The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

There is a stretch where the Itchen meets the Blackwater just by Broadlands fishery in hampshire. The navy ticket I hold allows me to fish this and I am told that it hold dace to over 1lb. I plan to fish it through the winter, although I've not really targetted dace properly before. I did fish it once before, caught a few smaller dace, but a few were followed and lashed at by marauding pike.

What is the best time of year, if there is one, for dace? Are they an all year round species?

The last two weeks of Feb and the first two of March are best, when the big females start to develop spawn.

Incidentally, doesn't the Blackwater join the Test? It's certainly the latter river at Broadlands.