Upper Thames - Oxfordshire

[maceo]

What a beautiful river at any time of year, but in autumn, when with the changing colours every leaf is a flower, it is at its most picturesque.

The water meandering through with next to no current and big slack areas with no movement at all. Just perfect for waggler fishing - my number one affection.

The bleak are starting to diminish, but there's still enough for them to hurl themselves out of the water and do a full flip in response to a handful of maggots. Hence plenty of predators about and the swim going hot and cold several times. In fact while pulling in a little roach from the far side, a jack pike (about 4 or 5lbs?) took it sideways on and only let go when I nearly netted it. I also caught a little perch which took my sweetcorn while it was dangling in about 2" of water on my rod rest while I did something else..

Loads and loads of roach and dace as always. Looking like a good year for 'em. Get in before the floods and frosts!

 

[markcw]

The stretches at Sanford are good.
You have the lock channel and the meadows which is a wide slow moving stretch ,and the back channel which is narrower and slightly faster.
The lock channel is ideal for when the back channel is up and over the banks.

 

[108831]

I prefer it in winter,when the summer wine drinking boaters hibernate,better for the good fish whenbrhere is a decent flowbon it however these days with the way the weirs are controlled the river is rocket propelled...

 

[theartist]

I used to camp out in Buscot car park in the back of my rascal van (the one shaped like a toaster)like a true loner, happy days indeed. The Upper Thames had some magic weirpools on the EA ticket back then so I hope they still produce. Remember watching a world cup semi where Holland played Brazil on a portable black and white tv in the van one night, couldn't tell them apart, watched the highlights later when I got home and it was a sea of colour, the Dutch orange contrasting with the yellow of Brazil, I lamented not for the colours of the footie as those of the Upper Thames early summer saw every shade of green.

Ps there's some great 'Cotswoldy' towns off the tourist track that way too.

 

[peter crabtree]

The Thames all the way round the city is fantastic fishing. Not to mention the streams, loads of them..

 

[108831]

Buscot,Tadpole,Newbridge,Northmoor,Kings Weir,to name but a few,wonderful stretches that left some great catches in my net....

 

[peter crabtree]

In fact the Thames from source all the way to central london

is a very big and healthy place with millions of pegs to fiish…

 

[markcw]

I walked the Tadpole stretch earlier this year, As soon as I had parked the car and gone into the field I knew it was a mistake.
The wind was howling, the river was up and rushing through making looking for a decent fishing spot nigh on impossible.
It was a similar situation on the back channel at Sanford where the level was up around 8' Hence the recce to Tadpole.
I decided on the lock channel at Sanford the following day. Hardly any extra water and the flow was decent. Plus the fish were biting.b

 

[108831]

Mark,I thought Tadpole was run by a local match club these days and its dead mans shoes....

 

[markcw]

I think a club has it, my friend always gets two cards for it so he can take someone as a "guest" .
He had some good hemp roach out last week, reckoned he had around 6lb of fish by alternating hemp and caster, A match on there a few days later only recorded 2lb from the peg he fished.
I will message him and find out who has the stretch, I am sure he said South Cerney.
I think they have some on Cotswold water park as well.

 

[peter crabtree]

It’s controlled by Tadpole angling club, season tickets available…. Most other Thames and tributary venues are eithe Oxford and district or Northmoor a.c.

 

[peter crabtree]

Google Earth
tadpole bridge top end of Medley fishery…
https://earth.app.goo.gl/zKhhQC
#googleearth

 

[markcw]

I am in Littlemore , I think they can fish Medley and Donnington,
I liked the look of the Tadpole stretch despite the weather when I went.
I parked in the layby near the bridge and went left in the fields, My friend says there is a better stretch to the right of the bridge,

 

[markcw]

It’s controlled by Tadpole angling club, season tickets available…. Most other Thames and tributary venues are eithe Oxford and district or Northmoor a.c.

Yes Tadpole AC. If anyone wants a season ticket they are available from Staits Tackle in Witney. Other Oxford shops may sell them.
They have a Facebook page/group as well my friend said.

 

[108831]

Thanks for that Simon and Mark,it used to be a fantastic fishery,I had 52 decent chub there on one day during the Christmas break...