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Since our establishment, we have already twice out to the World Cup for clubteams. We can assure you that it's not only a honour to present your country, but that it is a great experience as well.
On this page, you can first read the report of the 2009 World Championship in Kühlungsborn, Germany. Scroll, and you find beneath the report of the World Chamionship 2008 in Montalivet, France.

Finally, it's the end of October 2009! More than a year after the entry throughout the NK, we went to Kühlungsborn. The Championship was held in the Baltic, in the area of Rostock, in the former GDR. We were accompanied by the teams of Edelkarper/Spro and EGHV Goes, and 14 other teams.
The day after the Dutch National Championship 2009 Arthur (by the train), Ed and Rob travelled already to Germany for a week to explore. The Organization had chosen for 5 potential places to fish, so it was a matter as far as possible to practise, so we would not be surprised in the week after.
The water was found to be extremely clear and shallow, so up to two meter. In daylight, there was little to catch, but as soon as the twilight came, fish came to the shore, in particular cod and bot. Nevertheless, we managed to catch fish during the whole day, especially when the wind came out of the sea end the water was "dirty". Soon it was clear, however, that it would be difficult to catch the needed large fish (cod 38 cm and flounder 25 cm).
Wednesday night Gilles arrived, followed bij Martin and Eric on thursday morning and the team was complete. From this day on we jointly trained from 15:00-20:00, the specified game times.
The Morada Resort, where we were housed, was excellent. Large rooms and good food. Although we had in the first week also dinner in a local restaurant, where for a few euro's a gigantic food was served, and to the Chinese who was specialized in spicy dishes.
From now on, the days were stand up, having breakfast, making lines, lunch, sleep, fish, dine and sleep. We created and exchanged the most advanced lines, although it should appear that British and Italians had fine variants to their lines.
The bait would consist of an ounce ringwurms, 100 wurms and a herring. Herring was not well known to us and had to be trained with. That is why Arthur was convicted tot fish only with herring. To everyone's surprise, however, he caught a nice sea trout, but in the game does not count toward this species. A lot of talk with each other, locals, and the Spro-team on Thursday and Friday was delivering a wealth of information; however, we had a bad luck by carefully kept wurms not survive the night. Fortunately, the local tackle-shop had some and so we were able to fish the last training full. We were now able to catch the fish very well, so now was the only question of where the last free training day we would practice.
At this time the Organization of the Championship was present and we learned that the entire Championshipp would be on the same beach. Where: the beach along the boulevard of Kühlungsborn. As a result, we would automatically be our last free session on this beach to fish. This Saturday, we got the confirmation of what we had invented and we caught on the expected times the expected amount of fish. In general, the fish was caught on the border between rocks and sand, some 80-100 metres from the shore. The more rough te water was, the closer the fish was to get, sometimes only 25 meters from the shore! The far launchers could throw over the sand and fish on a second rocky zone on a 150 meter. Here, too, it was able to catch the fish. In addition, it was very important in the clear water to keep the bait in motion by from time to time just to "snokken" to the line, or even to move the bait a few centimeters. Several times, this action summitted in a curved rod.

The opening ceremony was held on Sunday. This was outside and it was a very cold. First we went by a little train to the start, and there we had to wait till the parade began. Fortunately, it was a long march of half an hour, so that made us a little warm. On a square, the always important words expressed by the Mayor and other members of the German Federation and representatives of the then FIPS/Mer were spoken. The Championship was opened by a big gun salvo, where the Dutch participants have been able to cover just in time. After the ceremony we had a nice drink with the Dutch and Belgian teams.

Monday was the official training day, and there were good waves and wind. Because in daylight so little fish was caught, the officials decided tot start the matches an hour later. So we would fish the championship 4 hours each match, with one rod a person with two hooks. For the day-results, the four best members of the five memberteam count: the worst didn't. This training game there was a lot of fish caught and Ed even made the individual day victory. Our team was with force majeure first and we had again the confirmation of our findings. However, this game does not count toward. Tomorrow, it will start!!!

The first match on Tuesday, the circumstances were different from the training day. The wind came out of our back and thus were directly reduced catches. Instead of trying to catch as much large fisches as we could, it was the question of how to make sure to catch one fish! In spite of the individual second place of Ed, we eventually only had three men with fish. Gilles and Eric were not able to catch any large fish. The end result was very disapointing, a ninth place over-all, and that is a great failure. The two German teams deal with the 1st and 2nd place for the English team and the team of S.C. Marinella from Italy.

