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River Kennet Burhfield - Advanced Angling

M

Martin Osmond

Senior Member & Supporter
So I've been offered a ticket for the stretch of River Kennet at Burghfield, run by advanced angling.

Have already spoken to someone on here and appreciate your help but just throwing it out there to see if any else has/does fish it and what the general consensus on it is before I take the plunge.

I'm sure hate this sort of thing being out on a public forum so feel free to pm me if proffered.

Cheers
Martin
 
From what i can tell on the whatsapp group, lovely stretch of river, lots of barbel and lot of low doubles in there. Nothing huge from what i’ can tell. Had the ticket for the last 6 years and fished it 3 times, had them up to low doubles. Most probably going to drop it this year though as nice as it is, can’t justify paying the money when i don’t even fish it once a year. Going back to rdaa kennet stretches.
 
Can’t be of any help I’m afraid Martin but your post reminded me of some happy productive years spent there late 70’s to mid 80’s. I’ve been trying to find some of my angling memorabilia from back then just to see how much I paid to fish the whole Burghfield complex including umpteen other top waters on the Leisure Sport Group ticket. Hate to think what you’d pay nowadays just to fish all the Burghfield waters?
I note the river got a lot of publicity in the intervening years and was forever in the angling mags,.. deservedly so no doubt but we all eventually move on for good or bad.
Thinking back to those far-off days,… Burghfield was one of the few venues that became a serious alternative to the D.Stour and Avon although Fishers Green and St Pats were also on the permit back then.
Happy days.🙂
 
Dave Taylor said:
Can’t be of any help I’m afraid Martin but your post reminded me of some happy productive years spent there late 70’s to mid 80’s. I’ve been trying to find some of my angling memorabilia from back then just to see how much I paid to fish the whole Burghfield complex including umpteen other top waters on the Leisure Sport Group ticket. Hate to think what you’d pay nowadays just to fish all the Burghfield waters?
I note the river got a lot of publicity in the intervening years and was forever in the angling mags,.. deservedly so no doubt but we all eventually move on for good or bad.
Thinking back to those far-off days,… Burghfield was one of the few venues that became a serious alternative to the D.Stour and Avon although Fishers Green and St Pats were also on the permit back then.
Happy days.🙂
Click to expand...
St Pats LS was opposite side of Thames side and didn't go beyond the bridge Loddon side, saw very few fish it whilst my 15+ years on the Pats


Burghfield had numerous complaints re the Reserving of swims on the weir by Welch re guiding for his wrestler mate.
 
Graham Elliott said:
St Pats LS was opposite side of Thames side and didn't go beyond the bridge Loddon side, saw very few fish it whilst my 15+ years on the Pats


Burghfield had numerous complaints re the Reserving of swims on the weir by Welch re guiding for his wrestler mate.
Click to expand...
We hardly fished St Pats back then G. … 40+ years ago,.. times gone quickly.
Preferred Burghfield which was just a bit closer to home.
My abiding memory of St Pats was our Transit blowing a big hole in the silencer as we neared the venue early one Sunday morning. Any anglers near the carpark must have thought we’d arrived on one of Fred Dibners steam mobiles!
We fixed it by utilising some of the rubbish left in the carpark, ie an empty can which we flattened and wired over the hole,.. it got us the 65 miles back home.
I think we all blanked as well!🙄😁
 
Graham Elliott said:
St Pats LS was opposite side of Thames side and didn't go beyond the bridge Loddon side, saw very few fish it whilst my 15+ years on the Pats


Burghfield had numerous complaints re the Reserving of swims on the weir by Welch re guiding for his wrestler mate.
Click to expand...
That was in the Cemex days Graham.
He and Neil Wayte would even be fishing the far bank swims that were out of bounds......
It used to throw up some huge fish back then to 18+
The parking was always a nightmare.
We could park in the pub in them days but even that was unsafe.
 
