The match has attracted increased sponsorship and has been doubled from 30 to 60 pegs. It is being held on the north bank of the river on the gravel foreshore downstream of Kew Bridge, an area that has thrown up some big bags of bream, roach and dace in club competitions. A second section has been added this year on the south bank at Barnes from the railway bridge down to the Leg of Mutton nature reserve. The Barnes stretch is known for quality catches of silver fish on the stick float, with bream present in some pegs.
The match, which is sponsored by Thames Tideway Tunnels, has a £1,000 prize pot which, together with the pools, will guarantee bumper payouts the like of which London anglers will not have seen for many years. It is expected that the match will attract some of the top river anglers in the south and first to book a ticket has been ‘Tight Lines’ presenter and Thames enthusiast Keith Arthur.
Last year’s winner was Farnborough matchman Clive Westwood with a fine catch of 34lb 8oz of bream followed by James Thornhill with 21.05 and Keith Clark with 16.15 for third place.
As well as providing an exciting contest the match will also be helpful in assessing the health of the tidal Thames now that the once problematic sewage works upstream at Mogden has had a multi-million pound upgrade.
TideFest is a celebration of the recreational importance of London’s river and will involve a range of other activities designed to get people out and enjoying what the Thames Tideway has to offer. TideFest is a partner of Totally Thames – formerly the Mayor’s Thames Festival.
Keith Arthur backed the event saying:
“I’ve fished the tidal Thames for over fifty years, through thick and thin…mostly thick! The river has changed from being virtually all dace for the match angler to a fine mixed fishery. TideFest could be won with 150lb of bream on the feeder or 15lb of dace on the float. There’s also a chance of virtually every coarse and game fish in British waters putting in an appearance, as well as mullet, bass and flounder from the estuary. I’ll certainly be expecting more than a few bites.”
Andy Mitchell, chief executive of Thames Tideway Tunnel, said:
“We are proud to be sponsoring TideFest for its second year. This great event is all about celebrating what an amazing recreational resource we have in the heart of London. The Thames Tideway Tunnel will remove the last major source of pollution from the river, improving the water quality immeasurably and giving Londoners their river back.”
Will Barnard, Thames Water Angling Development Manager said:
“We’re once again delighted to be supporting Tidefest and the popular tideway fishing match. The recent upgrades at Mogden and our major sewage works along the Thames are really helping to improve the quality of the tidal river – evidenced by the good returns in last year’s match. With the future completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which will add far greater capacity to the Victorian sewer network, we can expect much more of the same, with a strong return to match and pleasure fishing along these once prolific stretches.”
Angling Trust Campaign Chief Martin Salter added:
“Following the success of last year’s TideFest match the Angling Trust is delighted to have helped secure increased sponsorship enabling us to put on a bigger event with bumper payouts for the lucky winners. We are also keen to attract match anglers back to river fishing whilst at the same time highlighting the importance of cleaning up London’s river. Through their ticket monies, the competitors will be raising funds to support the fantastic work of Get Hooked on Fishing, a charity that does so much to help youngsters get into our sport.”
Match Details
60 peg Thames Tideway Angling Competition with £1000 in prizes plus pools and a trophy.
Date and Time: Sunday September 20th 9am – 2pm
Draw: 7.30am Strand on the Green, Kew Bridge London W4 3RE
Tides: High Tide – 7.15am. Low Tide – 2.45pm
Tickets: £5
Cheques made payable to the Angling Trust, with proceeds to the young persons’ angling charity ‘Get Hooked on Fishing’
Contact: Ron’s Tackle, 465 Upper Richmond Rd West, London SW14 7PU
020 8876 4897
Or email sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net or call her on 0115 9061 301
