The Adventure at the Trout Area World Championship

🇬🇧:The Trout Area World Championship took place in Italy from November 20–22, on Lake Vecchio Mulino in Campli, where I was present as an angler alongside the Romanian team.

🇷🇴:In perioada 20–22 noiembrie a avut loc Campionatul Mondial de Trout Area in Italia, pe lacul Vecchio Mulino din Campli, la care am fost prezent alaturi de echipa Romaniei din postura de pescar. 

🇬🇧:It all began on a Wednesday morning, under a light drizzle, when I was with the Romanian national squad at 'Henri Coanda' International Airport in Bucharest, heading for Rome. Once we arrived in the former capital of the Roman Empire, we picked up the rental car and set off for Campli, the town located right near the lake where the competition was to take place. During the two-and-a-half-hour drive, my colleagues and I discussed strategies, lure types, training plans, and optimistic hopes for Romania.

🇷🇴:Totul a inceput intr-o dimineata de miercuri, sub o ploaie marunta, cand ma aflam alaturi de lotul Romaniei pe Aeroportul International „Henri Coanda" din Bucuresti, cu destinatia Roma. Odata ajunsi in fosta capitala a Imperiului Roman, am preluat masina inchiriata si am pornit spre Campli, localitatea aflata in imediata apropiere a lacului unde urma sa se desfasoare competitia. In cele doua ore si jumatate de drum, eu si colegii mei am discutat strategii, tipuri de naluci, planuri pentru antrenamente si ganduri optimiste pentru Romania. 

🇬🇧:The anticipation was immense, so we decided to go straight to the competition lake. The atmosphere was friendly, and the lake seemed to be 'boiling' with fish. The size of the trout was promising, and the water was impeccable: clear enough to allow visibility of the lures, but also murky enough not to scare the fish due to the commotion on the shore.

🇷🇴:Nerabdarea era imensa, asa ca am decis sa mergem direct la lacul de concurs. Atmosfera era prietenoasa, iar lacul parea ca „fierbe" de peste. Dimensiunea pastravilor era promitatoare, iar apa impecabila: suficient de limpede pentru a permite vizibilitatea nalucilor, dar si suficient de tulbure incat sa nu sperie pestele din cauza agitatiei de pe mal. 

🇬🇧:I came prepared for this World Championship with six Artisan Competition rods from the Japanese brand Evergreen International. In the table below, I will explain which rod, reel, and line I used for each lure type.

🇷🇴:La acest mondial am venit pregatit cu 6 lansete Artisan Competition de la brandul japonez Evergreen International. In tabelul de mai jos va explic ce lanseta, mulinta si fir am folosit pentru tipurile de naluci. 

🇬🇧:Artisan Competition AATS-60MLST/F is the rod I love the most from the entire Artisan series. Its solid tip works excellently when the fish are apathetic, and the fast action helps with the trout's self-hooking.

🇷🇴:Artisan Competition AATS-60MLST/F este lanseta pe care o indragesc cel mai mult din toata seria Artisan, varful solid isi face treaba excelent atunci cand pestii sunt apatici iar actiunea fast te ajuta la auto-inteparea pastravului. 

🇬🇧:The official training session took place on Thursday morning. In the first few minutes, the fish responded well to classic spoons in bright colors orange, yellow, and pink, nothing unexpected. Time passed, and adjustments were continuous, until I decided to change my landing net to avoid losing fish at the bank. In the next four hours of training, we outlined a strategy for the competition day: we knew what hooks we needed, what lines to use, the drag systems were adjusted to the millimeter, and the lure colors that made the difference were established.

🇷🇴:Joi dimineata a avut loc antrenamentul oficial. In primele minute, pestele a raspuns bine la linguri clasice in culori aprinse portocaliu, galben si roz, nimic neasteptat. Timpul trecea, ajustarile se tineau lant, pana cand am decis sa imi schimb minciogul pentru a evita pierderea pestilor la mal. In urmatoarele patru ore de antrenament ne-am schitat o strategie pentru ziua de concurs: stiam de ce carlige aveam nevoie, ce fire sa folosim, franele erau reglate la milimetru, iar culorile nalucilor care faceau diferenta erau stabilite. 

