Barton Court Fish-in 13th March

[The Flying Tench]

I think quite a few people found the same as I did earlier in the week that trout dominated. This has surprised me so late in the season. A few years ago I got the impression that you had a lot of trout if you went in October, but trout don't always do well with catch and release, and that by March it would be mainly course fish. Is it possible that they re-stocked with trout to keep the course anglers happy now that the roach seem to have disappeared?

 

I'm impressed by your 9 trout all over 3lbs, Rusty, and interested that they were all on lobs. Were they trotted with maggot accompaniment?

 

Anyway, well fished everyone!

[Steve Walker]

Thanks again to Chris for organising this - I didn't catch any big fish, but I caught seven different species (eight if you include minnows!) and had a great day in lovely surroundings. Good to meet some old and new faces too.

 

I started off fishing centrepin and maggot with a small wire stemmed stick float. I had a dabble in the small, steady carrier that doglegs across the middle of the fishery, upstream of the bend. Then I walked upstream on the section you cross from the car park up to the pool at its head.

 

 

I fished here for a while, spurred on by a chewed maggot (I hadn't encountered the minnows yet, so this seemed a good sign...), but my float was too small really, and the water was rather shallow. There was some submerged brickwork down the inside which looked as if it might hold some perch, and it was while poking around in there that I did an Elton and lost my float in a tree. I took this as a sign that I should try a chubber and a lobworm, but nothing came of it. I walked up onto the main river and then down to where it forks into three parts - the slow carrier that I first fished, a little link I would fish later and a main section.

 

The main section looked promising, perhaps for grayling, so I set the stick float up again. After trotting and feeding for a few minutes, I hooked the first of the typical Barton Court trout, which exploded around the swim for a while and generally refused to be netted. Having finally got him out, I moved downstream slightly to fish the same run from below the next tree, and get better access to a far bank slack. After a while, I bumped something silver, which got my grayling hopes up, but nothing more was forthcoming. The excellent Flocast floating line I got from Chavender seemed finally to have deteriorated beyond use, and was giving me real problems casting. I've thrown away a bit every time I've used it, because it breaks up into multiple strands, but it seemed to have lost its suppleness and was sticking to the blank at every opportunity. It's also quite thick stuff at the best of times, and was catching the wind badly. And I was hungry. So I wandered back to the car for some soup and a chat and to respool the pin with 4lb Maxima.

 

Refreshed and respooled, I returned to small carrier I had first fished and followed it downstream. Downstream of the next pool it was absolutely heaving with ravenous fish, and every one of them was a minnow, so I gave up on that and followed it down to where it joins the larger river. I found a spot with a couple of far bank trees creating a push in the middle of the river and a slack on the far side, and started trotting and feeding maggot. I soon started catching small dace, up to about 4oz, and the odd gudgeon. After a while, the dace were replaced by roach, nothing over about 4oz, but regular. Then I started getting perch, up to perhaps 6oz. I've found in the past that the arrival of small perch often means that your swim is dying, but I think I could have got it back if I'd been allowed to concentrate on feeding it. Unfortunately, the Ducks From Hell had arrived, and wouldn't take "bugger off" for an answer. They were sneaking up behind me and helping themselves to my maggots. Chasing them off just got rid of them for a few minutes. Eventually, I gave in and went back to the car for lunch. The ducks were a nuisance, but I had 20 or more fish from that swim, dace, roach, perch and gudgeon. I also saw Ratty going about his business on the far bank.

 

Evil Ducks:

 

 

I walked back to the car by following the river downstream past the roach bridge, where Anderoo was trout-watching, and up the other arm back to the car park. Lots of interesting looking swims, so after a sandwich and some soup and coffee it was back downstream. I bumped into Elton, and went for a look at the lower section. We watched Anderoo battling his big roach bridge trout (and my bloody camera ran out of batteries when I tried to video it) and then I wandered downstream onto the section below the bridge. I found a little side stream coming off the main river, and fished if for a while, but apart from one silvery fish bumped caught nothing but minnows. I walked on downstream past TiddlerTamer and fished the bottom two swims before the next bridge, but nothing bit. On the way back up, TiddlerTamer told me that he'd had a decent grayling, so I decided to have one more go on that section. I settled immediately below the bridge and started trotting through some deeper looking water on the inside. After a while, I had myself a six inch grayling, and was delighted! Next bite was a big trout which I think may actually have bitten me off. After that, another large trout which went absolutely mental - eventually, the hook pinged free. Last bite was this:

 

 

By then it was about 4pm, so I thought I'd spend the rest of the day fishing lobs on heavier tackle. I swapped my light match rod and centrepin for a Drennan Specialist Avon rod and a fixed spool reel, and set up a big chubber and lobworm. I had a go on the first pool where you enter the fishery, and caught a big fat trout. Then I wandered back to the swim I'd caught all the small fish from earlier and fished it from the opposite bank. The ducks seemed pleased to see me again, and managed to dip my bait box a couple of times, the crafty swines! I had a nice little perch of about half a pound on worm and then a big crunchy crayfish. I bumped into Chris, who was returning a nice chub that he'd caught on the Railway Cut, and suggested it might be worth a wander up above him. I had a small perch of half a pound or so from the first bend and then a small chub from below the top pool. I then had a trout from the section that feeds the Railway Cut, before heading back to the car and packing up.

