> Awards

The 2003 AWA awards took place at the Caer Beris Manor hotel in Powys, Wales. The weekend proved to be a great success, with a broad range of members enjoying both the local fishing and first class hospitality.

On the Saturday evening members enjoyed presentations by both the Environment Agency and The Wye and Usk Foundation before sitting down to a wonderful dinner featuring a range of local Welsh produce.

After dinner an informal Auction took place hosted by Neil Freeman of 'Angling Auctions', Neils highly entertaining style was enjoyed by all.

The results of the awards are shown below.
Arthur Oglesby Writer of the Year

Shortlist:
   David Profumo
   Keith Elliott
   Bob Moss
   Neil Patterson
   Charles Rangeley-Wilson

Highly commended:
   Charles Rangeley-Wilson

Runner-up:
   Keith Elliott

Winner:
   Neil Patterson
Salmon and Trout Association Trophy for writing in defence of angling

Shortlist:

   Bob Moss
   Graham Mole
   David Profumo

Winner:
   Bob Moss
Bernard Venables award

Shortlist:
   Roger Barnes
   Tom O'Reilly
   Dexter Petley

Runner-up:
   Tom O'Reilly

Comments -
"A fine balance between informing and entertaining, which Bernard was always so good at. An interesting range of articles, from sea to trout to coarse, and I was particuarly taken with a picture showing him using a centre-pin, which Bernard would certainly have endorsed."

Winner:
   Roger Barnes

Comments -
This man almost lives Bernard's life, albeit slightly less high-profile. He generally appears less interested in catching fish than looking around him, which was certainly in the Venables tradition. He illustrates his own articles, researches his work carefully and shows that there is still a place for those who don’t just write how to catch 'em articles."
Chairman's Award:

   Fred J Taylor
Irish Writer of the Year

Runner-up:
   Doug Lock

Comments -
"He must be doing something right. The Blackwater riparian owners have refused to give him details of what's being caught because he refuses to exaggerate the state of the river."

Winner:
   Bob Moss

Comments -
"A delightful whimsy to his writing, but not frightened to address the tough issues."
Welsh Writer of the Year

Winner:
   Terry Thomas

Comments -
"A man who writes with authority and gentle humour, clearly knows his subject well, but adds a little something to everything he produces."
Local Paper Writer of the Year

Shortlist:
   Dave Harper,
   Roger Barnes
   Bob Roberts
   Keith Elliott
   Tom O'Reilly

Runner-up:
   Tom O'Reilly

Comments -
"For a thoroughly entertaining read that is a cut above most local paper columns, with a wide range of subjects (and he has to fill a whole page!)"

Winner:
   Bob Roberts

Comments -
"For a really comprehensive column, covering the local area activities with authority, good writing and fine pictures."
Peter Stone New Writer of the Year

Runner-up:
   Peter Foster

Comments -
Good articles on a range of subjects

Winner
   Dexter Petley

Comments -
Highly readable and entertaining articles in Waterlog, with humour and real verve
Sea Angling Writer of the Year

Shortlist:
   Tom O'Reilly
   Bob Moss
   Terry Thomas
   Keith Elliott

Runner-up:
   Terry Thomas

Winner:
   Bob Moss
Travel Writer of the Year

Shortlist:
   Len Colclough
   Neil Patterson
   David Profumo

Winner:
   Neil Patterson

Comments -
"Most angling travel articles are focused too much on how I had a good time and too little on the benefits and attractions for readers. This man doesn't fall into that trap, yet he still produces entertaining copy that makes you want to phone the travel agent straight away."
News Story of the Year

Shortlist:
   Keith Elliott

Comments -
Classic Angling for revealing the state of Izaak Walton's cottage and helping to prevent its closure

   Ben Miles of Angling Times

Comments -
For the incredible story about Clive White, the man who held the rainbow trout record for years, then admitted that he'd netted the fish rather than caught it.

   Graham Mole

Comments -
For two stories: Revealing how much the water authorities pollute our rivers, and for the first story about fish not feeling pain from research by Dr James Rose in the US

Runner-up:
   Ben Miles

Winner:
   Graham Mole
Humorous writer

Shortlist:
   John Andrews in Classic Angling
   Keith Elliott in The Independent on Sunday and others
   Chris Sandford in Waterlog
   Roger Barnes

Runner-up:
   Keith Elliott

Comments -
"Beautifully constructed, containing fascinating facts, and the format allows Keith's vivid imagination to run wild."

Winner:
   Chris Sandford

Comments -
"For his unusual approach and surprising amount of humour on a subject that has been done to death by writers over the years"
Feature of the Year

Shortlist:
   Fred Buller
   David Profumo
   Joyhn andrews
   Charles Rangeley-Wilson

Runner-up:
   Charles Rangeley-Wilson - For belly boating in The Field

Winner:
   John Andrews

Comments -
For revealing a story that nobody knew about for 40 years: the account of a sea anglnig tournament fished by Hemingway and Fidel Castro, where Castro caught more than Hemingway (and the great man liked it not at all). It was accompanied by pictures that had never been seen outside Cuba, again that John researched, including one of Castro and Che Guevara marlin fishing (and accompanied by the pull quote: "Korda worked as a fashion photographer who would drive from shoot to shoot in a car loaded with naked women and an iguana." A wonderful two-part story, worthy of the Sunday supplements
Book of the Year

Shortlist:
   John Andrews - For Those Left Behind
   Andrew Herd - The Fly
   Tony Hayter - Halford and the Dry Fly Revolution
   Robin Armstrong - Dartmoor Rivers

Runner-up:
   Tony Hayter

Winner:
   Andrew Herd

Comments -
"The definitive book on the history of the fly and fly-fishing. A great reference book, but it’s immensely readable too. It must have taken years to research and the result is a worthy winner."
Magazine of the Year

Shortlist:
   Classic Angling
   Today's Flyfisher
   Total Carp

Highly commended
   Total Carp

Runner-up:
   Classic Angling

Winner: Today's Flyfisher

Comments -
A new magazine, but one that has brought a fresh approach to fly-fishing, covering articles on, for example, how to catch barbel on the fly. It’s beautifully and clearly illustrated it has writers of the quality of Charles Jardine contributing but it’s addressed the newcomer to fly fishing, who often feels intimidated by the crop of other fly fishing mags. It’s not easy to challenge the dominance of Trout Fisherman and Trout and Salmon, but this magazine has made a serious rival


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