Upper Hants Avon

[marcus ballam]

Hi guys

Has anyone fished the upper Avon around Salisbury (the LAA sections)?

I am spending a few days up there around the start of July, and i am planning on targeting the barbel.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Marcus

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Marcus,

You are referring to the Britford stretch just downstream of Salisbury.

There are Barbel in the stretch but are far from plentiful even by Hants Avon standards.

The stretch comprises of the old river which is varied in depth and flow and probably looks more barbelly, and the new river which is a former navigable strech and is therefore more uniform in pace and depth.It is also quite weedy in summer and is more noted in winter for its roach.

I do not know anyone who targets barbel but that does not mean they are not there.I did speak to a captor of a 12 from the new river the winter before last.

I would say that your chances of barbel from the stretch are quite remote unless you can locate them by sight.They are not numerous enough to drop into a peg and fish blind.If you can travel you might be best served by heading down the A338 to Ringwood and fish the Severals or Lifelands where the fish are more widespread albeit less so than in the past.

The man to speak to is the bailiff Stuart who is very helpful.I will PM you his number and you can give him a ring.

 

[stuart clough]

Agree with above - speak to Stuart, he will put you on them. In July there is a good chance that the barbel in the main carrier at Britford will still be in the wierpool, upstream of the car park, having been up to spawn. After this they spread out, but some hold up in the relatvely narrow, shaded section downstream of the big house, where there are two big Yew trees on the far bank. Good luck.

 

[marcus ballam]

Thanks lads

Marcus

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Marcus,

If you go on the Barbel Fishing World website and look at the picture of the Hants Avon on the home page that is the big house Stuart describes.The yew trees are opposite where the picture was taken from.

Its a mouthwatering picture isn't it?If my numbers come up that's where I will retire to and I don't care what it costs!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I would agree with Nigel on the chances of catching a Barbel on Britford, few and very far between to the point where the locals don't bother.

On the Severals or Lifelands you would stand a much better chance to be honest, and in between you have a couple of syndicate waters being the Hale and the Longford Estate but you would need a guest ticket.

You mentioned July as being a possible time so I would not recommend the Royalty either because at that time of the year you need a Grand Prix start from Davis' Tackle shop or you won't get a swim.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Worth checking The Several fishery is available on day ticket; it doesn't open till 1st July (try calling Ringwood Tackle). (It is called The Several Fishery becuse that's a legal description of it because the fishing was historically severed from the land ownership not after a mythical Mr Severals! Calling it Severals is like calling The Queen - Queens!). Early July is early for the best of the barbel fishing around here; if the rivers are low as is expected it could be a tough summer for many barbel anglers.

 

[stuart clough]

"Calling it Severals is like calling The Queen - Queens!."

Not really Mark. This would only be true if the Queen was not a person, but a stretch of river, and if virtually everyone else in world, including the controlling club's membership book, referred to her as Queens.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Stuart,

So if those that print the RDAA book and website are ignorant because they're calling it by the name being in general use by those ignorant of the actual name(RDAA used to get it right!) can I start call The Royalty (similar derivation) Royalty's or Throop, Throop's (usually referred to as Froop). Names with 's mean they belong to someone or thing like Moy's Water.

Sorry mate you're wrong because calling it Severals makes no sense in any way whatsoever. These fisheries were claimed by the king in days of old for salmon netting/trapping which is why such fisheries exist on the Avon (Royalty, The Several), Stour (Longham Royalty Fishery), Frome (Wareham) and Piddle (again Royalty). That's why the rights were severed from the land ownership hence Several.

 

[stuart clough]

Mark,

I don't accept that I am wrong. Leaving aside your assertion that "those that print the RDAA book and website are ignorant", my original comment was specifically regarding your analogy of calling The Several Fishery - Severals with that of calling the Queen - Queens. I still believe, and maintain, that this is an inappropriate and incorrect analogy. I do not know a single person who refers to the Queen as Queens, and yet I know many who refer to the section of river in question as "Severals".

While I have no intention of disputing the derivation of the given name of the "Several" fishery, I do wonder, that aside, how far are you prepared to take your "makes no sense" argument?

In the eleventh century Ringwood was called "Rincevede". Following your logic, either everyone who now calls Ringwood Ringwood is ignorant, or else the name Ringwood has been accepted into common parlance. Otherwise, calling it Ringwood would make "no sense in any way whatsoever". I would suggest that the name "Severals" has now been similarly accepted by all, except you.

