Colne woes, new venue needed

[Stuart Hendry]

Hi all,
Been fishing the BRPS section of the Colne since 2011, was really good for the first few seasons and got progressively harder such that I’ve been down five times this season, lost one fish and blanked the rest. Know a few long term members have not renewed.
Certainly not the river it was, but be interested on peoples thoughts as to why. Sections that had plenty of fish in them now completely devoid. I have seen no evidence of Otters down there and the river still runs at the same depth with lovely clarity of water, lots of weed, etc, just like it was when it held fish.
Anyway I’m fed up of staring at a rod tip that refuses to budge and am looking at a new venue.
I like small river Barbel fishing, like the Colne. Any recommendations? Is The Creek in Sunbury on Feltham PS any good these days? Caught a few down there before I joined BRPS.

Stuart

 

[Dave Brooksbank]

Reading & District Angling Association

Information on the association including membership & match results.

www.rdaa.co.uk

Kennet Thames Loddon and Canals
The Kennet has fished quite well for Barbel so far this season.
Great value ticket.

 

[Stuart Hendry]

Thanks, I’ll take a look.

Stuart

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Upper lea for a confidence boost.

Nene if your prepared to travel a bit further. It’s not what I’d call easy fishing but they are there to go at which helps.

 

[Colin Dapp]

I thought that someone was building otters holts? hideaways on the colne

 

[Chris Guy]

Are there crays on the Colne?

 

[Stuart Hendry]

Are there crays on the Colne?

I don’t believe there are, or Mitten Crabs either. Been troubled by those pesky things on the Ember in the past.

 

[Chris Guy]

I don’t believe there are, or Mitten Crabs either. Been troubled by those pesky things on the Ember in the past.

Hi all,
Been fishing the BRPS section of the Colne since 2011, was really good for the first few seasons and got progressively harder such that I’ve been down five times this season, lost one fish and blanked the rest. Know a few long term members have not renewed.
Certainly not the river it was, but be interested on peoples thoughts as to why. Sections that had plenty of fish in them now completely devoid. I have seen no evidence of Otters down there and the river still runs at the same depth with lovely clarity of water, lots of weed, etc, just like it was when it held fish.
Anyway I’m fed up of staring at a rod tip that refuses to budge and am looking at a new venue.
I like small river Barbel fishing, like the Colne. Any recommendations? Is The Creek in Sunbury on Feltham PS any good these days? Caught a few down there before I joined BRPS.

Stuart

RIP River Colne.

I returned from my holidays recently to the devastating news that otters have now been seen and positively identified in my stretch of the tiny river Colne in Hertfordshire :( In a stream the size and nature of the Colne, which is mainly very shallow and narrow, with almost non existent...

barbel.co.uk

 

[Stuart Hendry]

Hi Chris,

I did see that about the Otters, but that looks further up, the BRPS stretch is by Heathrow Airport.

Would explain things, but never seen one swimming about, seen evidence of a kill or any of the other anglers seen one as far as I know.

Probably a matter of time before they turn up, but don’t see them hanging around as doesn’t seem to be many fish of any size in the area now

 

[Chris Guy]

Hi Chris,

I did see that about the Otters, but that looks further up, the BRPS stretch is by Heathrow Airport.

Would explain things, but never seen one swimming about, seen evidence of a kill or any of the other anglers seen one as far as I know.

Probably a matter of time before they turn up, but don’t see them hanging around as doesn’t seem to be many fish of any size in the area now

Mate, if they're upstream they'll certainly be further down, almost guaranteed. Are you still catching chub and seeing other species?

 

[Paul Collins]

I'd be very surprised if there were no Cray's in the Colne down there, they're everywhere else on the river and in the Thames.
I'd second Richard's suggestion of the upper Lea. Very few crays and no shortage of barbel.

 

[Chris Guy]

I'd be very surprised if there were no Cray's in the Colne down there, they're everywhere else on the river and in the Thames.
I'd second Richard's suggestion of the upper Lea. Very few crays and no shortage of barbel.

I'm amazed otters haven't discovered the smorgasbord of the Upper Lea as yet. Incredible really.

 

[Terry Harman]

I'm amazed otters haven't discovered the smorgasbord of the Upper Lea as yet. Incredible really.

that’s probably because the amount of anglers on there the 2 veralum ac stretches are a complete and utter circus … always packed out fish care very much non existent… had a go at a bloke (i won’t call him another angler) up there he walked a barbel 3 swims upstream to show his mate
they was going to start the season with a booking system this season but for one reason or another they shelved it …which is a shame next to cromwell weir they are probably the most pressured barbel in the country….. not sure where op lives but much better off with a peterborough ticket than veralum

as for the otters it’s a ticking timebomb

 

[Chris Guy]

that’s probably because the amount of anglers on there the 2 veralum ac stretches are a complete and utter circus … always packed out fish care very much non existent… had a go at a bloke (i won’t call him another angler) up there he walked a barbel 3 swims upstream to show his mate
they was going to start the season with a booking system this season but for one reason or another they shelved it …which is a shame next to cromwell weir they are probably the most pressured barbel in the country….. not sure where op lives but much better off with a peterborough ticket than veralum

as for the otters it’s a ticking timebomb

But not at night. Might be something to do with the river running through two private estates downstream.

