Again, a roving session for Chub with bread on a link ledger. I've found with the Stour if you haven't had a chub within 15 minutes it's time to move. The bread was certainly an attraction for the minnows as they wouldn't leave it alone, even though some of them rattled the rod tip, you really have to be patient and strike when you get a proper bite.
I started at Honington Bridge and walked the bank to Fell Mill and fished various swims such as above, now my concern is what will it be like in the summer ? the river is pretty low still, like most Midlands rivers I fish but the Stour doesn't seem to flow fast at all. I'd like the have a look in the new season but I suspect parts of it may become unfishable.
There really are some fantastic swims though, you can get really close to the water on many of them, with the rod tip just of the surface it's easy to see the bites. I managed 4 Chub, the biggest around 2lb, but also lost a couple. Very snaggy indeed and you need to bully the fish, you know what Chub are like, if there is a snag they will find it. Really is my favorite way of fishing, travel light, rod, net and bait and try swim after swim till I find the fish.
Not the biggest of Chub, by all means but on light tackle in compact swims still great sport, best of all the fish I've caught down the Stour really have been mint condition.
I'm not sure I'll renew for the new season, I was planning to stick with my Leamington Anglers Book and maybe try a Stratford-Upon-Avon book, now I understand there are parts of the Stour you can fish, anyone know which parts ? Oh and just a reminder the left bank of a river normally refers to the left hand bank, as observed whilst facing downstream.
I last held a Stratford AA book about 6 years ago. The Stour sections back then were:
ReplyDeletePreston-On-Stour - accessed from the road leading off the A3400. Double bank fishing upstream of the bridge. Used to park in the field on the left before the bridge, or further down beyond the bridge on the road for the other bank. If you parked in the field, you used to have the whole section right through to Wimpstone bridge.
Wimpstone - also accessed off the A3400. Go over the bridge and park on the left. The fishing is on the opposite side of the road through the gate with the public footpath leading to Preston.
Wimpstone is a shallow section, but with a couple of deep holes. Head across the field to the little footbridge - about 70 yards to the right is a sharp bend with deep hole going down to maybe 10ft.
The Preston end above the weir has some nice bends and some very deep channels for such a tiny river - 12ft+ is to be found in various swims and it's quite sluggish in nature.
It's a nice bit of water, with loads of features. I dare say the weed might have been a problem last year though.
Cheers for taking the time to reply Sean, just the info I was after.
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