dorset stour

[Stour Otter]

After spending the whole day fishing under a brolly on Sunday and blanking, I really needed to be mobile for a day on Throop Fisheries, so taking a chance on the weather and parking our cars at School Bridge, Holdenhurst, Robin and I spent a very pleasant couple of hours wandering downstream free lining flake or meat between the streamer weed through the gravel shallows. Even after the heavy rain the day before, water levels had stayed constant and although a little coloured as you would expect, everything looked promising.
Introducing a few small golf ball's of mashed bread the rods where set to work. Robin rolling meat and myself with a small fly fishing type of orange indicator held in place with just a BB on each side and an No. 4 shot five inches above the hook, holding a piece of flake. The chub where quick to respond.
Robin finished his time with a beautiful barbel and with both of use having some good chub amongst the dace and the odd brown trout.
What better way to rid the memory of sitting under a dripping brolly for eight hours on a dark damp, dank Sunday.

Robins Barbel Throop sept 2017.jpg

Throop Sept 4-17 chub.jpg

Robins and JR chub throop Sept.jpg

Still after them!
Stour Otter

[Paul F]

Excellent fishing John

[Lea Dweller]

Well done John, Throop is on my "must re-visit" list!

[Stour Otter]

You just can't rely on the weather forecast these days, with a settled day ahead, I was off to the Stour with my bait tin full of hemp and tares. Armed with my newly restored 3-piece split cane J. W. Innes (Queens Street, Oxford) fly rod, but now with stand off rings instead of snake and an old faithful Speedia centrepin.
The weather was as bad as the forecast was promising and travelling light I had decided to leave the wet preventer at home!

Autumn Throop Stour.jpg

The rod performed all that was asked of it, fast on the strike and with a smooth through action right down to the butt. The best moment of the day was the stunning rainbow that appeared on the opposite bank and captured by my fishing companion Robin. With Autumn just around the corner and from now on to the end of the season everything is looking good.

Stour Tare Chub1 19-9-17.jpg

Roach on tares.jpg

Stour Otter

[Bobby Marlene]

Very nice, excellent fishing. And a very interesting rod. Bobby

[Paul F]

Excellent John, it is still early days of Autumn, hopefully the best is yet to come for you

[Keston]

Lovely river and great angling and it must be so satisfying the converted rod performed so well.

[Olly]

Lovely deep bodied roach! Great angling.

[Stour Otter]

Lovely river and great angling and it must be so satisfying the converted rod performed so well.

Its a lovely rod Keston, oddly the same length as my Kennett Perfection, only with a very short handle, I was hoping to fit a butt extension when required, but it has a fixed wood button at the end and I don't really want to mess about with it. I always think "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" is always the best option.
I purchased the rod for next to nothing and although the snake eyes were badly whipping, I could the rest of the rod had some quality.
It's very first outing was on Throop freelining bread with a nymph bite indicator held in place by two No.4 shot, great fun and highly recommended for sport amongst the chub and dace.

[Keston]

Lovely river and great angling and it must be so satisfying the converted rod performed so well.

Its a lovely rod Keston, oddly the same length as my Kennett Perfection, only with a very short handle, I was hoping to fit a butt extension when required, but it has a fixed wood button at the end and I don't really want to mess about with it. I always think "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" is always the best option.
I purchased the rod for next to nothing and although the snake eyes were badly whipping, I could the rest of the rod had some quality.
It's very first outing was on Throop freelining bread with a nymph bite indicator held in place by two No.4 shot, great fun and highly recommended for sport amongst the chub and dace.

I can fully understand your not wanting to mess enough with the wooden button etc especially as you say there is a quality about the rod .
Throop is such a magical place , when you say nymph bite indicator is that the small poly ball like item the fly fishers use ? I havnt used one myself but have seen them being used . Good idea as a chub indicatorvin the manner you describe though ... nice thinking .