Bristol Reservoir Fly Fishers Association (BRFFA), in conjunction with long-standing sponsor, Orvis UK, hosted their annual Floating Line Classic competition at Chew Valley Lake on Sunday, 15th June.

The match attracted a field of more than fifty anglers from all corners of the UK, including a number of competitors travelling from Wales and Cornwall.

As the match commenced, the majority of the field headed towards Herons Green Bay, Moreton Point and Stratford and the dam basin.

Successful tactics ranged from teams of small imitative nymphs fished static to dry flies fished in the surface film. Despite the strength of and depth of competitors, bright and breezy conditions and only occasional cloud made Chew's immaculate rainbow and brown trout fairly illusive. As the match competitors gathered around the scales, it quickly became apparent that England International, Mark Withyman, with six fish weighing 19lb 6oz, including a specimen rainbow of just less than 5lb, would be enough to secure first place.

The BRFFA's next competition for boat and bank anglers is the TroutWatch Hidden Teams, which will be held on Chew Valley Lake on 27th July.