John McGough said:
That was in the Cemex days Graham.
He and Neil Wayte would even be fishing the far bank swims that were out of bounds......
It used to throw up some huge fish back then to 18+
The parking was always a nightmare.
We could park in the pub in them days but even that was unsafe.
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying John 😉

I've looked into ot a bit more and seen that a small part of the AA bit is shared with RDAA and they then have miles of river either side of it.

Still tempted, a bit, as I remember it, from being up the lake years ago, being a really nice stretch but just not sure if there's any point having it, along with RDAA and I'm very lucky to be a member of a section of Loddon which is just magical. There's only so much river you can fish, right?
 
Martin Osmond said:
Thanks for replying John 😉

I've looked into ot a bit more and seen that a small part of the AA bit is shared with RDAA and they then have miles of river either side of it.

Still tempted, a bit, as I remember it, from being up the lake years ago, being a really nice stretch but just not sure if there's any point having it, along with RDAA and I'm very lucky to be a member of a section of Loddon which is just magical. There's only so much river you can fish, right?
Click to expand...
The fishing is certainly worth it but it hasn't thrown up the fish it used to years ago.
Lots of barbel to low teens.
My main concern would be the parking.
Cottage Lane used to be a big problem but I understand its better these days.
The Cunning man pub is out of bounds now and I wouldn't park around the pub these days.
 
John McGough said:
The fishing is certainly worth it but it hasn't thrown up the fish it used to years ago.
Lots of barbel to low teens.
My main concern would be the parking.
Cottage Lane used to be a big problem but I understand its better these days.
The Cunning man pub is out of bounds now and I wouldn't park around the pub these days.
Click to expand...
Cheers John, so lots of fish but none of the bigger Kennet Barbel?

I know they are few and far between, like my carp fishing over the past 25 years, it suits me, I want low stocked big fish venues, sadly a dieing thing in the carp world.

I don't want to know too much info, I like to work it all out for myself but, in terms of what tickets I need to purchase, you'd say a better chance of a biggun from RDAA?

I should also add that I don't want to run before I can walk, I enjoy the journey and learning process of any new venue, would hate to catch a monster straight away and hope I don't sound like I'm coming across expecting to catch huge barbel from a tricky venue, I know that's not the case but fishing for me is always been about the challenge. I've never fished runs water for carp and my two best ever seasons resulted in 2 carp a few years ago, doing about 50 nights and another season when I caught 3, for a lot of nights, and all 3 came in a 24 hour session so I spent the rest of the year blanking.

Those fish, the effort I put into catching all 5 of them, all different types of captures will always be special to me and probably never beaten, in terms of catching carp apart from one..........

I've waffled on enough now so why stop? I found out about a carp very local to me that had been kept very quiet, it was special, proportionally perfect. I was lucky enough to get a ticket, which started 1st April. I looked and looked and looked some more and eventually found it in the top bay, there were 4 bays on one side of the lake. The first bay you came across was really snaggy and nearly all the other 15 members would look in there first, it was never in there but was always full of fish for which they fished for, naturally. I'd always have a look but if the biggun wasn't there, no matter what other fish were in the snags I'd not fish, instead go and hunt the one I was after.

The top one bay, where I first saw it would be where the SW winds blew and got a lot of sun. I then saw it Lump out a few days after first spotting it but this was in the mouth of the bay and after speaking to a mate who had previously fished the lake he said that carp liked it up there so I decided to start baiting for it.

I found a spot out in the mouth of the bay and baited with 1kg of boilie Monday to Friday, every week. I didn't go anywhere near the place at the weekend as I didn't want to know what was going on when I wasn't there. Ironically a couple of the members had the hump when I caught it as they thought I'd 'fluked' it as they never saw me, assumed I'd just randomly gone up there and got lucky. Anyway it was the end of April when I started baiting and baited up 5 days a week from then until I caught it on 17th June 2015.

It was a lot of time, effort and money to catch one fish, and I only caught that one fish, but it will forever be my greatest capture.

