30/03/2026
Yesterday, BRFFA proudly hosted the Barrow Bash – an England Youth Fly Fishing fundraiser – at Barrow Tanks No. 3 🎣
It was fantastic to see around 16 dedicated anglers turn up bright and early, braving absolutely freezing and wet conditions. Despite the weather, everyone showed great spirit and enthusiasm, making the day an absolute blast from start to finish.
Fishing proved to be tough going, with conditions making it a real challenge—but that didn’t dampen the mood. The smiles, camaraderie, and shared passion for fly fishing made it a hugely enjoyable day for all involved.
We were delighted to welcome some of our seasoned England international anglers, including Mark Miles, Paul Golding, and Tim Wellman, alongside an inspiring group of young, up-and-coming fly fishers—the future of the sport.
A huge thank you goes to Ruth Gale, who worked tirelessly throughout the day to keep everyone warm and well-fed with tea, coffee, and a well-earned pasty lunch. She also captured some fantastic images of the event—thank you, Ruth!
We’re incredibly grateful to Luke Cox for his advice and support and Bristol Water Fisheries for generously donating ALL proceeds to England Youth Fly Fishing, and to Kieron Jenkins and the team at Airflo for once again providing brilliant prizes.
Special thanks also to Andy Stones, Tony Torrington, and Bernie Weaver for keeping a watchful eye on proceedings throughout the day. Without volunteers like these, events like this simply wouldn’t happen.
As for the results—long casting was clearly the key to success! Mark Miles showed his class to take the win with two fish. Will Wellman secured second place with one fish, while his dad, Tim Wellman, came third—yes, beaten by his son again! Slim pickings on the scoreboard, but a fantastic day nonetheless.
Most importantly, we’re thrilled to have raised around £800 for the England Fly Fishing Youth Team 👏 a few people had to drop out but still kindly donated their entry fee - that’s a huge help so thanks to them . 🙏🏻
If you’d still like to contribute to this great cause, donations are very welcome—just get in touch.
Thank you to everyone who took part, supported, and helped make the day such a success despite the conditions. 💙
One other addition- Thank you to Mark Miles at Fly Fishing Bulldog who not only turned up and won he donated an amazing A4 box of flies fully loaded which we will raffle off and give the proceeds to EYFF. Mark has not been so well lately so we are very grateful for the effort and support he gave to this event ! You could tie his hands behind his back and he would still catch trout ! 😂
