NEIL Bryant is a man with a foot in both camps when it comes to the championship angling taking place in Weymouth over the next few weeks.

Bryant is the host nation’s team manager for the FIPS-M World Boat Championships and chairman of EFSA (European Federation of Sea Angling) England.

Playing a major role in one international competition is hard work by itself, but having to work in two in quick succession has proved a real test.

With a number of teams from around the globe honing in on Weymouth’s waters, Bryant is going to be busy right up until the World Championships end on October 4.

“It’s very rare to get two championships in a row in the same place,” he said.

“It wouldn’t normally happen that the same country holds both events in the same year.

“We hadn’t held the Worlds since 2005 when it was in Weymouth and were asked by FIPS (Fédération Internationale de Peche Sportive) two years ago if we could host it this year.

“We then stepped in to host the Europeans as well this year after another section was unable to.

“Weymouth has the best infrastructure for angling in England, possibly in Europe, and the fishing is so good because of the variety of fish that can be caught.”

With different governing bodies involved in both championships it is easy to get slightly confused by what is happening.

However, that is where Bryant’s expertise comes in, as he explained.

“The European Boat and Line Class Champion-ships are an individual members’ event but it also has a team category,” he added.

“If you are not a member of an EFSA country then you can’t fish the event.

“In the World Boat Championships for seniors and under-21s you have to be a member of your country’s governing body, which for us is the Angling Trust, who are running the event.

“That is a team event and each member fishes in different boats.

“There are around 15 countries in the seniors and seven in the under-21s, where we have an England team competing for the first time, and it’s around the same for the Europeans, which is run by EFSA England.

“You have to be selected by your governing body for the worlds but in the Euros if nobody else enters from your country you can fish.

“Teams for the worlds are made up six people, five fishing and one reserve, plus a team manager, and there are five in each team for the European Championships.

“In both events everyone is given the same bait for the day so all anglers are on a level playing field.”

The Riviera Hotel is the headquarters for both championships. The Europeans run from today until next Friday and the Worlds from Saturday, September 27 to Saturday, October 4.

A gala dinner and awards presentation for the former takes place at the Riviera on September 19.

An opening ceremony for the Worlds starts at the Jubilee Clock on Weymouth seafront on September 28 before a closing ceremony and gala dinner on October 3.