The Changing Face of River Fishing in England

In this episode Graeme has come up with some old film clips to show observations he has made on how the rivers have changed over the years. He was a regular river fisherman way back in the late 1960's when there used to be lots of mixed species to catch on a wide variety of techniques. He also found some old Black & White shots to serve as an illustration as to how things have changed but will they ever get back to the rivers of yesteryear? There are some clips of the River Thames in full flood conditions and he drives to a spot that he used to fish 40/50 years ago. It might not be a full on fishing film, but its still looking at water and that must be halfway there...
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[@superbalaur1297]

Mr. Graeme Pullen his hair out! Totally awesome insight into the history of river fishing. You should do more episodes on this topic!

[@paulhiggins6024]

Graham, you are right regards the flow and ecology of the rivers. Major decline happened in the earlier 90s, when after the Maastricht agreement was signed, EU rules prevented the local authorities from dredging and clearing of the rivers and channels due to EU laws that required the extracted waste material to be disposed off site in accordance with strict environmental controls. These restrictions were time consuming and too cost prohibitive when the authorities have pensions and desk bound jobs to maintain. The slower flow caused by the obstructions assists floods, the floods deposit silt, the weeds and lilies establish and it becomes a self full-filling prophecy. Water board extraction doesn't help either as the summer levels encourage marginal growth to establish year on year. The EA and Angling Trust are today only interested in catching 'poachers' on local commercial carp puddles. The threat of Cormorants on the fish stocks in rivers are ignored as are reports of illegal catch and take fishing by Eastern Europeans, due to it all being to difficult. The EA are however keen to remind you regularly of the requirement for a licence. A bit of a joke sadly.

[@fivecylinderperfection5060]

Pretty much summed it up there! Add in the horrendous flood levels which then sweep many of the young fish away and deposit silt and residue from the pesticides used by farmers and it's little wonder its all in decline. A contributing factor in my opinion has definitely been the taking of mature fish by our European friends, this has been happening for over a decade or more and I have personally seen huge pike being killed, carp, barbel and even chub. I challenged a group of young guys a few years back who were taking fish (Chub) in plastic bags and one of them pulled a large knife and told me to mind my own busines.

[@jaquesdaniels2964]

BOLLOCKS

[@garyhurst386]

@@jaquesdaniels2964 its the truth , i have seen them killing and cooking small roach on a bbq

[@crabtree8822]

i agree totally i live in suffolk,my local river gipping has been slowly choking up for more than 40 years neglect from water board and misuse of abstraction is a big problem

[@MrWoods100]

I’m from Suffolk too , the areas I fish have some nice pike and perch however there are certain stretches I fish that look like they are out of a tv fishing show but they are completely empty. One of the stretches I’ve tried many times is secret and nobody goes down there but there is no fish at all I’ve tried everything there lures, deadbaits, trotting, feeder fishing and the only activity I got was some crayfish fighting over my deadbaits.

[@robbiecook8770]

The camera never lies. Fished these places myself in the 60’s.

[@beardwierd2783]

That’s the problem with carp puddles nowadays, if you want to learn watercraft and learn how truly wild fish act then rivers are the best proving ground for anglers of all ages. I reread Chris Yates how to fish all the time because I love the way he captures those riverside moments. Tight lines to everyone out there.

[@AaronHendu]

All of the rivers and streams in my area that used to be looked after and stocked by the ministry haven't been touched in decades. They used to clean up and stock the rivers and streams every single year, sometimes more than once a year. All of the trout streams I used to fish are barely moving enough to keep the water cool enough for the trout to even live there anymore. Carp fishing is the only river fishing that has improved over the years here. Lots of carp, less bass, less pike, less trout...lots of catfish where there never used to be any. The river I grew up near suddenly let motor boats in it, and they have torn all the water plants up, and now it's a giant mudhole with nothing but catfish. I used to catch 4+lb smallies all day long there, tons and tons of huge, healthy pike...now it's not even worth the drive. A lot of the smaller streams have literally dried up, or become polluted with cow excrement, as farmers started letting there cows in the streams illegally after the ministry stopped giving a shit. These small streams used to be stacked with Brook Trout...now, creek chub barely survive there. It's saddening to see the state of the rivers and streams here in Canada, as well. At least in Ontario. Gets better the farther north you go...less people, less damage to the water shed.

[@TAFishing]

Wow...that's interesting to hear you have similar problems over there...I could only illustrate what I have seen with my own eyes here in the UK,but sounds like you have river species degredation as well. Personally I thought when I put the clips together that nobody would give a sxxt, but I have been heartened by the number of comments from anglers that have fished rivers for some time,they are the ones who can tell the modern generation what is being lost..Stay safe Ontario...

