The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

As far as I know the Stort is still fishing OK, although I haven’t fished it here in the last year. The Bourne might be the Beane which is a chalk stream (as is the upper Stort) which flows through Hertfordshire. It has a good head of trout in its upper reaches

It is I think, the Bourne Brook.

The Beane starts near Buntingford and runs through Hertford where Richard Walker caught some big 2lb roach.

You may be right, although it is the River Rib that flows through Buntingford (I am secretary of Friends of the Rib and Quin; https://friendsoftherib.wordpress.com/). The River Beane flows from near Sandon in N.Hertfordshire through Watton at Stone and down to Hertford where it joins the Lea. All the Hertfordshire chalk streams (of which the Rib and Beane are two) used to have a good head of big roach, but over abstraction by water companies have severely reduced the flow - some are in better condition than others

I am lucky enough to fish the Beane where RW did.

The Beane goes through Stapleford/Waterford.
The Rib through Thundridge/Paynes Hall.

No idea where Payne’s Hall is but the upper Rib starts in Therfield, goes through Buntingford, Braughing, Standon, Latchford, Thundridge and joins the Lea just outside Hertford

https://friendsoftherib.wordpress.com/t ... braughing/

Course of the river Rib.

https://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walk-2970-print

The Beane - always fascinating following the course of a river.