Timsbury Fishing, river Test

[Jim Crosskey 2]

Hi folks

Just looking for anyone's thoughts on the coarse fishing available on the river Test through Timsbury Fishing.

Anyone fish it regularly? I'm imagining that it's best fished trotting a bait, something I enjoy a great deal. I realise its quite expensive but just wondering if anyone on here has fished it regularly during this bit of the season??

Any comments gratefully received.

cheers
Jim

 

[Neil Maidment]

Used to fish it on a regular basis but haven't done so for a while. Turned up twice on pre-booked midweek sessions to find it very crowded indeed, far too many for what is a lovely stretch of the Test. Also, far too many rainbows in that area at that time which frustrated pretty much all attempts to catch anything else.

I've heard similar tales of woe from others so have not returned but I do have the benefit of the Dorset Frome on my doorstep.

Maybe it has improved so go with an open mind and yes trotting is the way to go.

 

[Son of Meldrew]

Only fished it once, a few years back. It was nice and coloured, and looked ideal for roach, which was what I was after. Those who turned up with boxes of sweetcorn in hopes of grayling were disappointed. I did the long walk to the bottom bridge and caught a string of nice roach trotting maggot on the stick-float, up to 8-10oz, then had a 1.11 on the maggot feeder right under the bridge. I recall Ian Welch had a couple of big roach on legered bread.
The best thing was that as it was so coloured we didn't get pestered by trout!
So if you're after roach, wait for a bit of warm rain. I don't suppose it's easy to book in advance and get just the right conditions, though...

 

[Ray Roberts]

Some years ago a guy from here had a 3lb roach at a fish in.

I fished it a few times and had some grayling and loads of trout and a few salmon. I tried for roach but those salmon thrash about a bit and really trash your swim.


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[Rog Hill]

My son and I used to have a day out every year until a couple of years ago when we found ourselves competing for swims with nearly 30 other anglers. There was supposedly a 20 max limit but that certainly wasn't adhered to that day. Not been back since preferring to fish the Lower Itchen Fishery for a comparable price, which in our opinion is a great mixed fishery offering the prospect of some really good fish.

Not sure on available places but there's a Fishing Magic Fish-in at LIF at the end of the month. Always a good day out, usually with good bags but rather dubious company (would affix smiley here if I knew how to do it!)

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

Cheers folks.

I did see the LIF fish-in getting some coverage here, unfortunately I'm busy that weekend, otherwise I may have gone for it.

Mmm, the overcrowding is something that bothers me. I don't mind stumping up a big ticket price if there's some reflection in that on numbers on the bank. I regularly fish Wye and Usk beats, also Barton Court on the Kennet a bit nearer to home. However the issue I've had on Barton Court recently - and it looks like it could be true at Timsbury too - is the sheer numbers of trout! I'm not adverse to a couple of them in a day - particularly the 4lb browns that go airborne the second you hook them!

Having said that, the last few visits to Barton Court have produced virtually no coarse fish whatsoever for me and my mate, hence looking a bit further afield.

So the general consensus seems to be that LIF is a little better?

 

[S-Kippy]

Jim

I use to fish Timsbury fairly regularly but it did start to get a bit busy and that has [ I'm told] got worse along with the fishing. I moved onto Timsbury after I became disillusioned with BC for the same reasons as you. The big roach [ that weren't hybrids and many were ] had gone into the lakes, the big perch & dace had all but vanished, the grayling were minute and the place was just stuffed full of trout.

Much more room on the LIF though I wouldn't call that exactly stuffed with coarse fish either. Plenty of eels though !

Skippy

 

[Neil Maidment]

Cheers folks.

So the general consensus seems to be that LIF is a little better?

It's a lot better! You may well still hook the occasional Salmon, Brown and Sea trout but not rainbows. LIF has become an excellent mixed fishery but still with a good head of grayling. Now that's not necessarily a good thing in my book as I much preferred when grayling were the dominant species but that is many years ago now.

It is a first rate fishery and outscores Timsbury and Barton Court by a country mile.

 

[S-Kippy]

there's a Fishing Magic Fish-in at LIF at the end of the month. Always a good day out, usually with good bags but rather dubious company (would affix smiley here if I knew how to do it!)

Dubious company Mr Hill ? How very dare you, sir !

 

[Jon Leckie]

it depends what you are looking for fish wise but i would put in a good word for the Britford fishery at Salisbury . Significntly cheaper day tickets than either LIF or Timsbury and no need to book just turn up when you want.

 

[Rog Hill]

Normally I'd agree with you Jon, but having fished it in the last few weeks it is desperately in need of water (as are most rivers down South). Having said that I did manage a decent roach of 1 lb 10 oz, but it was the exception with many much smaller specimens and minnows still very evident. However once we get the much needed rain it is a superb fishery at a very reasonable price.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

If I had to chose then I would opt for the LIF every time having fished Timsbury several times in the past and would agree entirely with Neil's comments above.

It is undoubted tha ton occasion that Timsbury will throw up a good coarse catch but overall on average LIF beats it for consistency and quality, not to mention a total lack of the marauding rainbows. If you are going to be bother by trout then how much better if it is a brownie . . . .

If you don't want to pay the price of a say ticket on the LIF then the swims downstream from the fishing hut are actually free fishing down to the pub' which is a great place to spend the "saved" ticket money on a half decent lunch . . .

 

[theartist]

I haven't fished these waters since discovering grayling were abundant around the country and in many cases in free stretches. Timsbury struck me as being quiet a short stretch whereas the LIf had plenty to roam, both got good roach in them whereas Barton Court has some big pike, perch and huge dace.

Nice places to spend the day but not if they are over booked, sometimes being somewhere less glamorous but being the only sole is just as good.