[@LightYerPipe]

@@TAFishing Bristol Avon used to be a cracking river back in the 70's and 80's but now it's practically dead. You used to be able to fish Pultney weir at Bath and catch 100Lb bags a roach lucky to see one now, The Barbel and Chub have all but gone it's dire very dire. Also because of the students now they have put railings up on the whole free stretch through Bath.

[@spatewater]

Fished the Avon Severn in Tewkesbury in 1973-4 For weekes. Saw it in 1919. SO, So very sad. The problem is the powers that be , should not be! Ie :Environment Agency . They have done this by design. For the rewilding, nwo , reset. We see the devastation on all rivers . yet they are happy to get your rod licence, for less each year?

[@xmxgherkin4654]

I’ve bin pond fishing for years and last year I started fishing river last year and I love it fish more rivers then ponds am 18

[@andrewoakley4957]

Got to agree with you there, the rivers near me in Somerset have no flow and no depth during summer everything is just choked up now, I want to cry when I look at them today.

[@johnbutler9055]

It’s extraction Graham. A friend manage a piece of the river Stort in Hertfordshire which he surveyed. Over a two mile stretch only two roach were found under an elderberry bush. He was told the water in this stretch went through the domestic water supply 3 times before being returned to the river. It was so clean the whole eco system was disrupted !! You are right my friend.

[@bgmedia4199]

I totally agree with you Graham river's have changed so much over the year's, I can't wait for this freaking lock down is over with i can get back to doing some fishing

[@andrewsims4123]

great ! , I have my tin of ''spag bol'' and thermos all ready for a viewing , thanks Graeme.

[@stuartsmith8758]

It's a Egyptian Goose, and thanks for another great video.

[@andyfielding9022]

I have been fishing my local river for thirty years. The decline I have seen in this relatively short time is frightening. In mid summer it used to be like looking into aquarium. Vast shoals of all species have just disappeared along the entire length of the river. If this rate of decline continues the same for the next 30 years, we will all be fishing at lakes. I have noticed the silting up you talk about and increased weed growth. Many areas that were dregged have not been done for twenty years. Also Pesticides are awful chemicals which cause major problems in all species at high dosage. All chemicals sprayed on land end up in the water, this can be no good for the fish or anything else. Sad to see this playing out. Pockets of fish do remain here and there,I fish the river for these still and enjoy it.

[@wesbrown574]

Once it’s gone it’s gone! I don’t understand why we don’t look after our wonderful rivers, they bring joy to so many people.. like you I have many fond memories of fishing as a young lad, fishing rod on my cross bar with some string and some maggot, the river Cherwell Was the first place my parents would come looking for me if I was late home..

[@ashleyscobbie3171]

Love when these films come out thanks graeme

[@robertmedzai8163]

This is another great video from you. Yes rivers and streams have definately change over so many years and maintenance of these places have declined so much it's unreal. I live in the ROI near Galway. I don't know if you remember a video you did on canal fishing when you baited your swims and a boat turned in your swim you went bezurk. I learnt a really good thing from you , ( NO NOT HOW TO NUK A BOAT ) You raked your swim before you fished it and I do that every time I GO FISHING TO A NEW VENUE. Graeme you have taught me so much over the years I have been watching you. Money wise I try and save as much as possible, I make my own swim feeders out of plastic pipe for plumbing and I use cheap tesco cereal for ground bait as well as animal feed. Soaked bread is a must on most venues to start the fishing. THANKS A LOT MATE FOR ALL THE HELP.

[@simonatlee5958]

As the great John Wilson said there are many reasons why the rivers have died but Extraction was his biggest pet hate!

[@davidhall4914]

The Environmental agency take the money, and put very little back.

[@SteeeveO]

probably spend it all on diversity training, public relations, & the pension pot!

[@RustyShackleford66]

Those 6 figure salaries have to come from somewhere.

[@bobchamberlain6184]

I totally agree mate, to big an organisation and they care less about rivers

[@mastodonseven]

Just another tax

[@jamiecopley1212]

I’ve been fishing the thames each year without fail since primary school I’m now in year 10

[@iangilbert77]

I grew up on throop fishery when Ernie Leah was around and remember helping in the work party’s as a lad, and fished many a pike competition on Boxing Day.....boy those were the days, sadly long gone now!!

[@TAFishing]

Yes, I remember photographing Ernie when he was in there clearing swims for anglers...he did the best job and made some great swims either side of the old School bridge for a few hundred yards.

