For the second year running quality roach rather than bream provided the winning catches in the annual 40 peg contest fished on the tidal Thames at Kew, Chiswick and Barnes.
The winner was Tony Rice with a float caught mixed bag of 14lbs from Barnes netting him a cool £400. The Chiswick zone was won by last years champion Mark Brush with 12lbs of roach including a magnificent specimen of 2.04. The big bream shoals failed to show at Kew resulting in much lower than usual weights although a couple of surprise sea trout were landed.
Zones
Kew A – Martin Smith 6.08
Kew B – Tom Bolton 5.00
Chiswick – C – Mark Brush 12.00
Barnes – D – Tony Rice 14.00
Other activities included kayaking, paddle boarding, river dipping and Seine netting which turned up big numbers of small bass as well flounders and coarse fish.
The match was organised by the Angling Trust and Tidefest is sponsored by Thames Water
There is something both exhilarating and incredibly peaceful about paddling quietly in a solo kayak or with family and friends in an open canoe on the beautiful River Thames.
As part of Thames Tidefest 2023 on September 17th 2023 we have teamed up with Edge Paddling who are based at Kew Bridge to offer you the chance to try a taster session at an incredibly low price of £5.
If you’ve never been in a canoe or Kayak before this is your chance! If you’ve had a go before and want to try it again, then this is for you too!
Sessions will go on throughout the day from 10.00am till 4.00pm. We will ask you to arrive half an hour early to fit you in a buoyancy aid and brief you. Then you will be out on the water for about 45 minutes.
There will be four kayaks and two family canoes per session. The cost is just £5 per boat. You will be lead by our team of qualified coaches.
· Kayaks are for one person aged 16 or over.
· A family canoe can hold a maximum of two adults together with two small children or one larger child. The canoe MUST contain at least one adult and one other active paddler, that is a second adult or an older child. If you are not sure if a canoe is suitable for your group or have any other questions, feel free to contact us on trips@edgepaddling.com.
Please be aware that coaches have responsibility assess the conditions on the day and make sure the paddlers are able to manage the boat. They have the final say on whether it is safe to take you out. If you fancy a go just book tickets below. If it seems fully booked, do still come by on the day as spaces may become available.
Thames Tidefest aims to celebrate London’s river and has been running since 2014. Despite a reduction in our sponsorship we are pleased to announce a smaller scale event for this year at Strand on the Green, Chiswick on Sunday 17th September from 10am to 5pm. The following events are taking place: – River Dipping with Thames 21 (free)
A display of Thames foreshore artefact discoveries (free)
A Stand Up Paddle boarding with Active 360 including a paddle and pick clean up event and a Natural History Tour plus a clean up of the foreshore around the Kew Bridge Drawdock. (tickets from https://active360.co.uk/)
One of the brilliant things about Thames Tidefest is the atmosphere that is generated around Kew Bridge and Strand On The Green during the event. It’s absolutely joyful ! Plus you don’t have to spend a penny to enjoy the event as there are loads of free attractions and stalls.
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Thames Tidefest 2023
River Dipping
Find out for yourself some of the amazing creatures that live in the river with our fantastic river dipping sessions run by Thames 21
This is always a hugely popular activity is suitable for both adults and families with children. These will be walk up sessions from 11am till 4.00pm. No need to book and boots are supplied. Just come on down and get dipping !
What’s In The River ?
If you don’t fancy grabbing a net yourself then…..
The Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) will be giving demonstrations of seine netting and displays of their catches from the slipway adjacent to Kew Bridge and Strand on the Green from around 11.30am onwards. A small stand with fish tanks and educational material will be in the Thames 21 marquee from 11am to 5pm Come along and find out what is living in the Thames Tideway.
Watch the boats go by !
There’s always something happening on the water and Tidefest is a great time to head to the shore and see some of the amazing craft that use the Thames as a highway
Fishing Competition
Angling Competition Weigh-in from 3.30pm
Come and see the amazing range of fish that live in the tidal Thames. 40 top anglers will be competing in this year’s Thames Tidefest Angling Championship. You can watch them catch all sorts of amazing fish. Fishing takes place : Four hours from 9am – 1pm (depending on tide height)
The weigh in is from 1pm and the prize giving at Strand on the Green at 2.30pm
Thames Artefacts
The River Thames contains a living history of human life in the area over the many previous thousand years including the last Ice Age. It acts as self- excavating trench exposing where our ancesters have lived, what they ate and wore, as well as tracing the changes through the prehistoric periods to modern day. Evidence of this can often be seen on the modern foreshore, which is twice a day exposed to view. Come and see some of the range of the finds uncovered with Thames archaeologist, Dr Fiona Haughey. Artefacts dating from the last ice age, through prehistory, the brief Roman period as well as times up to the present period (artefacts of the future!) will be on display. Come and hold a piece of history in your hand!!!
Paddlesports have always been an integral part of the Thames Tidefest experience.
Active 360 will be running their amazing Paddleboarding experiences once again ! See below for details.
Costs and Timings:
10.00 – 11.30 – Paddle and Pick (14yrs+) – A 90 minute paddle and litter pick around the local islands Brentford and Lots Ait. We provide all equipment including litter pickers.
12.00 – 14.30 – Thames Natural History tour (14yrs+) – A guided SUP trip learning about the history and ecology of the Thames and its fascinating wildlife. We provide coaching and guiding and all equipment required.
12.00 – 14.30 – Group SUP session (16yrs+) – An open group lesson with the tide both ways heading down to Barnes and back. Suitable for all levels.
12.30 – 13.45 – Family Taster SUP trip (11yrs+) – A shorter group trip with the tide both ways heading up past Olivers Island. Suitable for groups and individuals of all abilities.
15.45 – 17.45 – Group SUP session (16yrs+) – An open group lesson with the tide both ways heading up to London apprentice Old Isleworth and back on the flood tide and returning on the ebb passing the last remaining water meadows on the Tidal Thames.
One of the brilliant things about Thames Tidefest is the atmosphere that is generated around Kew Bridge and Strand On The Green during the event. It’s absolutely joyful !
Thames TideFest took place for the first time in 2014 on World Rivers Day to highlight and celebrate the recreational importance of the Thames Tideway to Londoners. In the years since we have built on this success and the festival has firmly established itself as a key date in the London diary. We concentrate on free events and encouraging those who attend to use the wonderful local shops and pubs, learn more about the river, it’s wildlife and it’s history and just spend some time enjoying the the Thames !
One of the main themes of Thames Tidefest is celebrating the history London’s magnificent river. We run, exclusive guided tours of amazing places, guided history walks, archaeology events and so much more. We will have full details of the History events that will feature at Tidefest 2021 soon, but until then here’s a look at some amazing pictures form past events.
Lara Maiklem signs copies of her best selling Mudlarking book at Thames TidefestHistory in Practice at the London Museum of Water & Steam
