The Rivers Evenlode and Glyme Oxon

[Tee-Cee]

We've been staying in the town of Woodstock these past days and with a bit of spare time to kill prior to hotel check-in my wife and I drove to the village of Charlbury in search of a bite to eat which we found within a deli.
As would happen a stroll around the very quiet village afterward led us to a footpath which ran alongside the River Evenlode and this we walked for 45 mins or so. Heard of the river but never fished it and although quite narrow along this stretch it did look very interesting, sort of 'chubby'....
Has anyone, or does anyone fish this river or is it private in the main?

As part of our stay we also went to Blenheim Palace this am/pm and took the opportunity to walk around the main lake or at least as close as we could get to it. Fed by the River Glyme which is also a mystery to me, and from the short visit it seems the river eventually flows out at the end of the main lake dropping down a fair distance over an area known as the 'Cascade' (of Capability Brown design) and on to goodness knows where...
Below this drop the running water eventually gives way to a smallish shallow slow moving pool and within this pool the fish I saw, IF they were roach, were of considerable size (numbering 12/18 or so) and milling around just waiting to be caught.............I wasn't close enough to be sure but I did see another single fish well over 2lbs sitting in the flowing water above, and this from a small low bridge just below the waterfall and it was a definite roach!!

No doubt this area is out of bounds but I recall some FM members did fish the main lakes some years back so I wondered if anyone knows if the water is known for it's very big roach in addition to the big tench and pike....

All the fishing punts were in the boathouse which surprised me but perhaps the water has to be booked by large groups??

Anyway, just interested.......................


ps Now sated with food, wine and possible big roach it's back to reality and the quiet of smaller waters for anything that swims, within reason.............

 

[Paul Boote]

I fished it several times for trout in the 1980s - I had a rod on a fine Berkshire-Hants river (plus two Kennet fisheries) that an angler I had met had never fished, he a rod on the Evenlode (plus access to a nice bit of Windrush), so we alternated days as guests of one another.

This might help - Cornbury Park fly fishing in Charlbury, Oxfordshire

 

[symonh2000]

Not fished the Evenlode for years.

Most of the river near Charlbury is under Charlbury Angling club. The stretch goes between Ascot under wychwood and Finstock if I remember correctly.

You can get permits from State Fishing Tackle in witney. I think they are £25 which also includes membership of the ODAA. That entitles you to fish plenty of sections of the Thames around Oxford and the Oxford canal.

There is also good fishing on the Windrush near witney, some of which is free.

 

[jack sprat]

The Red Spinner club has some stretches of the Evenlode. I don't know where though could find out.

 

[smudger172]

Answer to the Blenheim palace lake. Most of the fish in the lake grow to a good size. Pike to 37 and perch to 4-8. I have seen roach caught over 3lb and tench over 9. The palace still use the old close season, so no fishing untill june 16. Hope this helps.

 

[barbelboi]

Tony, we'll have a chat about the lake next time we meet up - can't help with the rivers though............

 

[Specihunter]

right the the red spinners control the evenlode around bladon and the Oxford & Abingdon control cassington to the thames.

 

[Tee-Cee]

The more I think about those fish at Blenhiem Palace the more convinced I become about size...They were BIG!

.....and where was my camera? Oh that's easy, it was at home in my fishing bag!

Thanks for all the comments and not surprised the above website mentions very big chub....





ps In (many) years gone by I would've been over the fence..

 

[symonh2000]

You can only fish the Blenhein lake from a boat, and by the time you have hired that it is around £30 for the day.

Bank fishing is only allowed by Bladon residents on a certain bank. Bizzarre I know but it is true

 

[andygrey]

Just seen this post.
I fish both rivers regularly, mainly for trout on the fly.
The Glyme is privately controlled, from just below Wooton to Woodstock by the Cotswold Fly fishers. It's stocked with trout and holds a few coarse fish (some big pike and the odd perch). An increasing number of wild trout appearing thanks to some good habitat restoration by the Wild Trout Trust and the Cotswold Fly Fishers. The trout can grow to a pretty big size, I've had fish to about 8lb. This is probably due to the very large number of signals in there.
When the Glyme flows into Blenheim Palace it becomes a series of lakes. The first one is the Queens pool which you cannot fish... a large head of bream, pike, perch and tench. There are rumours of some carp but never seen one come out. The next lake is 'The Lake' which is downstream of the Grand Bridge. This is the one that you can hire a boat on. Again reasonable head of pike, perch tench and bream. The odd trout has been caught here, probably having fallen back from the river above.
Once the water goes over the cascades it enters 4 distinct sections, the Gardens, the Scrubs, Blagdon Lake and the Lince before entering the river Evenlode via a waterfall at the bottom of the Lince. These where all run as a trout fishery up until 2 years ago. There have been plans to restart the trout fishery but as yet they have come to nothing. These waters currently cannot be fished but hold a very large head of bream (with plenty of doubles). Also a reasonable head of smallish pike and some chub. There is also a small population of wild brown trout.

The Evenlode has been in considerable decline over the past few years. The large numbers of roach have simply disappeared. There are however quite a few of the ubiquitous chub all the way through plus perch and dace. The river also use to hold barbel but not heard of one being caught for a while.
The lower river is controlled by Red Spinner, then moving up stream, Charlbury Angling Club, Nortonian Angling Club, Coldstone Angling Club and Moreton in Marsh Angling Club. The upper stretches (above Ascot under Whychwood) hold trout and have a very good mayfly hatch. The EA has done some river restoration work at a few sites on the Evenlode and in 2012 stocked 2500 dace.
PM me if you need any more details.

