River Sow

[john]

Hi all, does anyone have any info. on the Sow in Staffs.

[ayjay]

Not that I can help with the Sow, but what do you want to know, could you be a little less vague, give someone a chance to help you.

[Alan Fawcett]

The river Sow (or Sowe) rises near the famous Copthorne pool and flows through the staffordshire countryside till its confluence with the Trent by Shugborough Hall.

 

the section in the town just south of the mill wheels and right through till the Penk/Sow confluence is a man made section (canal) this was dug out so the coal barges could reach the town center where the council offices now stand.

 

The original river course is still flowing to an extent but is now no more than a stream as it flows under the Tesco's supermarket in the town (which is on the banks of the canal stretch).

 

Average depth is 3 to 4 ft species of fish.....loads including gudgeon,roach,bream,tench,pike,chub,barbel and rumor has it there's zander in the marshes conservation area which is fishable on a day ticket available from Bates gunshop in the towns market square.

 

best baits are white maggot, white crumb and hemp, feeder seems to be the best method.

or at least thats what most the anglers i know use anyway including me.

For the chub its normally freelined bread floated down with the current.

 

A nice stretch is available to fish at the Izzak Walton Fishery Chebsey nr Stafford (just off J14 of the M6 towards Eccleshall)

 

At the moment the fishings not so great around the town and the town park due to all the improvements that have been carried out on the banks ect including the new fish refuges and breeding areas.

 

North of the town is the marshes area as mentioned before and south of the town is the riverway area which is free water till the penk/sow confluence then it becomes club water (Izzak Walton staffs AA and Prince albert AA)

For Barbel the best place is behand the sewerage works just off tixall lane but i don't know who's book this is on now.

 

Anything else please feel free to email me at Trogg@maggotdrowning.com

[Stewart_Bloor]

I'd just like to say that above the confluence is also PAAS for several meadows on both banks.

 

It's a good river, one that I have fished a lot, but it is fairly local to me. I'm not sure I would fish it if I had to travel any great distance.

[Alan Fawcett]

Stewart

 

How long have PAAS had the meadows above the penk/sow confluence?

 

Like i said i know below that point it becomes club water but i didn't know it was club water above it as well.

[Stewart_Bloor]

Hello Alan, quite some time I would have thought. The map book shows that the water above the confluence is PAAS, and I've had my book about 3 or 4 years now.

 

There aren't any signs though on that stretch (below or above confluence). Well, certainly not on the river anyway, although I have seen the odd one or two on access gates.

[john]

Thanks, Alan and Stuart.Its the PAAS water that I am interested in.Cheers.

[Stewart_Bloor]

John, it may be worthwhile posting a message on the PAAS site. Do you have access to that?