IMG_20231005_233943.jpg


47lb 10oz. Sorry if the long winded post about catching a carp on a completely non related subject is frowned upon. I got a little carried away.
 
Martin Osmond said:
Cheers John, so lots of fish but none of the bigger Kennet Barbel?

I know they are few and far between, like my carp fishing over the past 25 years, it suits me, I want low stocked big fish venues, sadly a dieing thing in the carp world.

I don't want to know too much info, I like to work it all out for myself but, in terms of what tickets I need to purchase, you'd say a better chance of a biggun from RDAA?

I should also add that I don't want to run before I can walk, I enjoy the journey and learning process of any new venue, would hate to catch a monster straight away and hope I don't sound like I'm coming across expecting to catch huge barbel from a tricky venue, I know that's not the case but fishing for me is always been about the challenge. I've never fished runs water for carp and my two best ever seasons resulted in 2 carp a few years ago, doing about 50 nights and another season when I caught 3, for a lot of nights, and all 3 came in a 24 hour session so I spent the rest of the year blanking.

Those fish, the effort I put into catching all 5 of them, all different types of captures will always be special to me and probably never beaten, in terms of catching carp apart from one..........

I've waffled on enough now so why stop? I found out about a carp very local to me that had been kept very quiet, it was special, proportionally perfect. I was lucky enough to get a ticket, which started 1st April. I looked and looked and looked some more and eventually found it in the top bay, there were 4 bays on one side of the lake. The first bay you came across was really snaggy and nearly all the other 15 members would look in there first, it was never in there but was always full of fish for which they fished for, naturally. I'd always have a look but if the biggun wasn't there, no matter what other fish were in the snags I'd not fish, instead go and hunt the one I was after.

The top one bay, where I first saw it would be where the SW winds blew and got a lot of sun. I then saw it Lump out a few days after first spotting it but this was in the mouth of the bay and after speaking to a mate who had previously fished the lake he said that carp liked it up there so I decided to start baiting for it.

I found a spot out in the mouth of the bay and baited with 1kg of boilie Monday to Friday, every week. I didn't go anywhere near the place at the weekend as I didn't want to know what was going on when I wasn't there. Ironically a couple of the members had the hump when I caught it as they thought I'd 'fluked' it as they never saw me, assumed I'd just randomly gone up there and got lucky. Anyway it was the end of April when I started baiting and baited up 5 days a week from then until I caught it on 17th June 2015.

It was a lot of time, effort and money to catch one fish, and I only caught that one fish, but it will forever be my greatest capture.

View attachment 29247

47lb 10oz. Sorry if the long winded post about catching a carp on a completely non related subject is frowned upon. I got a little carried away.
Click to expand...
Cracking fish
The Kennet seems to be making a revival the last couple of years.
I wouldn't fish anywhere with dodgy parking myself.
Just can't relax.
The RDAA ticket is good value with lots of water to go at.
Some good tench pits too......
 
John McGough said:
Cracking fish
The Kennet seems to be making a revival the last couple of years.
I wouldn't fish anywhere with dodgy parking myself.
Just can't relax.
The RDAA ticket is good value with lots of water to go at.
Some good tench pits too......
Click to expand...
"The RDAA ticket is good value with lots of water to go at."

Thats what I told him John.
You've got 80 swims on the Benyons alone.

And the canal perch as well as the tench.
 
John McGough said:
That was in the Cemex days Graham.
He and Neil Wayte would even be fishing the far bank swims that were out of bounds......
It used to throw up some huge fish back then to 18+
The parking was always a nightmare.
We could park in the pub in them days but even that was unsafe.
Click to expand...
yes I fished alongside Neil one day on the top weir when the river was over its banks and witnessed him catch an 18 which I photographed for him.
 
Graham Elliott said:
"The RDAA ticket is good value with lots of water to go at."

Thats what I told him John.
You've got 80 swims on the Benyons alone.

