21.7.10
Some river enhancement work has be carried out on one or two sections on the Coln at Whelford in recent weeks. At the top of the river, there has been some serious bank erosion and measures to reduce this have been put in place. Given the nature of the location, we are not sure it will hold, but we remain hopeful. Down stream above the first foot bridge, several willows have been felled and used to create some channel narrowing, we have also positioned some diagonally across the bed of the river, both in the hope of scouring out some deep channels and holes in what is usually ankle deep water over gravels at this time of year. Mid way up the river, we have pollarded some willows and again used the branches to help with some channel narrowing. The riparian owner worried about a breach in the bank about half way along the river, has placed some rather obvious blue sheeting over the bank and has placed stones on it to hold it in place. We have advised him to move it and consult with the EA about this problem as what he has done will not work in our opinion.
There has been a stocking in recent days/weeks of most of our waters, including some rainbows into the Windrush at Widford and Asthall. Fish are being caught and by some members in reasonable numbers, however, the fishing effort at the moment looks pretty low.
4.7.10
Members are asked to take care on the 'new' bridge at the bottom of the Bourton water. Cattle have managed to break through a gate and got in behind the fencing and have subsequently damaged this bridge by trying to walk over it!!!!!!!!!!!.
With no rain as such for weeks now, many of our rivers are looking pretty low. Having said that, some are holding up quite well including some of our wild trout rivers. Try the Windrush waters and Dikler as well as the Coln at Williamstrip. Banks have been cut at Widford, Sherborne, Dikler (Bourton & top of Abbotswood) with Asthall, Coln, Stanton Harcourt and the Glyme to be cut this week.
8.5.10
Coln River Restoration. There will be a work party doing work on the Coln at Whelford this coming Thursday 10th June. As a result, there may be some disturbance to any anglers that wish to fish that day. Some of the work will deal with erosion to the banks and it is also hoped to do some habitat enhancement work.
31.5.10
The Mayfly usually sees more members on our waters than the rest of the season and it is not uncommon to find many anglers fishing the same water. Unfortunately, several comments are making their way back to us regards some members not following what is considered as good fishing etiquette. This obviously is an issue when a member is trying to cover a lye or are moving up stream along a bank that has been rested. Several members seem to feel that it is acceptable to walk past a member who is fishing and continue walking along the bank upstream of them. This has the effect of putting down fish and should be avoided at all costs. Also, if a member wishes to fish one of the clubs waters, it is standard practice to join in behind those that are already fishing the water. If a water is long enough, it may be possible to go ahead only having gained the permission of the angler ahead of you. Could members please take into account such considerations in future.
17.5.10
Well it is finally here. A small but consistent hatch of Mayfly were coming down the Glyme all Sunday afternoon. It started at about 1pm and lasted until about 6.30pm with occasional breaks. Many fish were raising and taking the naturals, but fish were splashing at the artificial's without actually taking them. 4 anglers were on the river and I know that three of them caught fish 7,7,4 including a magnificent 5+lbs brown caught in the lower reach. Many of the fish taking mayflies are wild fish up to about 12". Of the fish that were caught several were caught on the nymph including a very 'stuffed' wild fish full of mayfly nymphs! This looks like the start of the 2010 Mayfly hatch.
14.5.10
I have had a report today that there are Mayfly present on the Windrush at Widford. However, they were in relatively small numbers and the trout were not taking them.... but its a start!
11.5.10
It has come to our attention that many members are not displaying their membership cards when fishing. In order for the club to monitor poaching etc this is an essential element of our monitoring system. Committee members will not disturb members while fishing who have their card clearly displayed on their person. It has also been reported that some members are not fully versed in where they are allowed to fish. Please make sure that you know which banks you are allowed to fish and do not fish on banks that are not part of the clubs portfolio. There have been circumstances in the last year or two where riparian owners (where we do not have fishing rights) have threatened some of our members and have also involved the police.