Wednesday is the second match and the weather is windy, snowy and angry. Much wind from the Baltic gave solid waves, but that's interesting the fish. It's snowing the first part of the match and the southern teams are very cold. Our local weeny Gilles approached as a pinguin the water. Martin had analysed all previous catches in his lap-top, so we knew what catches could be expected. This showed that we had drawn no bad places, although there was doubt of the chances Gilles had on his place. There was a lot of fish this match. The winner had even more than 700 catch points (= centimeters + 10 points per fish). Ed, however, again did very well, this time a third place, over-all. The other expectations became true, and so we ended on a third place. This increased us to the fourth place, over-all.

Now we were half way through the Championship and it is going all-right. In the knowledge that the next two days the wind would be blowing to the sea and that every team once has a bad day, there are still all opportunities.
This was the third match on Thursday and it's very exciting. Indeed, the catches, proved to be a lot less. Martin caught very soon his first fish, but it was only towards the end of the game Ed and Gilles succeded to catch theirs. Rob sees his top moving the first time when the end signal sounds. "Aber, er hat geklingelt!" Then speculation started and soon it appeared that in addition to our team but few teams four members had caught fish. However, by the poor catches have those who have caught nothing not too much points to the pants. Indeed, in the final outcome it appeared that even teams with three men with fish ended before us in the ranking! Ed achieves with his one fish again a section victory and end as individual fourth over-all. We score a 7th place as team. The intermediate position is totally shaken this day, and the teams are now closer to each other. We keep the fourth place in the ranking. Tomorrow, the last day, everything is possible for us: to finish on the 10th place, but also the Championship is within range.

The last day, we hope that a good drawing lots, because with the expected bad fishing that should be very important. Arthur draws, not the worst numbers, so we are confident to this last match and go for the championship.
All expectations became true again, because there is very little fish caught. In section A for example only 5 fish are caught by 17 fishermen! Fortunately, Eric got the two largest and is therefore a sectionwinner. In section B, Gilles very quickly catches a but and a cod. He's lucky and becomes 3rd in his section. In the other sections it is just as tragic. We already know in advance that Ed today is going to be 5th (he was already a 1, 2, 3 and 4) but it took a while... In the end he caugt a flounder of 38cm. Martin and Rob leave the beach without catching fish.

The speculation began and no team is happy. The Italians, in the lead, have only one man with fish. British runner up, but two man with fish, and also the German favourites has only three men with fish. The ranking is, because of this, uncertain. It's certain that the results cause a shuffle in the ranking. This last match only 60 fishes were caught by 85 fishermen.
Then 23:30... Today, we finish fourth, Spain (!!) wins the last match. It is true the British and the Italians get a lot of points, but they save the medals! Our team ends on 1 point of the podium in fourth place. A very good result with a nasty feeling.

The German team of Sachsen-Anhalt is world champion, for the English team and S.C. Marinella from Italy. Ed is 2nd in the individual League, as last year in Montalivet.
All in all it was a perfectly organized World Cup with a good result.

Diary of the Worldchampionship Surfcasting in 2008, Montavilet France

Thursday, May 22th, 2008

After a long smooth travel we arrived after taking the ferry from Royan to Le Verdon sur Mer at the coast of Montalivet, a quit village directly at the beach. Normally this village is as good as deserted and only a handfull of people live here during the cold months.
In the summer though about 40.000 people stay here to enjoy the peace and quiet and the sea.
Montalivet is thé nudist centre of France so it takes quite soe adjustment to fit into this group of nude people.
After arriving at the park we were situated in some kind of baraks, 3 guys in one barak is pretty tight with no refrigerator or comfort available. Also there is no fridge in the park so it was a good thing that we brought our own cooler boxes.
At a price of 40 euro per person a night this is pretty expensive to say the least because it is hardly impossible to keep three people in this house.

On the first night (Thursday night after arrival) we first met up with the Spro-team who had a arrived a day early to get an impression about the beach and the fishing.
You can compare the beach with the beaches we have at ‘s Gravensande, Holland, only the species are different, dorades, smooth tope, triggerfish, starry weaver, seabass en French seabass (dotted), golden grey mullet and plain grey mullets.
Arjan Rijnberg (Spro-team) had already cought two smooth tope over 3 feet and some small seabass, dorades en mullet.
After a tyering first day from the trip and getting a first impression of what the fishing was like we went to bed at 23.00hours.

