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Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:21 pm
by Rutland Rod
Despite being a member I’ve never fished or even had a look at some of the GAA stretches just off the A1 so decided not to try fishing in these hot conditions but to have a look. Good news in that despite the drought their was a good flow with some clean gravels, the banks were very overgrown with little sign of anyone having pushed their way to the water, and even better in one spot there was a group of about 10 Chub, nothing big but all around the 2/3lb mark, then on another stretch under a bridge in the shade were masses of small Chub / Roach with a few Perch up to about 10’’
So come the late autumn will have a go.
Tight lines Dave
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:34 am
by Swythyn Troutbeck
The Upper Witham is ab absolute gem of a water. We used to refer to it as "Lincolnshire's best-kept secret" when I fished it last, about 20 years ago, and I have no reason to think it has changed. There is no industry along it south of Grantham, it is fed by chalk springs and always was under-fished. You are right about the Chub in there and there are Trout and occasional Grayling, too. Freelining is the best technique, at least that's what I found.
Do check the rules, though, before fishing. A good part of the river upstream and downstream of Grantham was fly-only and you needed to be a member of GAFFS, the Grantham Angling Association Fly Fishing Section, who won an award from the Wild Trout Trust for the wonderful conservation work they did on the Barkston stretch.
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Troutbeck 
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:27 pm
by Rutland Rod
Swythyn Troutbeck wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:34 am
The Upper Witham is ab absolute gem of a water. We used to refer to it as "Lincolnshire's best-kept secret" when I fished it last, about 20 years ago, and I have no reason to think it has changed. There is no industry along it south of Grantham, it is fed by chalk springs and always was under-fished. You are right about the Chub in there and there are Trout and occasional Grayling, too. Freelining is the best technique, at least that's what I found.
Do check the rules, though, before fishing. A good part of the river upstream and downstream of Grantham was fly-only and you needed to be a member of GAFFS, the Grantham Angling Association Fly Fishing Section, who won an award from the Wild Trout Trust for the wonderful conservation work they did on the Barkston stretch.
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Troutbeck
I'm a member of the fly fishing section as well but have not fished the fly on the Witham but we also have a stretch of the Chater and the Welland into which the Chater enters from which I've had a few small wild brownies from, it's a really well run club and as you say does lots of habitat improvement, there's been a few pollution incidents since your time one which was caused by a farmer letting chemicals fall off I think a trailer, killed most fish from above Colsterworth almost downstream to Grantham, he was fined 15k and the river is slowly recovering.
Tight lines Dave
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:44 pm
by Hovis
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:17 pm
by Rutland Rod
Thanks Hovis,
A mixed bag.....my stretches are in the 'good' but some others paint a sad picture
Dave
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm
by Richard Jackson
If you are on about the stretch I think you are it is my favourite stretch of the Witham , very underfished , I spend many an hour down there
Re: Upper Witham - Grantham AA
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:24 pm
by Rutland Rod
Richard Jackson wrote: ↑Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm
If you are on about the stretch I think you are it is my favourite stretch of the Witham , very underfished , I spend many an hour down there
It's the stretch's near Marston and Westborough, the odd sign of someone pushing a small hole in the reeds but as you say lightly fished, Def one for the autumn onwards.