[@BigsuperRV]

Peace and love 💕 from Jamaica

[@stephenfrost6200]

Hi Graeme, I enjoyed your film on rivers and their decline. I have to agree. I am a similar age to you and I remember reading your articles in the Anglers Mail in the early'70s. I visited Throop for the first time in 30 years this summer, I nearly wept. Unfortunately abstraction is destroying many of our rivers, clogged with weed and silt they are a shadow of their former selves. We must campaign to stop this. By the way, it's an Egyptian Goose which has become naturalized and is quite common in some places. Keep up the good work. Cheers Steve

[@the88tench3]

Great video, interesting to see the differences in how the rivers like the Hampshire Avon have changed over time. River systems like that definitely need to have some work doing to them to both benefit anglers as well as increasing biodiversity for fish stock and species, plus aquatic invertebrates which are good natural food sources for fish and great indicators for factors such as water quality. Seeing plants along the bankside and in the margins is a good sign in comparison to empty banksides, as they provide a habitat for inverts and fish fry, plus the root stock also helps hold soil together to reduce the risk of further deposition of sediment into the river. Having the right amount of shade and light helps manage aquatic plant growth as well, to prevent excess growth from streamer weeds for example. As for flows, a lot of river restoration work has been to reduce the width of rivers to increase flow speeds due to them being widened and straightened artificially for use for boat navigation for example. Also, another management strategy thats quite successful at improving flow is to put cut down trees and branches into the river perpendicular to the flow, which helps to narrow down the river in areas to increase flow and allow erosion on the outside of what will become a bend, therefore creating shallower cleaner gravel areas that are ideal spawning and fry habitats. Behind the introduced trees the river is also able to erode below and behind it to create deeper, slacker areas for a refuge for larger fish, and the tree itself is also able to create habitat for fry and invertebrates. Check out some of the river restoration organisations like the Wild Trout Trust and Severn Rivers Trust who've successfully used these methods to improve stretches of rivers. There's definitely some hope for our rivers yet!

[@MrLeesv650]

When i used to fish in the early 90s the catches were brilliant in rivers but now all the stretches are over grown with weed growth and cant even fish, we all pay our fishing licences but nothing is done to keep the spots nice to fish

[@mikefriend7449]

What a great video Graham, Really enjoyed it, the before and after shots were brilliant, brought back a lot of memories for me, thank you,.

[@phrayzar]

This was fascinating to see. I'd love to see more of your old pictures, it gives a real time perspective of the changes.

[@thebobs8845]

Found this really instructional, thanks Graeme

[@nigelmidwinter3269]

Very interesting vid' Graeme!...Loved the then and now stuff!...Great, as always!

[@teed58]

One of the best, thanks Graeme

[@doogled6749]

Bang on video graham. 20 years ago my local river wensum used to be twice as deep with chalk bottom and good flow, now it hardly picks up a stick float in the summer. They used to remove excess weeds and reeds and it was teeming with life. now its just silt, the barble are all gone (this is partly to do with nature england re introducing otters without a native food source ie eels), the big chub are few and far between, big pike all gone, also the silt and weeds chocking it to death. tragic.

[@smithatthebackoftheclass5392]

I did my gcse speech on the state of the rivers it’s very worrying

[@TAFishing]

well done ,its needs to be out there as the next generation have no idea what they losing.

[@carpmma5132]

Full blown rivers which my parents fished are like a 1ft high stream now , in Norfolk this is

[@andrewmonument5595]

@@carpmma5132 live on the trinity broads myself in Rollesby, have a stream that used to run into the broads at the bottom of my garden, now it’s just weed, and stagnant, broads authority abandoned its preservation and roadworks were built up stream which completely cut it off, not to mention the killer shrimp that have been found in Rollesby..

[@williamavery9185]

Unfortunatly they never saw how beautiful those rivers and brooks looked like. At least we have those memories.

[@illustrious55]

good lad, my grandad used to say he remembered most rivers as clear

[@malcolmmetcalfe4652]

Decided as of today I’m starting right back at the begging of your vids to get me through this Lockdown thank you 😊

[@simonw8tube]

That's an Egyptian Goose. I loved the Royalty when I was a teenager. It was really good up until the 90's then a lot changed. I think there are fewer barbel now but they are bigger. Same goes for the chub. You never get a big range of sizes anymore. The population is top heavy. Some have suggested that pellets have got something to do with it.

[@Rustyboyyy1]

Fantastic insight into yester year. Great topic🤙🎣🐟 thanks

[@johnycarper1]

Im lucky to live near where you are filming Graham and have done for all 67 years of my life,I like you have seen many changes to these great rivers and they have sadly got a lot worse over the years..I can remember seeing the river board dredging the stour and avon and up through Throop,this also helped keep the weed down and kept a better flow.We then had the years where they decided to take a lot of bends out the river to help floods go down,that was the biggest mistake they made.But we still have lovely rivers and are lucky to have them on our doorsteps.I agree with what you say I fished a slack at throop in the winter and caught big bags of big bream,now its a bank and the river about 6 foot away.

[@UHfishingshane]

I love river fishing I’m always fishing on the river 👍

[@troywales983]

there was a thing called RIVER KEEPERS that looked after the rivers , they cut the weed , now people only smoke the weed

[@ultravires987]

Shame river weed doesn't contain Tetrahydra Cannabinol. The rivers would soon be cleared.

