Two new venues for RiverFest 2017!

RiverFest returns for 2017 with dates and venues for the 24 qualifiers revealed this week – and the UK’s river match anglers will have two new venues to crack as the River Dee at Farndon (above) and Holt and the Trent around Shelford and Hamm’s Bridge make their debuts alongside a host of tried and tested favourites.
It all begins when the river season opens on the River Calder, culminating in late October when the quest to make the final ends on the Warks Avon and in between, 72 anglers will have qualified to do battle for the lucrative prize list that’s headed by £12,000 for the winner.
History shows that the qualifiers sell out fast so you’ll need to be on the ball to get a place, applications for each 60 peg qualifier being invited towards the end of March, with an entry period of three weeks. A computerised random draw will then be made to establish who fishes where, three zone winners from each match going through to the grand final. That takes place on the River Wye at Hereford over the weekend of November 18 and 19 with the winner, decided on weight, pocketing the £12,000 first prize.
“RiverFest is now firmly established as THE river event for match anglers to fish with a great prize list and such a spread of venues to fish in the qualifiers around the country,” said AT columnist and RiverFest creator Dave Harrell. “I’m always excited when the dates are released and having fished several finals before, it really is the highlight of the year. We’ve got two new venues for 2017 as working with the Angling Trust, we always try to keep things fresh and introduce different waters although the bulk of this year’s matches are on familiar rivers with a fine match pedigree.”
“The Trent at Shelford and Hamm’s should be in prime form in late-July for the qualifier with plenty of roach plus some very big bream shoals while the Dee is well-known to anglers in the North West for its roach and dace sport,” Dave continued. “If you’ve always thought about fishing a qualifier but never got round to it, I’d urge you to make 2017 the year when that changes. You’re fishing a 20 peg zone to qualify so don’t always need a big weight to get through.”
For more information about RiverFest 2017 visit: www.anglingtrust.net/ or www.facebook.com/anglingtrustriverfest

Angling Trust RiverFest 2017 Qualifier dates and venues:
Saturday June 17 – River Calder, Mirfield
Saturday June 24 – River Swale, Morton
Saturday July 8 – River Weaver, Northwich
Sunday July 16 – River Tyne, Corbridge - Wylam
Sunday July 23 – Bristol Avon, Newbridge - Saltford
Sunday July 30 – River Trent, Shelford, Hamm’s Bridge & East Bridgford
Sunday August 6 – River Soar, Loughborough
Saturday August 12 – River Don, Sprotbrough
Sunday August 13 – River Yare, Langley
Saturday August 19 – River Tees, Bowesfield - Yarm
Sunday August 20 – River Nene, Orton
Saturday September 2 – River Severn, Bewdley
Sunday September 10 – River Trent, Laughterton, North Clifton & Dunham
Saturday September 16 – River Thames, Culham
Sunday September 17 – River Wye, Breinton - Eign
Saturday September 23 – River Severn, Bridgenorth
Sunday September 24 – River Thames, Clanfield
Sunday October 1 – River Trent, Burton-on-Trent
Sunday October 8 – River Medway, Barming
Saturday October 14 – River Dee, Holt & Farndon
Sunday October 15 – Warks Avon, Straford-upon-Avon
Sunday October 22 – River Severn, Shrewsbury
Sunday October 28 – Yorkshire Ouse, Hunter’s Lodge - Linton
Sunday October 29 – Warks Avon, Warwick