RiverFest!
Rundown on every venue
Saturday, June 18: River Calder, Mirfield, West Yorkshire
Chub predominate early in the season to the waggler or stick float. Roach, grayling and dace are also present and could win sections where chub don’t show.
Saturday, June 25: River Swale, Morton, North Yorkshire
Floatfishing for chub with maggots and casters will lead the way but with colour, barbel will have a big say on the feeder. Last year’s qualifier saw a massive winning chub weight and if the fish have a go, expect more of the same.
Sunday, July 3: Bristol Avon, Newbridge – Saltford, Bristol
A river synonymous with bream on the feeder, but mixed bags have won qualifiers in the past. With good river conditions, 100lb of bream is possible but a mix of roach, perch, small dace and maybe a bonus bream or two won’t be far off the mark.
Sunday, July 10: River Tyne, Corbridge – Wylam, Northumberland
Could be a dace bonanza on the whip on a river carrying extra water, when matches are won with 40lb-60lb. Chub can play a part but are unreliable, while dace weights can be low in unfavourable conditions.
Sunday, July 24: River Trent, Laughterton – Dunham, Notts
This prime stretch of the tidal Trent can see very big bream and skimmer weights if the river is carrying some colour, with barbel from noted pegs on the feeder. Float anglers can enjoy good roach, dace and perch sport.
Saturday, July 30: River Weaver, Northwich, Cheshire
Slow and deep, last year’s Weaver qualifier saw 40lb-plus of bream taken on the feeder. The 2015 qualifier saw 11lb take second, good news for anglers fishing the pole for small skimmers and roach.
Saturday, August 6: River Soar, Sutton Bonnington, Leics
Chopped worm fish are crucial on the Soar and while feeder for bream will be the main approach, eels, perch and tench on worm can see you go from nowhere to qualification in next to no time. Hemp roach will also play their part. On a low, clear river bream will be hard to find.
Saturday, August 13: River Trent, Newark Dyke, Notts
The Dyke holds specimen chub, barbel and some big bream but skimmers are the standard fare on groundbait feeder – a couple of big fish from out of the blue could bag a qualification spot. If the Trent fishes as well as it did last summer, a roach weight on the pole could also challenge.
Sunday, August 14: River Yare, Langley, Norfolk
Depending on the tide this match could be won with bream or roach. If the slabs feed in coloured water, it’ll be the feeder with worms and 50lb will be needed, but on a clear river, roach will dominate on the pole with maggot and 20lb may put you in with a chance.
Sunday, August 21: River Tees, Bowesfield – Yarm, Cleveland
Expect bream on a summer river fishing the feeder with worms and maggots, although there are also small fish that could win a harder section – 10lb being a good weight on the pole. The Tees also holds monster perch running up to 3lb.
Saturday, August 27: River Don, Sprotbrough, South Yorkshire
Feeder anglers will target the skimmers, hybrids and a few proper bream in the deeper sections, but this is a classic pole river using big rigs and plenty of feed for double figures of small fish. A big weight hasn’t won previous qualifiers so expect this one to be close at the scales!
Sunday, August 28: River Nene, Peterborough, Cambs
A big net of bream won the 2015 match on the Orton sections and these resident fish are sure to show but the Nene is also alive with small roach, dace, hybrids and bleak on the pole. Hemp could also produce a good roach weight. Don’t forget chopped worm as big eels, perch and even a few tench could be on offer.
Saturday, September 3 : River Severn, Bewdley, Worcs
This iconic bit of river is packed with chub and barbel and responds to the feeder using
hemp and caster when it’s clear or pellets if coloured. If you’re not drawn on the big fish, dace can be caught and 20lb won some opens in 2015.
Saturday, September 10: River Trent, Holme Marsh, Notts
Traditionally a bream venue, 100lb will be possible for feeder anglers but decent barbel can also show. Mick Vials took almost 200lb of slabs in an open last summer from close to the weir. On this out-and-out big-fish water roach weights rarely threaten to do any damage.
Sunday, September 18: River Wye, Breinton – Eign, Herefordshire
You’d bet your house on chub winning this qualifier, especially in low, clear conditions. Small fish are here but not in sufficient numbers to challenge the expected 70lb weights. Last year’s match was won with barbel, proving that you never quite know what’s going to show on this famous venue.
Saturday, September 24: River Severn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
There are always barbel to be caught here, and it’s very similar to Bewdley inasmuch as pellets rule after rain, swapping to maggots, casters and hemp in the feeder when the water is clear. Chub will also show, often in among the barbel, and plenty of pegs offer the option of fishing the float.
Sunday, September 25: River Thames, Clanfield, Oxon
Much will depend on the water colour in this Upper Thames qualifier. In clear water, maggot feeder tactics will catch chub but if the river is coloured, bream can show on the pole with maggot and worm over groundbait. Perch are numerous on chopped worm, with roach on waggler or pole.
Sunday, October 2: River Trent, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs
This qualifier will be a classic small-fish match with roach, perch, dace and the odd skimmer on the long pole or running line. Hemp can be devastating at this time of year but maggots and casters tend to be a better bet, and a chopped worm line is always a must for the everincreasing numbers of perch.
Saturday, October 8: River Thames, Culham, Oxon
Making its RiverFest debut, this stretch below Abingdon is a deep and classic piece of the Thames with roach and chub the likely targets on feeder or pole and lots of perch on chopped worm. Feature pegs will see chub caught, but in early October the Thames will be at its peak with all manner of tactics likely to catch.
Sunday, October 9: River Medway, Barming, Kent
Barming made its RiverFest debut in 2015 and it returns this year. Weights weren’t huge last summer but the river did produce one of the closest results ever, with just ounces covering the top six. There’s a range of deep, slow sections and narrower faster pegs where chub can be found, but roach are the main target.
Sunday, October 16: Warks Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks
The Leamington and Stratford waters have been put forward for this one, with Manor Farm and the pegs through the town likely to be used, although this is subject to change. Manor Farm holds big barbel, chub and roach, while in Stratford, bream can show along with roach and lots of perch.
Sunday, October 23: River Severn, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Roach, dace, perch and the odd chub and bream are still the fish to catch on the Quarry and County Ground sections and last year saw a super 30lb of roach win as the river bounced back from a poor run of form in previous seasons. A range of float disciplines work on this part of the Severn with the long pole, bolo rod, waggler and stick float all at your disposal.
Saturday, October 29: Yorkshire Ouse, Hunter’s Lodge – Linton, North Yorkshire
Regularly match fished but sometimes a tough nut, where the odd big fish could win the whole thing! Expect bream on the feeder from the bungalows at Hunter’s Lodge, although Linton is also a reliable section for a few slabs. If the heavens open, though, a single roach or a few bleak could get you through.
Sunday, October 30: Warks Avon, Warwick, Warks
A stretch of river that has been getting better and better over the years, the deeper sections above the village of Barford will be used for this one and roach are likely to dominate on the pole although the odd barbel could be caught to shake things up a little.