River Windrush -Any hope?

[quickcedo]

Mate I don't think you're far off the mark. But in the short term, we'll have a go down towards Walton this year and see how we fare.

 

[alan whittington]

Mate,Walton's a nightmare for me,M25 etc,it would probably be easier to go to the Trent,i honestly feel my river days are nearing their close(apart from the odd exception),because of these problems,i cant stand sitting on a beautiful riverbank,with nothing to fish for,its soul destroying,i know we chide each other,but years ago you could have fished most any bait,or tackle and caught more than you do now,sad but true.

 

[patrickf]

It's all a bit grim, but where are the EA, we all happily pay our licence fees, I wonder how this money is being used to begin to sort these problems, or is much of it going to executives, fancy offices & company cars? We should be seeing court cases 'EA vs. the water authorities etc.' There must be a predator out there that will munch crayfish on mass, or maybe a biologial option to kill them. The Windrush has become little more than a murky drainage ditch, and I despair as I walk the banks. Even the water fowl are dissappearing, I see very few moorhen now where they used to be plentiful.

 

[alan whittington]

The thing is Patrickf,the crayfish,evil as they are,are only a small part of the problem,many other rivers in southern England havnt got crays and are just as poor(or almost),the Windrush,being a chalk stream is being attacked by water abstraction,lack of rain(general)and water quality,i fished a stretch on the Ouse below Bedford last year,two years ago there were matches every week,now there's hardly any,the biggest give away,is when you fish your all alone,if it was fishing you wouldnt get near it.The EA are struggling between the angler and governmental controls,they are not an angling based organisation,so overall,some people think their doing a grand job,with fairly limited funds,as we know,its not very visible at our level.

 

[quickcedo]

As the clubs pull off the rivers, so the demise goes largely unchecked. One of the biggest factors in this problem which, todate hasn't been mentioned is commercial fisheries. As the majority of anglers slowly move over to these fisheries so less and less fish the rivers. The result is not enough backbone to the cries for help. If you read the forums it sounds like everyone is on the rivers but this is just not so. Most rivers I fish I'm alone. Indeed Alan and myself fished a stretch of the Teme last year which 5 years earlier we would have struggled to get a swim, we were alone!

 

[alan whittington]

As the clubs pull off the rivers, so the demise goes largely unchecked. One of the biggest factors in this problem which, todate hasn't been mentioned is commercial fisheries. As the majority of anglers slowly move over to these fisheries so less and less fish the rivers. The result is not enough backbone to the cries for help. If you read the forums it sounds like everyone is on the rivers but this is just not so. Most rivers I fish I'm alone. Indeed Alan and myself fished a stretch of the Teme last year which 5 years earlier we would have struggled to get a swim, we were alone!

Agreed Mark,only certain high profile waters have anglers on them,i think in the next few years clubs will pull out of waters on the Ouse,as fishing becomes more difficult,it doesnt stop the greedy landowners trying to up the rent each year,despite the fact the majority of them do nothing to help clubs(you dont hear of many landowners stocking fish in there stretches of river,or improving access).

 

[quickcedo]

I approached one farmer where the club had pulled off to see if I might pay him for day tickets. He wasn't interested, saying that unless a club took up the fishing it would be closed to all. His reason was infact quite fare, he said that a club took responsibility for any litter or damage done by their members whereas day ticket fishermen took none. So if that is anything to go on most if not all the upper Thames will be out of bounds within the next few years. Unless you have a boat

 

[alan whittington]

The farmer was indeed a lazy ba**ard type of landowner i mention,he's got used to taking money in for doing nought,yet the same farmer has to work like a slave to get crops or livestock to market,you know Mark a decent fishery earns a lot more than a field,thats why so many run fisheries.

 

[Fishingdownthewindy]

Hope or not, I will pop down for a few hours on the 16th for a bit of fun

 

[rayrmk]

Hi All,

I’m new here and wondered if anyone could let me know a contact for the Burford angling Club. The only contact I can find is Mr Swallow but his contact number is unobtainable. With the start of the new season almost here I would like a season ticket. PLEASE can anyone help? If cant find a contact there will be No Hope!!

 

[Fishingdownthewindy]

Hi All,

I’m new here and wondered if anyone could let me know a contact for the Burford angling Club. The only contact I can find is Mr Swallow but his contact number is unobtainable. With the start of the new season almost here I would like a season ticket. PLEASE can anyone help? If cant find a contact there will be No Hope!!

Stephen Mattingley
01993 831756


Day Tickets:

Burford Needle Craft or

Highway Hotel, High Street, Burford

 

[windrush1982]

I had this last week off work, and fished the windrush every day! Yes it was a great week off, even though i didnt catch much...

I tried to put in the homework and walked a good mile of the river with polarised glasses last weekend, hoping to find pockets of fish, but one thing i noticed was that the water now is constantly murky, and has been for some months, and spotting fish is a big problem. I was staggered at how barren the river seemed, not a fish in sight!

