The Thames

[chuby]

Hi.Pmon the way,not for any secret reason,just a bit long winded ,thats all

[BornAgainFisher]

Dan - Once the river fishing season starts again the Thames all the way downstream from Staines is free fishing where access is available. I fished a Barbel Fishing World Fish-In at Hampton Court this February - no Barbel but a Bream and a pb Chub at 5lb 12 oz. From people I've spoken to the fishing is great all along this stretch with a good chance for big Carp, Barbel, Chub and Perch. Parking at Hampton Court train station for £2.50 for 24 hours and just nip through a gap in the hedge and you're on the river.

 

Other stretches that seem to feature are Laleham, Walton on Thames, Kingston and Sunbury Kings Lawn - not tried any of these myself - bit too far to travel except for special occasions.

 

Good Luck

BornAgainFisher

Graham

[argyll]

Other stretches that seem to feature are Laleham

 

Dont go anywhere near Laleham, its rubbish

[BornAgainFisher]

Argyll,

 

Can you expand a bit on Laleham? I'd heard good reports and it was one place I may have tried sometime in the future - is it the fishing, the locale or what?

 

Cheers in advance

BornAgainFisher

[Newt]

Hi BornAgainFisher and welcome to the forum.

 

Based on his use of a smiley face right after he said it's rubbish, I'd have to bet on his real opinion being just the opposite.

[argyll]

Curses ya got me BAF. Newts right... only kidding. Laleham Reach has got a lot going for it and my boat is about a mile away. Good solid bank fishing on the Middlesex side downstream from Penton Hook lock and whilst summer sunday afternoons will bring out the swimmers, splashers and picnics, its really worth a go on any other day. Some good bream shoals, plenty of roach, some perch, pike.....and the odd zander so they say. Most seem to float fish it close in, but its a big wide reach with a deeper central boat channel that deserves to be feeder fished

[Dan G]

Think I may give either Hampton or Laleham a go. Argyll also mentioned a lovely trout lake that i'll be wetting a line at. It's very hard when you move to get to know places to fish, especially as I grew up in the north either fishing reserviors, mill ponds or streams in the peaks. All very different from the mighty Thames... are there any clubs which people would recommend I join, or are they a waste of time down here?

[DannyS]

Teddington lock on the Thames can throw up some good fish but take plenty of bait as the Dace down there almost jump on anything. Seen some good carp rolling by the lock entrance too. Its tidal and I found the best approach is to don waders and trot casters just down from the weir.

[tonystone]

I fish all the stretches of the thames that you mention above mate.

 

It would depend what species you were after, as to where you should fish but as a rule if I want pike I go to Shepperton weir, teddington weir, laleham and chertsey,

Bream from Shepperton weir

Barbel from walton on thames

 

You can have mixed bags of roach perch etc from most parts of the thames. All the thames around hampton court, lalehame, staines, chertsey, teddington, kingston, ham, richmond, sunbury is all free

[tonystone]

There have been some big chub caught from by the motorway bridge of the M3 at laleham before the season ended, I heard reports of a 6lb fish coming out