It was a truly momentous turn-around for a river many had written off as dead as far as silver fish are concerned.

Keith Arthur
Quotes of the week

Bank Holiday Weekend saw an astonishing stream of events at Evesham on the Warks Avon.

The Shakespeare/Match Fishing Magazine Festival, to many anglers still: "the event formerly known as the John Smiths" generated winning weights of over 11lb on each of the three days, and I make that a record.

Two of those days the podium was dominated by anglers catching single specimen fish with smaller species as back-up but on the third day, the Match Fishing Team Championship a magnificent bag of roach weighing 16lb was taken by Gary Miller.

These were the same roach that had been reported missing, presumed washed away, following last year's devastating floods when the river peaked at an awesome 18ft above normal.

The event actually stretches over two full weeks, with the Shakespeare Juniors on the previous Saturday, which threw up a winning weight of nearly 18lb for Jake Gallagher who made the trip from Hampshire to fish.

Notable runner-up was Geraint Powell with 6lb 4oz, mostly a 6lb bream, the official photo of which has been entered into our Drennan Young Angler competition!

The Shakespeare Ladies Champs followed on the Sunday and Samantha Sim took that with two barbel plus an invitation to the two major events the following weekend - read on!

The Veterans Final was won with a 12lb carp and 9lb barbel from peg 3, the same swim that produced the 2007 champion.

Tickle

So, all eyes were on pegs 1 - 3 and 29 - 31 for the main individual matches on the Bank Holiday. They were not to be disappointed and anyone taking a punt on peg number rather than angler with the on-course bookie would have had 'a right tickle', as they say.

Local star and Avon ace Rob South drew 3 and after foulhooking a 9lb barbel (accidentally - you'd be mad to foulhook one on purpose) added a few bleak late on when another big fish looked unlikely and won the £5,000 first prize with 12lb.

The chasing pack had as follows: 1 barbel and bits; 1 barbel and bits, 1 bream and bits, 1 bream and bits so very few roach to report.

The Sunday match, the Wychavon was won by the very same Sam Sim who took the ladies' crown with yet another major barbel, only this time captured on the pole (NOT for the faint-hearted from directly outside the tented village of tackle shops and beer tents that are in place for the weekend).

Her big fish went 10lb 6oz and, I repeat, she caught it ON THE POLE!

So, the Sunday team match loomed, the only difference being bloodworm and joker could be used and the river had run off earlier dirty spate water and was now 'sock on'.

The rest is history as angler after angler (who used bloodworm and joker at least) tipped bag after bag of prime roach on to the scales, Gary Miller's 16lb being top.

Points

The necessity of fishing for small fish for team points was underlined as Darren Frost took the only big fish of the match, mind you at 11lb is was a fair old barbel which, added to his roach, totalled 14lb 3oz.

From then on it was roach all the way: 30 weights over 7lb and the lowest 15-peg section winning weight being 10lb by Daiwa Dorking star Steve Hemingray. A truly momentous turn-around for a river many had written off as dead as far as silver fish are concerned.

Dorking also took the team event by five points from the Shakespeare Superteam with Kamasan Starlets in third and last year's champions Van Den Eynde were fourth.

The river was in perfect condition, the roach had simply not fed on 'usual' angler's baits but once the 'Red Magic' of bloodworm and joker, the single most natural food in freshwater fishes' diet, they ate with abandon.

Should the bait be allowed on the venue all season? Should it be allowed for just the festival or should it remain as now: retained solely for the one day a year of the Team Championships?

Well, the best team matches are decided by ensuring that each angler has a decent chance of accruing some points, whilst individual matches demand a different criterion. I'd keep it as it is and enjoy the prospect of another bonanza in 2009.

It must be tempting though.

Do you want some tips or advice from Keith Arthur? To send him a question, please click here: skysportsclub@bskyb.com

Keith answers your questions

Hi Keith. A couple of weeks back when you and Tommy Pickering were discussing tactics for Fish O Mania you mentioned a quick release bead. I don't seem to be able to find them anywhere, could you tell me who makes them? Thanks, Jeff Platten, Great Yarmouth

KEITH REPLIES: Hello Jeff. Tommy mentioned the 'Korum Quick Change Bead'. They are a clever piece of kit, available in two sizes from, as they say, "...your nearest Korum stockist'." I use them on the feeder and bomb when I may need to change hooklinks regularly and find them especially useful on the pellet waggler, when I may want to fish at different depths but not move my float because of the locking shot, so I simply change the hooklink.

Keith. In the summer months I hear that top match anglers often go through roughly three to four tins of luncheon meat. I fish lots of carp venues and I do take large quantities of bait, but always bring back lots of bait, how often do the top anglers feed on a carp venue with a pole cup?

Thanks, Stevo, Bolton.

KEITH REPLIES: Hi Steve. I know anglers that go through 10 or 12 tins of meat, or corn, plus similar amounts of hemp too! I have got to say, I don't feel I have ever been in that situation where I felt that amount of bait is essential. Steve Ringer gave us some great advice on Tight Lines last year (he's on again soon) when he said he tries to fish for one fish at a time, only feeding with a 'kinder-cup' type pot with NO 'dumping' at the start. I took his advice the following week and won a match from what is usually a poor draw with 67lb. No one else on that lake topped 40lb.

However, on Fish'O'Mania you may have heard Tommy Pickering talking about 'dump' feeding where a big pot of bait is put in, then fished until bites cease. To me that is a pretty high-risk manoeuvre, but maybe that's because the weight-builders at Cudmore are barbel. I know that one current fashion which seemed more productive in 2007, was to dump in several tins of corn and hemp at the start of a match not feeding again, usually fishing paste over it. That doesn't suit my style of fishing and, to be honest, I can't see me doing it as I don't believe in putting in more bait than the fish currently in my swim can eat. It does the water and, long-term the fish, no good in my opinion.

Dear Keith, Watch your show and listen to your programme on the radio, just really got back into fishing after the kids have grown up and I now take my son regularly. I saw a feature on your show a couple of weeks ago regarding weed rakes, I wonder if you could let me know details of suppliers and possible costs, I am doing some fishing at a local lake with a good head of tench and these weed rakes look like they are fairly easy to use just by attaching to rod and line. Many Thanks, Steve Nobbs. PS any tips for setting them up suggested breaking strains for lines etc

KEITH REPLIES: Hi Steve. Angling Intelligence are the company marketing these clever pieces of kit. Here's their URL: http://www.anglingintelligence.com/s_features/features.php I reckon everything you need to know is on there.