The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Caught one of 4lb at Marlow many moons ago.

ATB Macko

Another book specifically about Thames trout is 'Monarch of the Thames' by Warren Hastings.

It seems they are quite rare, I had a copy but sold it a while back - sadly for nowhere near what they seem to be going for now

Here's a description lifted from the internet...

Privately Printed, Rochester UK, 1955. Illustrated Cloth. Privately printed book 30 pages plus 4 pages of adverts. The book gives some thoughts on fishing the Thames by the author.

I remember that it was a book which was obviously written with the benefit of real first-hand experience, even giving advice on how to access fishing via public transport!

Quite a bit of money for just 30 pages!

Ive had two smallish brownies out of the River Colne (tributary of the Thames) on bread at West Drayton about 15 years ago ! Both between 8oz to 1lb.

Yesterday, whilst fishing from my punt with Luckyluca in one of the weirs, we were lucky enough to witness a thames trout of about 1lb to 11/2lb chasing a hooked bleak as I reeled it in. The trout was seen about five yards away in crystal clear water. When I first saw the fish I thought 'small Jack Pike' but quickly realised it was a lean trout and this was confirmed when Steve said " was that a trout?" Reflecting on this sighting, it didn't look like an escaped stockie from a tributary, for I didn't really see any spots and it appeared grayish silver, but from five yards I couldn't be absolutely certain. However, it's not the first silvery trout that I have seen in that stretch so I wouldn't be surprised if they're breeding successfuly and are hopefully on their way back to significant numbers, although I suspect this will still take many years.

I caught a brownie - my first - from the Mole in Hersham - stocked farther up I know - but by design not luck.

I had watched a fish - no idea at 13 years of age what kind it was - chasing minnows and other small fish in this weirpool. Went back after reading Marshall-Hardy's chapter in Angling Ways on 'Thames Trouting' - after being told it was probably a trout!

I used a minnow behind a float but held the float back so the minnow was skipping on the surface of the faster water just below the weir sill. 2 small size 16 trebles and a larger single held the bait and aided hooking.

I suspect a similar method with a bleak could turn up one from a Thames Weir.

Sea trout have been caught on the Tidal in the past and salmon at Molesey Weir - one by a TFFer!

Think I may have mentioned previously that I've caught a Thames trout by shepperton weir.

"Monarch of the Thames" :-

6 x first edition and 1 x 2009 Egret Press books available.

In Trout of the Thames, Hobbs recommends using a spun bleak as bait. Oddly enough, we were fishing in the same area as Hobbs described in his book which is where many of the original restocked Loch Levern trout were released.

Well Hobbs said he saw double figure ones - you are in with a chance then!

Remember that there are - were - Danubian Huchen in the Thames - once upon a time! Well - 1914?

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=USX ... es&f=false