Untapped waters

[Stewart Bloor]

I've just got back from a week in Pembrokeshire. I know we have to take a lot of what we hear with a 'pinch of salt' but I did get talking to someone who told me of a pool that is hardly ever fished, no-one has the rights etc. He has caught 20lb carp from there and perch up to 4lb. It got me thinking about the waters that must be out there that no-one has really 'discovered' yet. What do you think?

 

[GrahamM]

There can't be many undiscovered waters these days. Best bet for many is a stretch of river. There are so many 'carp holes' now a lot of anglers are just not interested in rivers. And yet they offer so much variety, and mystery on many stretches.

On Some parts of the river Dove I've fished this year I had to cut my way to the river. No kidding, miles of it like a jungle, obviously never fished, and full of fish.

 

[Goose Ganderton]

I was thinking just the same thoughts about rivers the other day. Down in Kent we have had some serious flooding and it made me think just what fish will end up where. The upper reaches of the Medway holds Barbel up to 14 or 15Ib but with the river washing over many lakes and the level going up over 10 feet where will the Barbel end up and just how many large carp are now in the river do you think that the Barbel will move down river or will they all stay in the original areas.

 

[peter webber]

Goose
Just before the floods I was getting some good bags or bream just below the lock at east farleigh. fish upto about 6.5lbs A local had a barbel of about 7lb and someone fishing just before the lock had a 20lb+ carp.

 

[Goose Ganderton]

Very interesting Peter who controls that stretch of the Medway.

 

[Stewart Bloor]

One of the reasons I quoted the Pembrokeshire example is that the county is very lightly populated and most anglers tend to be sea or game. The water in question is a disused quarry. Where I live (West Mids) it is pretty impossible for any water to escape some sort of attention.

 

[peter webber]

Goose.
RE: East farleigh. From the lock down for about 1/2 mile its free fishing.
Up stream from the end of the moorings untill the sign (maid vic) I think it is, is free.
If your intrested let me know for a trip up there.

 

[Chris Bishop]

There are a lot of neglected venues, you just have to get out and find them.

 

[Philip Inzani]

How about finding a venue that was well known but then fell from the lime light...these things have a habit of going in circles.

 

[Chris Bishop]

It all comes down top getting out there and crunching gravel at the end of the day.

 

[paul clarke]

does anyone else believe that the upsurge in "carp pools " has produced a generation of lazy anglers? Graham's comment about virtually unspoilt and unfished stretches of water seems to point to the fact that people do not seem to want to "explore" these kind of waters. Has the mystic of this type of fishing been quashed for good?

 

[Chris Bishop]

Definitely. You can travel miles of the Ouse, Fen drains etc and not see a soul - even at weekends. A few bivvies round the old favourites, that's it. These are "hard" waters compared with instant carp pools.

I read some figures today that said the number of people going fishing has dipped below 1million. There were four million of us buying rod licences 25 years ago - makes you think.

 

[paul williams]

I suppose the carp pools have in away spoilt anglers in as much as they can be resonably sure at catching from them and angling is generally geared towards carp fishing in it's many forms. From my own point of view i love exploring and whilst it can at times be hard going,(believe me "new" waters are no push over) the rewards can be very high and the feeling from catching "new" fish is terrific ask Tony Miles! so no i don't think the mystic has gone, just most of the pioneering anglers.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I only fish for pike and zander, so new waters are what keep me going half the time.

You can go on and on about it but there are less people on the bank these days - and believe me, it's noticeable in a lot of areas - so why not make the most of it.

 

[DAVE COOPER]

Chris is right, it's gravel crunching that's the key. The best fishing I am convinced is on rivers and as far from the convenient car parking areas as you cna get. People are so lazy these days they just don't get fished.