Wild trout thin this year?

[kenj]

Thanks for the comment Chesters1, it gave me a laugh. The Whitewater has a natural head of brown trout and we are trying to get the levels back to what they were a few years ago, when we did not need to stock this catch and release fishery. Only 60 fish were stocked this year. The one above was an overwintered stockie.

 

Unfortunately we have landowners that are not inclined to honour our fishing rights, granted many years ago, ie diverting the river to build a bridge without informing the club. This left many fish stranded in pools, chub, dace roach and perch included, along with the trout, easy pickings for herons crows and the mink.

 

During the rest of the year from 1st October, while another section is joint use from 16th June, the river is used as a coarse fishery by the Farnborugh & District Club, so any river improvements benefit the coarse fish too. Yes, coarse anglers often complain of trout taking their bread meant for the chub, but I bet they don't complain about the fight they get from a trout. I've had a few 4lb chub from the Whitewater on the fly with a 7ft 3 weight rod and they don't go as hard as a 2 lb trout.

Edited May 22, 2018 by kenj

[chesters1]

Its about time they had introduced fish on a bungy so they spring back to the water they are put in ,i have permission on the opposite bank and for half a mile or so below a local fluff chucking club and i cant see why i have to catch their fish while i am after course fish .

I can get a carrier bag full in an hour even the cat refused to eat them !

[kenj]

We all know how easy trout are to catch Chesters, that's why we make it difficult for ourselves by using bits of fur and feather instead of bait.

 

On the coarse fishing front, I was at my coarse fishing club's prize giving tonight. Prize for the best weight in a 5 hour match was for 139 lb of carp from a hole in the ground, that was a good mixed fishery, now it is only carp. Once upon a time, 40 lb of bream, or 30 lb of chub would have been needed to win that cup. Not my idea of fun, but it takes all sorts.

[kenj]

Due to a damage ankle, I have been unable to fish so far this season, but managed a brief evening visit to a free urban river this week, just as the Mayfly were beginning to show. Only netting one of three wild browns hooked, a beautifully spotted 12 oz wild brown trout took a white Mayfly.

 

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This was my blog. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/wild-trout-ready-for-mayfly-bonanza-on-urban-river/

Edited May 15, 2019 by kenj

[kenj]

After Lockdown I made my first visit to the Hampshire river Whitewater this year on a cold day, but a few Mayfly were coming off and landed a 22 inch over wintered stockie.

This was the only fish that I saw rising and after several attempts, due to a strong side wind, it took my green Shadow Mayfly. Due to the Covid Lockdown, no fish have been stocked this year, but Farnborough & District AS members have caught plenty of wild browns and the occasional overwintered trout. This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/big-whitewater-brown-trout-a-fitting-end-to-the-lockdown/

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by kenj

[Phone]

kenj,

both of those fish look plenty healthy. How's the ankle coming along?

Phone

 

[kenj]

Hi Phone, Thanks for the concern. My right ankle has healed, but unfortunately the weight transferred to my left leg, set off an old motorcycle racing injury to my left knee. Treatment was about to start to fix it, when Covid arrived in the UK and all non virus work was ceased, as all spare hands were needed to keep people alive in the NHS. Just had an online consultation, so things might get moving again. At the moment fishing mobility is limited, using an extendable ali landing net for support. Wading is out. Have been out a couple of times and had a couple of small wild brown trout. This was one of them.

At the moment Phone it is all about a trade off between pain and fishing. The pleasure of catching this little guy was worth the mile walk. This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/wild-brown-trout-hard-to-find-after-the-mayfly-hatch/

[kenj]

Two months after my last visit to the River Whitewater, I was pleased to see that consultation between the farmer and the rights holders Farnborough and District AS had been effective. Over recent years electric fences and barbed wire had been erected to keep the livestock out of the river by the farmer, with little regard to the anglers trying to access the river. For the fly fishermen, it meant being forced to wade most of the Hampshire trout stream, with the fences placed at the edge of the river contrary to the riparian deeds, which state that room for two anglers to pass in either direction should be provided. This year the syndicate was dissolved and the control of the fly fishing brought back within the main club on a joint ticket and the loss of bank space was the first item on the agenda with the farm owner. Unaware that this had been a problem, he seems to have put things right. Stretches of electric fence were now six feet, or more from the bank, while one particularly difficult to negotiate length of barbed wire fence is gone completely and a stile created over another.

With no stocking of the river this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions, I was not expecting much when I visited in the evening this week, finding the river low and clear, but managed to fool a small wild brownie on a size 18 Hares Ear Gold Head as the light faded.

This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/a-late-visit-rewarded-by-a-wild-whitewater-trout/

[kenj]

With the 2021 trout fishing season approaching on the River Whitewater, the first work party were shocked to find that the farmer had cut back the mature alders lining the banks downstream of the farm, the logs destined for domestic wood burners. Farnborough and District AS have held the riparian fishing rights to this Hampshire chalk stream for over 60 years, but the current owner did not consider informing the club of his intentions.

This is not necessarily bad news for the fishery, as with more light able to reach the gravel riverbed, transplanting of ranunculus weed from further downstream, should see an improvement over time. 

The stock of wild brown trout have been busy over the winter months, with signs of spawning redds at intervals along the river, while commercial cray fish nets yielded 50 kilos a week last season, which should aid survival rates of juvenile trout. This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/looking-forward-to-a-complete-2021-trout-fishing-seasonrout-fishing-season/ 

 

[kenj]

Following heavy rain and cold weather throughout the opening weeks on the River Whitewater, few members ventured out to fish, but a late Hawthorn fly hatch, coinciding with the start of the Mayfly in late May, has seen an encouraging number of wild brown trout caught, including juveniles. Employing the services of a professional team of crayfish trappers has made an impact on the coarse fish too, with successful spawning of chub and dace.

I managed to get to the river this week on a warm afternoon and netted a well conditioned wild brown of a pound and a half on a white bodied Mayfly.

My blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/mayfly-slow-to-hatch-on-the-river-whitewater/