And the canal perch as well as the tench.
Click to expand...
Graham Elliott said:
"The RDAA ticket is good value with lots of water to go at."

Thats what I told him John.
You've got 80 swims on the Benyons alone.

And the canal perch as well as the tench.
Click to expand...
Good perch in the canal then Graham?
 
John McGough said:
I wouldn't fish anywhere with dodgy parking myself.
Just can't relax.
Click to expand...
That was the beauty of the AA gated car park top of cottage Lane just before the rdaa car park for their four lakes.
I use to do a night or two on the river knowing my car was safe when I was a member of aa.
Fifteen minute walk with barrow alongside Burghfield lake.
Great stretch of river.
 
Martin Osmond said:
I want low stocked big fish venues, sadly a dieing thing in the carp world.
Click to expand...
No body wants this Martin, it’s what we are now stuck with.
The causes for these rivers to contain so few fish are really horrible things

A river with just 15 doubles left in it, is a river living on borrowed time because all those fish are female and at the back end of their lives.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
No body wants this Martin, it’s what we are now stuck with.
The causes for these rivers to contain so few fish are really horrible things

A river with just 15 doubles left in it, is a river living on borrowed time because all those fish are female and at the back end of their lives.
Click to expand...
That's my sentiments.... I'd rather see a river full of younger year classes than a river with a sprinkling of high doubles.
 
Martin Osmond said:
Cheers John, so lots of fish but none of the bigger Kennet Barbel?

I know they are few and far between, like my carp fishing over the past 25 years, it suits me, I want low stocked big fish venues, sadly a dieing thing in the carp world.

I don't want to know too much info, I like to work it all out for myself but, in terms of what tickets I need to purchase, you'd say a better chance of a biggun from RDAA?

I should also add that I don't want to run before I can walk, I enjoy the journey and learning process of any new venue, would hate to catch a monster straight away and hope I don't sound like I'm coming across expecting to catch huge barbel from a tricky venue, I know that's not the case but fishing for me is always been about the challenge. I've never fished runs water for carp and my two best ever seasons resulted in 2 carp a few years ago, doing about 50 nights and another season when I caught 3, for a lot of nights, and all 3 came in a 24 hour session so I spent the rest of the year blanking.

Those fish, the effort I put into catching all 5 of them, all different types of captures will always be special to me and probably never beaten, in terms of catching carp apart from one..........

I've waffled on enough now so why stop? I found out about a carp very local to me that had been kept very quiet, it was special, proportionally perfect. I was lucky enough to get a ticket, which started 1st April. I looked and looked and looked some more and eventually found it in the top bay, there were 4 bays on one side of the lake. The first bay you came across was really snaggy and nearly all the other 15 members would look in there first, it was never in there but was always full of fish for which they fished for, naturally. I'd always have a look but if the biggun wasn't there, no matter what other fish were in the snags I'd not fish, instead go and hunt the one I was after.

The top one bay, where I first saw it would be where the SW winds blew and got a lot of sun. I then saw it Lump out a few days after first spotting it but this was in the mouth of the bay and after speaking to a mate who had previously fished the lake he said that carp liked it up there so I decided to start baiting for it.

I found a spot out in the mouth of the bay and baited with 1kg of boilie Monday to Friday, every week. I didn't go anywhere near the place at the weekend as I didn't want to know what was going on when I wasn't there. Ironically a couple of the members had the hump when I caught it as they thought I'd 'fluked' it as they never saw me, assumed I'd just randomly gone up there and got lucky. Anyway it was the end of April when I started baiting and baited up 5 days a week from then until I caught it on 17th June 2015.

It was a lot of time, effort and money to catch one fish, and I only caught that one fish, but it will forever be my greatest capture.

View attachment 29247

47lb 10oz. Sorry if the long winded post about catching a carp on a completely non related subject is frowned upon. I got a little carried away.
Click to expand...
What a stunning looking carp that is 👏👏👏
 
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