[@rogerfjohnson2051]

Ultravires 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ultravires987]

@@rogerfjohnson2051 You know it!

[@stuartwebster829]

Really interesting stuff Graeme,predominantly all of my younger days fishing was spent getting to know slow Fenland waters and I still remember going on holiday and fishing the Avon for the first time and not having a clue or the tackle to cope with it! when I moved to Lincolnshire,some of the most enjoyable fishing was roving the fast flowing upper Witham and catching decent,roach,chub,bream and trout.When I went back in the summer,most of the swims were unfishable and the river was so shallow and choked with weed.Suppose we should be grateful for what we once had and I am fortunate that I still have the Trent nearby. Another lockdown,so no fishing for the foreseeable future so you are doing a great job putting up your films to help fellow Anglers get through these troubling times. Keep well and safe Best wishes Stuart

[@l.r.sfishing4011]

That was brilliant so interesting. I've been river fishing for a couple years now and I've noticed a difference between then and now. Great video GP tight lines 🎣🎣🎣

[@dannyboy7715]

Makes you wonder why we pay for a rod license.

[@williamavery9185]

Same as the TV ?

[@dannyboy7715]

@@williamavery9185 Very true

[@Psylomus]

Ikr.

[@andrew277]

Or taxes

[@richardjarvis4968]

what a terrific video thanks Graham

[@neilsmith7547]

Really interesting information graham that was. Your right some of my local rivers are the same graham in the midlands. Really overgrown. Brilliant video again graham.

[@mattholmes2589]

Great to see some lovely footage of the lower Dorset stour. I Bailiff the tidal stretches of the stour.

[@jonathanluce9130]

Great to see the comparisons, totally agree with you about the lack of flow causing the weed build up on many rivers, it's a real shame.

[@clivelogsdon1492]

Good video Graeme. We used to fish the throop back in the late 60s early seventies and quite often they would be in the river cutting the weed, bought back some good memories

[@TAFishing]

Thanks for confirming the manual river cutting,modern generation probably think I'm making it up.

[@clivelogsdon1492]

@@TAFishing bloody young whippersnapper 😁

[@andykjohnsonjohnson7622]

Great video Graeme 🎣👍, luv the be4 & after pictures.

[@leonmoxon9396]

54 now.......can rember catching my first crayfish, a bit of a delight and shock,but this was very rare even up until three years a go...Now fishing on the river Derwent i s plagued with a non native variety, which cannot be put back into the river....i have some fond memories of the Derwent and the fish it holds,but a little unsure about its future if these little rascals start taking over..ps tight lines and top draw videos...a concerned river fisherman...

[@barleyarrish]

A lot of this problem is a result of conservationists, some fresh out of university never been 'familiar' with rivers, learning by observation and experience with a wealth of knowledge gleaned from old doyens. a one size fits all attitude and a good dose of UNESCO policy. Increasing the population of this country without considerations to food and water and the waste products generated is only going to exacerbate the problems. My favoutite river haunts were the Thames weir pools in the late 60's and early 70's. A little river I loved in Kent, went from clean gravel to silt in a very short time due to abstraction, it was heart breaking to see. Happy New Year Graeme and Tight Lines!

[@firstlast4438]

Fantastic video, hope to see more like this 👍

[@willgrant719]

Thanks for the old photos Graeme. I love hearing stories about the old ways and the old days. Can you please make a video of your old photos maybe the best of so we can walk down memory lane with you. I think that would be awesome.

[@TAFishing]

I'll see what I can sort out....bear with me,but its not exactly like I have anywhere to go...I'm building up an inner rage at Covid and might take it out on you people by dumping a load of different films one after the other !! I reckon you could all take it...

[@ultravires987]

@@TAFishing Films? Yes please! Spare us the dumping though!

[@clivedavies3]

I've found the same problems on the weaver ( 1970_2020) through nantwich but luckily it has been cleared occasionally. Keep up the good work always learning of your videos

[@markwilson3040]

fascinating thank you for your time and effort

[@SteeeveO]

Those closed face reels = Abu 506. The best reel I ever had especially when it was windy as line control was easy. I'm thinking of buying an old second hand one from Ebay. Team it up with my old Abu ferralite mark6 & it will be the 70's again - but without the fish. Tight lines & may your net always come back wet.

[@carl6131]

In the summer there was a couple that used to throw bread in the river each morning. So I tackled up out the way with just bread and waited till they'd gone and let my bread drift in there. It was magic for Chub. Further up on a canal was a lady that used to throw all potatoes peelings, and scraps of all kinds of food in the water. So I used to go down first thing and got my first 17lb carp and also got another three carp in about three hours.

