After last year’s difficult nomination competition, I became a member of the Czech A- Team for the first time in my career. This time the World Championship took place in Poland. However, I was not the only newbie. There was also my colleague from our team in Jaroměř - Roman Jörka. The rest of our team were experienced experts such as Martin Drož, Antonin Pešek and Tomáš Adam. The team manager was Martin Musil and the team captain was Tomáš Starýchfojtů.

Before the championship we had a planned training in Poland, however, due to floods we had to cancel it. Even our departure to Poland was complicated by floods, however, even bigger ones. Despite all these problems we started our journey to Poland, and we looked forward to specific fishing experience. The competition water, the San river, was too high to fish in it, thus we had to fish in adjacent smaller rivers and the lake.

The first practice on the lake did not finish well, because in a terrible heat we caught only two fish. In the riverlets it was much better, but in comparison with the competition river, these riverlets were only streams, which did not provide us any information. Therefore, we were impatiently expecting the first day when we are allowed to start in the streams of the San river and two days before the end of the unofficial preparation we finally could. The section, where we could fish, however, was very short and also other teams wanted to try their art in a big river, thus it was quite stuck. Even despite these conditions we caught a few fish with nymphs and dry flies.

We put all our effort into official practice sessions. For this kind of preparation, sections between the venues were selected, and from the reservoir was flowing such an amount of water that was planned for the competition itself. When we were nymphing, we were using the French style and the best worked the gray nymph with pink ribs and silver or copper tungsten bead. This all was tied on the jig hook # 14. With this technique I was using the tippet of a diameter 0.12 mm. As a dry fly I prepared CDC Grey Sedge with orange tag (size 12 and 14) and nylon in this case I had of a diameter 0.10 mm.

In the first period I was fishing on the Myczkowce lake, which is the equalizing reservoir of the large Solina reservoir in the upper part (venue I). In the boat I had balloted Mr. Ruiz from Spain, he was also a newbie at the World Championship. After about half an hour we found some fish and we managed to get them successfully out of water. We were lucky that we were in these places among the first and we were there together only with two more boats. I caught fourteen trouts and I was the second in my group. I was fishing with a big black streamer with a silver bead and as a dropper the black lure with green elements and silver bead worked well. I had this team on a sinking line Di - 3 with a leader of diameter 0.18 mm. My colleague in the boat caught nine fish and he was also satisfied with his fifth place.

In the second period I was also fishing in the lake in the lower section - venue II, where there were less trouts. This time I was on the boat with the Belgian captain Nicolas Hennes, who was fishing well. He finally got three trouts and finished fourth. I could not meet any fish. We were drifting in the places, where Tomáš Adam was successful in the morning, but without any strikes. About half an hour before the end I had a strike, but the fish broke the leader. During the next drift across the same place I lost the trout not far from the net and the third strike I got the fish. I had one fish and I was really happy for that. I knew that every catch was important and with this fish I was placed sixteen instead of twenty-six in the case of no catch. Then, my still water part of the Championship was over, and I could look forward to the river competitions.

In the third period I was in the San. I had a large shallow plain with an island in the middle. According to the competition rules we could go to see the island to see what is behind. I had used this possibility and in the middle of a shallow stream I noticed a small parallel furrow. I told myself that I will try it firstly there. After quarter of an hour I had three fish and this was good for the beginning. I was fishing both graylings, and brownies.

I was walking along the plain and from time to time I noticed a rise on the surface. Thus, I also took the dry fly, but without any bigger success. Fish came to the fly, but did not more rise. However, I was able to get them with the aforementioned Grey Threaded Nymph. After two hours I had seven fish and I thought I still have better places ahead of me, because before me there were two successful competitors. Probably there were better places, but I did not manage to get more fish there. I caught there only one trout and two of them I lost. I was fourth in this round and three competitors who were there before me had only one fish more.   The last day of the championship was all-day long and strong rain, but for the Czech team these were happy rain drops. In the fourth round I was first in the group in slowly cloudy-getting water. I caught majority of fish with a dry fly either freely sailing on the surface or quickly drawn under surface. Guys in other sectors were also doing well and immediately we jumped from the fifth place on the third only with a small loss to the leading Polish team.

The last round decided all. I was fishing again in a large, but this time relatively deep plain, where really big fish were rising. But they did not show any interest in my flies. However, I managed to get six fish with a dry fly; the biggest of them was a brownie 41cm and the last seventh catch I got with a nymph. Even in this round I was the first.

Guys were fishing really well, too. And we only needed to wait how all will finish. When we were having dinner, Jiri Pejchar came as a herald of good news of good news and we could enjoy the gold medal for the Czech team. I was happy that I could be a member of such a successful team, and I have to thank to all team members for a great co-operation. After last year’s gold medal from the European Championship in Ireland I could extend my small collection by another gold medal – this time from the World Championship.

Author: Pavel Chyba