Leading anglers to compete for title on North river

All text copied & pasted from the Northern Echo web site as it will change if
I post the link...

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A COMPETITION to find England's best river fisherman will be held in the
North-East for the first time tomorrow, where it could put a new angling
centre on the international map.

Thirty-two of the country's leading anglers will compete in this year's
English National Fly Fishing Championships on the River Wear, near Bishop
Auckland, County Durham.

They will be based in Bishop Auckland Angling Club's new headquarters at the
Wadsworth Angling Centre, near Witton Park, now recognised as one of the best
facilities in the country.

There are already plans for the contest to return there next year, and for the
centre to be used for the next England home international.

The centre opened last year after a 300,000 pound building programme,
part-financed by the Countryside Agency and Environment Agency, and is home to
the Get Hooked on Fishing project, which aims to encourage youngsters to take
up angling instead of crime.

Defending champion Dave Mee, from Yorkshire, faces strong competition tomorrow
from North-East finalists including the 1999 winner Dr Jonathan Barnes, Simon
Robinson, from Whickham, Gates-head, Alan Jenkins, from Washington, Wearside,
and Paul Davison, from Ponteland, near Newcastle.

Peter Godfrey, secretary of the Confederation of English Fly Fishing, said:
"We have a very, very high-class field, including six members of the English
international team, which came eighth in the recent world championships in
Slovakia.

"The top five anglers on Friday will become the English Rivers Team and take
on rivals from Wales, Scotland and Ireland in 2005."

The contest is hosted by Bishop Auckland, Willington and Ferryhill angling
clubs on four river beats from Witton Park to Croxdale Viaduct.

Mr Godrey said: "This is the first time we have held these championships in
the North-East, and it is the keenness and co-operation of the three angling
clubs which has made it possible."

Bishop Auckland Angling Club chairman Eddie Burrows, said: "The Wear is a
fantastic river, and the facilities we have developed at Wadsworth are
second-to-none.

"It is a great honour to be co-hosting the national championships and we are
all secretly hoping for a local winner."
--
Nick in Northallerton
www.whelan.me.uk
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