Rickard Gustafsson | Saturday, 5 September 2026
The disciplines left to write about is seatrout distance and salmon distance. I had no real clue what equipment I would use for seatrout distance. I had brought two rods and some heads. I spent some time after the trout distance qualifiers to find what I liked the best. I ended up going what I initially thought. And found some improvements to be made in my back cast in the process. Still not good to reach a WCs final. Not much interesting to say there.
In salmon distance I had my first practice session ever after the seatrout qualifiers. Going to the Swedish Nationals I just had the rod, now I also had a reel and a line. The result from the practice session was varied. Sometimes it did fly, sometimes not. I got some help during the practice session. I started to cast better. The next day I had some time to practice before the competition started. Going through the instructions I got the day before. The longest cast I got in the practice session was 48.5 meters according to the measurement tool in the phone. Some time during the practice I got a decent whipping from the leader. You can see the proof in the picture.
Then it was time for the qualifiers. At first I didn’t get any good casting going. Then I hooked up a decent cast, 55.5 meters, but it was limited by the amount of line I had out. In the next round I had a bit more line off the reel and managed to get 58.5 meters. Not far from getting in the finals here. I should practice this a bit.
The competition was over for me. I had my bag. But the incidents wasn’t over for me. Later that day we were out at dinner. During the WCs we were scheduled to different restaurants around town with different teams. This evening we were scheduled with the Norwegian team. The menu was the big Italian one we got most of the nights. Starter, pasta, meat/fish and potatoes and desert. At our table we were kind of done after the starter and the pasta. So we thought we would skip the meat and potatoes. The restaurant insisted that we should at least try it, take one plate to share. Ok let’s see what they got. The meat and potatoes were really good I must admit. Even just as a causal meat eater I found this to be good. So I asked to get a plate of my own. Shouldn’t have done that.
I start eating the meat. Cuts a piece that was a bit big, apparently. A bit hard to chew also. I swallow. It is hard to get down. You know when you get like a bit of pain in the back when the food is passed down slowly? So I figure it needs a bit help to get down. I take a sip of beer. The beer comes bubbling up. I cannot hold it in. How embarrassing. I have to stand up to let it out on the floor so it happens somewhat controlled and doesn’t end up all over me and the table. But wait the meat is still stuck. And I don’t get any air. I don’t get any air. This is when Anne sees the panic in my eyes and starts slapping on my back. Bernt is also quick to understand what’s going on. He starts to do Heimlich manoeuvre. Nothing happens. At the table next to us Jarle in the Norwegian team sees what happens and comes to help. He takes over. Still nothing happens. Now it starts to feel really bad. Two people have tried and not succeeded. This is bad, what will happen now? Will I make it? I just hang there in Jarles arms and I am fading away. My field of view is starting to feel more narrow. I remember that Jarle adjusted his grip and continues going. Suddenly I get more present. I can breathe. I didn’t notice when the meat came up.
That was an intense experience. I was a bit tired before it happened. Afterwards I was more vivid and alert than I have ever been. Took some hours to fall asleep that night. And I’m so thankful that I was surrounded by so alert and proactive persons around me. Would’ve been a really shitty way to go.
Besides the incidents the WCs was a blast! Great venue with a place where we were served lunch each day and the possibility to buy things to drink all day. Hanging out with all these people every waken hour. Casting, talking fly casting and fly fishing. I can see the point in doing it over a long weekend. But I really like that it is a full week also. Old and new friends. It is hard to find the time to hang out and spend enough time with everyone you want to spend time with. I could’ve stayed there longer. The longer duration of the competition also gave the judges and officials time to get some rest during the day and also gave the possibility to adjust the schedule of the competition. And I think in most of the cases these adjustments offered more fair conditions for the competition. The Italians did a great job with this competition! You could tell that they had put in a lot of hard work in the preparation. Well done!
I hope and plan to be back next WCs, with all my gear and alive.
Cheers, Rickard