The World Fly Fishing Championship is organised by the Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive (FIPS Mouche) and takes place annually since 1981 between 30 teams of six individuals per country over five sessions. The WFFCs consist of four separate categories: the Youth Division, the Senior Division, the Masters Division and the Women's Division.
FIPS Mouche FIPS Mouche is an abbreviation of "Fédération Internationale de Peche Sportive Mouche" (in English, the "International Fly Fishing Federation"), which is the fly fishing arm of CIPS (Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive), founded in Rome in 1952, the world regulating body for many different disciplines of fishing. FIPS Mouche hand over the management responsibility for the organisation of upcoming FIPS Mouche event, in its entirety to selected host nation's fly-fishing governing body. The host nation is to ensure health and safety welfare, promotion, sponsorship and media arrangements, meet financial requirements and selection of suitable venues.
Rules Six rounds with a duration of three hours of fly fishing are fished at five different geographical locations (sectors), a mixture of lakes and rivers to test all skills, as chosen by the host nation beforehand for its abundant trout and game fish populations. All fish caught will be measured for length, rather than weight and are returned to the water alive. Points are awarded to the most successful anglers and section points per round according to placing, with the winner receiving one point; the lowest overall score wins.
History The first ever Seniors WFFC was held in Luxembourg in 1981 and won by team Netherlands, that winning team also produced the first ever individual world champion who was Cor Wittkamp. Three years later in 1984, the 4th WFFC held in Spain was won by first class cricketer and footballer Tony Pawson of England, Although his team England were just beaten to the title by Italy. Four years later in 1988 at the 8th WFFC in Australia the Individual world champion was John Pawson of England, son of Tony who won in 1984. Pascal Cognard of France became the first angler to win the individual world championship three times when he won the 20th WFFC in England in 2000, having previously succeeded in Norway in 1994 and in the United States in 1997. The Czech Republic set the standard in 2014 at their home water, having won the team tournament a record 10 times. The World Fly Fishing Championship Team event has been won by the host nation on just 10 of the 40 occasions that the tournament has taken place (to 2021), a one in four chance.
Results for all team divisions Youth Team Results WFFC Host nation Year Champion Runner up 3rd place 13th WFFC Ireland2026U24: IrelandU19: Ireland U24: United StatesU19: NoneU24: Czech RepublicU19: None 12th WFFC United States 2025 United States Poland South Africa 11th WFFC Czech Republic 2024 United States Poland Czech Republic 10th WFFC Bosnia and Hz 2023 United States France Slovakia 9th WFFC Italy 2022 Spain Czech Republic France 8th WFFC Czech Republic 2019 Czech Republic United States Spain 7th WFFC Poland 2018 Poland Spain Czech Republic 6th WFFC Slovenia 2017 France Poland United States 5th WFFC Spain 2016 France United States Czech Republic4th WFFC United States2015 United States Poland Czech Republic3rd WFFC Poland2014 United States Poland Czech Republic2nd WFFC Ireland2013 United States Ireland South Africa 1st WFFC France2012 Czech Republic United States France
Masters Team Results WFFC Host nation Year Champion Runner up 3rd place 4th place 5th place11th WFFC Norway2026 Spain Italy France United States10th WFFC Spain2025 Spain France Italy9th WFFC Czech Republic2024 Italy Spain Czech Republic France United States 8th WFFC Canada 2023 Spain United States Czech Republic Canada Ireland 7th WFFC Italy 2022 United States Italy Belgium 6th WFFC Czech Republic 2021 Czech Republic Italy Spain United States Belgium 5th WFFC South Africa 2019 Spain United States Italy 4th WFFC Spain 2018 Spain Italy France United States 3rd WFFC Portugal 2017 Italy France United States 2nd WFFC