[@TAFishing]

Good bit of groundwork often pays dividends.

[@fivecylinderperfection5060]

Some good old photo's there Graeme. I still have around a half a dozen of the ABU closed face reels, they were brilliant for trotting a stick float at short to medium distance. I have fished the River Thames at Reading, Pangbourne and Goring since I was 12 years old (I am 58 this year) and can remember some very high flood levels in the winter - but still caught plenty of fish if you knew where to go. The Child Beale stretch above the weir at Pangbourne always produced large bags of bream, chub and good roach. I also remember in those days that I never used to carry as much tackle as I do now and walk a fair distance to get to a place to fish. Nowadays it's tackle trolleys to carry everything except the kitchen sink to the bankside which is mostly a short walk from the car at a commercial carp water!

[@rogerfjohnson2051]

In my local area many years ago The local authority used to clear the footpath and the environment agency used to gradually clear the river of weed and debris so the channels remain free flowing. Nowadays the channels are much narrower, the pathway is overgrown and if we have a torrential downpour the area floods. I spoke to one of the local farmers and understand that the Department for the environment have placed restrictions on digging ditches to drain the land and the fields have now become water meadows. Thus, due to lack of flow where trout and another fish that need gravel for spawning the river bed becomes covered the silt and the fish population has dwindled. As fisherman we spent so much money over the years in the form of licenses to the Department of environment that they do not maintain the rivers it's a disgrace.

[@robertmoore2402]

You're spot on

[@johnturner5073]

Hi, Graham, I am 79 yrs old next month and know what you are saying and agree I remember the Kennet and trotting down and catching nineteen barbels in a session, in fact, my friend and I said they could throw are ashes on the Kennet at Padworth the only good news is that I have lived here in Huntingdon for thirteen years and have my own cruiser on the Great Ouse and have noticed the last few years it is teaming with small roach and rudd and the odd gudgeon which is great to see also in the marina big bream and carp I will end with this story 3 yrs ago I was moored in a mooring against the river bank I had just taken the boat for a run and moored up I tidy up and went to go home has I stepped off the boat I felt a terrific bump I looked down between the boat and the bank and three great perch swam out they were at least 4lb each then another perch came out and made them look small I could see this fish as clear as in an aquarium all the strips were visable if I guessed 7;b plus and i have been match fishing carp fishing all my life i will never forget it

[@Karkawry1970]

Awesome stuff, very educational for myself as a salt only angler, always knowledge to take away from the fresh water scene. And yes please on the old beach pics....

[@TAFishing]

I'll see what I can dig out.

[@cbthaiboxing9640]

Love the vids ceep it up 🎣🎣🤘

[@toadstoolze]

This is good content eye opening and educational... keep up the work!! Liked and subbed!!

[@b1scuits1]

really interesting video Graeme, there needs to be more people shouting about this

[@poodle559]

The Goose to the best of my GOOSE-OLIGY is an Egyptian goose.

[@echo-909]

It is. We have seen them more regularly in Germany in recent years as well - much to the detriment of other water birds

[@KylieManur3]

They're a pest where I live, very aggressive and territorial. They attack other birds, often seemingly for no reason, particularly, they go after ducks.

[@johnwhit9471]

Egyptian goose: those are the noisy ones at Old Bury Hill Graeme. The Black headed gulls lose all but a small spot of colour on their heads in winter

[@owenfutter4094]

That was an amazing video I new that the rivers had changed but not to the extent that they have

[@colinbradford8126]

Hello to you , it is nice to see you are safe and well. I'm like you I started fishing with my granddad im 61 now I think you are right about that the rivers are chatting a lot . Great video m8 keep up the great work you and your son do , be safe and well to all of you and your family 👪 . From colin bradford in Milton Keynes.

[@TAFishing]

Thanks for the comment and stay safe up there in Milton Keynes.

[@cliffdixon6422]

Where to start Graeme? A big problem has been the decimation of hill woodland to be replaced with grass for sheep grazing - trees suck up 10x the water of grass so the water runs off, hence we get these floods rather than consistent heavy flow for a while that moved a lot of the silt on. Dredging in strategic areas has also been banned for 'environmental' reasons. Where I live we have 2 main rivers , the Frays and the Colne. (The former being a tributary of the latter that was man made to feed the paper mills in the 19th century).In the 80's, the Frays was full of Roach and Dace shoals with some huge Perch and Chub plus Gudgeon the size of small Barbel. When the M25 was built, the run off came in to the Frays. From a gravel bed we now have silt and loads of weed clogging it up, the shoals have gone and what is left are small perch and Chub under 1lb. Both rivers have also been clogged with an invasive vegetation called floating pennywort - it jams up the inside of the channels and holds back the flow, causing more flooding and silt deposits. The Colne now has some big Barbel but in very localised stretches where the flow is not conducive to the vegetation. Add to that Cormorants and red Signal Crayfish that hoover up fish spawn and it is nightmare scenario. The Kennet was my favourite venue in the 90's at Aldermaston, full of Chub and Barbel it was an anglers dream. Now you struggle to get a decent fish every 2-3 sessions, the Otters have added to the Cormorant and Crayfish issues. On the Colne and Frays, I have not had a Chub over 2lb this year where 4lb fish used to be a common catch. I haven't had a Roach over 8oz where 1lb fish were not unusual and two pounders turned up from time to time. I do miss the old days where you could catch 60-70 fish in a session and some of them would be immaculate larger specimens

