A CHARITY match to mark the re-opening of a prime stretch of the River Severn has raised over £250.

The event was organised by the Environment Agency, with over 40 of its staff competing in pairs on the free-to-fish length of river at Ripple, Worcestershire.

Seasoned and novice anglers were raising money for the Suzanne Howarth Memorial Fund, which was set up in memory of a colleague who died from breast cancer in September. Suzanne, an EA officer based at Tewkesbury, was 29 when she lost her battle.

Some £30,000 of work has been carried out along a three-quarter-mile stretch, including the building of 22 large and well-spaced timber platforms and steps. The fishery had previously had to close due to safety concerns.

The funding for the work followed a successful bid by the Lower Severn area of the EA, and was drawn from revenue from licence sales.

Al Watson of the EA commented: “Hopefully the restoration and improvement works, which have been funded by anglers themselves, will mean more will visit the venue and see what it has to offer.

“Our acoustic surveys there this summer have proved there are plenty of fish there to be caught.”

The 1.5-mile stretch at Ripple is controlled by the EA and can be fished free of charge providing you have an EA licence. The main target species are roach, bream, bleak, barbel, perch, chub, zander, pike and some salmon have also showed this year.

The water can also be booked for club matches at £2 a peg, and anyone interested should contact the EA’s Tewkesbury office on 01684 850951 and ask for the fisheries department.

To find the venue, take the A38 from Junction one of the M50 and follow the signs to Ripple. Drive through Ripple towards the River Severn until you find the Birmingham Anglers Association car park at Ukinghall Lake. The EA’s stretch of the Severn at Ripple is downstream of this car park.

Midland Angler