Water champion result!

10/05/2005

Anglers from the North East landed prestigious prizes and trophies at a national fly fishing competition.

Northumbrian Water’s six-man team were placed third overall in the Water Industry Game Fishing Championships (WIGFiC) held at Derwent Reservoir in County Durham – missing out on the top trophy by just a couple of fish.

Some 115 fly fishers from throughout England and Wales cast lines for rainbow and blue trout at the competition hosted by Northumbrian Water. (on Saturday 7 May)

Teams representing the big ten water and sewerage companies, the Environment Agency regions and head office together with British Waterways were invited to take part.

This year Hardy & Greys Ltd – Northumberland’s own world-famous tackle company joined regular sponsor Saint-Gobain Pipelines to supply a host of prizes and gifts.

Northumbrian Water’s Brian Lillie from Gosforth, who works at Washington waste water treatment works, was third individual and a section winner catching a limit bag of eight trout before the competition finished to add a time bonus to his score.

Scott Everett, from Cowshill, County Durham and based at Hexham also won his section with six fish and was placed 11th; Alan Bland, from Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland, finished second in his section with five fish and 31st overall and Peter Pattinson from Newcastle, who also works at Hexham, came 17th with four fish. Phil Wagget, from Blaydon was 65th.

Northumbrian Water’s team captain Alistair Baker, from Stanley, County Durham, who finished 38th with three fish, said: “This was a tremendous team effort and we are very proud to have made the top three against such strong competition which included many international and expert anglers. It was also particularly pleasing to do so well on our home patch and keeps the Northumbrian Water flag flying in the national spotlight.”

All 115 competitors together caught 224 trout – the biggest weighing 6lb 2oz – and there were six, eight fish limit bags. Weather conditions were extremely challenging. A team from Anglian Water finished first catching 27 fish, second was a team from the Environment Agency Wales who caught 28 fish and Northumbrian Water weighed in 26 fish.

Further information from Alistair Baker, Comnmunications and PR manager on 0191 301 6851 or mobile: 07711 793 493.