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The section fishes up to nine league venues per year, an anglers' best four results counting towards league points. Points are scored per fish, and per bag weight with five points for first place, four points for second etc. The top four rods in the league qualify to fish for Northumberland at the FSSAA National Fly Angling Championships held annually in May at various venues throughout the country.

On one occasion, our fanatical fly-fishing Chairman, practicing for the National competition at Hanningfield, received a call on his mobile phone. Glancing at the phone he saw that it was his wife calling so he thought he'd better answer it. Laying his rod across the back of the boat, he said "Hello pet ... Yes, I'm on Hanning ..." There was a splash and he looked down just in time to see his rod being towed down into the depths by a hungry trout! Normally the story would end there, but at the weigh-in after the competition the following day, there was his rod waiting for him!

An honest bank angler had recovered the rod half a mile away from where it had been lost and returned it to the lodge!

In addition to the league competition, the three-man committee also organised the 'Northumberland Charity Shield' competition, a charity match held annually in June and open to all brigades and other angling clubs.

Following the inaugural competition held in 1996, thousands of pounds have been raised for local Northumberland charities and the competition never fails to attract entries from all over the country. Past competition winners have been West Yorkshire Fire Service, Northumbria Police, and Strathclyde Fire Service to name but a few. Incidentally, Northumberland have yet to win it!

A couple of years ago, a competitor who will no doubt prefer to remain anonymous pulled his fly box from his pocket to change his flies. Unfortunately his mobile phone came out with it, bounced off the edge of the boat and plopped into 15 feet of peat-stained water! His boat partner burst out laughing and pretty soon every angler on the lake knew about the lost phone! At the weigh-in that evening he was greeted with comments like" who's got the salvage rights?!", "you should have tied it to your fishing line--you might have caught something!" and "if I give you a ring you'll be able to find it!" An expensive day for an unlucky angler and as far as we know the phone is still there!

Following the 'Sports Challenge' campaign (to regenerate sport in the North East North District area) initiated by the District Committee in 1998, the Northumberland Fly Fishing Section took on the responsibility of running an additional competition aimed at forging sporting links between the brigades of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Darlington and Cleveland. This competition has also shown a steady increase in participants and Northumberland has been more successful, winning the competition every time!

I think it is fair to say that without brigade support in the form of vehicles, fuel and leave, it would be difficult to organise competitions and travel to district and national events to represent Northumberland. All you FSSAA secretaries out there who are not as fortunate in getting support as Northumberland FSSAA, should be approaching their brigade management and pointing out the advantages of a healthy and active club.

Get your events reported in the local papers, support a worthy local charity, encourage your members to participate and promote a competitiveness throughout your brigade. Good luck with whatever sport you support!