A lovely little look back on Tidefests from the past !
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2021 Angling Championship to be dedicated to the late Mike Martin-Davies
Following the announcement Tidefest will be held on Sunday 12th September 2021 we are pleased to confirm that the 2021 Thames Tidefest Angling Championship will once again be run in co-operation with The Angling Trust.
All the ticket monies will once again be donated to the kids angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing and the tickets are on sale from March 11th. This year’s trophy will be dedicated to the memory of Mike Martin-Davies, the talented Welsh match angler and three times Tidefest winner who sadly died of Coronavirus in January. It will be engraved with his name.
Now in its eighth year, the 40 peg match, which is sponsored by Thames Water, once again has generous pay outs with a first prize of £500. It is expected to attract some of the region’s top river anglers as previous matches have thrown up big bags of bream. Last year’s match was notable for the number of quality roach caught in the latter stages of the tide. All fish, with the exception of eels, can be weighed in.
The match is being held on two areas of gravel foreshore from Kew Bridge down to Barnes. Two sections will be on the left bank at Strand on the Green and two on the right at Barnes. The four main prizes will spread across the two zones to make for the fairest possible outcome.
Angling columnist and Thames specialist Keith Arthur welcomed the news saying:
“This year’s Tidefest Angling Championship, Covid permitting, looks like being the fairest yet. With shoals of roach catching contestants by surprise last year, 2021 could see the match won with redfins instead of the perennial bream. We will miss the angling brilliance of Mike, stolen from us by the vile disease, but with the match in his honour we will all be able to reflect on his loss and remember him how he would have wished.”
Angling Trust’s Martin Salter added:
“The Angling Trust is pleased that the lifting of lockdown restrictions will allow the Tidefest Angling Championship to take place again this year and it is appropriate that we honour the memory of Mike Martin-Davies at the same time.
“The competition is now firmly established as a popular event in the match fishing calendar and showcases what great fishing there is to be had right in the heart of London.
“We are committed to continuing to attract match anglers back to river fishing whilst at the same time highlighting the importance of cleaning up our urban rivers through schemes such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel. We are especially grateful to Thames Water for their generous sponsorship which means that once again all the ticket money will be going to support the fantastic work of the charity Get Hooked on Fishing that does so much to help youngsters get into our sport.”
Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager at Thames Water added:
“Thames Water is delighted to be sponsoring the 2021Tidefest including the much anticipated annual angling competition which is helpful in assessing the health of the river. In recent years our large sewage treatment works upstream at Mogden has benefitted from a multi-million pound upgrade which has delivered big improvements to the general water quality and with the Tideway Tunnel we will see an end to the damaging storm water incidents.”
Match Details:
40 peg Thames Tideway Angling Championship with £500 First Prize plus pools and trophy
Date and Time:
Sunday September 12th. Fishing 9.00am – 2.00pm (depending on tide)
Draw:
7.00am Strand on the Green, Kew Bridge London W4 3RE
Tickets on sale from March 11th from:
Tackle Up – 151 Fleet Road, Fleet GU51 3PD. Tel 01252 616129
To book tickets online go to – anglingtrust.net/competitions/tidefest-2021/ or tel: 0115 822 4519
Tickets:
£20 all in – £15 pools plus £5 ticket – proceeds to Get Hooked on Fishing
Prizes:
1st place – £500; 2nd – £400; 3rd – £200; 4th – £100. (Spread over two zones)
Plus £50 per 5 peg section.
Tidefest 2021 announced !
Thames Tidefest is now in its eighth year and is a celebration of all that the River Thames has to offer. It aims to help Londoners reconnect with their river and is a day packed with loads of great activities for all the family. We are delighted to announce that Tidefest will be held on September 12th, so get the date in your diaries.
We are taking things one step at a time at the moment with regards to our usual full programme of events, but we certainly intend to put on a fantastic selection of events in line with whatever restriction are in place as we get to September. Expect to be thrilled by ‘mudlark’ style archaeology, guided walks, canoeing, paddleboarding, fishing, and a whole host of activities which showcase the Thames’s amazing history and wildlife.
Images from previous Tidefests
Covid-19 Statement
COVID-19
This year’s Thames Tidefest has been reduced in scale to comply with the government’s coronavirus regulations and to keep everyone safe. There will be no stalls, food or live music and all activity events are to be pre-booked either online or at the information tent on the day. Hand sanitisers and wipes will be available and social distancing rules will be applied. However there will still be lots of happy smiling faces and a chance to enjoy the beautiful tidal Thames.
How you can help: Please help us keep everybody safe by bringing your own masks – for use where appropriate- and adhering to instructions on our signage. Do not attend if you, or anyone you have been in contact with, in the last 14 days has had any Covid-19 symptoms. Please adhere to social distancing and try to keep no less than 2 metres away from anyone who is not from your household or support bubble. Most of all please be curteous to others and have fun.
Tidefest is back on !
Following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions Thames Tidefest 2020 will be happening on Sunday September 6th at Strand on the Green, Chiswick. However, to help keep everyone safe, all events in our reduced programme will have to be pre- booked.