29.4.10
The bridge over the ditch/meander loop at Sherborne was completed today, which will allow us to cut the banks above this obstacle . For those that have not been to this water, I can highly recommend it. While the car park is a good 5 minute walk from the water, the river is in a beautiful river valley and it is quite long. Personally I think is is in many ways our nicest, but not necessarily best water! The grass is cut up to about 100m from the end of our water. To fish the last section, you will need to climb a style, walk along the field until the next obvious entry to the river bank... the end of the beat is clearly signed and culminates in an obvious small weir below a 'hatch'. It is quiet, with little access to the public, meaning that you are more than likely going to have the place to yourself! The river is a series of pools and riffles with the water a little clearer than the lower Windrush waters. It is fishable from both bank and instream as long as you have a good set of waders... but watch out for some of the deeper pools. The bottom is almost completely gravel, but has become quite firm over the years and needs to be disturbed if we hope to have any trout spawning in the section in future years. I believe there is a reasonable head of trout here and we are very much dependant on catch returns to give us some indication of stocking density. At the moment we are not allowed to stock this water and for the next few years it is being run as a wild fishery, although we do know that some stock fish do move into the water from fisheries above and below. Most wild fish are under a pound in weight.
22.4.10
Having just inspected the new fencing at our Bourton Dikler fishery, I was very impressed with the work carried out by the contractor. It should make a very big difference to our fishing keeping the cattle off the banks preventing soil erosion and subsequent deposition on the bed of the river.
A boat has been purchased for Cornbury (Wilderness). We are awaiting collection, but hope it will be available to members in the next month or two as some work needs to be carried out on it. Details about it's use will be posted when it is ready.
20.3.10
The EA will be holding a talk an open discussion about work on the Evenlode (both completed and proposed) on Friday 26th April 7.30pm at the Tiddy Hall in Ascot Under Wychwood.
Fishing at Cornbury has got off to a cracking start with a catch average of 3.93 per rod up to the 17th March. Most anglers are catching good numbers of fish, particularly Rainbows. Some members have caught and duly returned some of the over wintered Browns, with one or two large fish over 5lbs being caught. Members are asked to return all browns until the 1st April.
23.2.10
There has been a lot of activity by the Fisheries Team in recent weeks since the last post on this site. 5 gates were installed at Sherborne to allow access for members and the grass cutter to within 100m of the top of the water. Work will continue here next season with some instream improvements. For the next 3 years this water will be considered as a 'Wild Trout Fishery' only. When this 3 year term has come to an end, the club will review whether this was a success or not and review whether there is a need to stock based on catch returns and usage.
At Little Farringdon, some channel narrowing near the deer fencing was completed with the help of 10 'Level 1' students from Sparsholt Fisheries College. We also placed two stone structures in to help scour some holes in a shallow section mid river.
A larger gate to allow access for the grass cutter at Widford was installed at the top of the fenced section.
We now have completed the second new jetty on Superior. All three jettys now have wire netting to reduce the risk of slipping and also have steps cut down to them. We are pursueing the 'new' boat for this lake and have been promised delivery, but this will not be for a couple of months yet. Four garden chairs were purchased and will be situated at the hut at the dam end of the 3rd lake along with a table. Members may use this to have lunch etc when fishing at Cornbury.
A table and two benches have been made in the new car park at Southrop. As our Leach water is now quite extensive, we felt it would be nice for members to have the opportunity to sit and relax while having their lunch when fishing these waters.
18.1.10
The River Walk at Abbotswood yesterday enabled those that turned up to see many fine examples of Redds on the Dikler. Despite the heavy rains on Saturday and the massive thaw, the river was running crystal clear. over 25 Redds were observed in this relatively short section, with one or two having fish on them. What was encouraging, was the large number of fish over 11" that were seen throughout the system. Opposite the car park within the grounds of the estate, there were 8 redds which were dug out into the recently washed gravels, which were cleaned in October 2009. This was very encouraging as it showed the benefits of doing such arduous work and should result in a successful spawning season.
We have recently been granted permission to commence habitat restoration work on the Coln at Whelford. There is a Members Work Party to aid the Fisheries Team on the 31st January. Please go to the link for details.