[@matthewsanderson561]

I’m part of an angling club in Cumbria all river fishing mainly for wild brown trout and it’s near certain to collapse in a few years the average age is likely to be around 60 and it sickens me hearing stories of how good the fishing was ‘back in the day’. Currently 20 and studying wildlife conservation so might be able to do something about it in the future

[@daddyshark5871]

I’m from Cumbria as well The river trout fishing is a disgrace and the salmon is apparently going downhill Looks as if stillwaters are the future

[@behindthegreens67]

I've just joined CAA but like you I see very few people our age out fishing all to busy upt The town on a Saturday night.

[@iansheppard6532]

Good work as usual ...In the 70's I was lucky enough to fish a private stretch upstream from Avon Castle ,Ringwood ...each summer .Once a year they cut all the weeds , are you saying this is not undertaken anymore? After the cut fishing very hard ! Know down in Cornwall with my own boat ...Sharking ,Reef etc . Met you many moons ago at Frensham pond when you where in Fleet area . Keep up the good work .Cheers Ian

[@Perkerjatangguh9355]

I like your fishing method, greetings from Indonesia🙏👍👍

[@thedrvn]

I really want someone to create a documentary on the state of the fishing in the Wensum around Norwich. It's actually believable how bad it is.

[@brewlew-rooftopsessions7966]

Yes I never catch anything in the wensum! the yare is better but still recently its been crap

[@doogled6749]

@@brewlew-rooftopsessions7966 the waveny still has its moments

[@doogled6749]

used to be one of the best for barble, held the record at one point!

[@brewlew-rooftopsessions7966]

@@doogled6749 thankyou, I will check it out at some point hopefully before end of season!!

[@thedrvn]

@@doogled6749 yep! I drive past lyng on the way to work and over the last few years of baiting the bridge during summer just to see if I can see any I've not even seen a chub it's absolutely ridiculous

[@stephenstocks1074]

You forgot about sewage being dumped into rivers

[@chromemutt]

Beach fishing in the sixties !!!! Bin bags of cod plaice the size of tea trays and lots of bass , my old man telling me to put the smaller 5lb cod back because there was much bigger ones , there was , appalling crappy reels & rods still did the business ahhhh happy days ,River Rother Chelmer & Blackwater , River Lea so many great catches yes it WAS a lot better back then so glad I was there then

[@garywhite7290]

In the 70's, the rivers i fished used to smell different too. The Trent in its hay day used to stink, but it was full of fish, especially Roach. They were in the river in huge numbers.

[@danieljohn747]

Well said graham, 20 years ago they used to hold national matches on my local Thames with say 150 pegs. Now you would be lucky to have 30 pegs on that same stretch of river.

[@chrisbrennan3675]

Egyptian goose and the gull was a adult black headed gull in winter plumage 👍

[@7pinky791]

Uncle Graeme! I grew up fishing the River Gade in the Cassiobury Park Watford it was a beautiful free Chalk stream. Now I can jump across it in parts. Really sad to see its demise over the years. There's nothing in there now!

[@ironix1]

Brings back many happy memories of the Hants Avon and all of the swims I caught so many fish in the 70s & 80s. Those days have gone. The water is not there Graham. We cant have it all ways. We have too many people and not enough pound coins. These two facts answer 99% of every problem we have. As most people now look to screens for their entertainment, there is less focus and resources spent on rivers and their welfare. In the old days there is no way we would have allowed otters and cormorants to help themselves to what so many people earned their crust from! Now those people are in other markets.

[@amusingfishing]

Experienced work Hope it will be awesome

[@nealebradford6417]

very interesting graeme , top vid buddy.

[@RobTaverner]

Another Great video Graeme. I hale from the Midlands, where, when I was a nipper I would fish the Severn and the Warwickshire Avon most weekends with my late father. I remember when the banks of The Avon in particular had trees along the banks. Then for some reason they got rid of the trees and this changed the river completely. The banks eroded into the river. This made the rivers wider and shallower. This also coincided with the stopping of dredging the rivers. The dredger would deposit the removed silt onto the banks, where the trees would retain it etc. once the dredging and the removal of trees happened total difference. It changed the flow and the days of dad and I catching hundreds of big Chub and healthy sized roach on, sometimes, nothing more than silkweed on a hook cast onto the weir, have long since gone. River husbandry is a thing of the past, but much missed by anglers. Great to see those close faced ABU 506 reels. I still have several in good working order and still use them regularly. Keep up the great videos. ;)

[@TAFishing]

River husbandry...that's exactly what it is,and what is missing.

