South West (Bath, Bristol etc) general

[Neil G]

Thanks all for the responses.

 

I've never been a big fan of the middle to lower reaches - too many anglers and too many reminders of the city (lost count of the number of sessions at Claverton ruined by screaming kids chucking things in the water), whereas the upper reaches (at least when I last fished them) had that unexplored feel to them. I don't think I ever saw more than one or two other anglers on most of the uppermost coarse stretches, more often than not I was alone. For me, the amalgamation ticket has got more attractive stretches for the money than the Bathampton one, with its for the mostpart wide, deep, featureless stretches. As for Huntstrete - a nice place, but far too commercial for me. I like my fishing wild and natural.

 

From asking around, it seems like the pike fishing all over for the last couple of years has been dodgy - presumably all the unsettled and unusual weather. Having since looked at the Bridgwater prices, I think money restricts me to one or the other and, all things considered, the Amalgamation ticket pips it for me, so I've just gotta hope the pike in the Avon will oblige.

 

Indeed, Claverton is a write off in the summer...like a holiday camp but pretty empty in the winter.

 

Hunstrete and Newton are commercial...sacked off BAA and haven't been there for over a year now prefering to fish the rivers (Avon is 5min walk from by house!) so rude not too.

 

Chew is getting harder to get onto, earliest bank slot I could get was the 27th October where usually there are plenty of spaces, sure there may be some left though as the trials run right through to the end of November (IIRC last day is the 30th).

 

Best 'loophole' if you like for Chew if to pike fish on the fly

[great_badir]

Does Claverton still get busy then even in the winter?

 

I haven't had any chance to fish much of the upper stretches apart from Malmesbury. What is the rest of it like from there downstream to Chippenham?

 

In a word - beautiful. Again, I must stress that I'm going back 7 years, but you know how whenever you watch A Passion For Angling, Go Fishing and the like and they're always at those relatively narrow winding rivers with shallow streams and overhanging trees and (shock!) a bankside which is almost at water level and think "why isn't there a river like that near me"? Oh, and NO litter! Well, that's the Avon from Malmesbury all the way down to about Limpley Stoke way, at which point the banks start to get higher, the river gets wider and deeper, more and more features disappear and the crowds start to gather.

 

Actual fishing wise it's probably harder than the lower reaches and there are a lot more shoals of medium sized fish to get through before you hit the clunkers, but for my money the quality is better and all those stretches are a stalker's paradise (you can actually see the fish), whereas lower down and on the Bathampton ticket the only place you can really do that is Claverton.

 

The upper parts are just more rewarding all round and a much prettier and relaxing place to be - I've seen kingfishers, eagles and owls in the past, particularly in the out of town stretches. None of that lower down, though.

[great_badir]

Indeed, Claverton is a write off in the summer...like a holiday camp but pretty empty in the winter.

 

Hunstrete and Newton are commercial...sacked off BAA and haven't been there for over a year now prefering to fish the rivers (Avon is 5min walk from by house!) so rude not too.

 

Chew is getting harder to get onto, earliest bank slot I could get was the 27th October where usually there are plenty of spaces, sure there may be some left though as the trials run right through to the end of November (IIRC last day is the 30th).

 

Best 'loophole' if you like for Chew if to pike fish on the fly

 

They seem to add more dates every year, so I'd like to think that eventually they'll run it right through from October to the end of the season, albeit still with limits.

[Andrew PI]

In a word - beautiful. Again, I must stress that I'm going back 7 years, but you know how whenever you watch A Passion For Angling, Go Fishing and the like and they're always at those relatively narrow winding rivers with shallow streams and overhanging trees and (shock!) a bankside which is almost at water level and think "why isn't there a river like that near me"? Oh, and NO litter! Well, that's the Avon from Malmesbury all the way down to about Limpley Stoke way, at which point the banks start to get higher, the river gets wider and deeper, more and more features disappear and the crowds start to gather.

 

Actual fishing wise it's probably harder than the lower reaches and there are a lot more shoals of medium sized fish to get through before you hit the clunkers, but for my money the quality is better and all those stretches are a stalker's paradise (you can actually see the fish), whereas lower down and on the Bathampton ticket the only place you can really do that is Claverton.

 

The upper parts are just more rewarding all round and a much prettier and relaxing place to be - I've seen kingfishers, eagles and owls in the past, particularly in the out of town stretches. None of that lower down, though.

 

Sounds like these stretches are worth checking out. From what I can see the Amalgamation have rights to quite a lot in that area. I am torn though as I was also thinking of getting Bathampton ticket so that I could fish the stretches they have with the decent barbel. Although my only barbel so far has been from an Amalgamation ticket. Decisions decisions.

[great_badir]

Sounds like these stretches are worth checking out. From what I can see the Amalgamation have rights to quite a lot in that area. I am torn though as I was also thinking of getting Bathampton ticket so that I could fish the stretches they have with the decent barbel. Although my only barbel so far has been from an Amalgamation ticket. Decisions decisions.

 

The fish are as big and decent in the upper reaches as the lower, it's just harder to get through to them. But they're there all right. I'd say go with Bathampton if you want big fish with minimal fuss, but go with Amalgamated if you want the surroundings and peace and quiet as well as decent fishing.

 

I must sound like an advert for the Amalgamation, but I have no direct or indirect interests in the club other than preferring their waters way over Bathampton waters.

[Andrew PI]

The fish are as big and decent in the upper reaches as the lower, it's just harder to get through to them. But they're there all right. I'd say go with Bathampton if you want big fish with minimal fuss, but go with Amalgamated if you want the surroundings and peace and quiet as well as decent fishing.

 

I must sound like an advert for the Amalgamation, but I have no direct or indirect interests in the club other than preferring their waters way over Bathampton waters.

 

I think I would probably go for the Amalgamation. Looking on the website now and they do still have some decent lower stretches as it is but with the added bonus of places like Malmesbury. Ticket is Jan to Dec so will try and do some day ticket fishing if I make it out this year then pick up my book in the new year.

[great_badir]

Andrew - just popped onto the Amalgamated site myself. I see they put on a hell of a lot more matches on some of the upper reaches (particularly Christian Malford) than they used to. Whether this is a good or bad thing, I don't know.

 

I also see that, as you mentioned earlier in the thread, one of my favourite runs which was located immediately behind a farm homestead has gone That was probably my favourite fishing location over any other. It had everything - a weir, deep runs, gravel streams, weed choked slow bits......ah well.

[Neil G]

Don't Amalgamated own Tockenham as well which has some good bream fishing?

 

Great perch to be had on the BAA ticket, especially down claverton under some of the trees and slacks. Does get deeper down Limpley stoke and TBH I found it very hard to fish due to the banks being so high....wasn't that productive either but wasn't fishing for Chub at the time and did spot some nice fish.

[Anderoo]

Just a general point, but if you do find an idyllic little piece of unpressured and beautiful water, I'd keep fairly quiet about it, or you run the risk of losing your peaceful haven to people who follow the crowds

 

I've never fished down that part of the country, it sounds really nice.

[great_badir]

Just a general point, but if you do find an idyllic little piece of unpressured and beautiful water, I'd keep fairly quiet about it, or you run the risk of losing your peaceful haven to people who follow the crowds

 

I've never fished down that part of the country, it sounds really nice.

 

 

 

............... .............oh yeah.....................um..............it's not nice at all. Horrible place - EVERYONE would hate it. Makes Coate Water look like paradise.

 

 

.................damn me and my stupid internet innocence!