Report from our affiliate Club of An Garda Siochana covering the European Police Champs in Belgium. Maver Garda Team exacts sweet revenge in Belgium. The Roeselare Canal in Belgium on the 19th and 20th September 2014 was the venue for the 27th European Police Freshwater fishing championships where the 7 man, IFI and Maver backed Irish Garda team hoped to overturn their second place of September 2012, in Castleblayney, when they were surprisingly beaten by the Belgium team, on our home water. If we were to challenge the Belgians on this, their notoriously complicated and technical water, all the stops would need to be pulled out. With this in mind the team manager and captain Richard Caplice travelled with team members Donncha Maguire, Derek O ‘Raw and Jason Furlong two days early, on Friday 12th Sept, to study a high level local club match, that we knew was to be fished on the section on Saturday 13th. This decision was to prove invaluable, since much information was gleaned from what we saw, including the fact that the event to come would be very difficult due to many factors, including bait choice and mix, method choice and mix, line distance choice, especially on the feeder and Bolo, with 13 metres being the standard on the pole, needing 4 to 1 Leam to Ground bait sweetened, heavy joker mix and only Ground bait on the inside line for Roach, introduced on both lines when water conditions/stability allowed. The arrival late Saturday evening by van, of the three remaining team members Eamonn Bracken, Ernie Henderson and Niall Mc Kitterick saw us get down to business and ready for first practice, canal side by 7.30am on Sunday morning. Armed with a huge selection of quality bait, worm, caster, mandatory white maggot and white pinkie from Irish Bait& Tackle Services Ltd and Peter Nicholson and vast amounts of quality Ukrainian Joker and Blood worm we tackled each line from 7.30am each morning, leaving the bank side at 6pm each evening to assimilate what was found and move on towards a comprehensive team plan for both competition days. The conditions during some days of heavy shipping on the canal were difficult if not downright frustrating with Tsunami type waves and water flows sometimes experienced, necessitating a very special approach to joker and other bait introduction and top up, after the conditions returned to normal following each ship and barge ship running through. Ideas chopped and changed until the Mandatory practice on Thursday, when the after practice team meeting, saw us unanimously arriving at a very strategic and what was to be the almost perfectly fine tuned plan of attack. An elaborate section and peg draw was conducted after the fine buffet presentation on Thursday night, when Garda club member Joe Kiernan kindly assisted by conference call from Dublin and we were pleased to see that all draws were favourable if not spectacular for day one on the pole, with at least two fully unfancied pegs drawn for day two, on the rod and line. We went to our respective pegs on Friday morning 19th September in the certain knowledge that we had worked out a good team plan and barring accident or something overlooked we would do very well. Indeed the result of the weighing at 4pm following 5 hours of gruelling fishing in 30degrees vindicated that confidence, with a total of 25.5 points amassed. This was achieved competing against 22 teams, by our 5 team members on the IFI backed Team Maver National side, of Capt. Richard Caplice on 3 pts., Ernie Henderson on 3 pts., Eamonn Bracken on 3.5 pts. Niall Mc Kitterick on 6 pts. and Donncha Maguire on 10.5 pts. The 13 metre line was the main target of our team, fishing bloodworm over a Leam and groundball sweet mix, laced with joker. On the inside line we augmented out weights, fishing over the shelf on the 6 and 7 metre line fishing bloodworm or caster just off the deck over Ground bait and joker , with mostly great effect, for the few Roach that were available on some pegs. We quietly considered day one’s exploits, as a massive result, following a truly massive performance from each man which left us on 25.5 pts. leading Hungary and Germany jointly on 39 pts and England a further 9 points adrift. Some caution was reserved for day two on the Rod and line Saturday the 20th September, with Ernie Henderson and Donncha Maguire on pegs not producing but confidence was still high that we could bring home the ultimate spoils and hold on for a very special win in Belgium. Our team battled it out, in an unseasonal for us, 31degrees on day two, with most members sticking to the 20 metre line on the feeder and only reverting to Bolo in close, as a line of last resort, where