 

All told, I had dace, roach, gudgeon, perch, chub, grayling, trout and minnow, and a really good day out. It's a great fishery, with such a variety of swims and fishing that I think you could spend a great deal of time learning it. I think there were several swims that I really only scraped the surface of - I think I could have spent a whole day trotting or fishing maggot feeder in the swim below the bridge, or trotting the swim I caught all the small fish from, or persevering with worm on the railway cut. Well worth another visit.

 

 

 

All told, I walked nearly three miles:

 

 

Felt like more, and I really slept last night!

[Angly]

Wow, what a day!

 

Up at 3:30am to arrive at Barton Court at 6am first light.

 

After swapping pleasantries with Chris and Rusty who both arrived before me, and Steve (JV44), Elton and friend who arrived as I was tackling up, it was all systems go!

 

I headed westwards looking for a nice swim and settled on a stretch of Heron's Delight just downstream of the weir. Previously research had suggested that sweetcorn bait would attract the grayling but avoid the ever present trout and with this in mind I threw a couple of grains in every few minutes over the next half hour. Finally I cast in and trotted down until my centre pin was almost empty. A dozen or so trots, during which I refined depth and learnt where to hold back hard to lift the bait to avoid depth changes obstacles and weed, bought no action and I felt a change of bait was required. On went a red maggot, half-a-dozen loose fed and I soon had my first fish in the bag.

 

 

A grayling no less, not much of one I admit, but as my first ever grayling and my first fish to a centre pin, a worthy capture all the same! I was completely shocked at how such a small fish could use its fin so effectively with the fast current to fight back.

 

Another grayling or similar size followed, then a tiny dace:

 

 

First time I've caught a dace, so again, despite the lack of size, a very welcome capture.

 

Time to move on and explore, I trotted maggots on Willow Stream and was quickly rewarded with two small roach and another grayling for my efforts.

 

I wandered some more and met up with Steve (JV44) who graciously showed me around some other parts of the venue to the east. On our travels Steve stopped to point out a small jack pike hugging the bottom in the shallows. All I could see was a log, which the longer I stared at grew fins and finally, after what seemed like an age, was identifiable as a pike. Steve suggested I should buy some polaroids, which seemed like a good moment to get out the polaroids I had bought eons ago and actually wear the damn things! As we crossed Roach Bridge I looked down and saw a massive shape moving behind some weeds, a large trout which I guessed at being 6lb. Anderoo was fishing facing the bridge so we pointed out the location of the fish to him. Although we carried on our recce,

meeting up with Rusty, we could see Anderoo was into a fish and headed back to see.

 

 

Anderoo watched over by Steve (JV44) and Mike (Tiddlertamer). Mike, sorry I didn't introduce myself and greet you.

 

 

6 pairs of beady eyes trained on Anderoo, yet he stayed as cool as a Siberian cucumber and eventually landed this feisty brown trout:

 

 

Everyone then discussed the nuisance value of the pesky trout and how you couldn't avoid them, which was a little embarrasing, as I'd managed to avoid them completely! Elton mentioned that the minnows were also a real pain and impossible to avoid...guess what, I'd not caught one of those either. Now I was a man on a mission!

 

I headed up to the weirpool at the head of Parson's Ditch, where earlier I'd witnessed Anderoo taking another very feisty trout and duly started trotting maggots through.

 

I was chuffed to bits with my first catch:

 

 

My first minnow ever, cute little things aren't they? Although as Chris later pointed out, the novelty value soon wears off.

 

The water in the shallow section of the weirpool tail was clear and I could easily see three trout mooching around. I wasn't leaving this spot until one of them was mine! I tried every trick in my book (not that many then!), but failed to get any interest whatsoever on maggot, and decided to change over to worm, which did the trick nicely:

 

 

A small brown trout, but again, worthy of mention as being my first ever. Thank you to Rusty for being on hand to be photographer.

 

I did try breadflake for roach and dace without success and also tried both a spoon and a wobbled deabait for pike, but without luck.

 

In hindsight, I took way too much kit and too many bait alternatives (maggot, caster, sweetcorn, bread, hemp, lobworm, worm, cheesepaste). I should have perhaps concentrated on trotting the pin in the morning with maggot and lob, returning to the car to change over to the pike gear for the afternoon, instead of lugging the whole lot round all day. By the end of the day my back was a little sore, my trapped sciatic nerve a little tender, but a recurring issue to my right foot (broken in a motorcycle accident) was the main issue. I actually looked at my watch and am embarrassed to say breathed a sigh of relief that is was 5:30 and the day would soon be over.

