The river Idle

[Fred Bonney]

Not any really old memories as i'm new to the Idle, but 3 years ago had some pound plus fish stret pegging worm down the inside line at Haxey in "flood".
The river does have a habit of not fishing when they close the gates down stream and the river stops!

New stretch available to me this coming season, so I'll give it another go.

I'm sure Ron C. has a few tales to tell.

[Flightliner]

Lovely lovely little river, My club as the rights to a short strech of it and some years ago it was turning some big roach up to me on trotted flake.
Sadly they have been decimated by comorants but I suspect that there are still one or two pockets of fish like Fred as shown.
I walked a stretch the other day and was surprised at how many pike there were in relatively short distances between each sighting. Not many prey fish were seen but the odd Barbel "flashing" and chub were plentiful.
Over the years I have come to regret not fishing the Idle more when I was younger but largely ignored it for the Trent, Witham and fen drains.
I did fish it tho towards the mid sixties below Bawtry and at Misson where I had some good times on float gear.
One thing that seems to have changed over the last ten years or so is the profusion of streamer weed that is choking the upper reaches, once you could trot the stream but now its nigh on impossible.
Must be all the fertilisers and nitrates, its the same on the Witham in the warmer monthes but on the idle its all year round.

[SeanM]

Like Fred I was introduced to the Idle by some of the old crew on FM. I used to organise the Christmas match/fish-in at Haxey and we had some great times. The roach fishing at Haxey can still be good, but the fish aren't that big. I'd make the trip more often, but the risk of finding it stationary or a raging torrent as they pump it off tends to put me off. I've got vague plans to fish it for barbel next season.

[Flightliner]

Like Fred I was introduced to the Idle by some of the old crew on FM. I used to organise the Christmas match/fish-in at Haxey and we had some great times. The roach fishing at Haxey can still be good, but the fish aren't that big. I'd make the trip more often, but the risk of finding it stationary or a raging torrent as they pump it off tends to put me off. I've got vague plans to fish it for barbel next season.

You could do a lot worse, tho fishing it is often limited on account of the many private reaches. I was there again yesterday in the early afternoon walking my club stretch.The Barbel were still in evidence, the best sighting I had was of four barbel in the five lbs bracket swimming with a fish some three or four lbs bigger , a lovely sight in the sunlight as they kept showing themselves before going back under the streamer weed.
It may not be as productive as the river Trent for barbel but its very contemplative in the best of barbel traditions.

[Barbus]

I Managed a 10.14lb Barbel in the opening week of this season from a swim I had had to myself in previous seasons. Sadly I was seen, now the swim has had a set of steps cut into the bank and thanks to the environment agency efforts over the last few weeks the trees that gave shelter have been ripped out by their roots.

[Penninelad]

I have been fishing the Idle in the Retford at least once a week from the start of the season to the end of November and have had some decent fish.Plenty of Barbel the best two 9 & 10lbs and three chub over 5 lbs as well as plenty between 21/2 and 4lbs.The fishing is not easy and I have had plenty of bank days.I only managed once decent roach but I will carry on targeting the roach and the chub.I tend to move about and rarely see anybody elee fishing.Many thanks to Hovis for giving me some guidance as to how to fish the river.If anybody would like to join us for a day send me a PM.

[Loop Erimder]

Had 3 PB's form the Retford Idle, Barbel, chub, roach

[Danny Boy]

Had 3 PB's form the Retford Idle, Barbel, chub, roach

that's it ,go on rub it in ,some of us are still trying not to remember

[Loop Erimder]

Had 3 PB's form the Retford Idle, Barbel, chub, roach

that's it ,go on rub it in ,some of us are still trying not to remember

.....and if I recall it was a roach over 2lbs and a bigger barbel than you

[Danny Boy]

Had 3 PB's form the Retford Idle, Barbel, chub, roach

that's it ,go on rub it in ,some of us are still trying not to remember

.....and if I recall it was a roach over 2lbs and a bigger barbel than you

keep stirring the pot mr loop keep stirring