To my mind, for clarification, calling the Several Fishery "Severals" is in no way similar to calling The Queen - Queens.

Surely, in a modern day environment such as an internet forum, someone asking for advice on angling opportunities in the area should be advised of suitable stretches with reference to the common parlance of the day?

 

[marcus ballam]

blimey fellas, get a grip!!!

however stuart, your last paragraph made me smile.Surely this wins the argument.(no offence Mark....)

 

[Mark Wintle]

Sorry Stuart, I'm only winding you up! Still can't see where the s (as in plural or possessive) has come from though. You're right the analogy with The Queen doesn't hold, but the reason that the name has changed is due to someone in Ringwood DAA getting it wrong some time in the recent past and the name sticking.

But from now on I'll refer to Throop in the common parlance as Froop cos that's what our SE visitors all call it. And then there's Collinghams, Medleys, Sways, Savays.....

In these parts we still use the Saxon name of the village though.

 

[stuart clough]

;>)) I was going to carry out some pre-season reconnaisance at The Throop Fishery, but instead I'm off darn froops for a recce! laters.

 

[Darren Smith 4]

Dear Mark,

Firstly there are no day tickets available on 'that' fishery.
Secondly, being one of the 'ignorant' club officials that calls it Severals and knowing it as that for some 30 years I am intrigued as to what it should be:

Several (several what?)
The Several (again the Several what?)
Several fisheries (abreviation Severals?)
Several fishery (Why Several if singular 'fishery'?)

Number 3 seems most likely and the simple abreviation is not so big a deal in real life! As Stuart points out most names throughout history change or evolve and maybe the Severals name has just evolved?

At the end of the day there are more important issues regarding the Hampshire Avon and many other rivers than a slight mis-pronounciation of a fishery name. The lack of habitat following years of possible mis-management and conciquetial depletion of fish stocks as less fry survive.
It is good to know the same ignorant officials are a long way down the road to re-instating some fry refuge areas, re-creating instream diversity and are in a far better position to discuss and action weed cutting issues than ever before!

Kind regards,

Darren.

 

[Darren Smith 4]

Dear Marcus,

Your best bet for early season barbel will probably be Lifelands just above Ringwood.
Day tickets can be purchased in Ringwood Tackle (01425 475155) along with good advise etc.

Regards,

Darren.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Darren,

I can't help lack of knowledge but you are confusing two meanings of the word several; the common one that you are familiar with is = roughly equates to "a few" ie I had several chub. The second meaning which is appertaining to legal wording means "severed from". It is this that the name comes from. The king severed the fishing rights from the land ownership. As I explained this and other fisheries were severed from land ownership because a fixed engine salmon fishery was very valuable to those in power - nothing to do with angling at all. Fishery means in this case a place producing fish through some type of trap. There were ones at Wareham, Christchurch & Longham as well.

Calling it "Severals" is nonsense unless you have proof of a Mr Several! But I agree we all call it by "Severals" and without access to the actual deeds it is hard to prove you wrong. I don't have old club books although I've been a member for close on 30 years (on and off) so don't know what it used to say.

You bite worse than Stuart. Keep up the good work re weed cutting though I suspect the massive damage done by predatory birds in the Avon Valley that seems unstoppable makes such efforts academic.

Still can't wait till "Froops" is open...

 

[Steve Spiller]

Who would have guessed it's the closed season?
Boredom setting in I think!

Roll on September, a week on the Froop!

 

[Darren Smith 4]

Hi Mark,

The remarks pertaining to the fishery name were a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun but I will dig out the deeds and see if you are correct, I will report back.

There are many problems with the Avon valley, predatory birds being one. I agree that they play a massive role in depleting fish stocks but to throw in the towel 'just because' is why the Avon is suffering so much. If the habitat work we are about to commence helps just a few percent more fry survive then surly it isn't just academic but a positive step in the right direction? Habitat can be created to add shelter and safety from predatory birds and the possibility of no weed cut could help tremendously.

I hope you have a godd forthcoming season on 'the froop' (see how I added 'the' to elevate its' stature......wink, wink)

Tight lines,

Darren.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Hi Darren,

Last September we stopped to have a look over the bridge by the tackle shop at Ringwood. Upstream of the bridge were huge shoals of small (1lb ish) barbel. That must be a good sign, (I hope) keep up the good work.

 

[stuart clough]

"You bite worse than Stuart."

You should hear my bark! ;>)