 

I headed back to the car, but couldn't resist stopping off at again Heron's Delight, the stream that had given me my first catch of the day. A couple of trots later rewarded me with another pretty dace, a fitting end to a fantastic day.

 

To sum up, a fantastic day at a gorgeous venue (something out of a John Wilson Go Fishing episode) and with myself being a novice, plenty of firsts for me. Great to meet some more forum members and what a thoroughly decent bunch of chaps. I was a little disappointed that we didn't all retire to a quiet country pub with log fire and obligatory pub dog for just the one pint afterwards.

 

Arrived home at 8:30pm, barely able to walk (foot trouble), happy, but exhausted.

 

Many thanks to Chris Plumb for organising this.

 

Some venue pics:

 

Apologies for rambling, the photo intensive post, the poor quality of some pics (new camera), and for apologising too much.

 

Edited March 14, 2009 by Angly

[Stretpegger]

Well done everyone i thoroughly enjoyed reading your accounts of the day and the the accompanying pictures.Barton Court is always a joy to fish indeed one of those places where the size of the catch seems second place to the sheer beauty of the place.

 

Did Bob Bailey put in a apperance?...i have always found his advice spot on and he has frequently put me onto fish when i have been struggling.

[Guest tigger]

Barton Court is always a joy to fish indeed one of those places where the size of the catch seems second place to the sheer beauty of the place.

 

 

 

Sounds similar to Wingham

 

 

Some great pic's people, I've enjoyed reading the results

[Angly]

Looking at the Barton Court map (which is printed upside down as regards to North, why?), it appears that both the Park Stream and Dog Kennel stretches at the very top of the fishery (so that's very bottom of the map!) are fishable. Did anyone try there?

 

With regard to my Speedia centre pin, I certainly found the drag adjustment useful to slow the end tackle down just the right amount, but should I be concerned that all my line ends up against the outward face of the spool once retrieved? Is there a cure for this?

[Rusty]

I'm impressed by your 9 trout all over 3lbs, Rusty, and interested that they were all on lobs. Were they trotted with maggot accompaniment?

No they were just on trotted lobs, in fact a sure fire way of avoiding the Trout (for me anyway) was to switch to maggots , I didn't try a combination. I’ve nothing against them, some of my best friends are Trout, it’s just that I’d rather catch them fly fishing.

[JV44]

The car has been recovered, but I don't know what state it is in. Honestly, you buy and old banger and what happens? Bloody Ford's are too easy too steal.

 

You spotted a water rail last time as well didn't you - handsome bird. I imagine that it will be off to the South coast soon, it might breed at Barton Court, but I would have thought it unlikely - it might be more likely to migrate down to breed at Thatcham reedbeds. Have the stonechats gone as well?

 

I'm surprised that the pike didn't make an appearance. Did the trout have a go at any of the pike flies?

 

If I get time I am going to walk down to the Kennet later to try out my new centrepin (yes another) - and rod - a JW Young Specimen float. My local bit is full of shoppeing trolleys, but there is a bit of fast water I can try with bread.

Have to say i didnt notice any Stonechats but a Buzzard was calling out above us most of the day,trout didnt show any interest in the Pike flies,Out of interest is your local bit of the Kennet the Mouth area below blakes lock up to the thames as that is a good area for big Roach i have been told but it is Indian country so best not fished alone or after dark ,hope you get some good news aboput your motor mate Steve.

[Chris Plumb]

Great pics and stories folks - enjoyed reading about your day. Elton reminded me that I last booked BC for an AN bash in 2004 (didn't seem that long ago!). Promise not to wait 5 years again!

 

 

C.

[chavender]

Looking at the Barton Court map (which is printed upside down as regards to North, why?), it appears that both the Park Stream and Dog Kennel stretches at the very top of the fishery (so that's very bottom of the map!) are fishable. Did anyone try there?

 

With regard to my Speedia centre pin, I certainly found the drag adjustment useful to slow the end tackle down just the right amount, but should I be concerned that all my line ends up against the outward face of the spool once retrieved? Is there a cure for this?

 

 

well ,theres a rather ungamley way , if you have a fish on then best wait until next trot down don't bait up & let the float run through and a bit beyond then as retrieve your tackle jam the but of the rod between your body and arm or jam it into the side of your groin .Move your right hand up onto the rod near the first ring (or as far up as is comfortable) wrapping the index fing & thumb around it to grip the rod (but still allow too twist side to side) with the other fingers stretched out strait use them to guide the line as you retrive to move over the face of the drum and give a more even spread .