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Above weir's and slow deep sections

Clive Shipman

Clive Shipman

Senior Member & Supporter
I have a stretch I fish that is backed up behind a weir, this is a slow deep section. Do you think this could become some what of a sanctuary in times of flood when the shallow water upstream becomes a torrent. Or that these sections could happily sustain a barbel population. Does any one have any thoughts on slow deep sections.
 
I fish the slower deeper sections of my local river Severn for the better fish. Loads of fish on the shallows but my better fish all come off slower deeper water.
 
the slow,almost canal like sections should never ever be ignored including above a weir.
 
Clive, I wouldn't ignore a section directly above a weir. I know a couple of areas above Thames weirs were barbel have come out in numbers.

Cheers

Ian
 
hi all! first post since the new forum..

ive had some good success in the winter in the slow deep sections of what is considered more of a stalking shallow kind of river, especially with the bigger fish. just need to make myself fish them more in the summer as i'm sure there are some good fish down there still, its just a confidence thing i guess..?!
 
Talking of 'Canal like sections', I know a stretch of the Grand Union canal near Watford where barbel come out fairly regularly :eek:

Cheers, Dave.
 
barbel can live in stillwater, canals are no different.
dave,if you struggling on the river down there, try the lake, no kidding!
 
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David Hall said:
barbel can live in stillwater, canals are no different.
dave,if you struggling on the river down there, try the lake, no kidding!
Click to expand...

Not doing too bad Dave, had 3 barbs out this evening, biggest 8lb. Thats 8 barbel and 2 carp in 6 trips. To the blokes fishing the Wye, Severn etc, thats a poor days catch :D, but for the Colne, it's reasonable.

I am going to give the Aquadrome a bash for the bream shortly, just building up the courage to face all the slime :D

Cheers, Dave.
 
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Dave, are any barbel coming out of "Hemp Bridge" nowdays. Thats the canal bit I fished as a 12 year old at the back of the Aquadrome.

Use to be cracking for roach. If anyone ever read my first book "Memories and Milestones" there is quite a bit about Rickmansworth and Croxley fishing

Graham
 
Graham Elliott said:
Dave, are any barbel coming out of "Hemp Bridge" nowdays. Thats the canal bit I fished as a 12 year old at the back of the Aquadrome.

Use to be cracking for roach. If anyone ever read my first book "Memories and Milestones" there is quite a bit about Rickmansworth and Croxley fishing

Graham
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Hi Graham,

I have not heard about any barbel coming out of the canal just there, but I have no doubt at all that they are in there, as the odd biggie comes out of the section of the Colne between Hemp Bridge and the top weir....so if they are in there, stands to reason they venture into the canal.

I lost count of the number of huge roach we used to catch using hemp on that aptly named bridge when I was a child, with the occasional chub thrown in. I have also caught lots of carp in that short section of the Colne from Hemp Bridge to the weir. However, I caught larger carp in the main section below the weir...including one of 26-10 on a match rod :D

Come to that, I have had quite a few carp from the Gade at Croxley. I remember on one occasion in the winter fishing at croxley for gudgeon for livebait. All we had for bait was some OLD maggots in a forgotten tub from a week or two back, on a trip where everything got wet. They had reached the stage where the medium they were kept in had turned to a foul smelling putty, with lovely froth on top...and the maggots were climbing up the tub and all over the lid. Funny thing was, we caught some of the biggest roach I have ever seen, and a few nice chub...but not one of the usually ravenous gudgeon :D

AS for the Roach and Chub from the gade at Casiobury park, and the trout from the Chess at Sarrat bottom, and... Oh lordy fella, you have set me off down memory lane now :eek:

Happy days Graham, really should get back to some of that basic fun fishing...but I guess if I did I would spoil those fabulous memories, 'cos nothing is the same when you go back, is it?

Cheers, Dave.
 
The Late Peter Stone once told me that some of the best Barbel swims on the
Thames were above the weirs.
TIGHT LINES.
pAUL.
 
I have never done very well above Thames weirs even though they scream fish.

I have spent hours looking at one area and everything suggests Barbel frequent the stretch but as with the Thames in general the fish move around a lot and I am yet to figure out where they go!

I have heard of several decent fish coming from such areas within the last couple of years and the best bit is they don’t tend to get fished much so a spot of pre baiting may just improve the odds!

Tom.
 
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