Hogsmill River

[martinchick]

Was wondering if anyone has ever fished on the Hogsmill river running through Ewell, worcester park, new malden and kingston? It's pretty grim near its source but gets pretty big towards the Thames with some nice looking patches. It's quite channelled, lots of concrete. But the Wandle's made a real comeback. Any info would be great.

[eamonn321]

There are plenty of chub in the Hogsmill near the police station - you can see them from the bridge but unfortunately it's a no fishing area. I've lived near the Hogsmill most of my life and it was only last summer that I saw a fish other than sticklebacks, anywhere outside Kingston. I spotted a couple of small chub in the Old Malden area. Now that part of the river is about 3 - 4 miles from Kingston so maybe fish are now moving (upstream?). It would be nice to think the river might go the way of the Wandle but it's much smaller so I doubt it.

[martinchick]

Cheers for the heads up. Which police station are you talking about? It is quite small and clear so would be a challenge to fish but if they are moving upstream it can't be a bad thing. I did a geography project on it a few years back and thought it would be impossible for anything to live in there what with all the shopping trolleys and two sewage plants on it. The strech just under the A3 before New Malden looks nice. Do you know if fishing is allowed there?

[eamonn321]

Fishing allowed definitely on the public banks. Never occurred to me that anyone would fish it this far away from the Thames. I must take walk along the Hogsmill and look into the river again. The small chub I saw were in the stretch between the A3 and the bridge at the end of Sheephouse Way. The police station is the one in Kingston - Clattern Bridge. Take a look over the side of the bridge on the police station side of the road and you'll see loads of chub up to a couple of pounds.

 

So did your project include anything about Millais using the Hogsmill in Old Malden as a background for his painting of Ophelia?

[martinchick]

Cheers for that. I'll have to go for a wander and see if I acn see any along there. The project was just a survey of the river, it's depth, discharge, turbidity. Stuff like that. Might be useful in finding some fish actually. Didn't get much time to look for fish when I was doing it, was due in a week later so had to get it done pretty quick.

[Anderoo]

Used to be plenty of carp around where it joins the Thames in Kingston...

[andyml]

i've seen both pike and carp to double figures in the kingston stretch..just before it flows int the thames.

 

even though there are "no fishing" signs i have seen youngsters poaching it.....

 

not easy to care for ones catch here....must be approx 8 feet sheer drop into the water through a set of iron railings ...this does help with netting!! and concrete slabs on which to unhook one's catch....

 

<')Andy<

[martinchick]

i've seen both pike and carp to double figures in the kingston stretch..just before it flows int the thames.

 

even though there are "no fishing" signs i have seen youngsters poaching it.....

 

not easy to care for ones catch here....must be approx 8 feet sheer drop into the water through a set of iron railings ...this does help with netting!! and concrete slabs on which to unhook one's catch....

 

<')Andy<

 

Yeah. It becomes pretty urban quite quickly. Shame about the no fishing though. Wading could have been a good tactic, it's not too deep along there.

[SimonT]

When I'm in Kingston I usually take a look over the bridge by the police station, it's full of big chub - I'd guess up to 4lb's or so, there's usually a large shoal under the bridge by the Renault garage too.

 

Further upstream, where I live in Old Malden there's a few deeper holes, just upstream from SheepHouse Way that hold chub up to about 1lb & a few roach too - used to take a couple of slices of bread down there & watch them take it. I'm guessing they made their way up in a flood sometime & stayed. You can definately fish it for free, usually fish the Thames or Trent myself, somehow casting to fish you can see doesn't appeal to me..

 

Check out the Kingston borough website RBK etc - there's a group (hogsMill Action Group I think) who meet up to pull shopping trolleys out etc!

[chuby]

Used to fish it where it enters the Thames,when i was a kid ,used to do ok as well.As has already been stated,the stretch there is closed off now.Have been thinking about taking a look at the river higher up,as i live in New Malden area,just not got around to it.