Tidefest is now in its 7th year and celebrates the recreational opportunities available on the River Thames in London with activities for all the family. These include paddle boarding, kayaking, foreshore walks, island visits, London’s biggest angling competition and much more.
Put the date in your diary and find out what the River Thames has to offer.
Full details including ticket bookings will be on this website SOON
Tidefest Is Back On !
Following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions Thames Tidefest 2020 will be happening on Sunday September 6th at Strand on the Green, Chiswick. However, to help keep everyone safe, all events in our reduced programme will have to be pre- booked.
Tidefest is now in its 7th year and celebrates the recreational opportunities available on the River Thames in London with activities for all the family. These include paddle boarding, kayaking, foreshore walks, island visits, London’s biggest angling competition and much more.
Put the date in your diary and find out what the River Thames has to offer.
Full details including ticket bookings will be on this website SOON
updates on our Facebook page
Come and Enjoy the River!
Tidefest Coronavirus Update
THAMES TIDEFEST 2020 and COVID-19
Whilst we hope that this year’s event will still be able to proceed, in the light of the current situation and following government guide lines we are putting planning for Tidefest 2020 on hold for the moment. Hopefully things will be clearer in a few weeks time and we can make a more accurate assessment of what activities might be possible. We don’t anticipate that the angling competition or some of the other outdoor activities will be affected but we are keeping everything under review.
In the meantime keep well stay safe.
Tidefest Team
Tidefest Angling Champs 2020 announced !
The Angling Trust is pleased to confirm the details for the 7th Tidefest Angling Championship to take place on the tidal Thames in London on Sunday, September 6th. A donation from the ticket monies will once again be made to the children’s angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing.
The 40-peg match, which is sponsored by Thames Water, has generous payouts with a first prize of £500, three other main prizes of £400, £200 and £100 plus eight £50 section places up for grabs. It is expected to attract some of the top river anglers in the area as previous matches have thrown up 40lb bags of bream along with some quality roach and dace. All fish with the exception of eels can be weighed in.
The match is being held over two areas of gravel foreshore from Kew Bridge down to Barnes. The eight sections will be spread across two zones at Strand on the Green, which has produced bream to over 7lb in previous matches, and at Barnes, an area known for both bream and quality roach. To ensure a fairer match a continental payout system will be applied with the first and third and second and fourth places split across the two zones.
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. The groups involved in organising this year’s event include the London Wildlife Trust, Institute of Fisheries Management, Thames 21, The River Thames Society, ZSL and the Angling Trust. Other activities planned include foreshore walks, river dipping, seine netting, paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking and historical walks along the Thames Path.
Angling Trust Policy Chief and Tidefest Chairman Martin Salter said:
“The Angling Trust is pleased that the Thames Tidefest Angling Championship is able to attract great support from both sponsors and anglers. This is more than a fishing match for it showcases the health of the Thames right in the heart of our capital city. We are keen to encourage a resurgence in river match fishing and events such as Riverfest and Tidefest show that there is still an appetite for these types of competitions.
“We are especially grateful to Thames Water for their generous sponsorship which means that once again all the ticket monies will be going to support the fantastic work of the charity Get Hooked on Fishing that does so much to help youngsters get into our sport.”
Angling columnist and Trustee of Get Hooked on Fishing, Keith Arthur, welcomed the news, saying:
“Tidefest is such a great event and you never know what the river will turn up or which methods will work best on the day. The heavy flows this winter could well make for a better match this year as they will have moved more fish down river and hopefully into the match sections. In the right conditions the winner could have 40 or 50lb of bream but there will be plenty of prizes to be won by those who can get amongst the shoals of roach and big skimmers. I’ve already bought my ticket as this is one match I never want to miss.”
Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager at Thames Water, added:
“Thames Water is again proud to be sponsoring Thames Tidefest, including this now well established angling competition. The upgrades to our large sewage treatment works at Mogden have already delivered big improvements to the water quality in the tidal Thames and once the Tideway Tunnel is completed we will see an end to those potentially damaging storm water overflows which will make an already good fishery even better.”
Match Details:
Draw: 7.00am Brentford Boating Arch, Kew Bridge, Strand on the Green, W4 3RE
Tides: High – 6am 6.9m. Low – 1.30pm 0.8m
Fishing: Five hours from 8.30am – 1.30pm (depending on tide height)
Rules: Thigh wading only permitted, all fish except eels can be weighed in
Zones: A) Strand on the Green. B) Barnes foreshore
Prize monies: 1st place – £500; 2nd – £400; 3rd – £200; 4th – £100 plus £50 per 5 peg section. (overall match winners excluded). Winners cheques available on the day.
Continental Payout: Top Four prizes alternating by zone
Tickets: £20 in advance with £5 to the angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing
Booking Details:
Book tickets online at www.anglingtrust.net/events or contact
Ron’s Tackle – 465 Upper Richmond Rd West, London SW14 7PU. 020 8876 4897
Tackle Up – 151 Fleet Road, Fleet GU51 3PD. 01252 616129
Tidefest 2019 Gallery
What an amazing day we had back in September ! Here is just a glimpse of the amazing event that was Thames Tidefest 2019. London’s Family River Festival !
