England Ladies achieved individual success at the 30th Coarse Angling Ladies World Champs 2024. Samantha Sim secured individual gold and Kayleigh Dowd clinched bronze. The event, which took place on the Mondego River in Penacova, Portugal, saw the English team finish a respectable 5th, just 3 points behind the silver medal.
Samantha Sim’s performance was particularly noteworthy, as she managed to catch an impressive total of 100 fish over the two-day competition, weighing in at 4.445 KG. That was enough to earn her a section win on day one, followed by a section second on day two. Her score of three points over both days earned her the coveted individual gold medal.
Kayleigh Dowd showcased her angling prowess by securing the bronze medal with consistently strong performances across both days. Her efforts secured a second-place section place on both days to finish with four points. Netherland’s Anja Groot also finished on four points but took the silver due to her larger weight over the two days.
The duo’s success was made even more impressive by the challenging conditions they faced. These included varying swim depths, tow, and weed. The English team’s strategy involved fishing one line at 11.5m with groundbait and joker, using small, hard balls to top up after every fish. They employed light tackle, with rigs featuring 0.7g and 0.4g floats and 0.06mm hook lengths.
Ladies World Champs 2024 Individual Standings
- Samantha Sim – England – 3pts
- Anja Groot – Netherlands – 4pts (4.225 KG)
- Kayleigh Dowd – England – 4pts (2-935 KG)
- Magdalena Jasinska – Poland – 5pts (2-430 KG)
- Ornella Tosta Villino – Spain – 5pts (2-150 KG)
- Aranka Kulcsar – Hungary – 5pts (1-810 KG)
England Team Performance
Whilst the individual accolades were cause for celebration, the entire English team put forth a commendable effort. Despite some unfortunate peg draws, particularly for Helen Dagnall, the team finished in a respectable 5th position overall.
The competition was fierce, with anglers from the 11 competing nations vying for the top spots. The main target species was the borga, a fish not found in UK waters that resembles a grayling/dace hybrid and requires a specialised approach to catch in numbers.
Ladies World Champs 2024 Team Standings
- Spain – 42.5pts
- Netherlands – 48pts
- Belgium – 49pts
- Poland – 50pts
- England – 51pts
- Hungary – 57pts
- France – 58.5pts
- Portugal – 59.5pts (superior weight)
- Italy – 59.5pts
- Croatia – 82pts
- Finland – 103pts
You can view the full team and individual standings here.