3.1.10
The first Work Party of 2010 took place this weekend at Cornbury. Steps were cut down with supporting boards down to the top lake (Superior) in two places and a new jetty was installed . A second new jetty will be completed before the start of the season giving better access to the water when the weed gets a hold later in the year. Conditions were a bit 'parky' to say the least with temperatures well below freezing and with a solid one inch of ice on the lake. A sledge hammer had to be used to break the ice to allow the Fisheries Team access to the water to place the supporting posts. Despite the ground being frozen in the top 4-5", steps were cut down to the jetty and the existing jetty further along the left hand side of the lake. Hopefully we will be constructing the second new jetty by the start of March. Unfortunately, no volunteers from the club managed to turn up to this Work Party, but hopefully members will put themselves forward for future dates. The above work could have easily been completed with a few extra hands.. all beit 'frozen' ones!!!
For those of you that missed the Pike Fishing Day at Cornbury... a 22.5lbs Pike was caught in the first lake (Stud) and returned to the second lake in good health. Despite only one other small pike being caught, it is know that there are many more pike in the teens still to be found in Stud lake.
29.12.09
Work has been under way on the rivers to improve access for the grass cutter on the Glyme. 5 gates have been installed and several sections of fence where the cattle have broken it down has been repaired. A section of the Leach at Middle Farm Barn has been cleared of several fallen branches and used to create instream structures where appropriate. Also some bank clearance at Stanton Harcourt has been undertaken.
The work parties for members starts this coming Sunday at Cornbury. If you would like to help please e-mail me via the 'Work Party' link. At the moment we have no volunteers for this particular work and it would be very helpful indeed to have some support on this particular job.
Fish have been spawning on some of the rivers visited. Several Redds were seen at the Glyme near the Wooton end of the water and several Redds are in the process of being created on the Dikler at Abbotswood. With the recent high water, it's been difficult to see clearly where these are, but they should show, once we have had some settled weather.
27.11.09
There will be a river visit on January 17th 2010 to see the redds on the Dikler following the habitat restoration completed last year by the fisheries team. There was a very healthy number of fish spawning here at this time last years, so will probably give us the best opportunity to observe spawning trout on their redds. If you would like to come along, we will meet at the Golden Ball Pub in Lower Swell at 11am. We can then go to the pub afterwards for a drink and chat.
The fisheries tea have started work on our waters since the close of the season. Work has already been completed washing spawning gravels on the Dikler, Windrush at Sherborne and the Leach at Common Barn Farm. Some works have also been done at Stanton Harcourt, which includes removing access along a section of the true left bank above the Brase Nose field (upstraem) where members enter to park their cars. Signs have been placed to indicate where we can and cannot now fish. The true right bank remains the same and the upper limit is approx 200m above the footbridge at the top of the water.
This years or members dates winter work parties have been posted and are on the link on the front page of this web site.
22.9.09
With only a week to go before the end of the season on our rivers, it's time to get out and wet your flies! Fishing on the Windrush waters has been reasonably good, particularly in the 2 hours before sunset... about 7.30pm ish at the moment! There has been some good catches taken on gold headed nymphs fishing off a dry fly such as a daddy longlegs including some good sized chub! Unfortunately the Leach is quite low at the moment but the positive side of this is that it has concentrated the fish into the deeper pools. the Windrush on the whole is looking good and is relatively clear. Don't forget that the lower Glyme holds some very large fish, which may be starting to take as we approach the end of the month.
Please do not forget to send your catch returns to Robin Newson or you may do it electronically via this web site.
I am planning to take a trip to look at some of our trout spawning in the new year. We had some good redds on the Dikler and for those that have never seen redds before it is quite an interestiung day out. Details of where and when will follow.
29.7.09
The gate codes for Cornbury will change from the 3rd of August. These can be found on the Cornbury pages.
A large stocking has been taking place in recent days. Stanton Harcourt (complete), Cornbury (complete), Widford (complete), Asthall (complete), Coln (complete) and Little Farringdon (complete) should have fresh stock within the next 7 days.
