River Lea

[John McLaren]

I am staying at my daughter's home in Hertfordshire over the bank holiday weekend and considering fishing the River Lea. I have sussed out that there is a day ticket stretch at Stanborough, Welwyn Garden City. Anyone know the stretch and able to give me some general info?

For starters what is the river like (width, depths banks etc) and apart from the fishing what is the place like for car security etc?

Thanks

 

[Alan Tyler]

Big, guarded car park (free if you get there before they do)- you have to follow the river downstream until the swims begin on the lake on the other side of the path before you're allowed to fish. A 13' rod will probably get tangled in the far-bank vegetation in several swims, so take a 10-11' rod as well, if you have one.
The most popular swims are those at the bottom of the day-ticket stretch.
The roach go to over 2lb - I'm told - and the 6-12oz ones I've caught liked float-fished bread; there are also carp, chub and barbel. Not a few jacks, too. If you can't bag one of the lower swims, don't despair, the fish aren't nailed to the bottom and WILL come and check out almost any baited swim! The really narrow, hopelessly weeded ones halfway along the lakeside are good for carp, I was told, after I was summarily smashed!
HTH!

 

[John McLaren]

Thanks Alan that's helpful

 

[Fred Blake]

There used to be some good bream in the Stanborough stretch, which were partial to legered bread. The barbel are difficult to catch in daylight hours and, as night fishing is strictly prohibited (be warned - a friend had all his tackle confiscated for staying late), you will be lucky to get one.

The carp are more accomodating, although you'll do well to land one from the more overgrown sections. There are also plenty of chub to be found lurking beneath the reeds and trees.

Best tactic for the roach in my experience is trotted caster, although I expect they'll take bread as well - if you can avoid the bream. Maggot works sometimes but the minnows and monster gudgeon can prove a nuisance.

There are far bank reedbeds which extend a couple of hundred yards below the footbridge leading from the angler's car-park which is (was?) on the opposite side of the lake from the main car park. The river deepens gradually as you follow it downstream, before becoming quite overgrown with far bank trees shading the water and lots of cabbages.

Having said all that, I haven't fished there for nearly ten years, so it might have changed somewhat.

 

[Richard Farrow]

Come on Cakey, this one is right on your doorstep.

 

[John McLaren]

Thanks Fred, if it is as you describe I'll love it. Monster gudgeon though - 3lb TC stalking rod do you think?

 

[Alan Tyler]

I'll try and save up for some casters!

 

[Fred Blake]

3lb might be sporting, but it also would be a bit risky, what with all the snags. To be on the safe side use an eight foot uptide boat rod and 60lb braid. You don't want to be one of the sorry band who have lost a giant Lea Gobio by fishing too light.

Some of them weigh nearly two ounces!

 

[Cakey]

The Lea at Stanborough is tiny how can you call it a river..........at least get down to Hertford or Ware

 

[Alan Tyler]

Bits of it are nearly four feet deep!

Don't Hertford and Ware have boats (shudder)?

 

[Alan Tyler]

Who's got the bits between Stanborough and Hertford, by the bye?

 

[Cakey]

lea here

 

[Fred Blake]

A lot of the Lea below Welwyn is in private hands. The Verulam angling club has a stretch near Essendon which has some good barbel fishing, although no monsters.

At Hertford there are boats on the Navigation but not on the old course of the river which flows through Hartham Park; the Beane joins it in the park itelf. The LAA control the fishing here and used to issue day tickets, although I don't know if they still do. Above Hertford the Lea flows from the West, whereas the Navigation carries on North and connects with the Stort.

Don't discount the river uptream of Welwyn however; at one time I fished a stretch above Wheathamptead (about six miles upstream of Welwyn) which was terrific for small barbel - fish up to about five pounds. Some days you could get a dozen fish, as well as lot of chub, some of them quite big. The river here was only about twenty feet across and rarely more than two feet deep.

 

[Cakey]

the Lea at Fishers Green
Barbel to 15:12
Bream to 13:00
Roach to 2:04
Chub to 8:02
Carp to 40:12
Perch to 4 :06
Dace to 0:15
Pike to 32:00
Trout to 5:04

 

[John McLaren]

Thanks for all the responses.

Cakey, I don't mind fishing a small stream but I would be interested in a bigger stretch downstream, Are there any day ticket waters further down? I had the impression that virtually all had become club ticket only waters. My initial interest was in King's Weir but one report I read suggested it was no longer available.

Bottom line is that I will only be fishing for an afternoon and evening with minimal tackle so I don't want to be chasing around.

 

[Cakey]

Feildes weir,Dobbs weir,Broxbourne mills are all on day ticket as is most of the Lea/Lee but Kings weir is members only
Broxbourne is fishing well at the mo Ive had two carp out and theres been perch to 4lb and a 12lb barbel

 

[John McLaren]

Thanks Cakey, just shows my net surfing skills aren't what they should be. I'll try again!

 

[owzatsteve]

ive got the bits between stanborough and hertford but my doc says it will go away in a few days

 

[Cakey]

so youve got some hitchin owzat ??

 

[Ginger]

John, i believe that the Kings Weir stretch is only available on a season ticket but the Weir pool itself is ?10.00 a day.
If you want to check give Barbara a ring on 01992 468394 ( she controls the Kings Weir stretch ).