Ground bait and Joker only was employed, with constant introductions of small numbers of recently turned quality Irish caster. Bloodworm and Caster separately was the hook bait of choice here, on different rigs on the bolo. This line was magnificently to be our saviour, as two people, Richard Caplice and Niall Mc Kitterick caught all of their fish (6kgs approx.) on that line on the bolo, amassing great team points, while Eamonn Bracken, Ernie Henderson and Donncha Maguire mostly stuck it out for bonus fish and maximum possible points on the feeder and a splendid 1st in section in Eamon’s case. With a lead of 15 points, we had the luxury of being able to afford some big points returns and Ernie, on a grim peg, did return a hard fought 19 pts., followed by Donncha on 11.5 pts. from an equally difficult spot. When the points of Niall on 6 pts., Richard on 4pts and a magnificent 1st in section by Eamonn came through, it was rightly felt that we had more than done enough to take the spoils and would be European champions. The final tally of 67 great points showed, that we had maintained our 15 point lead, with Hungary just holding off Germany for 2nd spot and fancied Maver team England while improving on day two, had to be satisfied with the dreaded 4th place. The final team tally of 67 points headed the entire field of 22 teams by a great 15 point margin with the hapless Belgium team down in 6th place on 135 points almost double our team tally, following some very difficult experiences on this, a thoroughly tough venue, which was technically extremely difficult, given all the prevailing circumstances, fish varieties and method approaches. Our two travelling reserves practiced wonderfully all week and would have merited inclusion in the fist team but for lack of competition experience. Both Jason and Derek were included in mixed teams for the two day competition and both finished in the top 30 of 110 individually, while Jason helped the mixed German team to the first team in the regions gold medal. Individually Irelands IFI and Maver Garda team and reserves acquitted themselves with distinction and pride on and off the water and the results are testament to that fact, with Richard Caplice picking up 6th spot overall on 7 pts., Eamonn Bracken a magnificent 2nd spot on 4.5 pts. and Derek, Niall and Jason also picking up valuable prizes in the top 25 presented. We can clearly say that all members of the entourage did themselves and their country proud while helping to sell the Irish Angling tourist product in a clear and unequivocal fashion, throughout the duration of the event and at the well attended social functions where Ireland was portrayed as the go to destination. I would especially like to thank my fellow colleagues and team members, Niall, Donncha, Eamonn, Ernie, Jason and Derek for their commitment, forbearance and moderation, during our tough days of practice and for sterling their performances during the event. The pre travel organisation, the early reconnaissance, the dedication in training and the execution of the team plan all led to a special victory and was indeed sweet revenge for Castleblayney 2012. Sincere thanks goes to IFI who continue to support us in the promotion of Irish angling abroad, in your assistance to us all year and especially on this important international trip. To Irish Bait and tackle Ltd and the Nicholson family thanks again for your continued and valuable support with the supply of a full quota of the best bait to be had anywhere. Our sincere thanks go to Phil Briscoe and Maver UK for their continued support of our team in areas of tackle, clothing and luggage, not a broken pole, rod or any item of Maver equipment amongst the 7 participants on the Maver backed Irish team using them, despite the sometimes trying conditions. We thank also An Coiste Siamsa the Irish Garda Sports body for their much valued support and assistance. Thanks to St Pauls credit Union Cork for their continued valuable support and assistance. To the Ford Motor Parts Company based in Athlone we thank you most sincerely for your support with the provision of transport for the event. Richard Caplice Team Captain Photos below show left to right, Jason Furlong with his German team captain in a mixed regional team accepting the winners trophy in that category. The full travelling Garda squad. The winning team Ireland with organiser Danny VanFletern in picture also. Eamonn Bracken accepts his second place individual trophy. Eamonn and Ernie posing for the camera in a moment of concentration loss.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 22:12:47 +0000
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