Big changes ahead for Evesham

ONE of match fishing’s longest-running events has announced major changes for next season.

With the August Evesham Festival on the Warks Avon seeing disappointing sport this year, organisers have announced that qualifying for future finals will be spread throughout the year, replacing three qualifiers a week from the start of the river season.

“Qualifying for the 2018 finals will get under way on January 7, with three places up for grabs in the individual Evesham Championship,” said organiser Diana Raphael.

“People have been concerned that the match length is too heavily fished, but by starting the qualifying series for all three events in January we’ll spread the load.”

And in a further move, bloodworm will no longer be allowed in the Wychavon Championship, which will now be the curtainraiser for the final weekend and fished on the Saturday. Sunday’s match will now be the Evesham Individual Championship – sponsored this year by Dynamite Baits – and Monday’s event will be the Match Fishing Team Championships.

Qualifiers get under way in the New Year and a full list of dates can be found at www.hamptonferry.co.uk/ qualifiers2.html