TideFest is a new river Thames event which took place for the first time last year on World Rivers Day to highlight and celebrate the recreational importance of the Thames Tideway to Londoners. TideFest 2015 is taking place on September 20th at Strand on the Green, Chiswick and at other locations along the Thames tideway. TideFest is proud to be a partner of Totally Thames and to be supported by the Thames Tunnel Now Coalition and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
A wide range of activities are currently being planned for Sunday 20th September
Following the hugely successful 2015 event, we are proud to announce that the date for a bigger, better, 3rd Thames TideFest Angling Championship has been announced. The prestigious event, organised by the Angling Trust and Thames Water, will be held on Sunday, September 11th, 2016 on the tidal Thames in London.
The match will extend upstream to Ham, an area renowned for big bags of dace and bream, in addition to the existing sections at Strand on the Green at Kew and downstream at Barnes. With just 20 pegs in each zone, anglers will have a lot more room between pegs.
As well as the pools payouts the competitors will share £1,000 in prize money, split over the three zones, thanks to sponsorship from Thames Tideway Tunnel and Thames Water. All ticket monies will be donated to the angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing.
Martin Salter, Keith Arthur and Will Barnard with a cheque for the ‘Get Hooked on Fishing” charity, raised at Tidefest 2015
Despite bright sunny conditions and low flows the river fished well in this year’s match and bream to 7lbs showed throughout, together with some huge dace at Strand on the Green and some quality roach at Barnes.
Andriks Lekstutis took first place with 31lbs 13ozs of slabs from just below Kew railway bridge at Strand on the Green while Tackle Up proprietor Nigel Newport from Fleet in Hampshire recorded the top weight at Barnes of 21lbs 8ozs
Tidefest Angling Champion 2015 Andriks Lekstutis proudly showing off his winners trophy.
Angling journalist and Thames regular Keith Arthur said: “I am delighted to hear that plans are in hand for an even bigger and better event next year, bringing a section of semi-tidal Thames at Ham into the match and with it lots more activities on the ample grassland next to the river. The way the river has fished this year, 2016 should be even better. One of the big surprises for me was the appearance of some serious roach on the downstream section at Barnes. Next year the pegging will be more generous so I expect even more fish to be caught.”
TideFest organiser Martin Salter from the Angling Trust said: “It has been great to see so many people out enjoying the river right in the heart of London and for angling to be at the centre of celebrating the fabulous potential of the Thames. Including new sections upstream allows us to cater for a minimum of 60 anglers, and maybe more in the future, whilst giving everybody a bit more room to maximise the potential from their pegs.”
Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager for Thames Water said: “Thames Water are pleased to be supporting the Thames TideFest Championship and to be promoting angling opportunities in London. The tidal Thames is already a good fishery but it will only get better once the new Tideway Tunnel is built and the water quality improves still further.”
Will Barnard of Thames Water get’s ready for the weigh-in
This year’s TideFest raised £225 for Get Hooked on Fishing.
To book a place for next year’s TideFest contact Ron’s Tackle, 465 Upper Richmond Road West, London SW14 7PU. Telephone: 020 8876 4897 or email sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net
Amongst the huge variety of events on offer at Tidefest, perhaps one of the most exciting is Stand-Up Paddleboarding. You really can walk straight off the street and find yourself standing up in the middle of the river. Paddle boarding is fun, safe and great exercise, but best of all it allows you the chance to have a swans eye view of London from the middle of the river.
Tidefest offers absolute beginners the chance to learn how to take to the water and navigate yourself around on the amazing Tidal Thames. It’s an experience not to be missed and was a sell out in 2015, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on when tickets for the 2016 event will go on sale !
