Fishing in and around Watford

[Lee Buckingham]

Hi,
I live in Oxhey on the outskirts of Watford and as I have not lived here very long I don't know much about the fishing. Is there anyone who can tell me good places to fish, particularly on the small rivers. I know there is a long stretch of the gade and I believe it is free to fish but other than Cassiobury Park I don't know many other places. Any info would be gratefully recieved especially with the river season almost over.

thanks

Lee B.

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

Try.....

The Secretary
Watford Piscators
51 Gallows Hill
Kings Langley
Hertfordshire

They have...

Tolpits Lake
Castles Lake
Thurlows Lake
Stanleys Lake
Broadacres Lake
Rousebarn Lake
Grand Union Canal (Includes Evans, Park, ****insons & Croxley Moor)

River Colne
River Gade

click here...

Piscators

 

[John Prentice]

www.londonanglers.net

www.uxbridge-rovers.fsnet.co.uk

www.gxudas.co.uk

www.harrowangling.co.uk

 

[jim turner]

i can fully reckomend the piscators. loadsa waters at a good price. people can get a but up tight bout it but most are ok. could be worth ringing up to have a chat with membership person, number is on the website. and then you'll find out the best time to apply because new season starts 1st of May although applications start soon! :s welll if you do decide to join maybe ill see you there!

j.t.

 

[Andy "the Dog" Nellist]

Is the River Gade at Croxley Green still free fishing. I used to live going down there as a lad but it was a hell of a bike ride from where I lived - 10 miles each way and very hilly.

 

[Deecy]

If you pop into either Oxhey Angling on Oxhey Lane by the Arches or the Watford Tackle Carrier St Albans Road they can put you onto other waters of which there are many.Most local waters operate a close season.Most are value for money club waters.

 

[Lee Buckingham]

thanks for all the info so far.
I will be looking into some of the ideas suggested. In the mean time I will be having a dabble at cassiobury park at the weekend.

 

[Graham Young]

Lee

The Colne along Radlett Road in North Watford beats the Gade any day, very similar in size & depth but it gets fished a lot less and the Chub tend to be bigger!! (also fewer pedestrians and dog walkers). As well as chub, there are some good Perch and Roach and I did once (!!) see a carp of around 10lb swimming past. There are several miles of free fishing, starting at the junction with Bushey Mill Lane and working back towards the town, The allotment stretches can be very good, with lots of trees and snaggy swims. However the water has been very low and clear this winter and I have only really caught just before and just after dusk. The river can rise very quickly after rain though and usually fishes much better when levels are just subsiding.

My favourite stretch used to be further upstream by Berrygrove Lane where I had a PB Chub of 5lb3oz about this time last year, unforunately the landowner has recently put horses in the field and completely closed it off.

Another club to look at is Verulam AC who have some great waters, mostly around St Albans, if you want to drop me an e-mail I can let you have their web address and more info.

 

[elliott fletcher]

yeah the colne is wicked. i had mirror of 12.8 out and many chubb, needs to be more looked after though

 

[peter crabtree]

the gade in cassiobury park free fishing,parking,take waders and try for roach,for such a tiny river there are some big roach if you can find them.also at croxley moor,walk down path opposite croxley met station over the canal & fish .also free fishing but parking is a problem but the walk is worth it..

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

The Gade in Cassiobury Park was where I got the fishing bug. I was only about 4 or 5 but used to run off from me mum and dad and "wade" in to watch the fisherman.

I remember what seemed a huge fish (now I know it was a perch) that lurked under the footbridge that led from the entrance roadway to where the watercress meadow was. Do they still have the model railway in the boggy area across the river. Then walking up to the Grand Union .....ah schoolboys for goalposts

Good to see the odd 4 year old thread revitalised

 

[peter crabtree]

yes the railway is still running not really a model but a passenger carrying small guage railway. also where the water cress meadow is now a lake which was watford piscators,but i now understand is up for sale..if you can get hold of last months improve your coarse fishing read paul klinkenborgs story fishing for free,it is set in cassiobury park.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Yes Peter,

I did mean a miniature passenger railway - that boggy ground seemed very wild and dangerous to a 4 year old !!

I read the article and it brought back a lot of memories. Living up north now the opportunity to do so is infrequent - but I do wonder about a trip back in time - visiting Wealdstone (where I grew up before moving to God's own county (Kent) and Cassiobury - although I don't want to "ruin" the memory - mind you I bet the Grand Union is a lot cleaner and less smelly than in the early to mid 1960's. Shame about the watercress meadows.

Poshers

 

[Jim Bowdrey]

Poshers, my first fishing as a lad wasnear Springwell Lock in the early 60,s.I would say that the cut isnt that much cleaner now, a lot of the tow path right back to the other side of Rickmansworth is taken up with moorings and a lot of the boats look rough and some are derelict. Ive told BW about some with expired licences but they dont appear to be interested

 

[alex ward 4]

i live in watford and im a begginer at fishing. can someone tell me where i could go carp fishing in watford.

 

[alex ward 5]

i live in watford and im a begginer at fishing. can someone tell me where i could go carp fishing in watford.

 

[Maggie]

Watford Piscators have some good waters or Try Verulum AC they have some superb fishing including some venues around Watford; They have several stretches ofthe colne, the upper Lea, the Gt Ouse, and the Ivel plus some great Carp venues in and around the area. There are record nudging fish of most species available to youand they are now taking short/end of season memberships.