Sunday 10th November 2024.

The annual River Wye 3 Day Festival took place this week with 72 anglers fishing each of three zones over the 3 days.This midweek event attracts some of the best river anglers in the country who converge on Hereford adding a boost to the local hospitality sector. This year the river was unseasonably low and clear with a height of around 0.5m at Hereford Bridge and the anglers were met with relatively mild and overcast conditions across all three days.

This festival is fished on a points basis with anglers split into 12 peg sections, with the section winner getting 1 point, runner up 2 points and so on.So winning your section is a must across all three days.With a wide range of species likely to be caught a variety of tactics need to be employed to get the best from the peg with chub, barbel, dace, roach, perch and bleak likely to feature.

Day 1. Top weight on the day went to Welsh international Lee Edwards from Caerphilly who caught a mixed bag  for 71lb 12oz from permanent peg 58 on the left bank.

Day 2  With the river having fished well on Day 1 across the majority of the pegs, expectations were high for another bumper match with the anglers switching to a different zone to yesterday. The river showed little sign of pressure and again fished well with some bumper pags of dace, chub perch and bleak being caught. The match winner today was Rory Jones from Ledbury who drew noted peg 96 between the bridges and proceeded to catch a bag of chub, dace and roach to record a match winning  weight of 74lb 12oz. With no angler managing to win their 12 point section on both days compepetion was fierce going into the third and final day with a number of anglers in contention for the title provided they got a good draw. It was all to play for.

Day 3.  With 3 anglers tying on 3 points, they all needed a section win and a good weight  to win the festival overall. When third placed Chris Jones (Wales) pulled out hot peg 96, it was clear that he was likely to win todays match and the festival overall, but with Hadrian Whittle  drawing peg 92  in the same 12 peg section there was a question who would come oyt top as both anglers were catching well during the match. At the weigh in Chris managed a weight of 63lb 4oz to take the section win ahead of Hadrian who was runner up with 52lb. With Lee Edwards and Joe Holloway only managing 4th and 5th in section respectively, the trophy was heading home to Wales with Chris Jones. Charlie Gooch finished runner up with 5 points having recorded two section wins and a third place from peg 4 on  the tough “A” section.

Overall another great festival with plenty of fish caught of all species. A vote of thanks must go to Dave Roberts and his team for running another faultless match, and to the family of the late Ray South for providing once again a £500 cash prize for a mystery team of 3. This was split into 2 prizes, with the winners this year being the team of Dean Young Lee Edwards and Charlie Gooch. Full results below

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