18.6.09
Those that knew Peter Harvey will be very saddened to hear that he past away today Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 7:51 PM. Use the link to read about Peter's contribution to the Cotswold Flyfishers, written by David Reinger.
9.6.09
There have been a couple of reports come back concerning the colour of the water below the lake at Upper Swell on the Dikler at Abbotswood. This lake tends to grow an algae on the sediment on the bottom of the lake. In warm sunny weather the algae produces bubbles of oxygen that get trapped in these algal mats and causes them to rise to the surface where they then disintegrate bringing up some sediment in the process. This causes the water downstream to get quite coloured at times. Occasionally this may also happen upstream of this lake and this is probably caused by the lake at the Donnington Brewery undergoing the same cycle of events. We are looking into it as there are some possible issues with 'de oxygenation' but as far as we know other than dredging the lakes there is no immediate solution. The sediment is an accumulation of years of soil erosion from the farms in the catchments area above these waters, which we hope we have dealt with!
The new water at Sherborn has been fishing well. Members are mainly catching fish up to 14" on nymphs in the obvious pools. The water is now fully signed.... at the entrance point off the main road you should see the clubs' Mayfly' logo indicating the turn down the track. There are 3 signed car parking places once you have gone about 200m past the second gate. When you get to the water (by following the track down to the river and keeping left) there is another Mayfly logo sign at a bridge into the last field on your left. Once in the field you can start fishing upstream and continue until you see a very obvious 'End of Beat' sign. This is also located at a stone ford where a large tree has fallen across the river.,... you cannot miss it... but its a long way upstream!. The first 1/4 of the fishery has been cut and will be cut again before the end of the month. However, once you pass a small foot bridge across an old meander ditch, the banks are pretty rough with a lot of nettles! It is our plan next winter to make this remaining section accessible to the grass cutter and life should a lot easier for club members. At present there are very few styles available, so please be carefull when climbing over the barbed wire fences! Again, this will be rectified next winter. If you fish this water and are lucky enough to cath some fish, please let us know as we are keen to get a better understanding of what stock of fish is in this water.
15.5.09
Members are reporting hatches of Mayfly on most of our waters. While not yet in any large numbers, the next week should see the hatch come into full swing. The strong winds earlier in the week may have put them back a bit but the weather looks good for the next week for fishing. Unfortunately, due to the lack of water, a large number of our waters are very low... rain would be nice!
The new water at Sherborne is doing well and positive reports are coming in from some members. If you have a succesful day here, it would be good to hear from you.
The car park and access at Southrop I am very pleased to say is now complete. There is good access and space for 3 cars in a gated and signed car park inside the second field.
6.5.09
Apologies for not getting any reports in recently, but I have been bogged down at work and not been able to update the various pages. Our Secretary has kindly forwarded me a report of some of our fisheries which I have copied below. I have had other reports of a good number of wild fish been seen and caught on the Glyme. There have in recent weeks been very good hatches of Grannom on the Windrush and Cornbury continues to fish very well. All stocking is now virtually done in preparation for the Mayfly, so the fish should have aclimatised well by now.
" Glyme - April 09. Fish rising to large dark olives early in the month. Deep fished nymphs also scoring, particularly with the bigger fish. 3.5lbs best reported so far.
Leach - April 09. Rising fish taking olives, otherwise goldheads etc are taking fish.
Dikler - April 09. Fish rising to small olives and hawthornes.
Coln - April 09. Rising fish taking olives and hawthornes, otherwise goldheads and olive nymphs are best patterns.
Windrush - April 09. Big grannom hatches and also falls of black gnat and hawthornes. Fish generally staying deep however. The mayfly rise will start on the Windrush fisheries."
16.3.09
Cornbury is fishing very well using nymphs on all lakes. It is vital that members return all browns until the 1st April and also move onto the next lake after catching a couple of fish. Given that it is the start of the season, some of these fish will be easy to catch and it will make it more difficult later on if members 'hammer' the fish at this early stage.... a bit of common sense is needed please.