Cheers

Andy

 

[Tee-Cee]

Thanks for that Andy...You must've been bored to rake it out after all this time !!

Hope it helps others..

Must dash, about to go fishing - for a change !!

 

[andygrey]

I have spent a LOT of time exploring the river fishing around Oxfordshire, normally in search of trout. There are far easier ways to catch the little spotty fellows (nip down south to Hampshire and hand over the cash to fish on a moving stock-pond that are a lot of the chalk streams have become) but there is something very good for the soul about catching fish from 'unfashionable backwaters'.

My Blog

Andy

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Fished the Evenlode on a Red Spinners ticket, poor fishing now to what it used to be, some nice Chub, but the Roach have all but gone. One member had 17, yes 17, 2lb plus Roach in one session, and finished the day with 73lb bag, all Roach. Best Chub i had from there 5lb 10ozs.

Regarding the Lake, i have arranged a couple of fish in's on the lake, again, not as good as it used to be, but hit it right, and you'll know about it. Some very good Pike and Perch fishing also. Tench, Bream Roach etc also go to a good size.

One of the best looking lakes you will ever fish, check the website for booking, i think its good value when you look at the price of some lakes. Two fishing from a boat for around £30, depending on the time of year. You can get 3 in a boat, but 2 gives you much more room.

www.blenhiempalace .co.uk worth a look.

Might book a fish in next season, I understand the Palace have or are doing away with the close season, will find out more.

 

[Tee-Cee]

From home, Blenheim is just about within my fishing compass, but the cost of the fishing really puts it out of my reach and fishing it once or twice a year doesn't really appeal. Blenheim is such a beautiful place and catching fish in such ancient surroundings in peace and quiet ( lots of tourists though) really appeals. Personally speaking, where I fish is as important as what I hope to catch.......
I suppose £30 for a boat, or half that for two souls, is reasonable if you consider the venue, but with the journey via Oxford/M40 to consider it's appeal starts to fade. It always amazes me just how much water is on offer in and around Oxford, whereas in the immediate area around High Wycombe, comparatively speaking, we have very little apart from the Thames. (I'm talking attractive waters here, not 'puddles' !)

Have the previous fish-in's done much Ray ? I seem to remember when I first joined FM a fish-in to Blenheim was organised ?

Anyway, the Thread has produced some very good info for anyone to use and I thank those who contributed......Good stuff !


ps Ray.. The website you mention seems to be defunct but I will Google the 'Palace' and see what I get.......Oh, and 17 2lb roach, the stuff of dreams eh?

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Might book a fish in next season, I understand the Palace have or are doing away with the close season, will find out more

Seem to remember some reports on an FM "Fish in" at Blenheim, if there's enough interest I'm in

Ian

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

I wouldn't book a fish in for this time of year, don't think many would enjoy sitting in a boat in the cold all day. Good pike and perch this time of year. Fish in for next year ??? we will have to wait and see.


I understand what TEE CEE is saying about cost, but for me, £30 for two is worth every penny, plus i have to travel from Hertfordshire. I would rather pay that bit extra and enjoy the surroundings, rather than sit round a mud puddle catching carp, and getting NO enjoyment from it what so ever, for just a few quid less. Each to their own.

 

[andygrey]

Red Spinner stocked if I remember rightly 40,000 roach into the Evenlode some years ago. The EA electrofished the river 2 years later and recorded not one single roach.
Either the cormorants had a fuel day or the river wasn't to their liking.


Andy

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Red Spinner stocked if I remember rightly 40,000 roach into the Evenlode some years ago. The EA electrofished the river 2 years later and recorded not one single roach.
Either the cormorants had a fuel day or the river wasn't to their liking.


Andy

No one seems to know why the Roach have gone. Had many a good day on the Evenlode Roach fishing. I can only think there is something in the water now, that they don't like.

A river near me, Its called the New River, held very good stocks of all fish, and big Roach, Pike, Carp, Perch. Now you will be lucky to see a single fish at any time of year, No Cormorants, Otters etc etc, just fish less, and no body knows why.

 

[cg74]

No one seems to know why the Roach have gone. Had many a good day on the Evenlode Roach fishing. I can only think there is something in the water now, that they don't like.

A river near me, Its called the New River, held very good stocks of all fish, and big Roach, Pike, Carp, Perch. Now you will be lucky to see a single fish at any time of year, No Cormorants, Otters etc etc, just fish less, and no body knows why.

I agree and I'll hazard a guess at it being metaldehyde via molluscicides used in oilseed rape production.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Very sad to hear that the New River is now devoid of fish. As a boy of 10 years ( so that's 1953 ) onward I used to fish this river along the Harringay/ Finsbury Park stretch and it was a very real part of my angling education.
It flowed at some pace and being quite shallow not easy for boys to fish, but the shoals of roach seen from the bridges in the crystal clear water drove us on...
At that time I believe, but I could be wrong, it was part of the water supply network for London and strictly not open to fishermen of any age. The banks were patrolled by bailiffs of sorts all of the time, so it was a case of fishing between bridges to enable a quick escape should a bailiff appear from one end !!

Happy days and I wouldn't want to see it now.....

Ray....Did you ever fish it ?? Maybe, in later years it opened to fishermen and you could in your area..?