Friday, May 23th, 2008

Got up early and grabbed the rods to do some pre-competition fishing on the beach where the competition will take place. We took ragworms as bait.
The weather is great and the catches pretty good, , small seabass, both the normal as the French seabass, a few mullet, dorades, starry weaver and a triggerfish, no garfish.
Eric Goossens (Spro-team) cought a nice smooth tope of over three feet and Jan Stam lost one in the last minutes.
In the evening we went back fishing again together with Erik and Edwin who had just arrived from Holland, but unfortunately with no result.

Saturday, May 24th, 2008

With the complete teams of Fishtales-Greys and Spro-Gamakatsu we go pre-competition fishing on the competition beach area.
The fishing is tough for small seabass, mullet and a few dorades, the fishing is a lot less than the days before but we know by now how to fish in this area.
After dining with the cougth tarbotten and tongen by Edwin we picked up the rods again and started fishing from the beach on the campsite, good fishing for starry weaver and seabass upto 12inch. No bigger fish was cought.
At 23.00 hours we are back at the campsite and we feel confident so we got together with various other teams for a drink and a laugh.

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

Today is the official opening of the competition so we all dressed up in the National colors and drove in a long line to Montalivet were we parked in the village centre.
In a parade we walked to city hall were various speaches were held by officials and the Mayor. Unfortunately it was all in French so we all applouded after every speech not knowing what it was all about.
After playing the National anthems and the introduction of the various teams we were treated with wine, nuts and various hors douvre’s so we enjoyed the hospitality.
After an hour we said goodby and the teams went fishing on the sunny beach.
Again the fishing was not easy aiming at small seabass and mullet, Erik Remijn cought a nice mullet.
Toon Marijnissen(spro-team) and Arthur van tienen had to go to a captainsmeeting and a draw for the positions for the first competition day.
At 17.30 hour we went for a Mediterranian drink and after an excellent meal we went to bed at 23.00 with the knowledge that the smallest detail would make the difference at this W.C.
Tommorrow we are facing the first official competition day.

Greetings

Arthur

Monday May 26th, 2008, official training day

After several days of unofficial traning it is now getting serious and today at 12.15 we get our baits handed out, 1 box of small ragworm, 2 boxes of korean ragworm and 1 box of vers de tube, a sort of ragworms in a tube.
Fish was not available because of French fisherman being on strike, but we expect to have fish as bait available on the first competition day. Most fish though are cought on ragworms.

At 17.00 we drive to the competition beach and start training at 19.00.
Because of all the training we had already done we knew how to approach so we cought mullet in the shallow areas, while fishing for small fish like very small seabass was not a real challenge.
Fishing long distance didn’t really pay off so things had to happen in the brakers or close to them.

The Fishtales-Greys team made a tactical move to fish long distance and have a close look at the local teams from France because this area has no secrets for them.
The draw showed that the Fishtales-Greys team fished next to the Spro-team, with two French teams on either side and an Italian team next to that.

The French took of with a kick start and fished like mad during the training day, we quitly watched and analised all the French did and especially what they didn’t do.
Rob Penseelde (Spro team) lost a big fish, probably a tope or a drum.
The Spro team fished with all kinds of leaders and all kinds of distances.
The result of the training session is not really worth mentioning.
The Spro team came in 9th and the Fishtales-Greys twam 12th.
Fish that were cought were mainly mullets, thin lipped and goldmullet, trigger fish, starry weaver, a couple off garfish, seabass, french seabass and a couple of dorades.

We learned a lot of the way the French fished and because of this we adjusted our hook lenghts next to the hook lenghts we are confident with.
Let’s go to the first competition day!

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 first competition day

We got up eartly for breakfast at 8.30, by the way all meals are excellent here!
Shortly after we analyse yesterdays training. Making and adjusting hooklenghts takes us a couple of hours so this took all morning.
Because the competition area is the same for all 4 days we checked the place were we fished yesterday when the waterlevel is low to get an impression of the bottom situation.
To relax the Spro team went for a walk after lunch while Fishtales-Greys took a short nap.
At 16.30 we picked up the bait and travelled to the competition beach.
After checking out some other teams like the French and Italians (who were left and right to us) at 18.30 the start signal sounded.
Immediately the French, Portugese and Spanish teams started catching trigger fish and the garfish we had not seen all week suddenly hit the bank. The mullets were almost nowhere to be found so it was the case to change very quickly to a different kind of fishing.

