Two old mates on The River Stort.

[Mr B]

Good afternoon Gents, (excuse spellings a tad dyslexic)
I wonder if any of you Anglers have fished the stretch bellow on The River Stourt?
I have never fished it before but thought it looked a nice venue to fish, as in easy Parking ( a nice pub close by too) and only about an hour and a bit from my old mates pick up point.
Jeff lives in Rotherhithe now and I have known him since I was five.
He is not an Angler (yet) so I invited him for a days fishing.
Last time he had a dabble was around 46 years ago with me at Broxbourn .
Anyway, i'm giving him some old tackle because I know he will treasure it. (I told him I have a few bits for him)
I have got him a nice tin tackle box with every thing in it he will need, 6 old floats, rubbers, hooks, shots, a plumet etc ect. An Octofloat Du Lux rod, a Intrepid Elite reel and a bakelight Allcocks 3 1/2 inch Arealight centrepin
Also two home whittled rod rests, that should get him going.
I'm looking forward in showing him how yo use them.
so.,,,, Back to the river...
I'm a LAA member who run it, but my old mate isn't but you can get a day ticket on this stretch of the river.
Our day is not really about catching specimen size fish but just a catch up, a small fish or two, a day of work, tea cakes and a pint after and who knows another TFF member?
I do have a plan looking at the river but..
Never fished this river so any tips will be good.

Thank you

Mr B

[Duckett]

Looks like the Spellbrook stretch to me (I’ve never actually managed to find the LAA Pole Hole stretch). I’ve only ever had small to medium sized Roach from it. My best catch was on the bank opposite the stream that runs into it just up from the bridge/lock. There are stories of Carp but I’ve never seen one or heard a reliable account. The backwater next to the marina actually looks more interesting but it’s so overgrown that I’ve never managed to get to its banks! I’ve never met another angler there. The pub does very nice food!

The stretch on the opposite side of the bridge/lock is controlled by Bishops Stortford & District AS. I’ve recently joined but haven’t tried this stretch, though reports suggest it has more and more varied fish (the lock seems to open very rarely). I believe day tickets are available.

Have a good day there. I’d love to read your report.

Phil

[ReelMaker]

What a lovely river ,looks a lovely stretch more like a canal does it get anglers .Terry

[Aitch]

It is a Navigation... its not far from me but a lot of it is under LAA or club control... as Phil says Bishops Stortford has a section of the backwater by the Malcolm Barker lake, Roach and Tench are supposed to be in residence but it has been heavily fished as a river over the years

[Grumpy]

I have only fished the Stort a few times for Perch in the Harlow Mill area.Had some nice ones to just over two pounds.I would suggest a roving approach would pay dividends.Have fun.

[Duckett]

It is a Navigation... its not far from me but a lot of it is under LAA or club control... as Phil says Bishops Stortford has a section of the backwater by the Malcolm Barker lake, Roach and Tench are supposed to be in residence but it has been heavily fished as a river over the years

If I’m reading the BSDAS handbook correctly Aitch, their stretch runs all the way from Spelbrook, via the backwater at Malcolm Barker to a point north of Bishops Stortford railway station. The backwater on the LAA stretch leads to another marina, smaller than the one at Malcolm Barker.

The stretch Grumpy refers to from Harlow Mill towards Harlow Town centre is also BSDAS.

What I would like to find is the LAA Pole Hole stretch, which is between Spelbrook and Harlow Mill. However, LAA directions appear to be notorious for being bad! A local in Bures told me that their directions to the entrance to their stretch of the Stour in Bures includes a pub that closed over 20 years ago!

Phil

[Grumpy]

Upstream of the road bridge at Harlow Mill is a very old,barely readable sign that may say LAA.When I fished the stretch I never saw another angler.Hope this helps Duckett.
Grumpy.

[Aitch]

A couple of years ago I walked the bank from The Harlow Mill pub to the Moorhen Marina and back... I was drop shotting/jigging for Perch/Pike... not a touch did I have... the chap in Harlow Angling vouchsafed to me afterwards that the local foreign contingent had taken nearly every predator for the pot... I can't comment on this, but there certainly were no bites... to the left of the High Wych roundabout and along the A414 towards Ware and St Margarets looks open and barren, I never ever saw anyone fish that stretch in the 17 years I drove along it to work

[Duckett]

Thanks Grumpy and Aitch!

Phil

[Grumpy]

A couple of years ago I walked the bank from The Harlow Mill pub to the Moorhen Marina and back... I was drop shotting/jigging for Perch/Pike... not a touch did I have... the chap in Harlow Angling vouchsafed to me afterwards that the local foreign contingent had taken nearly every predator for the pot... I can't comment on this, but there certainly were no bites... to the left of the High Wych roundabout and along the A414 towards Ware and St Margarets looks open and barren, I never ever saw anyone fish that stretch in the 17 years I drove along it to work

I want to swear a lot but won't.The EE's have stripped the Chelmer bare in places.In some areas the Perch and Pike fishing has declined rapidly the last couple of years.A Carp angler I spoke to reckons they are taking the Carp too.