River Lea

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Weeman

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Hi all,

Does anyone know any stretches of the Lea (club waters or free fishing) that contain the old whiskers.

I know of the cemex and smallford stretches but was wondering if any other clubs had some decent barbel fishing on the Lea?
 
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Cakey

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I think its more known for chub but there was a 13lb barbel out just down from there
 
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Ginger

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Weeman, if your looking for numbers of Barbel then Verulam Angling have a stretch of the Old Lea, if you`re targeting the larger fish then Kings Weir or the Cemex stretches are probably a better bet. ( Be prepared for biteless sessions though ).
 
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alan whittington

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Weeman,Ginger's dead right about Verulam's water but its pretty busy and although there are a reasonable number of swims on the entire stretchthe most prolific section consists of probably 5-7 swims of varying quality,for all that its a nice dropof water and although im not a member now i dont regret being in the club for a minute.
 
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Alan Tyler

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Who has the rights at Smallford?

Come to that, who has the rights anywhere along the Eastbound limb of the Lea?

Welwyn Garden City A.C. have a stretch at Stanborough; then there's their Day-ticket stretch at Stanborough Park; they also have a stretch at Bayfordbury. Barbel are present in all three; I had one in a season. (Then my reason for driving to Hertford every week ceased, so I left). Local knowledge is king; some chaps expect to catch there rather than merely hope.

But that leaves a huge stretch from the bottom of Verulam's stretch at Wheathampstead, through Hatfield, to the WGCAC streches at Stanbo, and from there down to Bayfordbury, and thence to Hertford and Ware...
 
Keith M

Keith M

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I think I remember someone telling usthat betweenMill farm(at WGC) and Bayfordbury someof the Lea is controlled by Hatfield Angling Society.
 
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Alan Tyler

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That's the gravel pit, but no mention of the river there.

I really do think it's a disgrace that the cleaned-up river Lea - cleaned up, I should have thought, largely at the public's expense, is not available as an amenity to more of the people of Herts and N. London.

Did the relatively few farms and mills through which it runs pay for the sewage of Luton to be properly treated, with no additional input from the EA's predecessors, the taxpayers, and the ratepayers of the affected areas? And if not, why should they have sole use of Walton's river?

O, sure, our lords and masters have bestowed upon us the Lee Valley Regional Park on the Southbound limb of the river, because re-routing all those pylons and flood-proofing the meads to the point where any but an idiot would insure buildings thereon would be prohibitively expensive; but the upper river, the pretty bit, appears to remain a private jewel to be glimpsed at a distance from the side-roads off the A414.
 
Keith M

Keith M

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quote from Alan Tyler: the upper river, the pretty bit, appears to remain a private jewel to be glimpsed at a distance from the side-roads off the A414.

Most of It may be controlled by clubs butmembership is available to whoever wants to join these clubs and associations that look after the fish and banksides. both Verulam ACandWelwyn AC are both angling clubs that anyone can join if they wanted to (although I think that the WGC AC restricts its membership to people living in a10 or 15 mileradius of Welwyn Garden City). plus if your club is affilliated to the Lee Anglers Consortium then you have an extra 20 miles of fishing from Hertford to Bow at your disposal.

There are places that you can fish both free and on a day ticket if you don't belong to a club like for example the common in wheathamstead which is free to fish and has some nice Barbel and Chub swims in the last50 metres before it leaves the common and becomes club owned. plus the general public do have rights on walkways alonga lotof these pretty stretches.

Hardly restrictive to anyone is it? It is only a jewel because ithas beencontrolled and looked after by the clubs anyway. You only have to look at the state of non-controlled waters around the outskirts of London to see what state they are in, inluding the Epping forest ponds which last time I looked at them were knee deep in rubbish even though the wardens were constantly clearing it up.
 
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Ray Daywalker Clarke

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Ok from where Welwyn Garden City's part of the Lea, where it ends at the Horse Paddock it is private, until it gets into the grounds of Hatfield House across the A414.

Inside the grounds and down to the Roundabout running along side the A414 (heading towards Hertford from Hatfield)is controlled by Hatfield AC. From the roundabout upto the old Grubbs gravel works is Private, much of this is owend by Haileybury College, (tried to lease this for Potters Bar AC, a No go zone for Anglers).

From the gravel works down to the next part that Welwyn Garden City have, is now run by the Red Spinners, after Welwyn garden City, it is run by Abbey Cross AS (about a 3 to 4 years waiting list), Hertford AC then run a section out to Ware, Ware AC run a section, but I don't know how much. then it comes down to cemex, kings wier etc.

The Lea valley Consortium part is also day ticket, as Keith rightly says, there are areas you can fish free, and day ticket.
 
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Alan Tyler

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Verulam and WGCAC are indeed open membership, Keith, and doing a fine job. On four small stretches of quite a long river!

What about the rest of the river, though? Are there low-profile clubs quietly keeping below the internet's radar? If so, fine, as long as those who are prepared to seek them out can join.

Can an ordinary Joe join the Red Spinner?(!)

In the fifties, all the fishing guides said the Lea was polluted beyond use until it reached Hertford (and even there, you'd struggle to get two goer roach in a day!). The whole community (probably) paid to remedy the situation - but only a lucky few seem to get the benefit.

Note the italics, and please correct me if my surmises are wrong. I should love them to be.
 
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alan whittington

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Hatfield AS do own from below theWelwyn water down to Bayfordberry i was a member for many years i dropped out last year and wont be able to re-join as i live outside their limits now.

Ginger,i have left the Lea and have gone onto the Thames where the fishing is a lot more difficult but im enjoying the challenge more(at the moment)
 
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Cakey

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yes an ordinary Joe can join the Red Spinners (thats when you cease being an ordinary Joe/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif)
 
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Cakey

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oooops pressed send to quick

you have to go before a comittee which votes with black and white balls if you get one black bye bye
 
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