Lower Itchen Fishery

Lower Itchen Fishery.

We had arranged a trip, through a forum, to the Lower Itchen Fishery in search of grayling. I am a great fan of grayling fishing and do get plenty of opportunities to target them as I live near the Hampshire Avon, some of the best Grayling waters around. The grayling, or "Lady of the Stream" is a beautiful fish, keen to feed on cold days and a marvellous fighter, so much so that the return of a grayling to the water takes time as they often come to the net exhausted.

We all met up at the fishery for 8am, for sausage butties and a coffee ( Thanks Nigel ), getting onto the river for 8-30. the water was coloured and moving fast, but the rise in temperature meant that the fish should be back on the feed.

There was the usual rush to the top swims, but I was content to settle in mid river and take a gentle walk during the day back to the mill house, stopping and fishing at swims on the way.

I picked a spot to start the day that had a nice bit of flow as it straightened from a bend and proceeded to pump a few maggots into the water to get some interest as I set up the rod. A change for me here as I was using a centre pin with 4lb mainline a light avon float will 6 no6 shot clustered together 4 inches from a size 18 barbless hook on 1lb 14oz line. A bit more "gentlemanly" than my normal grayling tactics.

I got into the rhythm of casting the centrepin and within about half an hour had stopped fluffing the Wallis cast most times. It was about this time I got a satisfying dip to the float and I had first fish of the day on, now a soft rod and a centre pin make playing a fish in a fast stream a bit of fun, so I gingerly played it into the net and had this fine looking trout for my troubles.




this was soon followed by a second one of similar size

I tried trotting the float nearer to the bank, and then noticed the float dip and as I struck it felt only minimal resistance. I quickley reeled in possibly the smallest grayling I have eve caught



With this I moved swims and tried some slack water near some trees on a feeder, the arms were tiring from all that Wallis casting. Here I got no joy, and after a coffee a chat, and catching a tree I decided on another move.

This time I picked what looked like a featureless swim. I wondered if maybe, the fish might have got used to being targeted in the interesting looking places and would be in a bit more open water. So I set up and proceeded to trot the float down a very open, straight and boring looking bit of river.

A jogger went past and he pointed to the water, and when he got closer he said " a big fish just jumped there, this was right at the end of my trot, so, never one to refuse an invitation of jumping fish I moved to about 50 yards from the spot and started to trot down to it.

Soon the float dipped and I was into tiny grayling again, had a couple of small ones then got something a bit more substantial, but it flipped and bounced until it threw the hook just as I got the net near it. Undeterred I had a coffee and let the swim rest, I then started trotting again and second cast the float dipped, I felt a kick as I struck and then the line went solid, "damn, been weeded" was the thought, so I walked gently to the line, tightening all the way to try and get an angle to clear the weed, as I got to about 10 foot from the spot when the snag was, the snag moved and started to kick and pull.

What had I got, I was on light gear and this was now going upstream against a strong flow with just an eighteen hook and some 1 lb 14 oz line, with shot on it between me and it. I also, in my stupidity, had walked 40 feet or more from my net thinking it was just a snag. I coaxed and cajoled this fish back to my swim where I could get my net, it took time and patience, and I still had not even got its head up. Net in hand I started the process of lifting the fish to the surface and taking the lunges as it dived back down. It was a chub. after a few minutes of this it seemed to give up and I got the net under it. Quickly I netted and unhooked it, quick photo and back, did not want to weigh it as it was well tired.



Looked about 3 to 4 lbs.

after that level of disturbance the swim went quiet so I moved on, stopped and chatted to a few more anglers and found myself a swim not far from the mill house as the afternoon was moving on now, tried a bit more float work , but it was hard work and I was getting tired, so lazyman fishing took over and I changed to a light feeder and bounced that along the bottom to see what I could find. This last swim was good to me and produced some reasonable Grayling, all under a pound but 6 around that figure







For the last hour I went up to the mill ponds and did a quick try in there, landing one last grayling and having a chat with everyone as they returned.

Some had struggled to get one fish, others had caught grayling to 2 lbs, some nice chub had been caught and roach to 2 1/2 lbs caught as well, so a good day out and some fine fish landed in good company.

Right at the end of the day a little roach fishing bonanza took place with Claudia and Andy fishing from what looked like flower beds for roach, both caught and had some fun.

Some home to a curry and a beer and an early night as I was well worn out, a hard week and then a good day in the fresh air and this old man needed his bed.

What a wonderful day and some great fish