Ist day

[arbocop]

What a fantastic stretch - almost like the Thames tributaries like the Loddon. Can you identify the stretch more accurately or is that against your clubs media and press policy, or even your own policy!

 

I wouldn't mind giving that stretch a go. It looks like a blinding spot for a bit of freelining for chub. Great big rubbery lips enveloping a huge chunk of flake or a slug. Great!

 

Mike

[JV44]

Good stuff Steve glad to see you putting the drop shot stuff to good use ,sat on our boat outside Reading prison last night and the swan and Signets far bank started a commotion which turned out to be an Otter bold as brass swimming round the prison loop a more built up urban area you would find hard to better urban wise......

[arbocop]

Good stuff Steve glad to see you putting the drop shot stuff to good use ,sat on our boat outside Reading prison last night and the swan and Signets far bank started a commotion which turned out to be an Otter bold as brass swimming round the prison loop a more built up urban area you would find hard to better urban wise......

 

I live about 1km from there - never seen an otter, nor any sign of one, remarkable that one lives there - it's a long way in each direction before it can get out on anything other than hard surface, unless it goes up the Holybrook stream, and even then it's built up and has to negotiate a tunnel. I can only assume iot came down from the Thames direction and down past the weir, it won't have come down the Kennet through The Oracle shopping centre.

 

I must have walked past you yesterday evening on my way home from work. My 5 year old son caught his first fish there on Wednesday, a small dace. What a great first fish! we were only there 30 minutes, and he coud have had three or four, but was either too quick or too slow when he got a bite. I have only fished there about three times as depsite it being so close to my house. It's all bit too urban really. However, I have recently been eying up a spot where I can wade in and trot down to the trees, and be virtually unseen from the bank and surrounding buildings. I'vce seen a fair few chub there. Might give that an early morning assault next week.

 

I regulalrly drop into the Lyndhurst and The Retreat pubs which are not far from where you are. Ping me when you are next around and we can have a pint or three. Not today though - working in London again until 2300!

 

Mike

[Steve Walker]

Mike, it's the free stretch at Cricklade. It's free from the dual carriageway overpass by the rugby field up to the town, then inaccessible for a bit, then free in the water meadows up as far as the next bridge, where a club takes it over. The two swims I have photographed are a bit unrepresentative - much of it is tighter and more overgrown than that. There are lots of swims where you can find fish visible in a foot of water and freeline a bait to them, but you will need all of your stealth, tight casting skills and a hide impervious to nettles and barbed wire! There are perhaps three or four trottable swims on the water meadows, and the same number of swims you can fish the upstream dry fly if you would like to lose your mind trying to hit small dace! The lower section by the rugby pitch is more open, but still narrow.

 

It's easier downstream of the overpass - Swindon Golden Carp have the right bank, and from a little further down to the confluence with the Ray, South Cerney AC have a long section of the left bank. The river is just a tad bigger down there, and more fishable when flows are low. Don't think either offer day tickets, though.

 

If anyone fancies giving it a go, give me a shout.

[Steve Walker]

Steve, sounds idyllic! Will have to come over for a bit of fishing soon. Also hoping to arrange a BBQ at our place soon, probably next month some time, our friends will bring their GSD, be good if you and the woofers could make it.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Steve Walker

[JV44]

Mike deffo an Otter saw it clearly assume it has come up from Thames and walked over lock island ,saw a Mink at the island before mapledurham lock and now sat at Child Beale awaiting the evenings river Breaming....lots of well fermented hemp and partiblend to fire out.

Would be good to catch up will let you kjnow when we are next there .

Steve W you and your fair lady want to join us we are heading for Tadpole bridge the trout for Friday evening ...Rusty may come to and a BBQ at some point sounds good,Robbie aint well at the moment awaiting urine results hoping it`s nothing bad

[Steve Walker]

I like the Trout! I shall consult!

 

What's up with Robbie?

[JV44]

Hoping it`s just a urinary tract infection but as he is male could be something worse just have to wait and see ,just saw a Roe deer swim across the river they don`t half motor across

[Steve Walker]

Fingers crossed then mate. Met someone with a nice GSD bitch while I was fishing. He was saying last year she caught sight of a deer in the fields there, did a Fenton and chased it. With the dog in hot pursuit it ran out of the fields, onto the road, up the high street and then jumped straight through a shop window... Oops! Sounds like she has a bit of a prey drive on her, because she recently caught and ate a starling.

 

Speaking of odd things swimming, in that second swim I saw a collared dove land flat on the water, float for a few seconds while it had a drink and then take off again. Never seen that before, thought it was a goner!

Edited June 22, 2014 by Steve Walker

[Anderoo]

I had a couple of hours' trotting at a little tributary yesterday evening, it was lovely to be back on running water but very difficult fishing, just because of how overgrown it is! Just getting a glimpse of the river is hard, there are 6ft+ nettles everywhere, loads of big overhanging trees all in leaf, brambles, it's a jungle. And as it's such a tiny river, by the time you've made it to the water you've scared everything witless!

 

Despite that I did catch a few small chub, a decent dace, a surprise gudgeon, and one decent chub of perhaps two and a half pounds that was a real handful in the fast water.

 

I did stumble upon a very nice mini pool which is significantly deeper than the surrounding water and has lots of cover. I think I will go back with different tackle and tactics and see who's at home...

Edited June 22, 2014 by Anderoo