A brief history of the EFFA

The Association was inaugurated on 11th April 1928 as the Wet Fly Trout Fishing Match between England and Scotland. This was amended to the Artificial Fly Trout Fishing Match in 1929 again between England and Scotland.

The Association originated when four friends, R. H. Dodds, C. Short, R. K. Armstrong and W. R. McCreath, arranged a fishing holiday on Loch Leven in 1926 with a challenge as to which pair could catch the most fish. In the event C. Short failed to turn up and the Scottish boatman J. Todd took his place with R. H. Dodds and these two won the day. 

This led to a challenge for the following year 1927 where R. H. Dodds and W. R. McCreath invited as many pairs as wished to fish in The Trout Fishing Championship of the World. The match lasted for fourteen hours with agreed rest periods for the contestants. The team of R. H. Dodds and W. R. McCreath won with seventy three which was duly reported in the Fishing Gazette and other newspapers leading to a Scottish challenge for a team competition to be held in 1928. 

Thus the first Committee Meeting was held on 11th April 1928 at The County Hotel, Newcastle on Tyne to make arrangements and select a team to represent England and was attended by J. Wood (Chairman), R. H. Dodds, R. K. Armstrong and W. R. McCreath. The team comprised twenty competitors and six reserves, the captain elect was HRH The Duke of York with other noteworthy names being, P. M. Horsfall, Rev. M. Horsfall, J. J. Hardy, R. H. Dodds, R. K. Armstrong, C. Short, G. Waddell, S. O. Hanlon, with W. R. McCreath to take over as captain in the event of HRH The Duke of York being unable to do so. 

In 2018 we are celebrating our 90th Anniversary with a busy programme of fly-fishing events among ourselves and against other organisations.

The Association is a member of the Angling Trust and our members are also encouraged to join as individuals.