Advice on fishing the upper Thames please

[Troydog]

Shazza and I spent the weekend in London catching up with the kids. First night was spent at the Mitre Hotel right on the Thames, opposite Hampton Court. It’s a big river here and I looked round in vain for any anglers to watch. I’m reading Three Men in a Boat (again) by JKJ and I feel a desire to fish the Thames once more.

My question for TFFers is, does anyone please know of a pleasant pub / small hotel, perhaps off the beaten track, on the banks of the Thames where I might purchase a day ticket or two. Shazza is happy painting and reading; I enjoy fishing for roach and or perch.

I have looked on the TFF’s Angling Inns, pubs and hotels section; I have also read the Tadpole Bridge thread started y Lucky Luca in 2013.

[DaceAce]

The Rose Revived at Newbridge has rooms and used to have fishing.

[Paul D]

A awful lot of the Thames is free if it helps, a good friend of mine often fishes around Hampton court, Kingston etc

[Olly]

The fishing is free downstream from the Staines' Stone - at Staines upon Thames!

Above there the banks' owners may charge or let the fishing rights. Loads of day ticket places and many decent pubs along the way.

There are booklets about pubs/restaurants/cafes for sailors/mariners/etc. There also used to be a Guide to all Thames fishing clubs.

[Troydog]

Well thank you very much gentlemen. The Rose Revived looks good DaceAce and I am sure that I will be able to find out about fishing nearby. I had no idea how much free fishing there is on the Thames, Paul D. Although I had a good walk at Hampton, not a soul was fishing. Mind you, if its free fishing all the way down from Staines Stone, that's an awful lot of river and I suppose most people belong to clubs Olly.
Plenty for me to go here, thank you all.

[Santiago]

There is a really good free spot opposite the French Horn pub in Sonning right next to a free car park. And there's a few other pubs in the area that offer accommodation, like the Bull Inn which is mentioned in Three Men in a Boat. The venue in question is a known barbel hot spot and they have been caught there to over 15lb. It also offers great chub fishing along with pike and the occasional river carp. And there's plenty of roach and dace etc etc. and big perch.

[Troydog]

Wow Santiago! That is a very kind, very hot tip. TFFers have been extremely helpful since I made the original post and I thank you all. I will report back in due course.....

[Tengisgol]

Isn’t the tidal all designated as free fishing because of the Magna Carta or am I imagining that?

[Olly]

Magna Carta is near the Kennedy Memorial on the south side of the Thames and is managed by the National Trust. (I worked there)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runnymede

The fishing from the stone downstream was always free (and did not even require a rod licence) until the Law was changed in about the 70/80s. So visiting other Water Board or Fishery areas needed the extra expense of a day or season rod licence (eg, for the LAA Avon Britford, etc)

The river above Teddington was managed by the Thames Conservancy and below the weir by the Port of London Authority.

With so much free fishing from Staines to Chiswick and only my bike - then motor bike - I never went far. Except coach trips with a club.

That was until I had a car!!

[Troydog]

Many thanks Olly