River Kennet Burhfield - Advanced Angling

[Neil Smart]

That's my sentiments.... I'd rather see a river full of younger year classes than a river with a sprinkling of high doubles.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Jamie Payne]

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.

Is that all there is left in the kennet or do you mean specifically the AA stretch? - heartbreaking it’s come to this. Remember fishing it lots in the late 80’s early 90’s. What a river. Live right by it and haven’t fished it for years. Was thinking of having a go this coming season to.

 

[Julian Griffiths]

Is that all there is left in the kennet or do you mean specifically the AA stretch? - heartbreaking it’s come to this. Remember fishing it lots in the late 80’s early 90’s. What a river. Live right by it and haven’t fished it for years. Was thinking of having a go this coming season to.

There's a few fish around still but yes a lot less than years ago. The EA still stock the rivers, but that's just a simple way of sticking a plaster on a gaping wound. Canal boats don't do the rivers any favours either, by stirring up silt and their leaks of diesel into the rivers.... But the biggest single most damaging problem is the water authority's illegal dumping if sewage & the ever expanding hell hole that's called Reading, with new developments constantly popping up everywhere in the catchment area, adding extra demands on a waste system that's not fit for purpose.
Cray fish too don't help matters, (if the river's were healthy the fish would look after themselves) but it's sewage, farm pollution with their chemical run offs & phosphates & more developments being built, in my eyes are the main culprits to the downfall of the rivers biodiversity...

 

[Anthony James]

Plenty of young barbel in AA. The worst thing about that stretch is the crayfish

 

[Tim Marks]

There's a few fish around still but yes a lot less than years ago. The EA still stock the rivers, but that's just a simple way of sticking a plaster on a gaping wound. Canal boats don't do the rivers any favours either, by stirring up silt and their leaks of diesel into the rivers.... But the biggest single most damaging problem is the water authority's illegal dumping if sewage & the ever expanding hell hole that's called Reading, with new developments constantly popping up everywhere in the catchment area, adding extra demands on a waste system that's not fit for purpose.
Cray fish too don't help matters, (if the river's were healthy the fish would look after themselves) but it's sewage, farm pollution with their chemical run offs & phosphates & more developments being built, in my eyes are the main culprits to the downfall of the rivers biodiversity...

And don’t mention the excessive abstraction at the top of the river….

 

[Jamie Payne]

Plenty of young barbel in AA. The worst thing about that stretch is the crayfish

That’s great to see at least. Same for the whole of the kennet with the crayfish presumably?

 

[Jamie Payne]

There's a few fish around still but yes a lot less than years ago. The EA still stock the rivers, but that's just a simple way of sticking a plaster on a gaping wound. Canal boats don't do the rivers any favours either, by stirring up silt and their leaks of diesel into the rivers.... But the biggest single most damaging problem is the water authority's illegal dumping if sewage & the ever expanding hell hole that's called Reading, with new developments constantly popping up everywhere in the catchment area, adding extra demands on a waste system that's not fit for purpose.
Cray fish too don't help matters, (if the river's were healthy the fish would look after themselves) but it's sewage, farm pollution with their chemical run offs & phosphates & more developments being built, in my eyes are the main culprits to the downfall of the rivers biodiversity...

Thanks for the reply. That’s really interesting, suspected much of what you said. Living around the river and seeing the difference in water clarity, lack of weed, gravel and so on over the years, that in retrospect, we took for granted 30 years ago. I recall a local tackle dealer saying a good few years back that the reopening of the canal was partly to blame, so interesting you mention the canal too. The crays are clearly a nightmare but as you say the sewage and run off issues, not just in the kennet of course, is clearly the main problem, an utter disgrace and a tragedy.

I’m still going to give the kennet ago next season, mainly for nostalgic reasons and of course the peace and quiet.

 

[Graham Elliott]

Thanks for the reply. That’s really interesting, suspected much of what you said. Living around the river and seeing the difference in water clarity, lack of weed, gravel and so on over the years, that in retrospect, we took for granted 30 years ago. I recall a local tackle dealer saying a good few years back that the reopening of the canal was partly to blame, so interesting you mention the canal too. The crays are clearly a nightmare but as you say the sewage and run off issues, not just in the kennet of course, is clearly the main problem, an utter disgrace and a tragedy.

I’m still going to give the kennet ago next season, mainly for nostalgic reasons and of course the peace and quiet.

Jamie.

A pal last seasin on here asked me if I could suggest a place to have a fish on the Kennet, as he wasn't local.

Managed a double on the day.

There are good fish around, just not so prolific as 15+ years ago when 5 fish incl 3 doubles wasn't unusual when I was guiding.

And dont forget the superb chub, to over 7lb and perch to target as well.

If you start around the Lower/Upper Benyons area there will still be good fish around.

 

[Jamie Payne]

Jamie.

A pal last seasin on here asked me if I could suggest a place to have a fish on the Kennet, as he wasn't local.

Managed a double on the day.

There are good fish around, just not so prolific as 15+ years ago when 5 fish incl 3 doubles wasn't unusual when I was guiding.

And dont forget the superb chub, to over 7lb and perch to target as well.

If you start around the Lower/Upper Benyons area there will still be good fish around.

Thanks Graham, I really appreciate the advice.