at the Kingsgate Hotel.

The five North Island rivers and lakes where the competition will take place are the Whanganui and Waihou Rivers, the Waimakariri Stream, Lake Rotoaira and Lake Otamangakau.

All anglers have a chance to fish each of the five venues. SSFNZ has had the job of selecting the fishing beats so all competitors have equal fishing opportunities and no-one is disadvantaged by the quality of the beat.

During the three-days of competition (26th-28th March) each individual angler fishes for five sessions of three hours Their catches are scored and the 25 individual session scores are collated for each team. Sector judges conduct and supervise the competition, while volunteer controllers measure the fish and ensure the rules are adhered to.
The use of felt soled (footed) boots or waders has been prohibited during the world championships due to the threat posed by the invading water algae, didymo. Though present in some South Island rivers, didymo has so far not been detected in any North Island waters. Inspections of fishing gear are likely to be carried out as competition team members and guests enter New Zealand.
The 2009 World Fly Fishing Championships are being held in Scotland.
ENDS

For further information:
www.nzfishing.com (see Fly Fishing Events)
www.2008worldflyfishingchamps.com

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