Wayne Swinscoe Wins Three Day Burton Festival

Nottingham match legend Wayne Swinscoe won the three-day Burton Festival on the River Trent between Branston and Shardlow for the second time in the annual contest’s 12 year history.

2017 Burton Festival top three, Wayne Swinscoe (centre), Sam Wildsmith (left), Steve Gardner (right).

Third on day 1 with 9lb 12oz of pole-caught perch and dace from a peg on the Branston golf course stretch, Wayne won his section on day 2 at Broadholme Island with 70 roach to waggler and bronze maggots, before clinching the title ahead of 70 rivals with 7lb 2oz of roach for second in section at Baileys.

His 6 point tally was one clear of runner-up Sam Wildsmith (Drennan Barnsley Blacks) and Leicestershire’s Steve Gardner (Wreake) who both scored 7.

“The upper Trent is a lovely natural river for anglers who enjoy many different float and pole fishing techniques,” enthused Wayne.

“My top tip for this venue in autumn is to loose feed hemp and maggots every cast, but cut back on the amount of maggots you’d use during summer. I fed just three or four per cast. The noise of hemp landing attracts the fish, then you want them to find the maggots on your hook rather than chasing around after freebies,” he advised.