🇬🇧:The first day of the competition arrived. The emotions were there, but once I got on the water, they turned into concentration and seriousness. I was ready. I won the first matches easily, followed by a few draws and some defeats. At the end of the day, I was in 10th place in the group and 36th overall. A disappointing result, I didn't look for excuses and didn't blame luck or the lures. This was all I had managed to achieve on the first day of the competition.

🇷🇴:A venit prima zi de concurs. Emotiile erau acolo, insa odata ajuns pe apa, ele s-au transformat in concentrare si seriozitate. Eram pregatit. Primele meciuri le-am castigat cu usurinta, apoi au urmat cateva egaluri si cateva infrangeri. La finalul zilei ocupam locul 10 in grupa si locul 36 la general. Un rezultat dezamagitor, nu mi-am cautat scuze si nu am dat vina pe noroc, nici pe naluci. Asta fusese tot ce reusisem sa obtin in prima zi de competitie. 

🇬🇧:In the evening, the team captain organized a meeting where we discussed both the problems and the good things that had happened during the competition. I then started preparing for the second day: hooks changed, new lines, new leaders, and rod guides cleaned. After all these preparations, I was ready to sleep the five hours remaining until morning, with the firm promise that the next day I would give my best, both for a result that would raise Romania in the rankings and for myself.

🇷🇴:Seara, capitanul lotului a organizat o sedinta in care am discutat atat problemele, cat si lucrurile bune care se intamplasera in timpul concursului. M-am apucat apoi de pregatiri pentru a doua zi: carlige schimbate, fire noi, inaintase noi, inelele lansetelor curatate. Dupa toate aceste pregatiri, eram gata sa dorm cele cinci ore ramase pana dimineata, cu promisiunea ferma ca in ziua urmatoare voi da tot ce am mai bun, atat pentru un rezultat care sa ridice Romania in clasament, cat si pentru mine insumi. 

🇬🇧:On Saturday morning, I woke up to the sound of the alarm and hurried to drink my delicious Italian espresso, accompanied by some very tasty pastries. The second day of the competition was predicted to be a very difficult one due to the weather conditions, with rain and strong winds. The wind and rain did not scare me because I had competed in these unfavorable weather conditions at most of the tournaments in the country.

The starting sound was heard in the distance, and the first victories were about to begin. I had a pretty good day, taking 4th place in my group and 12th place overall for the second day of the competition. It seems I managed to keep the promise I made to Romania the night before.

🇷🇴:Sambata dimineata ma trezesc in sunetul alarmei si ma grabesc sa-mi beau deliciosul espresso italian insotit de prajituri foarte delicioase. Ziua a doua de concurs se anunta una foarte dificila din cauza conditiilor meteo cu ploaie si vant puternic. Vantul si ploaia nu m-au speriat deoarece majoritatea concursurilor din tara le-am jucat in aceste conditii meteo nefavorabile.

Sunetul startului se aude din indepartare iar primile victorii erau pe cale sa inceapa, am avut o zi destul de buna, ocupand locul 4 in grupa mea si un loc 12 la general pentru ziua a doua de competitie. Se pare ca am reusit sa-mi tin promisiunea facut pentru Romania cu o seara inainte. 

🇬🇧:The overall result is modest, even disappointing, 22nd place overall for me and 11th place for Romania. This result motivates me to become better, more technical, and more focused on what I have to do in a major competition like a World Championship. I want to congratulate Italy for the World Champion title, Latvia for the Vice-Champion title, and the Lithuanian team for 3rd place.

🇷🇴:Rezultatul general este unul modest chiar dezamagitor, locul 22 la general pentru mine si un loc 11 pentru Romania. Acest rezultat ma face sa devin mai bun, mai tehnic si mai concentrat la ceea ce am de facut intr-o competitie de anvergura unui campionat mondial. Tin sa felicit Italia pentru titlu de campioana mondiala, Letonia pentru titlu de vicecampioana si echipa Lituaniei pentru locul 3. 

🇬🇧:Until next time, tight lines!

🇷🇴:Pana data viitoare, fire intinse!