Phil Foster Lifts RiverFest 2025 Crown and £12,000 Prize

HomeFishing NewsAngling Trust NewsPhil Foster Lifts RiverFest 2025 Crown and £12,000 Prize

Phil Foster Lifts RiverFest 2025 Crown and £12,000 Prize

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Phil Foster produced a performance for the ages to win the 2025 RiverFest Final on the River Trent at Burton Joyce. The 78-year-old from Lincoln, nicknamed the “barbel whisperer,” stormed to the title with a huge second-day haul that pushed his total weight to 106lb 4oz and secured the £12,000 top prize.

Blistering Day Two Seals the Title

After a modest opening day return of 3lb 15oz from the Ferry Field section, Phil drew peg 58 on the Nelson Field for the final day. Casting downstream towards peg 59, the very peg where Geraint Powell had taken the lead on Saturday, he was quickly into fish.

Using a blockend feeder packed with hemp and caster and fishing three casters on a long hooklength, Phil tempted 13 barbel and a pair of chub. His catch included an 11lb 11oz specimen barbel and a near-6lb chub. Once the fish arrived, bites came fast, sometimes within a minute of recasting.

By weighing each barbel as it was landed and returning it straight away, Foster kept track of his progress. When his tally passed 70lb and word filtered through that Powell was struggling, the dream of finally landing the RiverFest crown became a reality.

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“It’s been an incredible day’s fishing – you don’t catch 100lb on a river that often,” Phil told the Angling Trust. “This is an event I’ve fished every year and wanted to win. It’ll take some time to sink in!”

Foster Reflects on a Dream Win

Writing on his own Facebook page after the dust had settled, Phil said:

It has now finally sunk in that I have won RiverFest 2025. I would like to thank Dave for having the vision to create the biggest and best river match in the country, The Angling Trust for the brilliant organisation and Ashfield Angling for the venue. The bailiffs and the stewards who worked superbly hard weighing the barbel for me. Whisby Angling for the excellent fresh bait and Collingham Angling Club for their support, and lastly all the anglers who have congratulated me on my win, thank you.

He also detailed the winning set-up that helped secure the title. Phil fished with a Drennan Barbel Specialist 12ft 10in rod (1.5lb test curve) fitted with an Acolyte 5oz tip, teamed with a Daiwa Cast’izm QD reel loaded with DH 12lb feeder line. His hooklength was Drennan Acolyte Fluorocarbon 0.25mm to a size 10 Drennan Wide Gape hook, baited with three casters. The blockend feeder was filled with hemp and casters.

“Overall, a brilliant competition that anglers like myself only dream about winning,” he concluded.

Powell and Cannon Complete the Podium

Geraint Powell had dominated day one with 71lb from Nelson Field peg 59, landing 11 barbel on similar feeder and caster tactics. However, a tougher second day from Ferry Field peg 21 yielded just 14lb 9oz, including a single double-figure barbel, leaving him on 85lb 9oz overall. His effort secured second place and £7,000.

Former champion Paul Cannon took third with a two-day total of 30lb 12oz, earning £4,000.

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RiverFest 2025 Payouts

The RiverFest Final once again rewarded anglers down to 15th place, with section money also shared across the field.

  • 🥇 1st – Phil Foster – 106lb 4oz – £12,000
  • 🥈 2nd – Geraint Powell – 85lb 9oz – £7,000
  • 🥉 3rd – Paul Cannon – 30lb 12oz – £4,000
  • 4th – Chris Greensides – 26lb 14oz – £3,000
  • 5th – Paul Passmore – 22lb 10oz – £2,000
  • 6th – Wayne Hozland – 23lb 12oz – £1,800
  • 7th – Sean Ashby – 22lb 8oz – £1,600
  • 8th – Lee Wright – 25lb 14oz – £1,500
  • 9th – Colin Oakman – 24lb 10oz – £1,250
  • 10th – Steve Harwood – 23lb 0oz – £1,000
  • 11th – Nigel Bull – 22lb 6oz – £900
  • 12th – Andrew Cranston – 21lb 4oz – £800
  • 13th – Lee Richmond – 21lb 6oz – £700
  • 14th – Hadrian Whittle – 21lb 0oz – £600
  • 15th – Dave Clampton – 20lb 2oz – £500

With Phil Foster’s triumph, RiverFest once again underlined its reputation as the premier river competition in the UK, combining drama, big fish, and top-class match tactics.

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