[@bigmoncrief6071]

The trees which disappeared were elms. All killed by Dutch elm disease in the '70s / '80s. Look at any photograph of the English countryside from the 1960s and you'll see towering elm trees everywhere. All gone now.

[@RobTaverner]

@@bigmoncrief6071 many of the trees I witnessed removed were willows. However, I do remember the Elms going though. Terrible thing.

[@samdunn2077]

I’m very new to fishing started in July last year and fell in love with really regret not starting earlier I’m now 32! I’m just wondering if anyone knows if Scottish rivers Edinburgh and surrounding areas hold Coarse fish pike ect?

[@shaunfishes101]

Graeme, I have just spent the last hour reading a load of the comments and I believe there are a lot of points in there which make sense. But one I think the bloke works for the EA. Over forty years ago a good friend of mine who at the time was chairman for our local angling club, approached which was then Water Board and the Local Council, as regards the amount of silt in the rivers. He fought for many years but has sadly passed away. To cut a long story short Still Nothing has been done. Now the problem is ten fold. We believe that in 1984 farmers were put onto milk quotas and in turn had to reduce stock. This meant we did not have grazing as it was. And farmers started to diversify, by creating large drain offs from there fields to enable the growing of crops. This has meant a huge amount of water being released into our rivers. Plus when the farmer wants a really good crop what does he do. Yes he puts fertilisers down to help them grow. But he is helping the weed and marginal weeds grow too. The sad part to it all is. NOTHING WILL CHANGE. Rest in peace my friend Tony Summers.

[@fishreact]

As a kid, I learned to fish on the River Pont in Northumberland. Back then, in the 80's, the water was clean and clear with a gravelly bottom and plenty of flow. You'd see loads of grayling and brown trout, and you could spend a day fishing with your mates and catch a dozen fish easily. Now in my 40's, I went back to visit my home town a couple of years ago, and it was heartbreaking. The flow has been reduced to a trickle. The gravel bottom has been replaced by a thick orange-brown sludge, and I walked the banks for an hour without seeing a single fish. I read later there had been numerous fish kills over the intervening years, chemicals and sewage dumped into the river, agricultural accidents, flood defences, all have taken their toll. It looked like a neglected stagnant pond.

[@ianmiller1879]

love the hampshire avon, great fishing to be had if you know what yr doing.had barbel to 15lb in the compound on my 1st trip and was only a few years ago.

[@boldersa]

Hi Graham, I've been fishing for coming up to 50 years myself now and read a lot of your interesting articles in the past from coarse to big game. As you stated there are many reasons but one that no one ever mentions is land drainage. Around 1986 I worked for Tarmac Roadstone and for several years before and after Britain had embarked on a huge land drainage scheme which was subsidised at the time, so every farmer/landowner was having drainage applied to their fields. After this, rain water that used to sit on the land and drain away steadily over a period of time, no longer did so, it belted off the land straight into the nearest ditch and waterway, this is why I believe we get those sudden surges of water that die off after a few days, depositing as you say silt and plants as they rise and fall quickly. Unfortunately like yourself most of my pictures have gone to the tip but of the few remaining ones and old early video clips the difference can clearly be seen. As for river maintenance, I like most are bewildered as to where my licence money goes, but that is perhaps a topic for another day. Stay safe Graham and whatever you fish for, tight lines.

[@TAFishing]

Thanks for taking the time to comment..this film has certainly illustrated there is some sort of problem going on.

[@stevied8855]

Great old pics Graeme. Ive been checking lockdown rules on Fishing. It's a bit unclear but some sites say we should be okay. Maybe worth checking Graeme. Steve in Fife.

[@brookematthews8204]

I recently fished the stretch just down from the weir (pangbourne meadow) had a great day and lots of chub. Was feeder fishing besides a fallen tree and overhanging hedge. It's also a free stretch!

[@TAFishing]

Happy Days !!...a free stretch...plus Chub as well. Sounds good.

[@brookematthews8204]

@@TAFishing maintained by the parish council, no secret squirrel club! I'm trying to catch my first barbel there but the river is very consistent right the way across and I'm not sure where to fish for them. Bream of 7ib are quite regular to but not sure where to fish for those either!