There has been a major issue on our Coln water at Whelford. The riparian owner has removed a significant amount of the cover from the making it very barren in the middle section, which was infact the only part that had any cover. The club has been in contact with the owner and it is hoped that some sort of appropriate response is agreed. We will keep you up to date with any developments on this matter.
A new car park and entrance is due for completion at Southrop by the start of the trout season. A hard core base will enable members to access the field off the main road and through the existing gateway (to be removed) on the far side of the filed more easily. There will be a fenced and lockable 'paddock' to park cars into the left of the existing gate for up to 3 cars. This water has an excellent wild trout population and spawning activity this winter in this fishery was excellent. A short rod and stealth is needed for these fish, but a few surprises might be in store for those fishing this water as there are some big fish present.
23.2.09
The Rainbows have now been stocked into Cornbury ready for the 1st March. The car park is also ready and sign posted, however, an overflow car park will be located in the same spot as last years car park and will be signed as such. The fencing around the bottom of Stud Lake has been replaced and moved back to allow easier casting. Please remember that access into the lakes is through the turnstyle on the car park side between the first two lakes.
River work has continued and some good work has been completed. Remember there is a members work party this Sunday 1st March at Southrop starting at 10am.
Signage of our waters continues and it is hoped that all will be complete by the start of the season. Maps, OS Coordinates and Sat Nav coordinates will all be available on this site by the start of the season.
The club has purchased a new grass cutter and you should see the difference this season in the quality of cuts carried out by the fisheries team.
10.2.09
The Postponed Southrop Members Work Party has been moved to Sunday 1st March. We will meet at 10am at the Southrop Car Park. If you would like to participate, please contact me mrighton@stowe.co.uk
6.2.09
Briefly:
Cornbury Park Lakes will now open on March 1st for all members. It is very important to note that ALL BROWNS must be returned until the start of the Brown Trout season on the 1st April.
The members Work party to be held this Sunday 8th February has been postponed and a date will be announced later on these pages. However the work party at Little Farringdon will still take place on the 22nd February.
Again a walk along the Dikler revealed even more redds last week! Several were still occupied with coloured pairs of brown trout. It has been very encouraging to see so many where before there was only silt!
6.1.09
Happy New Year to all our members. Fishing continues despite the cold weather. Reports coming back from Williamstrip seem to indicate that anglers are catching good numbers of grayling despite the cold weather. I was over there on New Years Day with the temperatures never going over 0 degrees and caught four grayling and lost as many. there was a definite hatch of olives just after mid day and fish were clearly rising to them.
Today I walked the Dikler at Abbotswood to inspect our new gravels. I found 17 redds in the main estate and a further 6 redds on the upper beat above the wood. A large number of these were on our new gravels introduced in 2008, but also there were many on newly exposed gravels that had been covered in silt for many years, being cleared by our work last year. Several looked as if they were 'under construction' and I will go back to check again.
The fisheries team have started work on some river maintenance and two new bridges have been built to help with grass cutting access. Signs are also being put up as we make our way around all our fisheries. A members day will be held in February and a date will be published soon to attract interested members.
4.12.08
You probably all have heard by now but if you have not, then we are delighted to announce that the Cotswold Flyfishers are the 2008 winners of the Wild Trout Trusts 'River Habitat and Conservation Award'. Other than the acknowledgement of the clubs efforts on the Dikler and Leach, the club were awarded £1,000 to the clubs River Enhancement budget. For more information on this award please follow this link WTT Award. These funds together with those raised through the raffle and previous grants from the WTT give the club a good pot of money, which we can use for further river enhancement.
Talking of which, the bridge was successfully built over the Dikler last Sunday. This will enable us to use the grass cutter on the true left bank through the wood almost as far as the bridge. Our request for members to help has been responded to very well and I will notify members of future 'Members Work Parties' through this site as well as the newsletter.
