Fishing Within Easy Reach Of South London

[Dubversion]

This is hilarious, I couldn't believe it when Magic Sam told me.

Didn't you fall in once or am I making that up?

Yep

cast off overenthusiastically from a little jetty on the river just outside Wimborne (Frome?) and fell straight it.

Blast from the past - and meaningless to all but me and sparklefish - it was John Spracklen I used to go fishing with

 

[Orang Utan]

You'll be taking up the ukelele and pipe smoking next.

 

[Blagsta]

No, I eat fish.

"It's OK to eat fish/cos they don't have any feelings"

 

[Pie 1]

Clapham Common has 2 fishing ponds too, will try dig out some info

Yeah, but you'd have to compete with all those nutters with radio controlled submarines.

 

[Spion]

i used to be mad keen about fishing in my early teens, but got out of the habit. But of late I've thought about taking it up again.. I'd have to learn from scratch, and get all the gear, but first I thought I'd enquire where I'd be best going in fairly easy reach of my Streatham home?

Any fishermen on here care to recommend where I should be looking?

When I lived in S London I used to take off by car for a bit of beach casting from Dungeness, Deal, Brighton marina, Newhaven harbour arm. Cod, bass, mackerel, Whiting etc depending on time of year.

 

[pogofish]

Syon Park near Kew offered trout fishing - ammost certainly stocked water & not particularly cheap but you would almost certainly catch something, even if it was not what you expected. A pal who fished there once described the experience as "mad" & that frequently rising terrapins & other ornamentals added a whole new dimension to the experience!

 

[Dubversion]

is it one where you can keep the trout? and if so, do you pay by the day or by the catch or what? (sorry, i know next to nothing about this)

 

[Pieface]

How the fuck do you cast off so enthusiastically it takes you into the water?? You berk.

This:

When I lived in S London I used to take off by car for a bit of beach casting from Dungeness, Deal, Brighton marina, Newhaven harbour arm. Cod, bass, mackerel, Whiting etc depending on time of year.

sounds great. We could cook it in the van and then eat it and forage for sticks and beer and heckle walkers.

 

[Dubversion]

what's a heckle walker and how do you forage for one?

 

[Spion]

(sorry, i know next to nothing about this)

Really you need to find someone you can go fishing with and see what it's all about. Best of all, wait til next summer, find a mate to go with, find a nice beach, get a bag full of mackerel and barbie them on the beach. That's fishing!

 

[pogofish]

is it one where you can keep the trout? and if so, do you pay by the day or by the catch or what? (sorry, i know next to nothing about this)

Most stock-ponds do a ticket for so-many hours, plus so many trout to keep - Usually something like 3/4 hrs, half-day or full-day plus, to keep 2, 4 or 6/unlimited fish. Others caught can be returned provided you take care of them (handle minimally, use barbless/minimally barbed hooks or close-up the barbs with a pliers).

Avoid anywhere that insists you keep (& of course pay-for) all you catch - Unless it is a truly wild water which will be much harder to fish anyway, they tend to be overstocked with poor-quality fish & you soon end-up racking-up a huge bill, never mind the wastefullness. Personally, two fish, a bit of walking/wildlife watching, plus a beer/coffee & chat with whoever is about is a bloody good day for me.

Another good thing about this kind of waters, is that if you are trying to get back into fishing/want a try-out is that they will often rent you basic tackle & at less busy times like this any clubs that use them often offer introductory days with tuition/advice etc for considerably less than normal rates.

Here is their website:
http://www.alburyestate.com/syon.aspx
http://www.alburyestate.com/pricing_costs.aspx (boy, they do love their rules there! )

For freshwater/estuaries (but not the sea) in England now, you do need to get yourself a national rod-licence from the post-office before you start too. Which is pretty cheap, depending on the type of fishing & how long for. Environment Agengy website is probably the place to find details of that.

 

[Spion]

Personally, two fish, a bit of walking/wildlife watching, plus a beer/coffee & chat with whoever is about is a bloody good day for me.