 

[Mark Swaby]

I did hear a rumour that the workers on the farm on the opposite bank were taking fish, I was not surprised. Around 2010 I found a massive weighted professional net stretching from one bank to the other on the Bath Road bottom boundary when I fished Staines moor. I took it out, dragged it across a field, hid it and reported it to the EA who came and collected it the next day. I knew I should have left it but was not going to rely on the EA coming down and the net already harvested and removed. Bath road gave us a free membership. A month later on their section I found a large fish trap in the river and had that out. For me it was the most prolific section of Colne for Barbel, lots of fish coming on and plenty of doubles. There are Otter all along the Colne but they do seem to be very mobile in most areas. The EA man collected 3 run over dead otter for autopsy a couple of years ago. Sadly the Colne has been dying over the last 10 years. There are big fish on most sections but there are few coming through which is the main worry. The smaller fish spawned or stocked are quickly taken by the massive number of cormorants in the valley,1000 in the last official count in 2017. The cormorant were taking ducklings on my section this year due to the lack of fish. Its not just Barbel on the Colne struggling all species are effected by the black plague. Maybe have a look at the Thames there have been some large catches recently not far from you with some big fish. But it does seem to be overnight fishing.

 

[Stuart Hendry]

I did hear a rumour that the workers on the farm on the opposite bank were taking fish, I was not surprised. Around 2010 I found a massive weighted professional net stretching from one bank to the other on the Bath Road bottom boundary when I fished Staines moor. I took it out, dragged it across a field, hid it and reported it to the EA who came and collected it the next day. I knew I should have left it but was not going to rely on the EA coming down and the net already harvested and removed. Bath road gave us a free membership. A month later on their section I found a large fish trap in the river and had that out. For me it was the most prolific section of Colne for Barbel, lots of fish coming on and plenty of doubles. There are Otter all along the Colne but they do seem to be very mobile in most areas. The EA man collected 3 run over dead otter for autopsy a couple of years ago. Sadly the Colne has been dying over the last 10 years. There are big fish on most sections but there are few coming through which is the main worry. The smaller fish spawned or stocked are quickly taken by the massive number of cormorants in the valley,1000 in the last official count in 2017. The cormorant were taking ducklings on my section this year due to the lack of fish. Its not just Barbel on the Colne struggling all species are effected by the black plague. Maybe have a look at the Thames there have been some large catches recently not far from you with some big fish. But it does seem to be overnight fishing.

Interesting stuff. Was a great river to fish when I started out in 2011, with fish all the way from the top to the bottom. Had quite a few doubles myself including a 14 from below the weir. Seemed to get a lot harder from 2015 onwards and gone badly down hill last two seasons. Have seen Cormorants on the lake, never on the river but sure they get on there.
A real shame as fishing that small river for big Barbel that fought like hell in that fast water was up there with the best fishing I’ve ever done.

 

[Robert West]

Grew up fishing the colne at uxbridge in the late 70s early 80s we mainly fished the rear of the old trimites factory on what was then a free stretch back then I remember the bank littered with old shopping trolleys rubbish old pallets and the like but that said we used have good days there catching chub,bream,roach,some huge dace and even the odd barbel.
We used to fish the culvert from the grand union down past the sportsman’s hall p/h this flowed into the colne although only 4ft across good chub and roach could be had.
I joined gxudas later in life and still enjoyed fishing the colne until 2010
It’s sad to here of its decline I’ve got some good memories of the colne

 

[Connor Sweeney]

Grew up fishing the colne at uxbridge in the late 70s early 80s we mainly fished the rear of the old trimites factory on what was then a free stretch back then I remember the bank littered with old shopping trolleys rubbish old pallets and the like but that said we used have good days there catching chub,bream,roach,some huge dace and even the odd barbel.
We used to fish the culvert from the grand union down past the sportsman’s hall p/h this flowed into the colne although only 4ft across good chub and roach could be had.
I joined gxudas later in life and still enjoyed fishing the colne until 2010
It’s sad to here of its decline I’ve got some good memories of the colne

Just to let you know Gxudas have clean up the colne all through Uxbridge and done lots of work making gravel runs and places for the barbel to spawn it’s really making a comeback . Fished it for the last few years

 

[Robert West]

Just to let you know Gxudas have clean up the colne all through Uxbridge and done lots of work making gravel runs and places for the barbel to spawn it’s really making a comeback . Fished it for the last few years

Hi Connor
thanks to gxudas the island and what was then the free stretch,the colne is in much better condition than it was when I was a lad in the 70’s/80’s which is fantastic
I served on the committee for a couple of yrs before I moved and used to do lots of work parties, and as you say the club has spent a lot of time and money plus a restocking program improving the fishery
I’ve got a soft spot for the colne, my gran lived in St. John’s close it was 50yrs from her front door.
Iam glad the work still continues on that great little river