venues I should fish before I get too old

[River Rover]

Hi there,

 

I am not sure if this will be a little but too far for you but how about a Hampshire chalk stream?

Like you, my fishing has to be in a natural environment. I am a keen specimen angler and have always had 'a thing' about large Roach.

 

Have a look at this fishery: http://www.timsburyfishing.co.uk/coarse.html

 

It is a beautiful stretch of the River Test with some beautiful fish. It is not easy but there are very good coarse fish to be had outside of the game season.

 

There are huge Grayling and Roach. My personal best Roach of 2lb 9oz came from here although I know that they go over 3lb!! Some big Pike too if that interests you.

 

It is a day ticket water. Not cheap but worth every penny in my opinion.

 

The bailiff / owner is a very pleasant man and worth talking to for his local knowledge.

 

I hope that it 'suits the bill'

 

River Rover

 

 

[Anderoo]

According to Google Maps, Sudbury is 125 miles (or 2hrs 15mins) from Oxford - so a fair distance, and has the old problem of London being in the way. But it's a 'do-able' distance if you have the drive (excuse the pun) for the fishing at the other end. If you do decide to explore the Thames and/or its fine tributaries, I'd be very happy to show you around. Almost all the water is pretty much unfished.

 

Buckingham is a little over 100 miles, and the upper Ouse is a fascinating venue. I've spent a fair amount of time there in the past and only really scratcched the surface. I will be returning soon once the Thames fever starts to subside a little, as I have unfinished (and also unstarted!) business.

 

(Both waters, if you believe the hype, have been 'decimated'. What this means in practice is that they are not necessarily easy, but nice and quiet...)

 

If you want to try something really different, do some lure fishing on the midland reservoirs in the autumn/early winter for zander. A totally new experience and electric fishing. From you, Rutland is just over 100 miles, Grafham 70.

 

Wingham is the only long-distance fishing I do. It's 145 miles each way, and the only route is round the M25, so it is not a pleasant journey to do regularly. The more I do the long drive the more I dislike it (in previous years when the bream fever was at its peak I was going every other week from April to July, then once a month til October), but when you're really into something, it's just an extra thing to put up with. I'm gradually doing less and less of the long distance fishing and spending more time on local waters, but I think these things go in cycles.

[JV44]

John i am a LAA member and fish there bits so if you ever fancy it give me a shout and we can meet up ,Close enough for me to prebait a few bits

[John Weddup]

According to Google Maps, Sudbury is 125 miles (or 2hrs 15mins) from Oxford - so a fair distance, and has the old problem of London being in the way. But it's a 'do-able' distance if you have the drive (excuse the pun) for the fishing at the other end. If you do decide to explore the Thames and/or its fine tributaries, I'd be very happy to show you around. Almost all the water is pretty much unfished.

 

Buckingham is a little over 100 miles, and the upper Ouse is a fascinating venue. I've spent a fair amount of time there in the past and only really scratcched the surface. I will be returning soon once the Thames fever starts to subside a little, as I have unfinished (and also unstarted!) business.

 

(Both waters, if you believe the hype, have been 'decimated'. What this means in practice is that they are not necessarily easy, but nice and quiet...)

 

If you want to try something really different, do some lure fishing on the midland reservoirs in the autumn/early winter for zander. A totally new experience and electric fishing. From you, Rutland is just over 100 miles, Grafham 70.

 

Wingham is the only long-distance fishing I do. It's 145 miles each way, and the only route is round the M25, so it is not a pleasant journey to do regularly. The more I do the long drive the more I dislike it (in previous years when the bream fever was at its peak I was going every other week from April to July, then once a month til October), but when you're really into something, it's just an extra thing to put up with. I'm gradually doing less and less of the long distance fishing and spending more time on local waters, but I think these things go in cycles.

Thankyou anderoo

 

I may well call on you for assistance locally to you.

 

This may be a passing fad of mine but think not.

 

The travelling is not so bad cross country to oxford area and I would stay for 2 nights aswell so plenty of time to fish and relax and explore. I have a peugeout expert van that is converted with a carp bed and all necessary mod cons to last a weekend. Theres plenty of room for all my tackle and to sleep comfortaby.

