The Royalty (or alternative!)

[Robin Higgins]

Hi Chaps

I was hoping for some advice on fishing the Avon. We're having a family holiday in Fordingbridge next week but have managed to claim one day for fishing. My Dad and I have never caught a barbel so would like a venue that gives us a decent chance of a Boris (size is not important!) but don't necessarily want to sit all day for one bite.

We were discussing whether or not to pay the Royalty a visit but wondered if there were any other day ticket stretches that might suit our requirements ? a good bag of fish and the chance to lose our barbel cherry.

Any ideas anyone or is the Royalty the best option?

Robin

PS Any ideas of tactics would also be much appreciated!

 

[John McLaren]

Robin, I'm sure others will give you helpful advice on where best to fish on the Avon. I would suggest that the Royalty is a place NOT to fish at this time of the year if you are after your first Barbel, there are fish there but it isn't easy.

Good luck wherever you go - its a lovely river.

 

[Big Rik]

"a good bag of fish "

mmmmmmm, not on the Avon mate.

Fish afternoon/evening for one bite and one fish, if you're lucky.

Low levels, crystal clear and barbel that have seen everything.



good luck.

 

[Robin Higgins]

Thanks for the info chaps. If not the Royalty are there any other suggestions?

I fished the recreation ground at Fordingbridge a couple of years back but had nothing but escapee rainbows (good livebait size!). I like the idea of catching some "proper" Avon fish!

Thanks again.

Robin

 

[Steve Spiller]

Robin, read some of Mark Wintles articles on the Stour, some lovely pieces with loads of information.
I think you would be more likely to catch on the Stour than the Avon, beat two on the Throop seems to be pretty consistent or the lower tidal stretch.

Good luck.

 

[Robin Higgins]

Have just checked out the aforementioned Wintle articles - very interesting! Maybe we'll have a look at the Stour rather than the Avon. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Thanks again for the pointers.

Robin

 

[Robin Higgins]

Well, we finally decided to give the Royalty a bash and.....some small dace, chub, roach and perch but nothing of any size. We did see some big salmon, bream and mullet but no barbel or chub.

The real pain in the harris was that just as the sun was beginning to go down and conditions were looking spot on, someone opened the hatches upstream and all the rainwater from the previous 3 days came surging down the river making it virtually impossible to fish. Typical!

Thanks for all the advice though chaps.

Robin

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Thats unfortunate. There aren't the number of river keepers on the river anymore to manage the flow of water better.Some of that water could have been useful if run off more gradually.

Chub seem to have done a bit of a disappearing act on the Royalty I've heard?

 

[Robin Higgins]

Hi Nigel

I saw loads of chub at the Royalty - biggest about 4" long! In 10 years it's going to be stacked with monsters.....

 

[TonyStone]

I fished the Avon by the road bypass bridge a few years ago now, fished all day and caught my first Barbel from there 9lb 8oz, only ever caught one other barbel and that came from the Severn at Bewdley at about 4lb!!!!

 

[Fishing Gimp]

The Royalty is best suited to the roving style of fishing especially for the Barbel if there is the room! The winter is generally best as you can often have the place to yourself.

Robin I'm glad you caught some Dace there as the place used to stuffed to the gills (clever play on words hey?) with them and trotting could produce a massive bag of these silvery beauties...little pearlescent bars of silver as my old friend Jack used to call them.