TWO of Worcester’s finest competitors have qualified for the prestigious £12,000 Angling Trust Riverfest final in Hereford in November.

Tim Noke and Paul Bick kept up the excellent tradition enjoyed by decades of city anglers of performing well on the River Wye.

Bick was second overall and Noke won his 20-peg qualifying zone.

The 60-peg sell-out event was won by river regular Steve Williams overall with an all-chub weight from the bottom of the fancied Brienton section going 81lb 6oz 0dr.

Runner-up Bick, from the end of the Eign section, took six barbel and 11 chub on a block-end feeder with hemp and caster bait for a 74-8 total to qualify for the third consecutive year.

Noke was in the cattle drink halfway down Bartonsham, where he used similar tactics to Bick and put 48-8 of barbel onto the scales.

A low, clear River Avon greeted a good turn-out for the Droitwich Spa club contest at Twyning where 70-year-old Dennis Evans took the honours.

He used a bolo-type float along with maggot bait to take a winning 5-9 net of silver fish from peg 29 in the boat meadow.

Runner-up was Martin Hunt with 4-11 from peg 36, third with 3-4 was Chris Ballard and fourth with 3-0 was Gary Summers.

Section prizes went to Mick Salcumbe and Reg Bastable.

Salcumbe was declared winner on the previous Wednesday’s members match at Upton when he put a staggering 75-13 all-bream catch onto the scales.

Drawn on peg 22 on the big ham, the former Worcester national man offered red maggot with a groundbait feeder to take 15 bream and a few skimmers for the best match weight this year from the venue.

Second-placed Rich Brewer’s all-bream catch of 24-1 from peg 28 narrowly beat Dave Huggins' 24-0 with Alf Hand’s 13-8 coming fourth.

Woodland View, Tuesday, Barley pool open: 1 T Witcher 167-12, 2 A Taylor 94-0, 3 A Price 85-0; Saturday, Deans pool: 1 K Slade 179-0, 2 J Dale 143-8, 3 L Pinder 121-0; Sunday, Deans pool: 1 K Slade 182-6, 2 D Parry 135-8, 3 T Jones 131-8.

Moorlands Farm, Wednesday over 50s open: 1 J Bagley 152-4, 2 T Stead 138-11, 3 P Edan 134-6; Saturday, John Cooper Memorial: 1 I Wood 182-10, 2 C Hill 144-10, 3 S Stuart 141-11; Sunday open: 1 A Varden 120-10, 2 N Groves 120-3, 3 I Mills 115-14.

Sunday sees the Cavalier Cup teams of four contest on Worcester canal.

Teams interested in competing can call Colin Pettifer on 01905 25193.