Ireland 2016 Italy Scotland Ireland United States 1st WFFC Chile 2014 Italy Czech Republic ChileMasters Individual Results WFFC Host nation Year Champion Runner up 3rd place 4th place 5th place11th WFFC Norway2026 Jordi Oliveras Cortina Francois Deloup Pat Weiss10th WFFC Spain2025 Juan Jose De La Fuente Jose Manuel Socastro Gens Pat Weiss9th WFFC Czech Republic2024 V Santi Amantini Borek Kopecky Marek Macka V Carlo Sciagurii Francois Deloup 8th WFFC Canada 2023 Pete Erickson Mike Learmonth Jordi Oliveras Tony Baldwin John Nishi 7th WFFC Italy 2022 Bret Bishop Michael Twohig Rene Koops 6th WFFC Czech Republic 2021 Karel Sklenar Jaun Bautista Bret Bishop 5th WFFC South Africa 2019 Richard Goriel J Alvares Michael Twohig 4th WFFC Spain 2018 I. Ferreras Jean Meya Armando di Giacomo 3rd WFFC Portugal 2017 Edgardo Dona Jean Meya Massimo Clini 2nd WFFC Ireland 2016 Jacky Coyne Edgardo Ferrero Mike Cordiner 1st WFFC Chile 2014 Rene Koops V Santi Amantini
Senior Team results NationTitles France 12 Czech Republic 9 Italy 6 England 5 Spain 4 Poland 2 Czechoslovakia 1 Slovakia 1 Australia 1 New Zealand 1 Finland 1 Netherlands 1 United States1
Event Host nation Year No. of nations Champion Runner up 3rd place 4th place 5th place45th WFFC United States, Idaho Falls202621 United States France Belgium Poland Spain44th WFFC Czech Republic202531 France Poland United States Czech Republic Slovakia 43rd WFFC Font Romeu, France 2024 21 France Spain United States Czech Republic Australia 42nd WFFC Slovakia 202328 France Czech Republic Spain Italy Poland 41st WFFC Spain 202222 Spain France Czech Republic Belgium Finland 40th WFFC Finland 202113 Finland France Spain Slovakia Italy 39th WFFC Australia 201923 France Czech Republic Spain Finland Italy 38th WFFC Italy 201828 Spain Czech Republic Italy United States Finland 37th WFFC Slovakia 201729 France Czech Republic Spain Slovakia Australia 36th WFFC United States 201622 Spain France United States Czech Republic Slovakia 35th WFFC Bosnia and Hz 2015 27 Spain United States Bosnia and Hz France Slovenia 34th WFFC Czech Republic 2014 Czech Republic France England Finland United States 33rd WFFC Norway 2013 Czech Republic Italy France Finland United States 32nd WFFC Slovenia 2012 Czech Republic Italy Spain France Slovakia 31st WFFC Italy 2011 Italy Czech Republic Poland Spain United States 30th WFFC Poland 2010 Czech Republic France Slovakia Poland South Africa 29th WFFC Scotland 2009 23 England France Scotland Finland Wales 28th WFFC New Zealand 2008 Czech Republic New Zealand France Poland Italy 27th WFFC Finland 2007 France Czech Republic Finland Portugal Spain 26th WFFC Portugal 2006 Czech Republic France Spain Italy Portugal 25th WFFC Sweden 2005 France Finland Czech Republic - - 24th WFFC Slovakia 2004 Slovakia Czech Republic France Poland Belgium 23rd WFFC Spain 2003 France Belgium Spain - - 22nd WFFC France 2002 France Belgium Spain - - 21st WFFC Sweden 2001 France Finland Czech Republic England Poland 20th WFFC England 2000 France Wales Australia - - 19th WFFC Australia 1999 Australia France New Zealand Spain England 18th WFFC Poland 1998 Czech Republic Poland England Italy Slovakia 17th WFFC United States 1997 France Belgium Italy - - 16th WFFC Czech Republic 1996 Czech Republic France Poland - - 15th WFFC Ireland 1995 England Wales Belgium - - 14th WFFC Norway 1994 Czech Republic Italy England - - 13th WFFC Canada 1993 England Poland Italy Wales Czechoslovakia 12th WFFC Italy 1992 Italy Belgium France - - 11th WFFC New Zealand 1991 New Zealand Poland England ? 10th WFFC Wales 1990 Czechoslovakia Poland Belgium France England 9th WFFC Finland 1989 Poland France Finland - - 8th WFFC Australia 1988 England France Australia New Zealand Scotland 7th WFFC England 1987 England Australia New Zealand Wales Poland 6th WFFC Belgium 1986 Italy Belgium Czechoslovakia - - 5th WFFC Poland 1985 Poland Czechoslovakia France - - 4th WFFC Spain 1984 Italy England France - - 3rd WFFC Italy 1983 Italy Belgium Netherlands - - 2nd WFFC Spain 1982 Italy Spain Luxemburg - - 1st WFFC Luxembourg 1981 Netherlands Luxemburg Belgium - -
Senior Individual results