There are fishing trips, and then there are experiences that stay with you for the rest of your life.

For the South African Protea Ladies fly fishing team, the 2026 FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championship in Norway was very much the latter.

Held from 27 July to 2 August in the spectacular Innlandet region of Norway, the championship brought together some of the world’s best female fly anglers. The South African team faced five demanding sessions across Norwegian rivers and lakes, targeting species unfamiliar to most South African anglers, including Arctic grayling and whitefish.

And they came home as World Champions.

The achievement was made even more remarkable by the narrowest of margins. South Africa finished the team competition on 82 placing points, with France and Finland just one point behind on 83.

For Gauteng North, the victory carried a particularly special significance. Two members of the championship squad, Marlize “Blom” Heyns and Kristine Page, are proudly rooted in the GNFFA fly-fishing community.

Blom's performance was extraordinary. Not only did she contribute to the team's historic gold medal, but she was crowned Individual World Champion, taking South Africa's first-ever individual gold medal in Ladies World Championship fly fishing.

For Kristine, Norway represented the culmination of years of competitive fly fishing and development within the sport. From her beginnings as a competitive angler in Gauteng North to stepping onto the international stage, her journey is a wonderful illustration of what can grow from participation at provincial level. 

But perhaps the greatest story of Norway was not about individual achievement. It was about teamwork.

International championship fly fishing is an unusual team sport: five anglers compete individually on the water, yet every fish, every placing and every decision contributes to the collective result. Conditions change, unfamiliar waters present new puzzles, and every session demands concentration, adaptability and resilience. The Protea Ladies embraced that challenge together.

Behind the anglers stood coach Maddy Rich, manager David Karpul and reserve angler Alecia McAlpine, while the five-angler squad combined experience, emerging talent and a shared determination to represent South Africa with distinction.

The result was historic: South Africa's first-ever Ladies World Championship team gold medal, following the team's bronze-medal breakthrough in 2025.

For the Gauteng North Fly Fishing Association, the Norwegian adventure is more than a proud sporting achievement. It is a reminder of what our provincial structures are ultimately about: creating opportunities for anglers to learn, compete, support one another and discover just how far their passion can take them.

From the rivers and dams of South Africa, to the lakes and rivers of Norway, Blom Heyns and Kristine Page have shown that the journey from provincial angler to world championship competitor is very real.

And what a journey it has been.

Congratulations to Blom, Kristine and the entire Protea Ladies team. World Champions, and an inspiration to the next generation of GNFFA anglers.

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