£20m boost for River Severn

FISH PASS SITES

Seven sites have been pinpointed for renovation, with various devices being installed to help fish move more freely up and down the Rivers Severn and Teme. 
The weirs in question are:
• Upper Lode
• Diglis
• Holt
• Lincomb
• Bevere
• Powick
• Knightsford

The UK’s first-ever underwater viewing gallery – that allows spectators to watch fish in one of our most iconic rivers – is just part of a huge £20 million improvement project.

Years of discussions to secure the huge pot of government funding to transform the River Severn have finally come to fruition, and now Angling TImes can reveal how that cash will be allocated.

Millions will be spent on making it easier for coarse and game fish to migrate up and down the waterway via many state-of-the-art fish passes, but along with improved access and habitat improvements, arguably the most talked-about development is the installation of the unique underwater viewing area at Diglis Weir in Worcester.

Members of the public will be able to look in on what goes on beneath the surface, with the large shoals of barbel, chub, predators and silverfish all expected to be on show.

For those that are unable to visit the site, a live feed is expected to run on the internet to give everyone the opportunity to see what the river holds.

A collaboration between several influential bodies, including the Canal & River Trust, came up with the idea, and its national fisheries and angling manager John Ellis said: “In the past fishing’s big problem is that the general public can’t see what’s going on beneath the surface. There’s been an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality.

“But the first-ever viewing window at Diglis Weir will open up this underwater world and give people an incredible insight into the lives of fish, their surroundings and their importance to our natural world.

“This work will open up more of our waterways for coarse and game species to become more widespread, while improving habitats and river environments. It’s great news that more conservation bodies are recognising fish and angling.”

Severn Rivers Trust deputy director Mike Morris was equally delighted at the scheme’s confirmation, and he added: “We are extremely keen for local anglers, school children and the wider public to get involved with the viewing gallery, which will be built at Diglis to monitor all movement of fish.

“Staff and volunteers will be on hand to help those with no prior knowledge of what lies beneath the surface and give them a better understanding of the various species they come across.”

The news comes just one week after the Environment Agency announced plans to provide free rod licences to all under-16s. 

Reigning RiverFest champion Tom Lane believes this move will further assist the process of attracting more juniors into the sport. 

He told Angling Times: “If youngsters are given the chance to view fish in their natural habitat it will create a unique opportunity that I am sure will spark an interest in the underwater habitat.

“Fish are often forgotten about, but this is a fantastic way to educate people and get them into angling at the same time.”

Work will get underway next year, with the scheme set to be completed by 2022.

Champ is back in final after Severn match

Angling Trust RiverFest qualifier
River Severn, Shrewsbury (55 pegs)

Reigning RiverFest champion Tom Lane has made it into this year’s final after clinching his zone on the Severn at Shrewsbury. 

Lee Harries won this one from peg 4 on the County Ground section, the DH Angling man taking a big chub on the feeder and plenty of dace on the waggler and maggot for 17-9-0.

Second, and also qualifying, was Scott Geens with 16-3-8. His catch included a 9lb barbel.

Joint third-placed Tom Lane weighed in 14-1-0 to secure his spot in the big-money contest.

Result: 1 L Harries, DH Angling, 17-9-0; 2 S Geens, Preston Innovations, 16-3-8; jt3 T Lane, Lane’s Tackle and E Warren, Preston Innovations, both 14-1-0.

Barbel scores high on looks and weight

Pictures of big barbel don’t come much better than this cracking 14lb 3oz fish from the in-form River Severn.

The river was carrying a touch of colour and a little extra water, and under these favourable conditions Ashley Burton decided to trundle a piece of meat along the riverbed.

A rig made from 20lb braided mainline and a size 4 Drennan Specialist Barbel hook saw the specialist from Leicestershire win the battle with another Severn double weighing 10lb 5oz.

“It was simplicity itself – I just pinched a couple of shot on the line to keep it all down and it worked a treat,” said Ashley.

Whittle joins battle for RiverFest crown

Yet another big name has been added to the RiverFest final after the latest heat on the River Severn ended in thrilling fashion.

With barbel, chub and small silverfish all present in the Bridgnorth section, it was anyone’s guess what attack would be most effective, but river fishing expert Hadrian Whittle’s big-fish gamble paid off.

The Kamasan Starlets man drew peg 30 and used the pellet feeder in the hope of having the odd bite. He got just that with a brace of barbel and three chub giving him a winning total of 19-12-0.

He didn’t have it all his own way, though, with Liam Darler – who was in the same section – piling on the pressure. He ultimately fell just short with 18-3-0 that was made up of two barbel and a chub from peg 28.

The two other anglers to qualify were Zone B winner Rich Duke, who landed 14-0-0, and Zone C champion Geoff Maguire with 14-8-0.

RiverFest action was also on show on the River Thames at Clanfield, where another full house was forced to struggle in the blustery conditions.

Only two men broke the double-figure mark. Topping the pile at the end of a tough five hours was Deron Harper on peg 8 with 11-8-0 of silvers taken on floatfishing tactics.

Second – and also going through – was Andy Johnstone with 10-2-0 from peg 43. The final qualifying spot was secured by Nick Early from peg 27.

Six more heats will be staged in the coming weeks before the big final takes place on the River Wye in Hereford on November 19 and 20. 

It’s ninth time lucky for big Severn barbel

After blanking eight times on the Lower Severn, Adam Coterill returned for a ninth to claim this 15lb 10oz barbel. 

The Worcester angler fished a 15ft-deep slack just before darkness with a free-running feeder outfit complete with pellets, groundbait and double 15mm boilies on the hook. 

Said Adam: “After a missed bite I put the rod back on the rest and five minutes later the personal-best fish bolted downstream.”

Traffic jam is to thank for giant Severn zander!

Garry Bagley had a 10-mile traffic jam to thank for the capture of this 17lb 2oz river zander.

Having been sat bumper to bumper for over an hour, the predator fishing fanatic decided that he’d rather be sitting on the banks of the River Severn than in his stationary car on the M5.

After turning off the notoriously troublesome motorway, the 58-year-old from Stourbridge admitted that he didn’t expect to get a single run after casting out a small roach deadbait – in bright, warm conditions the odds seemed stacked against him.

But Garry got one of the biggest surprises of his angling career when the huge fish made off with his bait, legered just a few rodlengths out from the bank.

“Conditions couldn’t have been worse for fishing but I’d much rather be on the river than sat staring at the car in front of me,” Garry told Angling Times.

“To say that it was a big surprise when I got the bite would be an understatement, but not as big a shock as when the fish came to the surface.”

His impromptu session on a lower section of the famous waterway was rewarded when he positioned his bait close to a snaggy area with a rig made from 65lb braid, a 30lb wire trace and size 8 trebles.

“If it wasn’t for that traffic jam I would never have caught this fish – I wouldn’t have even bothered under those conditions. It just shows you how unpredictable fishing can be,” Garry said. “This is a huge fish for this time of the year, so you can imagine how big it could be come the winter.”