After some changes the Dutch teams slowly came into rhythm and started to catch some good fish, trigger fish, seabass, french seabass (looks like a seatrout), small mackerel, mullet and Rob Punselie cought the biggest fish of the day, a drum of 1 kilo.
Arjan Rijberg (Spro team) cought a lot of fish and became overall winner for the first day.

Arjan Rijnberg (Spro team) was first in his section, Martin van der Drift also first in his section, Rob Punselie 2th in his section, Eric Goosssens (Spro team) 3th in his section, Edwin van Tienen 6th, Jan Stam (spro-team) 7th, Jan Hennekam (Spro-team) 7th, Gilles Traas 12th
Remi Lindhout (Spro-team) 14th, Erik Remijn 17th.
After the first day the Spro team on the 4th place as a team and Fishtales-Greys 5th, a good start!!
Arthur

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008, second competition day

After a short night of sleep we got up early for a typical French breakfast, croissants with butter and jam and a good cup of black coffee. The emotions of yesterday were evaluated and teamwise we discussed various options of adjusting hook lenghts etc.
We have to compliment the organisation because everything is firm and well organised, the food is fantastic and the atmosphere is great.
The bait is picked up at 12.00 and we leave to the shore at 14.00, to start with the second competition day.
When we drove off the sun was so actively present that nobody could expect that the weather would turn that day.
After an hour of fishing we saw a big thunderstorm coming up from the east wich luckily got stuck just in fron tof the coast, the organisation was keen and had a light arrow ready to cancel the match but fortunately the thunderstorm stayed a small distance from us.

The competition was one with many faces and big changes. Edwin, Rob and Martin had a spot that was filled with mullets an hour before the match started but when they set up their rods the tide changed and when the start sigal sounded with regret they saw the fish move out with the tide. Rob aswell as Edwin managed to catch one.

The match was dominated bij the catching of trigger fish in A-section and harders in E-section, the other sections hardly produced any fish.
The Spro team did really well and with a 1th, a 3th and three 4th section places became leading in the competition after two days followed by the local club A.S. Agnes.

The Fishtales-Greys team had a bad day because of slim catches in the A and E and are now on the 10th place overall with 18 points.
The 3th and 4th matches will be fished tomorrow at 19.30 till 22.30 and Friday from 09.00 till 13.00 hour.

Thursday, May 29th 2008, third competition day

A day with a lot of moodswings in our Fishtales-Greys team because of the 13th place as a day result yesterday. Because this really hurt us it is important to keep our heads clear and face the days to come. Mental toughness is not given to everybody but absolutely necessary to compete on this level. The Spro team has a lot more experience in this area.
Because the next match is in the evening Martin and Erik went fishing to try some things out.
With a good feeling we started the match at 18.30.

Immediately good catches are being made on the whole match area, trekkervissen, harders en zeebaarsjes where the main fish and both teams were on speed, leaving the French including the local team far behind on their own grounds, the best feeling a competition angler can have! When it became dark Edwin van Tienen cougth 3 ombervissen and Rob Punselie ombervis. At 1.00 at night it was clear that the Fishtales-Greys team had the best result of the day followed by the Spro team.

Suddenly the scores changed and with only one match to go, the Spro-team being in 1st
Position and Fishtales-Greys in 3th after 4 days, with only one more match to go it was time to go to bed early because we had to get up at 05.00 hour for the last match.

Arthur

Friday, May 30th, 2008 last competition day

The theme for the last day was not to give an inch an go for full profit. The sunny beach with strong breakers struck big waves on the beach, ideal for mullets to look for all kinds of baits.
In the E-section that holded the most mullets the first catches were made directly after the start of the match. Not a lot of trigger fish were around so most fish had to be cought in the brakers or shortly over them. The Fishtales-Greys team aswell as the Spro team did very well although in the last half hour it became pretty tight when the Southern-Eurpeans discovered the mullets.
Soon it was clear that the Spro team had a good result and their extraordinary results had continued with winning this World Championship for teams.
After the weighing it became clear that Fishtales-Greys was had been able to continue their position and went for the bronze medal on this World championship shore fishing for teams 2008.