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Steve Spiller

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Peter,

I'm drooling! So when is the Fish-in? /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

I've inserted a daft winkie smile above and below, just in case you can't see it /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif
 
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Tim -

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I walked between the car park bridge and the house bridge today. Looking lovely and there were fish (probally chub) swirling on the top everywhere. Stuarts car was there and he was doing some work on the old river.
 
Neil Maidment

Neil Maidment

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Cracking piece of water, available on day ticket, tremendous long term pedigree and still holds some very BIG roach!

Nice little "fishing lodge" as well!
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Richard Drayson

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Oh for a big lottery win /forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif
 
Neil Maidment

Neil Maidment

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Beauty of this stretch is that it rarely floods due to good river management and the system of "old" and "new" river courses plus a variety of weirs and "navigation" channels. It is often very fishable when all around is high and mighty.

Peter is your man for this area but this "halo" lady knows a bit about it as well! And Steve, she's also had a thumping great carp from that very area!
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Michael Townsend 3

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I caught a nice big roach while the owner of that house watched me through the window.

He never offered me any food or a cup of tea. Not like northern hospitality/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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I think afterwards they put a sign up saying no fishing in front of the house!(seriously)

I have fished Britford regularly for the last 6 wintersor so andI would say that unless the conditions are conducive, ie some colour in the water, the big roach donot feed. They are there though without a doubt and my biggest is a 2.6 caught this March but there are reported sightings of 4lbers by people who would know.The trick is to be able to hit the river when the conditions are good which really gives the advantage to the local anglers.I have only rarely fished it in summer butI know Mike and others do well stalking the big fish in the clear runs between the weed and presenting a bait directly to them.

It can get quite busy at weekends especially in the last few months of the season, particularly near the going big roach swims up towards Harnham island.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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T'is true, you cannot now fish directly in front of that house.

Unless you live very close to this stretch then, as Nigel so rightly says, you cannot hit it in its' best conditions.

In the Summer it can throw up some really good catches, but you have to be prepared to move around a lot, and know how to fish in (sometimes) very shallow water indeed, and be able to 'hack' the bl00dy minnows!

Given the two water courses, the old and the new course, we can keep the hatches virtually closed on one and open the other, in this way we can nearly always fish one course.


We are also very lucky to have one of the best keepers in the South in Stuart, who is a really terrific bloke and always eager to help put you on a few fish.
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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Genrally the main flow is always pushed down the old river when the Avon is high.The stretch above the old sluice house is very good in those conditions as the fish from Harnham tend to push into the quieter/steadier water.

The old river has less roach but has good chub,dace,grayling andI seem to remember you even caught a tench there a few years back PJ?

The barbel are few and far between but big.

The last few seasons have seen a fewdifferent roach year classes coming through apart from the twos which is encouraging.

I understand hemp/tares and wheat work well in the summer to keep the minnows at bay.

I used to go at every opportunity but now ration myself to when the conditions are likely to be good.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Yes, a lovely Tench of about 4lbs caught on a Trent Trotter in about 16 inches of water while trying to tempt a couple of chub.

The Roach have definitely spawned well over the past few years as have the Dace, but they are still on the small side.

If you are really after an Avon Barbel then honestly, try elsewhere, there are a few, and those are large, but not too many of them these days.

All in all it is a lovely part of the Hampshire Avon and not too expensive either considering the cost of the downstream sections.

Those of us who live within 20 minutes drive consider ourselves as 'blessed' methinks.
 
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Michael Townsend 3

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Yes you are indeed 'blessed'

Tares and elderberries are the minnow defeaters that will catch you some big old roach. If I'd have taken some on my first visit, heaven knows what I would have caught apart from just a few average roach and dace/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Stuart is a great bloke and very helpful, even leaving elderberries in the car park for me to pick up at dawn. In the spot where you say the roach congregate during floods Nigel, I lost a big roach there 2 years ago in front of Stuart. I felt bad, but had to phone the Samaritans to help him!
 
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Tim -

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I think there are more barbel there than people think. I spoke to the guy who lives in the trout farm at the bottom of the fishery, who fishes for the carp there. Hd told me he has had up to 6 barbel in a session in the summer, in the top wier pool, aswell as some huge carp. i Asked stuart about it and he also said there were more barbel than people assume in the stretch, but becuase it's a primarily a roach fishery, people don't bother. I will give it a try this summer. I saw a decent sized barbel by the second bridge down with some big carp, so i think it would be worth a try. ( im not undermiming anyone, thats just what i have been told)

atb Tim
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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Good info Tim.

I have hooked and lostbarbel in the weir pool.
 
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Claudia Crowther

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Oh yes my lovely Avon, I can't wait for the season to start and to fish it again. I will spend a lot of time there this year to explore it more and hopefully catch one or two of those elusive big roach /forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif

Maybe even the odd barbel that hangs around there, although I can imagine they are cunning devils and not easy to tempt/forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gif
 
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