Provisional Results of the 2008 World Fly Fishing Champs

The provisional results at the end of the three day competition are summarised below.

The confirmed final results are expected to be available by mid morning on Satuday 29th March. The full results will be published at the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championship website.

 Provisional team placings after the third and final day

Provisional top individual placings after the third and final day

The most fish caught in a single session at each venue was:

Whanganui River: 37 (Day 1)

Waimakariri River: 37 (Day 1)

Waihou River: 35 (Day 1)

Lake Rotoaira: 10 (Day 2)

Lake Otamangakau: 16 (Day 3)

The longest fish caught at each venue was:

Whanganui River: 580mm (Day 3)

Waimakariri River: 560 mm (Day 3)

Waihou River: 494mm (Day 2)

Lake Rotoaira: 604mm (Day 2)

Lake Otamangakau: 689mm (Day 2)

Day 1: Wednesday 26th March

The first two sessions were very successful with a large number of fish caught, measured and released. After two sessions on the Waihou one controller measured 61 fish on one beat.

The most fish caught in a 3-hour session was 37 on the Waimakariri River (by Ivica Magdic of Croatia in session 1 and Yann Caleri of France in session 2) while Donald Thom of Canada caught the longest fish at 624mm.

Competitors are saying it's the most fantastic tournament they've been to and John Horsey of the English team is already planning his next trip back to New Zealand.

Day 2: Thursday 2th March

The longest fish at 689mm was caught by John Horsey of England.

This most fish caught in a single 3-hour sesion on Day 2 was 31, while the honour of catching the most fish over the first two days goes to Tomas Starychfojtu of the Czech Republic with 91 fish.

Day 3

In a close run contest between the Czech Republic and New Zealand, the Czech team has won the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championships. The two teams alternated as the winners of the competition sessions on the first two days, but the Czech team clinched it today, the third and final day, beating New Zealand in both sessions. (The Czech Republic the fifth, and Italy the final session).

Martin Deoz of the Czech Republic was the top placed individual angler. The best performing member of the New Zealand's was Des Armstrong who came 6th overall.

Ville-Antti Jaakkola of Finland caught a 688mm fish on Day 3, almost equalling the longest 689mm one caught by John Horsey of England the previous day.

All the teams are celebrating in Rotorua tonight but after a week of early starts, can perhaps catch up on some sleep before the 10am conservation symposium on the restoration of the Rotorua lakes.

In Olympic style, Saturday's 4pm closing ceremony includes a procession down the main street of Rotorua.

Team

New Zealand's started strongly as the winning team after Session 1, but were edged into second place at the end of the day after the second session, by the Czech team.

The Czech team won the third session, but New Zealand the fourth, with the result that at the end of Day 2 New Zealand was again in the lead.

But with the Czech team beating New Zealand in both sessions on Day 3, the provisional results have New Zealand in second place.

Individual

Provisional individual placings at the end of the championship are:

Lloyd Struthers was the indiviudal winner of both session 1 on the Waihou River (35 fish) and session 5 on the Whanganui River (29 fish).

For full details see the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championship website.