Yorkshire Water is hosting the annual Water Industry Game Fishing Championships 2009, for what will be the competition’s 30th anniversary.

The cream of the industry’s fishing talent, along with colleagues from the Environment Agency and British Waterways have taken the bait and over 120 anglers from across the UK will descend on the banks of Yorkshire Water’s Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs in the Washburn Valley on Saturday May 9th.

They will be competing for a number of prestigious titles including Team champion, individual champion and heaviest trout. To honour the competitions 30th anniversary, Yorkshire Water has introduced further prizes for the smallest trout caught and a raffle competition.

And the good news for competitors is that the company has just begun its annual programme of restocking which will see a large number of rainbow and blue trout added to Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs over the coming months up until the end of the fishing season in November.

Alastair Harvey, recreation manager at Yorkshire Water, comments: “This competition grows from strength to strength every year so we’re really looking forward to welcoming such a huge number of competitors for what should be a great day’s fishing.”

So far the largest recorded rainbow trout catch came in 2006 when a 14lb specimen was landed – though with rumours aplenty that monster trout are to be lurking at all three sites, this record looks unlikely to stand the test of time.

Located within the Washburn Valley, which forms part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs are set in attractive surroundings.

For more information on Yorkshire Water’s Washburn Valley fisheries, details of on-site tuition, equipment sales and hire and competitions, contact the Swinsty fishing office on 01943 880658 or visit http://www.yorkshirewater.com/recreation.