 

I was doing similar with a discovery commercial ,which I still have and will use winter time, but the van has a bit more room and more economical. I think this is also what got me thinking about utilising the vehicle for day fishing and different area's. I hide away and sleep wherever I feel safe.

 

I have done, and will do a lot more, bivvied up fishing over last few years. I do this all winter so there is plenty of time this summer to have a few trips around too different rivers.

 

Thanks

 

John

[John Weddup]

John i am a LAA member and fish there bits so if you ever fancy it give me a shout and we can meet up ,Close enough for me to prebait a few bits

 

I remeber a few years ago writing about the LAA stretches and you fishing them. What sections are good for me to look at. Is access good to them. Some LAA fisheries are so poorly utilised that they are overgrown. Their website descriptions are repeated year in for ever so do not always bear any resemblance to current conditions.

 

Thanks for the offer may well take you up on it.

 

John

[Anderoo]

Converting a vehicle so you can comfortably sleep in it is a great idea, and actually one I've been toying with. If I had something like that I'd be much more inclined to do a bit more travelling, or spend longer periods at 'medium distance' venues. I am rapidly going off proper night fishing, but do like being somewhere and getting up at dawn to fish the days. If I could do that, I think I'd quickly find myself back in the fens on a regular basis...

[John Weddup]

I am rapidly going off proper night fishing, but do like being somewhere and getting up at dawn to fish the days. If I could do that, I think I'd quickly find myself back in the fens on a regular basis...

 

Being there at last light to see fish activity and first light is why I started night fishing. Getting to a water for the crack of dawn when its 4am is so stressfull. Getting up in the middle of the night driving there getting your gear around the bank and setting up all in a rush as the light comes up and you are missing out on good fishing time.

 

Its so much easier to be there wake up and cast the rods out. Several local venues I fish I can be in the carpark and already baited up swim previous night. Even quite late in evening so I can be sure no one else see's me or drops in there.

 

I do this a lot on the fens. I know of several spots I can sleep undisturbed knowing all my gear is safely inside.

 

Some waters I want to fish are days only no night fishing. I can sleep close by and be there in minutes.

 

Dales saw me in my disco on the fens a couple of years ago. Because it has all mod cons as does my van you can walk back and cook proper food if you wish. I have a caravan chemical loo in it. I have a bucket and caravan water pump to run a shower head also for washing.

 

As you can probably tell I love it for weekends

 

John

[John Weddup]

Hi there,

 

I am not sure if this will be a little but too far for you but how about a Hampshire chalk stream?

Like you, my fishing has to be in a natural environment. I am a keen specimen angler and have always had 'a thing' about large Roach.

 

Have a look at this fishery: http://www.timsburyfishing.co.uk/coarse.html

 

It is a beautiful stretch of the River Test with some beautiful fish. It is not easy but there are very good coarse fish to be had outside of the game season.

 

There are huge Grayling and Roach. My personal best Roach of 2lb 9oz came from here although I know that they go over 3lb!! Some big Pike too if that interests you.

 

It is a day ticket water. Not cheap but worth every penny in my opinion.

 

The bailiff / owner is a very pleasant man and worth talking to for his local knowledge.

 

I hope that it 'suits the bill'

 

River Rover

Thanks river rover sounds very interesting and what a cracking river roach.

 

Will investigate it further.

 

Pushing the distance a bit is not really an issue espescially to have 2lb plus roach crawling up my rods. LOL

 

John

[Barry C]

As a kid, too many years ago than I like to admit to the name of one place was magical to me.

Redmire pool.

We knew nothing about it but it just rang all the bells just hearing it's name.

I'me sure it's memory is far more potent in my mind than reality would be so that will have to be as close as I get.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Barry C

[RUDD]

John there is a massive natural water with a stretch not far from you - The North sea!

Mind you once hooked on sea fishing you will be wanting to fish marks in Wales, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Sussex, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, The channel islands and them marks are the well known ones!

 

I have not found age to be a direct problem as time goes on but an indirect one since starting a family. I find time is now not an abundant commodity it once was.

 

Go for it while you have the resources available.