[@ajichanel14]

Mantap ta fishing👍👍👍

[@davidb.7093]

Great video, I fished in the mid 60's the main river was the Thames at Marlow I used to catch quality Roach, Dace, Perch. Bream and the odd Tench. We had to fish either early morning or evening to avoid the river traffic. I went walking there recently and the features have changed the water level seemed lower and there seems a lot less wildlife on the banks or on the water. Now where I live in Chesham there runs the river Chess famous for being the chalk stream where rainbow trout breed naturally. The top mile alas is no more due to water abstraction and there is a serious problem with weed chocking it downstream. Now they are building over 2,000 more homes, so where is the water going to come from? There is so much wrong, in the rainy season the weed chokes the rivers and we end up with major flooding because nobody is taking care of our rivers. We build flood defences instead of unclogging the rivers and keeping them in good condition. Anyway enough ranting thanks for an excellent post.

[@TAFishing]

Thanks for the rant,it pretty much backs up what others are saying...2000 homes ?? What do they plug the drains into ? Existing Victorian sewers ??...Its going to end badly as more people cooking with oil + drains....I know...I've got my own drain rods .....Sooner or later all the old sewers will have to be ripped up and replaced with larger bore...and that means even more buildings can plug into them.

[@Ianman1975]

Great vid Graeme, so sad what the rivers are going through, I cut my fishing teeth on the river wear in Durham, totally different place now, very sad

[@tribsat100]

I live near the Wear its very poor for coarse fishing now low water levels .. plus the angling clubs have ridiculous restrictions and selected privelidges for members that day tickets arnt worth the effort anymore

[@Ianman1975]

@@tribsat100 yes no no free fishing left now, I used to fish the sands, ice rink, now council offices, terrible now, there used to be chub, barbel, perch, pike, roach, eels. Nothing now

[@louiescott5055]

In the off season I’m planing on getting the wetsuit out and ripping some of the roots out to the weeds and clearing out some local areas

[@TAFishing]

That sounds the way to go,if on a town stretch just watch out for any broken bottles that may have been thrown in.

[@sme70]

I love fishing Rivers . There is great fishing to be had if you want to put the time in to learn your river .The river I fish you have to walk a bit to get there, I think that puts people off.

[@TheSussexOutdoorsman]

That was an Egyptian goose. I fish the river Arun that is tidal, It gets really flooded at this time of year. Luckily it's quite fast flowing during the summer and doesn't get choked with weed.

[@haitch04]

Very interesting Video. Lots of possible reasons. Climate, we don't get the long hard winters any more. Nutrients, Farming never used to be as automated and algae loves the nutrients. Weeds, lot's of none native species now probably introduced by the aquarium trade etc.,. Then there's good old 'ageing'. As a lad in 1940's we had a stream that fed the local reservoir, beautiful bubbling brook full of trout and in the breeding season, huge ones coming up from the reservoir to spawn, We left the place in the 1960's unchanged. Now...you can't even see the stream, it's totally overgrown with some kind of shrubbery, there's barely a trickle below and it's matted with weeds. Where as kids we sailed toy boats and caught 'tiddlers' in jars, you'd be hard pressed to get a jar in there let alone a toy boat. Only a concerted effort by those responsible for the upkeep will change things.

[@Scottfloatfan62]

Brilliant Graeme, I had a look at a stretch of small river where in my late teens caught numerous Chub to 4lb , no expert methods or baits, just corn link layered in a lovely pool, that pool is gone, the river is choking it's way thru, its heartbreaking, as you say it just needs sensible management, alas so many rivers round here are just streams in between reeds, very sad

[@TAFishing]

The only way is to dig the reeds out but apparently you can't even do that now . And don't forget the people who made all the wacko rules probably don't even fish rivers.

[@vinnyvtec8722]

I noticed the same. I've been fishing the same section of the river lea for around 30 years and it's got a lot shallower and full of weed. For example I have a vivid memory of cycling my mountain bike through the river from one side to the other and my wheels were almost submerged. Today I can walk through the same section by rolling my trousers up halfway up my shins. I also remember another section of the lea where I had chest waders on and walked out and I was worried it would go over the top of them. Today it is just a bit below my waist. I never actually thought about the reasons behind this until now.

[@stevewright201]

Super wake up video top notch

[@Offcut55]

I remember river fishing was the best place to catch fish and plenty of them. One stream I used to go had trout but lucky if you see anything in it now?

[@lyndon4367]

mate you would have a field day in Australia. it is insane how poorly the waterways are looked after here. my grandmother said the creek on there farm in the darling downs never stopped running when she was younger. now days ive only ever seen it flowing once maybe twice...

[@tribsat100]

Phew I was getting worried, just shows how often you must be posting for us.😅

[@TAFishing]

With yet another head-banging lockdown I may lose the plot totally and pile a load of films up for you guys to help take your minds off the current weird world we are all in.

[@user-rl6wr2ny7f]

@@TAFishing Fishing was my main outlet. I will be tying more flies for my perch fishing. I dropshot them on the canals.