The state of the rivers

[The Flying Tench]

Chris, I'm impressed by the high average size of your canal perch! I realize it's partly hard-earned experience of particular swims, but is there anything in particular you look for on a canal. I know that reed mace is a good sign, but other than that canals can look a bit monochrome

[chelmerpaul]

All the rivers look well swollen, bombing through and full of crap. Now is the time to use your watercraft and seek out those areas away from the main flow - if you find the right spot you may get a bonanza.

[wanzelbin]

Can we have some of your rain please?

 

At Wingham in Kent we've had just 26mm (a fraction over an inch) of rain in November, and we're already 80% through the month. Our average rainfall for November is 66mm (2.6inches). This is just making our drought worse.

 

The water temperature in the Coarse Lake yesterday was 50.4F ((10.2C). It probably went up overnight as the air temperature reached an incredible 62F (16.7C) at 5.30 this morning! That's warmer than many summer nights!

 

What's the betting we get snow and floods here now though!

 

Is there somewhere on the web you can get rainfall stats and the like for particular areas? I live near Tunbridge Wells (also in Kent) and think we've had much more than 26mm this month on this side of the county - but without my own weather station, I've got no idea!

[Anderoo]

It's gone from bad to worse...I went over the Thames this morning on the way to work and it's burst its banks and flooded several fields, and a mooring section near the lock is completely submerged - and there's more rain to come! It's an impressive, if worrying, sight.

[Steve Burke]

Is there somewhere on the web you can get rainfall stats and the like for particular areas? I live near Tunbridge Wells (also in Kent) and think we've had much more than 26mm this month on this side of the county - but without my own weather station, I've got no idea!

 

It's the same in East Kent. The nearest weather station to Wingham has reached just 28mm for the month - about half the average. We too badly need some rain otherwise we'll have even more of a drought problem next summer than we did this year.

 

This site gives you the stats for Wye near Ashford: http://www.meto.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages.../sites/wye.html

 

This site gives links to independent weather stations, many of which are likely to have historical records: http://www.weatherstations.co.uk/aws_map.htm

 

Finally, a search of this huge site should throw up lots of relevant data: http://www.wunderground.com

[Steve Walker]

It's gone from bad to worse...I went over the Thames this morning on the way to work and it's burst its banks and flooded several fields, and a mooring section near the lock is completely submerged - and there's more rain to come! It's an impressive, if worrying, sight.

 

It wasn't in the Cricklade water meadows yesterday, but the fields downstream of Cricklade were flooded. I'd thought about going for a session on the river Ray, but it appears to be four times the normal width and occupying much of the car park

[Peter M]

Saw the river Rodin in essex this am and it had burst its banks. The river chelmer yesterday was up and cloured and with a strong flow, therefore went to a lake to spin for pike and abandoned the river all together. however, there is a small side stream off the river that normally is no more than a ditch but had more than a foot of water in it. You can bet your life that is where the chub and roach were laying up. If you know of such side streams now would be a good time to bag up.

[Chris Plumb]

Chris, I'm impressed by the high average size of your canal perch! I realize it's partly hard-earned experience of particular swims, but is there anything in particular you look for on a canal. I know that reed mace is a good sign, but other than that canals can look a bit monochrome

 

 

Umm - I think you may have hit on a ah-ha! moment - going to look back over my diaries - and start another thread if I spot anything!

 

 

C.

[wanzelbin]

It's the same in East Kent. The nearest weather station to Wingham has reached just 28mm for the month - about half the average. We too badly need some rain otherwise we'll have even more of a drought problem next summer than we did this year.

 

This site gives you the stats for Wye near Ashford: http://www.meto.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages.../sites/wye.html

 

This site gives links to independent weather stations, many of which are likely to have historical records: http://www.weatherstations.co.uk/aws_map.htm

 

Finally, a search of this huge site should throw up lots of relevant data: http://www.wunderground.com

 

The weatherstations.co.uk map site's excellent. I've now got http://www.westkentweather.co.uk/, which has loads of info for Southborough, right next to Tunbridge Wells. Interestingly, current rainfall for Nov over this side of the county is 41.4mm.

 

Thanks very much Steve.

 

David

[Stewart_Bloor]

The Severn is bank high but falling and temp is up to 9C. Excellent for barbel fishing, which is just as good as I'm setting off in half an hour.