Eddie on the upper Weaver in winter
In 2007 I moved house, from Merseyside to Cheshire. Purely by chance, my new home happened to be 1 mile from the Upper River Weaver in Nantwich.
Our move to the town took place in late April. This meant that due to the closed season, and my visits to one or two local meres, which coincidentally were also now within easy reach, my initial visits to the river were in a non fishing capacity.
What really surprised me initially was the variety of character that the river has. Every 20 metres there is a classic looking swim, an overhanging tree, a crease, bush, bend or slack. There are is a point where the river splits in two, flowing one way into a weir pool, and the other into a sedate backwater resembling a canal. After the weir pool the river meanders for a few hundred metres to a large bend. The canalised section feeds through a sluice into a large pool, and then both parts of the river rejoin.
There are various footbridges, railway and road bridges, and another backwater in the form of a large pool which resembles a small lake, but which is I believe the path of the old river. This provides an excellent option during floodwater conditions. There are undercut banks, deep holes, shallows, and inlets where small streams and drainage channels enter. Short of a waterfall (although both sluices come close) there is virtually every conceivable feature, and all within a couple of miles of very accessible bank.
Species I have caught by design include dace, chub, roach, perch and gudgeon, those I have caught by accident include pike, brown trout, rudd, ruffe, bream, and carp. There are also tench, rainbow trout, crucian carp and grayling present.
I have caught many plump roach, carp to double figures (by accident) and I have had good perch to 2lb+ by design. However, I have found the chub fishing to be most consistent. I have had fish of all sizes throughout the stretch up to 4lb 6oz and have had many multiple catches, even in the very coldest of conditions using a basic link leger set up. My sessions mainly tend to be very short roving sessions of between one and three hours, usually during late afternoon in the autumn and winter months.
Now the cost, and here is the thing, I went to the local tackle shop to enquire about a club card, and I was told £9.00 (yes nine pounds). At first I thought they meant that was the cost for a day ticket, but that price is for an adult yearly ticket. Now when one considers that the club also have access to several beats of the River Dee via the Dee Anglers Association, I reckon that makes it one of, if not the best value for money river fishing club anywhere in the country.
Visit www.nantwichangling.co.uk for more details.
