Going to have a look at the Chelmer in Essex today I have not fished this river for forty years I used to fish it at Little Baddow and a place called Spinney weir and Ulting going to have a look today and fish tomorrow with lure and deads any information appreciated
The CHELMER
- Thread starter tiinker
- Start date
neil1970
Well-known member
Nice one; my inlaws live in Little Waltham and on our Boxing Day walk we crossed the Chelmer, which was obviously pretty high and very coloured after the rain.
Let us know how you get on, its a lovely little river:thumbs:
Let us know how you get on, its a lovely little river:thumbs:
My old boss used to live in the Georgian house as you come into Little Waltham from Chelmsford it is Little Waltham Lodge he bought it in 1968 for £14000 and I remember his wife saying to me it is a lot of money Gregory. He sold it in about 82 for one million . I spent many summer days there with my family and Christmas parties for the employees and their families. We went and looked at the Chelmer below Little baddow and decided to fish at Ulting lots of scope there with the weir pool backwater and the canal and river. It is up but falling. We talked to three anglers none had caught but it looked good for a go. We popped into worms direct and picked up some lobs so it will be chub/ perch as target fish and I will take some lures aim to get there just before 7am.
The Chelmer. That takes me back 50 years. Used to fish a weir pool near a flyover on the outskirts of Chelmsford. Also a canal section nearby at the back of a gasworks. I used to cycle there from Romford with my split cane rod tied to the crossbar. I couldn't do it now
The Chelmer. That takes me back 50 years. Used to fish a weir pool near a flyover on the outskirts of Chelmsford. Also a canal section nearby at the back of a gasworks. I used to cycle there from Romford with my split cane rod tied to the crossbar. I couldn't do it now
It was the gas works bit where they put the big bream out of Abberton in the late sixties up to 15 lbd+ never fished it myself they reckon it was ramo.
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Yes I remember that. Lots of controversy if I remember correctly.
We got to Hoe Mill on the Chelmer at 7am the river had dropped at least a foot from the day before. Graham went in the weir after chub with lob and maggot. I went on the rove with my plugs. I started of in the canal that by-passes the weir and headed upstream. The water was still coloured so I put on a Fox slim boy firetiger and headed off casting as I went the far bank of the canal is all boat moorings. I found out later that the regulations say no fishing where boats are moored odd but there you are. I got about a quarter mile up where the canal meets the river which was running at a nice pace the spilt had to have pike laying in wait. Second cast and a take a nice fish of about eight pound very silver with the river conditions it has been up and coloured for over two weeks. Another few casts and take number two a smaller fish about six another silvery fish. Crossed the bridge over the top weir run the water was boiling and going through fast. Up stream was a deep reed bed up to twenty foot deep from the tow path and the river using my landing net to check the footing I managed to pick my way along casting as I go upstream and down about half way along wack another take and a better fish again about eight pound. Three other anglers passed me at this point so I worked my way back to Graham. Two other anglers had set up at the split but had not caught. Ihad been away from Graham for two and a half hours and as I got back he was landing a small chub about a pound or so he said it was his third and that a pike had been swirling in front of him in the slack. I offered him my lure rod but he declined. I decided to go below the lock and fish the join of the river and the canal. I crossed the road and went down below the bridge a few casts under the bridge but no takes. Two anglers were on the opposite bank about eighty yards down stream fishing the join so I cast down stream about a dozen times but no take so I changed the lure for a deeper pattern not sure of the make bought it in a Polish lure shop it buts me in mind of a fat gudgeon and swims at about six feet Second cast wack another pike about four pound. Went back to graham and had a bite to eat his tip went around as we sat there a good bend in the rod a bigger fish but not a chub another pike had taken his lobs about five pound and that was it we packed up at two pm and we will be going back again this week if the rain is not to heavy and the river does not rise and it was a free day no bailiff came around so no ticket.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Nice account Tinker. I have very rarely fished with plugs, never have much confidence with them and I often do not have much confidence spinning in colored water. Do the plugs have a vibrate system built into them and is this what the fish home in on do you think?
Hello MG hope you had a good Christmas the answer to your question is yes and the bigger the diving vane the more vibration you get some make the rod tip rattle like hell. The angle of the vane controls the depth. In coloured water I like a lure that drums a bit. Yesterday visibility was about six inches. Fish do not stop feeding because the water is coloured that is what I always tell myself. All the best for the new year.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Thank you, the same to you, a very nice christmas with all my extended family although the river Wey was flooding all around me but, I was on dry land just about. But, no fishing done..
I have a few plugs buried away somewhere and I will fish them out. I have only tinkered with them in the past (excuse the pun) but, I am thinking of giving them another go. I have never caught a fish on a plug but, you have made me think I should give it a proper go. I like roving fishing and this would be an interesting thing to give a try properly. I am thinking of a small stream I know that is about 6 ft wide and 4/5 ft deep but, I hear it has some good Pike in it. Would make a nice afternoon. I expect it will be colored, any tips on what plug too use?
A friend of mine does well with small plugs on small streams for the chub mainly in the summer but he gets a few in the winter and there are the perch as well. When you get your first take you will get a real buzz for the method.
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Something with some yellow in it or all black if you have not got a firetiger pattern. I just used the firetiger yesterday because it was a new lure that one of my grandsons bought me for Christmas quite a lot of yellow in that pattern on the under belly. I had a big S for many years that was gold and black Ilost it in Maple Durham mill pool on the Thames in flood conditions after catching eight pike in really coloured water in a morning the pike were stacked up in there when the river was up.
AT the moment the river level is staying down waiting for this morning report a dry day this Thursday if it stays down we will have another day then. Thames is still hacking though with all weirs wide open according to reports.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
That will do me, something with yellow and the Big S sounds good, I will have a look round the tackle shop in the week. Cheers.
going on Thursday up stream about a mile to where Ulting church been told it is a very productive area for chub and roach. Asked a friend about the barbell and he said as far as he knew the only place he knew where they had been caught was in the run off from the weir at hoe mill. Will take some deads again and sink and draw if it has fined down a bit more.
Chelmer off it has risen from .5 to .60 of a metre since 3pm yesterday and very heavy rain forecast for today that will put the cap on it. It is already a foot or so above where it was on Sunday. It will be a day on a reservoir some where have a choice of two Walthamstow. Ardleigh near Colchester. The boy will not be pleased, mind you if we do Walthamstow we can have a nice lunch in the Ferry Inn.
Phoned him a short time ago he was not pleased ****+++$$ that is what he said and he will ring me back when he has made up his mind if he does not go I will go over the Bec.
Phoned him a short time ago he was not pleased ****+++$$ that is what he said and he will ring me back when he has made up his mind if he does not go I will go over the Bec.
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The boy has got the hump so I am off over the Bec tomorrow cab will pick at 6am drop me off and pick me up when I am ready to come home. Tomorrow is the only dry day for the foreseeable future. Lure and sink and draw and drift a few deads.
geoffmaynard
Content Editor
I had a red-letter day in Hoe Mill once with the pike. I had a dozen or more. That was about 30 years ago though But there were no barbel there in those days
But there were no barbel there in those daysI had a red-letter day in Hoe Mill once with the pike. I had a dozen or more. That was about 30 years ago though
Yes there are a few in the river now they have had a few stockings. I have been told that Hoe Mill is one of the best places to try for them. Those that fish for them keep most of the catches under their hat from what I here. I want to have a close look at the back stream that runs down to the mill pool from the top weir. The spit the other side of the bridge has turned up the odd fish I have been told two or three swims on there.