Fishing The Warwickshire Avon... Help

[Del_R]

Been a while since I've posted here. Been a while since I've been fishing, what with all the floods, and work and one thing or another.

 

Anyway, this evening I was visiting in Stratford so I took the opportunity to head up there a little early and have a few hours on the Avon at Bideford. I've never fished there before. It's a beautiful spot. There's a weir, a lock, an island, loads of eddies out in mid-stream. It was very peaceful. No-one else was around.

 

But the river was a raging torrent just below the weir pool. All I had with me was a lightweight leger/feeder rod. I tried fishing the feeder just off the main current but nothing was doing (using the set-up that usually works well for me on the slow moving Lower Severn). I tried fishing the heaviest lead my rod could handle - 2.5 oz - out in the weir pool but it wouldn't hold still.

 

Basically I didn't have a clue what I was doing or what I ought to be doing.

 

Anyone else fished this stretch and have any hints or tips for next time?

 

Cheers,

Del

[Guest Rabbit]

Been a while since I've posted here. Been a while since I've been fishing, what with all the floods, and work and one thing or another.

 

Anyway, this evening I was visiting in Stratford so I took the opportunity to head up there a little early and have a few hours on the Avon at Bideford. I've never fished there before. It's a beautiful spot. There's a weir, a lock, an island, loads of eddies out in mid-stream. It was very peaceful. No-one else was around.

 

But the river was a raging torrent just below the weir pool. All I had with me was a lightweight leger/feeder rod. I tried fishing the feeder just off the main current but nothing was doing (using the set-up that usually works well for me on the slow moving Lower Severn). I tried fishing the heaviest lead my rod could handle - 2.5 oz - out in the weir pool but it wouldn't hold still.

 

Basically I didn't have a clue what I was doing or what I ought to be doing.

 

Anyone else fished this stretch and have any hints or tips for next time?

 

Cheers,

Del

 

Hi Del

Funny enough my son and I fished Bidford last Sunday. It was on the BAA stretch and I fished about a 100 yards down from the lock. the weather was awful, cold wet and windy, and a rising river as well. The river although rising was clear, so the signs were poor and so it was, couldn't even get a bite. a group of anglers that were leaving as we arrived also didn't get so much as a bite...and they left their empty tins for me to take home....thanks lads

But Bidford normally produces, and feeder far bank is a good method.

The Avon is in a mood at the moment and a afternoon session the day after at Pershore also produced zilch. no one caught even the banker swims...very odd, perhaps it's because of the floods, I don't know.

barbel are playing rare species at the moment and compared with last season its really hard. maybe this warm settled period will help, certainly going to give it another go this weekend .

As far as tackle is concerned. for barbel you need a barbel rod and a sturdy reel loaded with a minimum of 10lbs b/s main line. Last Sunday I was just holding bottom with a 3oz lead, you will need double that in a flood. The rest re rigs and so on I can try and help you with if you want, it's a big subject, and everyone has different approaches. PM me if you want a meet somewhere on the Avon or Severn

[Del_R]

Hi Del

 

The Avon is in a mood at the moment and a afternoon session the day after at Pershore also produced zilch. no one caught even the banker swims...very odd, perhaps it's because of the floods, I don't know.

 

PM me if you want a meet somewhere on the Avon or Severn

 

Hi Rabbit,

 

Thanks for the reply. The Lower Severn seems to be in a similar mood, too.

 

My fishing time is very limited these days, and usually it's spur of the moment short sessions. But I might well drop you a PM when I next plan to have a go on the Avon. It'll be good to meet up.

 

Cheers,

 

Del

[Guest Rabbit]

Hi Rabbit,

 

Thanks for the reply. The Lower Severn seems to be in a similar mood, too.

 

My fishing time is very limited these days, and usually it's spur of the moment short sessions. But I might well drop you a PM when I next plan to have a go on the Avon. It'll be good to meet up.

 

Cheers,

 

Del

 

No improvement over the weekend either Saturday afternoon spent a few hours at Mythe, by the river and Pool, the pool was showing off its resident carp on the surface, obviously the were enjoying the late summer sun at last. The anglers that had ambitions in catching them with surface baits were out of luck, which i must admit I wasn't to sympathetic, as the carp were obviously just enjoying sun bathing'

The river was looking great, normal summer levels at last, but again no barbel showing, bream and eel still as prolific a ever. but I didn't really care too much as the sunset was superb, that not even an embrace from a 3lb eel could spoil.

 

Yesterday (Sunday) fished Severn Stoke below Worcester with Anthony, arrived to find a match just finished. and the the news that only one barbel was caught (right at the end) was not promising. It was however a 11lb fish and won the guy the top weight, .his only fish, which was hard on the runner up who had to work hard for 6llb of roach and skimmer .

 

Undeterred we walked the half a mile to the 'hotspot' where the previous week Anthony caught a couple of small barbel to 5lb.. The scenetry is awesome there, with cliffs on the far bank rising a couple of 100 feet vertically. Trees over the years have fallen from the cliffs and give the place a look of wildness and beauty. A stark contrast to the Floating Gin Palaces that sweep their well heeled crew up and down from Gloucester to Worcester, when they would seem to be more at home in St Tropez. .. and then of course there are the holiday narrow boats, crewed by skippers who normally drive at 80 mph on the motorways who are full throttle at 5mph, and STILL manage to miss the wondeful scenery that engulf them.

 

And of course the obligatory two men in a boat Brummies who paddled by us in their small cruiser asking where the nearest filling station is honest. Followed by an hour later by a search and rescue inflatable which I advised by pointing upstream in a paddling motion. Another hour or so later they (the Brummies) were steaming downstream, and a show of a petrol can to me indicated they manged to fill up somewhere.

 

Oh sorry the fishing.... well not good save for a 2lb bream and another 3lb eel to me that was it So a long walk back to the van with a beautiful full moon to light the way, who cares, just great to be there

 

There's always tomorrow.

 

Gone on a bit I know... but what else can I do at 8 am in the morning??

 

See you on the bank some day I hope Del

Edited August 27, 2007 by Rabbit