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farlows lake, the end maybe???

Hi men ,

Dave , fond mems of Farlows . Used to winter / closed season fish it. Bit rough round the edges , but we were always safe there . used to fish cafe point , out to the islands for lots of cold water action. Had a few 20, back then , including some cracking looking commons . Did a carp society junior fish-in there , helping out Alan Atkins , and although not structured as it became , was a good time for all the lads .

Couple of funny things there , Rob Maylin ( old friend ) watched me struggle to get to a feeding spot where he had regulary caught fish . He took the rod off me , and in front of a large audience of top anglers smashed into a cast. The bait sailed out into the setting sun . Rob stroked the but , and told my junior not to wind in untill the morning , as it was in a great position . Yes it was , up a bloody tree :D:D:D:D:D:D:D, tucked up again !.

On the same fish - in he went to each junior to offer advice . He listened intently to on boy who had baited the far margin , set his traps perfect , and was as keen as mustard . You should have seen his face when Rob told him he had no bloody chance , as a fish had not come from that swim in 2 seasons of him fishing there :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D. Character , and quality angler . Shame if its stuffed , as you could always seem to get on fish somewhere .

Hatter
 
Lovely, wild place with clear water, complete peace and quiet (no people, no M25) and some nice perch (record once came from the lake, I believe) when I was kid in the 1960s. Had myself some perch on spinner and worm, and a few nice roach, modest tench and average-sized but beautifully coloured "poike". Did get dragged over to the new bar (cold lagers and fishy chat on the sun terrace) about twenty years ago; have never been back.
 
i have some good memories in the early 90's, went to poo after that, not the fishing,
always busy and seem to be attracting undesirables.
 
Hi men ,

There are some real corkers in there , concidering the varying amount of angling abilities that go there .

Hatter
 
fond memories for me going back to when they put the caravan in the corner for hot food and bait, 1st place i fished after an 11 year break from coarse fishing after moving to the coast, well boyers have done well from angling these past 30 years and if its boats they prefer to anglers then soddem
plenty more good waters in the valley besides boyers
 
"boyers have done well from angling these past 30 years and if its boats they prefer to anglers then soddem"
Not sure that is Boyers decision,I don't think they actually own the lake.

"plenty more good waters in the valley besides boyers"
True ,but not that many accessible for the price of a day ticket.
I fished there quite a bit in my younger days when the lake had a very unsavoury reputation.I never had any problems,in fact most people on there were of the opinion that the biggest villians you were likely to meet were actually running the place.
Phil.W
 
There's been plenty of horror stories over the years about Farlows and some of the other Boyer's waters. I think I recall that someone drowned in Farlows after being pushed in some years back and there are endless stories of people waking up to find their rods and reels missing. Some have woken in the middle of their rods going missing, only to be warned that if they step out of their bivvy that they'd get a right good hiding. What do you do in that instance?

Strange really as when I was a nipper dad always took myself(about 12 year old) and my younger brother(6 or 7) night fishing to most of the Boyers waters. Over the years we done Colnbrook West, Orlitts, Farlows, Thorney Pool, Bedfont and Stockley (always my favourite). Never once did we have any problems and happy days they were. Doubt there'd be many fathers willing to take their young kids night fishing at such places now though.

Sad really as stories like this effect us all to some degree. For the first time ever I left a water this weekend because I was in doubt of my safety. As I was fishing two fellas who may or may not have been travellers but certainly looked like it, drove up to where I was fishing and started asking questions about this, that and the other while seeming to take no interest in any answers I gave them but showing plenty of interest in my tackle, van and other bits and pieces. They left soon after and may well have been innocent enough but the seed had been sown. I had been planing to stay on this pretty, peaceful little lake till the early hours but thought better of it.


Haydn
 
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ever since the gypsy camp on mansion lane just down the slough arm 5 minutes from farlows,before that became a gypo camp, very few problems.
 
One of my earliest angling memories is many years ago my father taking me on the river Colne just near Farlows - in fact it was just behind Little Britain lake just down the road. I'm sure the whole area was a more pleasant place then. We blanked (we nearly always did - especially on rivers) but through the mists of time that day has become rather special to me. Firstly because it was a lovely little bit of the river, just down stream of a nice weir pool that run at the bottom of someone's garden; secondly, because it was a lovely balmy summers night and I was in the first flush of young angling obsession. I'm also pretty sure it was the first time I'd ever wet a line in running water.

They say you should never go back; I often wonder what it's like these days though.


Haydn
 
Fished the river and lake a lot as a Kid. Know it very well still, as it is only a fifteen-minute walk from me. Pretty, after a fashion, even now, but when the cream of neighbouring West Drayton and Yiewsley are there in numbers fishing with their smelly roll-ups and cans and hair-trigger attitude...
 
Haydn Clarke said:
One of my earliest angling memories is many years ago my father taking me on the river Colne just near Farlows - in fact it was just behind Little Britain lake just down the road. I'm sure the whole area was a more pleasant place then. We blanked (we nearly always did - especially on rivers) but through the mists of time that day has become rather special to me. Firstly because it was a lovely little bit of the river, just down stream of a nice weir pool that run at the bottom of someone's garden; secondly, because it was a lovely balmy summers night and I was in the first flush of young angling obsession. I'm also pretty sure it was the first time I'd ever wet a line in running water.

They say you should never go back; I often wonder what it's like these days though.


Haydn
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i caught my first barbel from the colne on little britain,
i caught loads after that, good fishing, but not now.
 
Have good memories of Farlows, last fished there as a youngster when the old close season meant they had to shove some trout in to get around the laws of the day. I remember a truck pulling up and dumping a load of trout in the swim next to me and the next few hours being very busy. It was trout salad every night for a week I took so many away....
 
How about this then. I remember fishing there in the early 50's when there were no Carp in there or at least none known. I do remember though reading Dick Walker's book Still Water Angling and following his advice on how to catch big Perch ie ledger a big worm in a deep hole, with some success. It was run in those days by a chap living at Thorney Weir.
 
Dave, the site in mansion lane is a good site and the other one across the road, the one in swallow st was likewise, the one in swan road aint too good but a lot of problems came from slough yobbos, theres lots more sites in the area too but the problem wasnt mainly due to travellers mate, i have sat plotted up with big chris from the old caravan tackle shop on farlowes on several occasions laying in wait for the trouble(when i was a deal younger :D)
the guy that was found dead in the canal behind the factory bank, well rumour had it he interfered with a junior and juniors uncle got there rapido
after that ??????????? the stealing did become bad but got sorted out eventually.
is it fact about the marina or imagination? why i ask is because one was built
in packet boat lane or am i misinformed, they would have to put a lock into the lake to allow acess to the canal and i cannot see how that could be practical today.;)
 
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