venues I should fish before I get too old

[John Weddup]

Well that's it I have to admit I am getting older.

 

I am not quite dead yet but fancy trying a few different venues before I do not fancy travelling too far. I am happy to go about 100 miles for a weekends fishing. It can be a bivvy up for nights or just fish days. I have a converted van that I can wild camp in.

 

I love rivers but also big still waters. I don't like heavily stocked waters they have to be natural.

 

I am happy to pay day ticket or even join a club but am also a member of LAA and they have quite a few venues I have never seen espescially on the thames around oxford way.

 

My base is north Essex south Suffolk so a 100 miles or so from there would be fine.

 

Catching a few fish and maybe a few different species would interest me and just seeing a different area. I am not at all fed up with what I have local but just fancy trying a few other area's before I either don't fancy travelling or cannot afford it.

 

John

[Newt]

Well, Vagabond & Poledark are living proof that us old guys can still fish so there is hope for you yet.

 

I think that the adventure of new places and new techniques helps keep us young.

[Steve Burke]

Sorry, John, I don't know your area at all well so can't help.

 

I confess I'm not one for travelling very far except to somewhere very special, or for a type of fishing I haven't got locally.

 

I'm fitter than I used to be but have so little free time. But I do miss my small river fishing, so that's probably what would attract me.

[John Weddup]

Thanks guys

 

Its not really my area I am interested in its further afield. Infact wingham is within my range.

 

100 to 150 miles away. I think wingham is about 120 but its through the horrid tunnel.

 

Across country is so much easier. I know the broads in Norfolk quite well and the Cambridgeshire fens pretty well too. They both have mysteries for me to target at some point but those slightly further away venues are what are interesting me at present. Not for a campaign but for a bit of pleasure fishing.

 

I think the topic of plans for the new river season got me thinking.

 

John

[Vagabond]

There's a lot of choice in East Anglia, and I expect you know it far better than most people, so will say nothing about the waters to your north and east.

 

Waters to the west are more of a problem, 'cos London is in the way. However, I interpret your post as wanting to try a different type of river.

 

Two possibilities - firstly the Upper Gt Ouse. Buckingham AS have waters at Deanshanger and above, are not too expensive, and are easy to join Those waters are just about on your 100 mile limit. Very clear water in summer - sight fishing for chub, some good perch. Its a long way for me also, but a very enjoyable river to fish.

 

The other is the Lower Thames, much of it within your range, but I do not know it well, having only fished the Upper Thames many years ago. Also have a look at the Kennet - Farnham AS and Reading AS have stretches.

 

A more remote possibility is on your LAA ticket - the Hampshire Avon just below Salisbury. It is about 150 miles from Sudbury, so a bit above your limit, and thus only worth it if you spend two or three days there at a time. Roach, dace, grayling. I've fished it on a day ticket a few times. All you might expect of the Hants/Wilts Avon - a magic river.

 

Or you might like to try the Essex estuaries for mullet (Warning, Angling can send you mad, mullet angling can send you barking mad, but for real stark, staring, raving lunacy, try fly-fishing for mullet)

 

Yep, getting older, eighty the next milestone, so I savour every season as if it might be the last.

 

" Happy is the angler that fishes to please himself, and not to astonish others"

 

Tight lines !

[chesters1]

Travelling 100 miles to me should have a weeks holiday in between!

Mind you when i was 12 i used to get the train from bromley to folkestone for the weekend sea fishing in the close season so it was almost as far

I suppose its down to how much you like driving ,in a car i hated it and i hated it the more i got older.

You cannot die yet you havnt met me ,look out vagabond you have!

I have fished though a few places but the iden lock end of the military canal at first light has kept in my head since i was a spotty youth its hauntingly lovely but perhaps not so now most people can get there

Fished both frenshams so the passion for angling old chap old tackle venue has been ticked off ,the camera can lie!

Met jack hargreaves once so the "celebrity" angler box ticked as well

Why travel though? Get a decent map and a magnifying glass and you will find you havnt fished 99% of the water around you

Edited May 22, 2013 by chesters1

[John Weddup]

 

Why travel though? Get a decent map and a magnifying glass and you will find you havnt fished 99% of the water around you

 

I think this is actually my point. I can leave whats around me to discover when I don't want to travel too far as I get older. There are lots of rivers and stillwaters that I know of and some quite well. They will keep me entertained and searching for years.

 

Just fancy trying something different. Not chasing fish like some do and tear off to catch loads of barbel from popular spots but a taste of what else there is out there so I can sit back and rememeber fishing those venues.

 

John

[John Weddup]

The other is the Lower Thames, much of it within your range, but I do not know it well, having only fished the Upper Thames many years ago. Also have a look at the Kennet - Farnham AS and Reading AS have stretches.

 

A more remote possibility is on your LAA ticket - the Hampshire Avon just below Salisbury. It is about 150 miles from Sudbury, so a bit above your limit, and thus only worth it if you spend two or three days there at a time. Roach, dace, grayling. I've fished it on a day ticket a few times. All you might expect of the Hants/Wilts Avon - a magic river.

 

 

 

 

" Happy is the angler that fishes to please himself, and not to astonish others"

 

Tight lines !

 

 

Thanks yes those LAA stretches interest me as do their Thames waters.

 

I totally agree with your last quote and something I practice all the time. Chasing monsters too impress others is not for me.

 

John

[poledark]

Funny this getting old thing The last few years I have had the itch to fish other places...the Thames in particular, especially the middle and upper reaches. Bit of a hike for me, so it got put off. Then I thought about some of the little rivers I fished as a young man, and realised they invoved a lot of walking, something I have a problem with, so that was put on the back burner.

 

So many places and memories to be relived, but always the physical problem raised its head, so i stayed local and parked close to the swims

 

I used to do a lot of beach fishing up till about 40 years ago, and suddenly the urge to get back on the beach became very strong. Thanks to Google earth I found a few places where parking was close and almost overnight I gave up my FW fishing (caught pretty much all I wanted) and for the last 18 months I have gradually spread my wings a bit and with the help of a newly found friend (who has turned out to be a real friend ) I have scratched a few of those itches

 

I say a few I will always have one or two that niggle at me

 

So I would say "go for it John"

 

Den

[Steve Burke]

John, the Dartford Crossing will supposedly get a lot better when "free-flow" tolls are introduced next year. Exactly how the system will work and how much better it'll be I don't know.

 

You can always kip in the clubhouse if you arrive late as happens occasionally now. Some members also fish the Sunday night, have an early shower and a change of clothing in the clubhouse on Monday morning before driving off to work.