I would have thought that in your part of the world a stock pond is the last place you'd want to fish, no? Such unnatural surroundings when you have all that coast and countryside to go at

 

[pogofish]

I would have thought that in your part of the world a stock pond is the last place you'd want to fish, no? Such unnatural surroundings when you have all that coast and countryside to go at

True, I usually have several miles of fine river/burn & remote hill lochs to choose from but I also sometimes take an elderly & less able relative out & for them, a fishery with easy access & a decent bothy/bogs is more suitable now. The one we go to most often also has a couple of miles of excellent burn-fishing so I can wander-off happilly there too.

TBH, there is also a bit of an issue about how the "protection order" legislation has been misused to keep ordinary people off many more accessable waters & to force prices sky-high so for a lot of folk, a fishery is an equally viable & often more friendly/social alternative.

Sea-fishing in my immediate vicinity is also a bit crap IMO. Either from particularly dangerous rocks or a very unexciting beach. Both the rivermouths are under orders & you have to go a fair way in either direction to get better sites/boats etc as the harbour is actively discouraging small craft now - too much oil/container traffic.

 

[Spion]

True, I usually have several miles of fine river/burn & remote hill lochs to choose from but I also sometimes take an elderly & less able relative out & for them, a fishery with easy access & a decent bothy/bogs is more suitable now.

Fairy nuff, chief

 

[lights.out.london]

I only go sea fishing - piers, docks and harbour walls.

A train to Pompey, Southend, Brighton or a combi ferry/train ticket to the Isle of Wight sorts me right out. Even if I don't catch anything.

 

[Dubversion]

since i'm a born again novice and not loaded, do i really need different kit for sea fishing compared with lake and river / canal fishing? is it the peripherals the differ or do i need different rods?

 

[saucisson]

I would be well up for any local fishing trip...I also have lots of rods and most end tackle to lend...(bit short or reels though, a lot got nicked)

I used to be mad keen fisherman in my youth...lived 100 yards from one of the best stretches of the trent nr nottingham but havent been properly for years but just reclaimed lots of my gear with the aim of starting again now I am leading a quieter more settled life....I've had a quick bash on the wandle in tooting but not had a proper go for ages and would be really keen to start again....so let me know...do PM me if anything happens. have transport also.

 

[Dubversion]

well let me do some more research and practice not falling in a river and then maybe we could form an Urban Fishing Club or summat

would be cool

 

[saucisson]

anyone else fished the wandle or know where the best stretch of it is?....its very local...I had a quick go last summer to check I could remember how to tie a hook...didnt catch anything but there were a few other fishermen their doing ok...when I've been down to merton abbey mills you can see some quite big fish swimming in the waterwheel bit.

 

[trashpony]

I'm ashamed to say that suddenly this evening, every time I look at this thread title I see 'fisting within easy reach of South London'.

I'm going to hell

 

[Dubversion]

that programme at the weekend, he worked down the Wandle and you could see Merton Bus Garage near where he finally caught a fish

 

[sleaterkinney]

I'm ashamed to say that suddenly this evening, every time I look at this thread title I see 'fisting within easy reach of South London'.

Me too.

 

[JTG]

Isn't fishing that thing you take up when you want to get away from the missus?

 

[Dubversion]

Isn't fishing that thing you take up when you want to get away from the missus?

not at all. in fact, she's up for doing it too. and there's great rivers near her family's house. AND she's always off anyway - she's a feckin' youth worker now as well as an Actionette, a Book grouper, a craft clubber and all round fucking wonderwoman?

Me? i download obscure 70s albums and wish i could understand bit torrent properly

 

[Dubversion]

well, between the appalling alcohol and drug binges, naturally

 

[JTG]

aw

 

[hipipol]

Schuberts the man

"An agile Trout shot glancing,
Accross the crystal stream,
So agile and entracing ,
I watched him in a dream.
So nimble and so charming,
This little fish was at play,
Who could have dreamed of harming,
a thing so bright and gay?
Who could have dreamed of harming,
a thing so bright and gay?"

Who would hunt a happy fish eh?
Dubs I'm shocked, you'll be yelling "View Halo" at break of day with yer hounds at yer heel soon enough I suspect!!!!!!

 

[TopCat]

Off to fish the South Norwood Lake today. Perch for dinner?

 

[_pH_]

Off to fish the South Norwood Lake today. Perch for dinner?

Night fishing? I was there last night watching for meteors.