One thing I have also tried is walking the banks at night with a powerful torch, and seeing what fish can be seen. I have seen more fish this way, and also gives a good indication as to where fish may be in the daytime. But even with this technique, most swims are barren. And all i have seen really is the odd chub.

The first day i fished a few of my old favourite barbel swims (having pre baited them for a few days beforehand) and, alas, not a single bite. I was also plagued by the signals.

After about 4 biteless hours on the barbel i changed to bread in the hope of picking up a chub or roach, and was pleased with a 1.5 pound roach caught in a very unlikely looking roach swim.

After this i changed to freelining crust and caught a 2 pound chub as well as another roach at about 3/4 pound.

The other days i spent mainly lure fishing with spinners and small plugs. I faired better and caught a 3 pound chub, 3 pound pike and a 2 pound pike, as well a decent trout.

All in all an enjoyable week, but more for the fact of just being beside the water rather than the fishing quality. Its hard to believe that this river used to produce specimen barbel, chub, roach and dace on a regular basis, it truly is a shadow of its former self.

I dont think i will venture out barbel fishing on my stretch of the windrush in future, until i see concrete evidence of the barbel making a return or a restocking program being introduced.

I am sad, and angered by the fact that the river is in the state it is, and begrudge paying for a rod license, seeing that i dont really fish anywhere else.

Just my tuppence

 

[andygrey]

I had this last week off work, and fished the windrush every day! Yes it was a great week off, even though i didnt catch much...

I tried to put in the homework and walked a good mile of the river with polarised glasses last weekend, hoping to find pockets of fish, but one thing i noticed was that the water now is constantly murky, and has been for some months, and spotting fish is a big problem. I was staggered at how barren the river seemed, not a fish in sight!

One thing I have also tried is walking the banks at night with a powerful torch, and seeing what fish can be seen. I have seen more fish this way, and also gives a good indication as to where fish may be in the daytime. But even with this technique, most swims are barren. And all i have seen really is the odd chub.

The first day i fished a few of my old favourite barbel swims (having pre baited them for a few days beforehand) and, alas, not a single bite. I was also plagued by the signals.

After about 4 biteless hours on the barbel i changed to bread in the hope of picking up a chub or roach, and was pleased with a 1.5 pound roach caught in a very unlikely looking roach swim.

After this i changed to freelining crust and caught a 2 pound chub as well as another roach at about 3/4 pound.

The other days i spent mainly lure fishing with spinners and small plugs. I faired better and caught a 3 pound chub, 3 pound pike and a 2 pound pike, as well a decent trout.

All in all an enjoyable week, but more for the fact of just being beside the water rather than the fishing quality. Its hard to believe that this river used to produce specimen barbel, chub, roach and dace on a regular basis, it truly is a shadow of its former self.

I dont think i will venture out barbel fishing on my stretch of the windrush in future, until i see concrete evidence of the barbel making a return or a restocking program being introduced.

I am sad, and angered by the fact that the river is in the state it is, and begrudge paying for a rod license, seeing that i dont really fish anywhere else.

Just my tuppence

Which part of the Windrush did you fish? Some bits are better than others...
There are still barbel in the Windrush but it takes quite a considerable amount of time and effort to locate them. Some big chub though and a good head of dace in some areas.

Cheers

Andy

 

[windrush1982]

It was the stretch that runs through witney near the cogges area.

 

[Fishingdownthewindy]

Anyone had any luck so far this year? ......plenty of chub and if you are into roving it's fishing well with bread and meat and very stinky blue cheese paste..........sorry the other half for the paste.

 

[paul80]

Hi

I noticed this the only time I ever had the chance to fish the windrush, I suppose it was about 10 years ago and I could only fish a couple of small stretches on a day ticket, but I did notice a big lack of water and a big lack od fish as well. Although in all the areas I couldn't fish there looked to be a good head of what looked like Grayling, but still very little water.

Paul

 

[windrush1982]

There have been some massive chub coming out of the windrush lately. Well over 6lb.

My old mans next door neighbour also had a 7lb trout out which is monstrous! I didnt believe him until i saw the picture, was like a bloody salmon!!!

As far as i know the barbel are still AWOL.

 

[cg74]

Windrush 1982, as pleased as I am to hear of good fish coming out of the Windrush, personally I'd stay well and truly hush hush regards all catch details - location, size etc

As it's your fishing that'll be affected if others come to share the fruits of your hard earned labours.

What is the colour/clarity like at present?

 

[pezzer]

Hello Andy this yer i have caught 6 trout 1 barbel and 2 chub and to many dace to count all fish weighing different sizes but i got a 4 and half pound trout in the windrush in witney so it depends on what spot you go to and how fast the rive is going as we just had the floods i would leave it a while and see what happens in the new year but any way don't give up and tight lines mate

 

[maceo]

Yep there's certainly no lack of water or current in there at the moment!

All the fields around Crawley are flooded and the river is hammering through with levels right up to the edge of the bank.