If you could only fish one river...

[tiddlertamer]

It would be awful to be limited to fishing only one river.

 

But if you were to be limited to one, which one would you choose?

 

Mine would be the Hampshire Avon. From source to sea, it throws up a range of great fishing opportunities and species.

 

From the trout and grayling near source through to large roach, chub, river Bream, perch and pike and barbel, before the challenge of the mullet in the estuary.

 

It's not all perfect. I found the Royalty stretch in Christchurch to be somewhat manicured, perhaps a bit too over organised or even regimented, although you can't fault the fishing. Monster barbel!

 

My own favourite stretch of the river has a fantastic river keeper though and you can enjoy the countryside, pit your wits against nature, whilst knowing the river and surroundings are kept in prime conditions for angling. Doesn't mean you'll catch though! And no I won’t be naming my favourite swims though they have been a delight since I discovered them.

 

But for a lover of trotting tactics, the Avon can be sublime and has provided me with many eventful days down by the river bank.

 

But perhaps the Hampshire Avon is too obvious a choice.

 

What would your choice be and why?

Edited January 26, 2010 by tiddlertamer

[Brian Carragher]

The Tees

 

Its got the lot

[Rusty]

Easy...the Kennet.

 

Most species are in it and it has the most delightful places to fish.

[Tigger]

Depends on the area where you live really.

Not really much point in nameing a river 2hrs drive away.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Tigger

[Vagabond]

The Xingu

 

....but only if I had Scottie's "beam me down" facility.

[tiddlertamer]

Depends on the area where you live really.

Not really much point in nameing a river 2hrs drive away.

 

I live in London but it's still the draw of the Hampshire Avon which lures me out from the 'Big Smoke' most weekends - away from other great rivers much closer to me including the Thames, Lee and Kennet.

[tiddlertamer]

The Xingu

 

....but only if I had Scottie's "beam me down" facility.

 

I'm hooked (with line and sinker) by this reply.

 

I assume you refer to the river of this name in Brazil.

 

Tell me more about this river. I assume you fished it? What fish were there and what tactics did you use?

[chavender]

for me it would be the erewash ,its local (less than say 1000 yds) it has all the right species in it ,barbel ,grayling ,chub ,roach ,perch plus trout ,ok theres no monsters but thats not a issue with me ,and the grayling ,roach and some new barbel ,are recently stocked young fish (future sport) , but theres some seasoned battlers in there ,barbel too 7lbs ,chub too 5lbs roach to nearly 6oz ok so i've not seen any bigger ones but suprizingly a recent EA survay / electrofish fish count revelled loads of 1lbs+ roach .theres also pike too double figures .so this tiny river has everything i need and it'll only get better as its now a conservation project (of which i'm part of) to re-vitalise the river for both coarse and game fish ,its a tribratory of the trent so theres plenty of casual visitors like the barbel and trout .even with just one years work of cleaning out shopping trollies and junk the river has improved 1000% and with recent stocking of 5000 fish (a replacesment of stock after a sewerage spill a couple of years ago ,funded by the waste treatment people ) and a recent stocking of 500 juvenile grayling things are looking up on the river .

[tiddlertamer]

Easy...the Kennet.

 

Most species are in it and it has the most delightful places to fish.

 

Some on this board have argued that the Kennet is not the river it once was for coarse fishing with roach being in particular decline.

 

Fair or does the Kennet still have a special magic?

[lutra]

I'm hooked (with line and sinker) by this reply.

 

I assume you refer to the river of this name in Brazil.

 

Tell me more about this river. I assume you fished it? What fish were there and what tactics did you use?

I'd make a cup of tea first, then try these.

Vagabond in Brazil 1.

Vagabond in Brazil 2.

Vagabond in Brazil 3.

Vagabond in Brazil 4.

Factfile.