Matt Barnett has booked his place in the England’s Under 18s team for this year’s World Champs in Holland. The Drennan Bordon angler has made the team for the third successive year after being picked from a talented line up.

The England Under 18s trial was held last weekend at Makins Fishery and saw 22 anglers competing for five places, fishing to CIPS international rules.

Matt went with one pint of casters, half a kilo of joker and some bloodworm, together with 8kg of Sensas Lake and Terre de Somme leam mixed 50/50 and 2kg of ‘double leam’ (grey leam and damp leam). His tactics were to ‘ball in’ six litres of the 50/50 groundbait mix at 13 metres, containing 100ml of caster and 100ml of joker and then accurately cup three richer balls of double leam containing 250ml joker and 200ml of caster over the top. Closer in, on six sections of pole, he fed two litres of the 50/50 mix plus three double-leamed balls containing 200ml of joker and 200ml of caster.

Matt’s rigs were three Sensas Series 18 floats for 13 metres, in sizes 2g, 3g and a 4g. The shorter swim was tackle with two Sensas Auchys in 0.8g and 1g sizes.

Matt took roughly 30lb of roach in the first three-hour trial by alternating between the two lines to keep the redfins coming! Afterwards, Steve Sanders decided to announce four of the five anglers that impressed him the most. These were Bradly Gibbons, Joe Kent, Jacob McNeill and Matt; who had each already booked their places in Holland!

Using Matt, Bradley, Joe and Jacob as end peg ‘stoppers’, Steve then had another trial, consisting of seven anglers from which he could pick the final angler to complete the team. After two hours more fishing Steve came to a decision to take George Organ.

A delighted Matt said: “I am so pleased to be selected. I feel so honoured to represent my country and I will do my very best at trying to get team gold! We are now off to the 2014 World Championship in Assen, Holland, on the 26-27th July and I cannot wait!”