Britford - Anyone been to Britford this season?

[Jon Burgess]

I'm thinking about spending a few days down in the Salisbury area and having fished LAA Britford waters couple of times last season have got the bug a bit!

But both last season visits were autumn - hows the summer? Anyone any experienece?

 

[Tim -]

Hi john i fished britford alot last season, after the first cuople of times i couldn't go anywhere else as i always ended up at britford. Summer fishing can be good at britford, depends what you after really. if its barbel chub and carp the sliuces/wier above the cap park bridge are a good place to start. For float fishing pic a shallow swim on the old river and there is some good chub, dace and grayling to be had. For roach on the main river, take some anti minnow baits as there are loads of these around at this time of year.

havn't fished it yet, but took a walk there on sunday before the season and there were lots of fish swirling around by the bridge at the car park.

Atb tim

 

[Jon Burgess]

Thanks Tim

I'm heading off on Thursday evening.

'Bit like you - seems like the "perfect" location as I pursue a 2 1/2 lb roach!!...plus whatvere else it throws up.

I'll let you know how I get on

Jon

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Jon,

Britford's summer fishing really depends on the level, colour and temperatures.
Get those just right and you can have a terrific session down there.

I fished for a few hours late last Saturday and had good sport with the Dace plus an unexpected Grayling. If you can hack the minnows then you'll have a good session, but 'anti-minnow' baits avoid pulling your hair out.

The bailiff, Stuart. will give you all the necessary local help, and usually one of the two courses will have a good flow.

The roach fishing is usually much better in the late autumn and early winter from the swims up around harnham Island, but above the little sluice pool can provide good sport also, as can the swims upstream of the car park bridge.

Good luck.

 

[Jon Burgess]

Thanks for that Peter,

I'll be pleased to let you guys know how the day goes....and even more pleased to tell you I got amongst the fish....roach, dace, grayling, chub...whatever!! It's just such a lovely stretch of water

 

[Norman Smith]

Please keep these reports going. I have lived in Spain for thirty five years and not fished at Britford for thirty seven but it remains my favourite fishery of all time.I have had some fantastic catches there, the best of them were always at the tail end of Kitts Island. In those days I had to fight my way through the big trout to get at the chub and dace. Mind you the 3lb+ roach I lost at the net just below the top weir still bugs me.

Megamiff

 

[Tim -]

I am going there for the first time of the season tomorrow, hoping for some dace, grayling and maybe some chub. planning on going right down the bottom below the wier/ sliuce.

I'll put my results if up any when i get back.

 

[Jon Burgess]

Well guys I had my day there yesterday (Friday)

Stuart Wilson (bailiff) is as helpful as ever and suggestedI head off to the feeder just beside the sewage works . What followed between 7am and around 10am was memorable! 6 grayling to around 1 1/2lb,(my first) 4 trout largest just over 2lb and a hatful of dace and roach. All up against the far bank on double red maggott.

I then move around 100yds downstream for a few hours pulling out regular dace and small roach until after switching to breadflake I had one of just under 2lb quickly followed by 2 chub around 3lb

It's just a lovely stretch of water - I only saw 2 other people all day with main stream, feeder and the navigation there is just so much bank to go around.

For the sake of the LAA fee it must be one of the best value fisheries around - it may be a 2 hour trip for me but it's worth every second

So Norman I can report that very little has changed in 37 years !!

 

[Tim -]

Had a lovley session there today, settled into my facourite swim on the old river and fist trot down was an 8oz graayling. 2 minutes later stuart turned up and watched me catch a nice 3lb chub, which was followed by a string of dace and grayling, averaging a decent 7-8oz each. It was amazing seeing the fish on the gravel under the clear water, you could see them take the bait under the float. Then two 3lb trout completly recked the swim doing backflips and stuff, could have been the same fish twice, so i moved down below the wier at the botttom. Another grayling first cast, and then some small dace followed.

on the way back to the car where i was gonna pack up i had one last cast underneath some overhanging trees gave me my first perch, which was a decent fish.

It looked lovely, i will try upload some pictures on here.

tim

 

[Tim -]

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[Norman Smith]

It sounds as if it has not changed in the last forty years. Fantastic, I wish I was there now.

Megamiff

 

[Jon Burgess]

Hi Tim

When fishing on the old river were you down or upstream from the car park.

Never managed much success on the old river but would love to try more on my next visit

Jay

 

[Tim -]

Hi John.

The swim I was fishing was a little down stream of the sewage works, down from the car park.

Atb, tim

 

[Tim -]

Fished again yesterday, loads of dace and grayling, but no chub. it was a dace a cast until a brown trout of about 5lb smahed me up and completley ruined the swim.

I've herd of some cracking chub to 8.2lb have been caught further downstream, so its looking good at the moment.

 

[Noel80]

Always nice to see I'm not the only nutter who'll drive 2 hours for some fishing!

i fish the middle and bottom parts of the Avon though. Magical river. A bit of conflict about weed cutting this year (i.e. there's a lot of it going in some places) on other forums. Farmers need it to drain the fields properly. Anglers hate it because it scares fish and no doubt kills fry habitats etc.

Neither side is ever happy.

HUGE chub on the Avon. Nearly everyone I've spoken to says they've "seen" a massive chub somewhere or other. I believe them too. I fished Bisterne two years ago. I saw the back half of a chub under some weed. Absolutely huge. I crept away to sort out my gear but when I returned it had vanished...........

My mileage to fish ratio is horrific but I think it's worth it. Just.

 

[Mithrandir]

Fished Britford today, was good, only small chub, dace, and minnows, but some nice grayling and perch for me, and some very large pike in evidence.

It really is a cracking piece of water, I am really lucky living 9 miles from it and that is why I splashed out and got a "parnters" ticket for Claudia and I to fish it all year for £64.

There were only 7 anglers there today so I had almost free choice of swims that I wanted, a cracking day, cant wait till the bigger chub start to show

 

[Tim -]

Was there again tuesday night. River up and pushing through with all the rain we've had. Found a tiny slack created by some rushes mid river. 4 chub, loads of dace and a grayling.

i was amazed how many fish there were in sush a smal area.

All fish came to bread or maggots

 

[Tim -]

Fished again tonite. old river pushing through with a lot of colour, 3 chub and a trout on bread flake. then moved to the main river for the last hour and had some nice dace, one which survided a lucky escape as a decent pike swirled for it on the surface.

Apparently carp to 27.14lb have been caught already this year, so its looking good.

 

[Mithrandir]

I have a pint of maggots and some casters, small bit of bread and a plan to give it a go in the morning, might try for a dawn assault on the old river

The carp tend to be in the navigation, which fishes better in the evenings.

 

[Jon Burgess]

I'd be really interested to see hoe you get on in the Navigation - I'm et to give it a go - keep us posted Mith