Venue: Upper Tees, Raby Estate

Match Dates: Sat-Sun 5th-6th September (incl.)

Entry: Pre-qualification through River Qualifiers

Organiser: Harry Chance

RESULTS

Organiser Harry Chance reports: The 2026 National Rivers Championship returned to Middleton‑in‑Teesdale last weekend, where 24 of England’s river competition anglers competed across four demanding sessions to determine the National Rivers Champion and the anglers selected for the England Rivers Team for the 2027 Home International in Wales.

Beats were pegged on Thursday. Thanks goes to Gavin Walsh who helped with this. With the draw for groups and position held at the Teesdale Hotel.

Anglers spent Friday walking their stretches and preparing for two days of technical fishing on the River Tees. Beats A and B covered the upper river, running from Cauldron Snout, while Beats C and D lay below High Force waterfall, extending downstream.

Competition began early on Saturday from the High Force Hotel. Standout performances included Paul Baker, who landed 17 fish on Beat A, and Dan Scott-Paul, who secured two first‑place finishes with eight fish. On the upper river, Paul Fairhurst produced 10 fish from his first two sessions, putting himself firmly in contention from the outset.

Sunday brought mixed weather and challenging conditions, particularly on the upper river where sudden downstream winds tested anglers’ accuracy. Below High Force, some anglers found rising fish while others struggled to locate feeding fish. After the final session, competitors returned to the High Force Hotel for the end‑of‑competition dinner and prizegiving. Thanks were extended to Paul Page and Andrew Green for collecting scorecards and inputting results throughout the weekend. Andrew Green also stepped in to control two sessions following an angler withdrawal. Appreciation was given to the High Force Hotel and the Raby Estate for hosting and supporting the event.

Results – 2026 National Rivers Championship
Champion: Dan Scott‑Paul
2nd: Paul Fairhurst
3rd: Peter Crowe
4th: Wian Terblanche
5th: Stuart Wake
6th: Harry Chance (Travelling Reserve)

Across the weekend, anglers caught 203 fish, giving a rod average of 8.46.