2023-2024 Rivers Qualifiers

Each Qualifier provides the opportunity for the eight highest-placed anglers to proceed to the National Final. In 2024 the National Final will be fished over two days on the River Eden. There will be up to thirty two places available at the National.

January 2024

Sunday 21st January (rescheduled again from the 17th December) – River Dee – QUALIFIER CANCELLED

February 2024

Saturday 10th February – R. Test, Wherwell – QUALIFIER CANCELLED

March 2024

Sunday 3rd March – South East FF Federation – Lower Itchen fishery – Organiser: Tony Fox

Organiser Tony Fox reports that the weather for the day was beautiful, and that even if the river was high and slightly coloured, it did clear later in the afternoon. Because of the levels everyone had to park at the main entrance and the walk to the first hut, which was their base for day. Despite the conditions 16 anglers landed 48 grayling, an average of 3 per rod.

Overall Results: 1. Cameron Craigs 2. Mike Heritage 3. Jim Dillon 4. Baz Reece 5. Andrew Smith 6. Gavin Walsh 7. Alex Adams 8. Harry Chance 9. Jay Curry 10. Darren Everitt 11. Daniel Tranter 12. Robert Williams 13. Alex Tipping 16= Peter Buckey 16= John Waters 16= Trevor Hayman

April 2024

Sunday 21st April – R. Ure, Wensley – Organiser: Paul Page

Overall Results: 1. Del Spry 2. Stan Moore 3. Chris Micallef 4. Danny Williams 5. Kevin Moran 6. Brian Lillie 7. Paul Fairhurst 8. Mark Withyman 9. Dan Scott Paul 10. Peter Crowe 11. Chris Richardson 12. Gavin Walsh 13. Karl Watson 14. Paul Baker 15. Tom Hunt 16. Andrew Sowerby 17. Nick Craigs 18. Anthony McKenna

Organiser Paul Page reports: The England Rivers Qualifier was fished on the Bolton Hall and Wensley Beats centred around Lords Bridge on the Bolton Hall Estate in Wensleydale. Despite all the poor weather and high river levels that has beset many of our rivers over winter and early spring, the River Ure had dropped to 0.411 on the scale at Bainbridge and the weekend was set for fine and sunny weather, light winds but still cold.
The 18 qualifier entrants met up at the Three Horseshoes inn at Wensley to pair up with their controllers. 9 fished the morning session on the Wensley Beat with the other 9 fishing the afternoon session, upstream, on the Bolton Hall Beat
The morning session’s 09:00 start on the Wensley Beat downstream from Lords Bridge was greeted with a frosty start, which once warmed up by the sun, set the weather fair with regular hatches of Grannom sedges. Del Spry won the morning session with 7 trout between 26cms and 45cms, of which 3 were in the upper 30’s and 3 in the lower 40’s cms. Del’s 44.5cms fish was the largest trout caught on the day. Danny Williams and Brian Lillie were not far behind with 6 trout each. Mark Withyman came in 4th with 5 trout. The 9 anglers who fished the morning session caught a total of 37 trout between them.
After swapping over from controlling to fishing and changing partners 9 anglers competed in the afternoon session upstream of Lords Bridge on the Bolton Hall Beat.
The afternoon session’s 14:00 start on the Bolton Hall Beat upstream from Lords Bridge was now cloudy broken by short sunny spells, however the temperature remained unseasonably cold. The regular hatches of Grannom in the morning disappeared. Stan Moore who ventured up to the top end of the beat found accommodating trout and won the afternoon session with 6 trout ranging between 22cms and 33cms. Chris Micallef, Kevin Moran and Paul Fairhurst with 4 trout each vied for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively. Chris’s 43.3cms was the largest of the afternoon session. Keith McAdam came third with 3 trout and Chris Micallef fourth with 2 trout. The 9 anglers who fished the afternoon session caught a total of 24 trout between them.
Paul Page the event organiser said that the April Ure Qualifier was always a challenge as the grayling are out of season. However, with 41 trout being caught over the 2 beats, 8 of which were over 40cms, 8 over 35cms and 24 over 30cms, all wild brown trout, once again indicates that the River Ure is still a superb fly fishing river.
Wensleydale and the River Ure are a stunning place to visit and fish. Our thanks go to the Bolton Castle Estate for giving us access to the estate’s fishery and to Tom Orde-Powlett for their continuing support. Also, our thanks go to Aran at the Three Horseshoes at Wensley for his kind use of their car park at the beginning and end of the competition.

May 2024

Sunday 26th May – R. Dee, Llangollen & Maelor AA waters

The Angling Trust reports: AT TEFF River Qualifier, Dee, Llangollen. It’s 09:00 and the first of the AT TEFF Dee Qualfiers is under way. With rain the last couple of days, the river is carrying a little water and colour. We’ve seen Sulphur Duns and what looked like PW’s as well as the usual Olives. John B is seen here, entering the water in search of his first fish. Good luck to him and the rods upstream doing exactly the same.

The Angling Trust reports: AT TEFF River Qualifier, Dee, Llangollen. Apologies for the results not being posted yesterday, phone signals and technology are never guaranteed on natural venues.
In brief, the river did fish fairly well with the extra water in over the week, the morning session faring a little better than the afternoon. The other difference being the afternoon’s wading, with a near miss and a slight dunking to brighten up the afternoon’s banter. Congratulations to the heat’s winner, Dee regular and current Team England River Team member, Kevin Moran. He worked determinedly to winkle out some quality fish on mainly nymphs to hold off John Bowen to a very close second place, who alternated between nymphs and dries. In third was ever-present Tom Hunt, whilst the largest fish fell to Danny Williams on the dry fly.
The next qualifier for a place in this year’s final is again on the Dee, at Llangollen Sunday 30th of June. For your ticket please follow the link here>>

June 2024

Sunday 30th June – R. Dee, Llangollen & Maelor AA waters

The Angling Trust reports: AT TEFF 2024 River National Qualifier, River Dee, Llangollen, Wales. We caught up with our competing anglers at the Hand Hotel for lunch, several of whom where already celebrating some great catches. The river is in good form, although the grayling are still slightly shoaled up post breeding with some usually productive areas being void of them. Fortunately, the trout are all still very present and so far, showing on the feed, fingers crossed they stay active and we see a couple of hatches during the PM sessions.

The Angling Trust reports: AT TEFF River Qualifier 2024 River Dee Llangollen. PM session finished and results back, the news pre-ratification, we’ve seen two catches of eleven fish, so theses catches will rank on length. Two catches of six fish and two of four. Nymph tactics have been quite prominent, however we’ll give more details on the placings shortly. Tight lines until then.