18.11.08
Members Work Parties 'MWP':
I am planning to have three Members Work Parties over the next 12 months. The first of which is taking place on Sunday 30th November. The plan is to construct a bridge on the Upper Dikler above the wood at Upper Swell. This is so that we can get the grass cutter onto the far bank. we will also need to cut a few paths around some large fallen trees at the same time to again gain access for the gras cutter. We will be meeting at 10am in the top field on the right just past the water treatment plant. I would be grateful if you could let me know if you intend to come as it would be useful to know what I can achieve with the numbers of volunteers on the day.
There will hopefully be another 'MWP' in the early spring assuming we can get permission from the EA to do some enhancement work on the Leach at Little Farringdon. A date for this and the following MWP will be announced at a later date.
24.9.08
With only a few days left the Leach, Dikler and Coln are probably your best bet for a bit of river fishing... however, the Windrush is dropping quickly and is relatively clear on many of our waters.
Work Party.... There is a work party session open to the membership on Sunday 12th October. We will be digging the gravels at Southrop to encourage spawning. The gravels in much of this water are very compacted and the trout are not spawning in many areas. Hopefully by disturbing them, the river will then be able to wash out and sort them so that the fish can start spawning in November. If you are interested in attending, please bring a garden fork, pair of chest waders and a life jacket if you have one. We will meet at 10am at the club 'hut' at Southrop. Please e-mail me if you know you are coming so I can get an idea of numbers Gravel Washing
1.9.08
The rivers are filling up again due to the large amount of rainfall we have experienced recently. However, the Leach and Dikler may be ideal after all this rain and have been running at a good height and are clear. There are large numbers of wild fish showing and some of them quite big, particularly in the Southrop Fishery. Several members have reported very good ct aches from both these rivers in recent weeks.
Several club members helped with putting 50 tonnes of gravel into the Dikler at Abbotswood 2 weeks ago. Some final improvements are being done over the next few weeks with the introduction of large stone into these sections.
The Williamstrip beat on the Coln has produced some excellent Grayling over the summer with many reports of good fish being caught.
There will be an end of season stocking of rainbows into the Windrush at Widford and Asthall to add a little spice to the last few weeks of the season. On this point, the fish at Cornbury have been shoaling up and there seem to be many of them that are quite thin. If you catch any of these, could I suggest that you knock them on the head as it is unlikely that they will survive the winter.
There will be a working party open to members in late October to help prepare the spawning beds on the Leach. Please watch this space for details.
1.7.08
Gravel into the Dikler:
We are planning to put 60 tonnes of gravel into the Dikler at Abbotswood on Tuesday 19th August. We would welcome any help from the membership to distribute this on the day. Those interested please turn up at the Abbotswood Estate Main CFF Car Park at 9.30am. You will need to bring a spade and a pair of waders. Even if you can only help for an hour that would be fine as any help would be appreciated. The purpose of the gravels is to enhance the spawning capability as this section has been under deep layers of mud for the past 10 years or so and the gravels remaining are very thin and compacted.
In October, we will be loosening the gravels at Southrop on the Leach, so please watch this space if you are interested.
17.5.08
The Mayfly is definitely 'up'! Anglers are reporting good rises of trout with many anglers reporting 7-8 fish being taken to dry mayflies. A fantastic overwintered fish of 8lbs was caught on the Glyme on Thursday evening (16th May) after the hatch had died down and was caught in a deep pool on a mayfly nymph (details later). The hatch is happening at different times on different rivers. The Glyme and Cornbury seem to be peaking around 3pm, whereas Stanton Harcourt peaked around 7pm. Difficult to predict when as the trout do not appear to rise as well at other times. Simply put, you need to be in the right place at the right time! Usually this lasts for about 2 weeks, so get down to the river asap!
8.5.08
There have been several sightings of Mayfly starting to hatch on the Windrush and the Glyme this week. Last night there were many coming off the water, but the fish are yet to start taking them off the top. Probably are feeding on the nymph stage right now. Hopefully the next week will see a significant increase in the hatch and bring the fish up.
All waters are now stocked for the Mayfly, but some fish usually take a few days to settle down to feeding on naturals.
17 .4.08
Several anglers have reported back with good catches of fish. It looks like many anglers are using the restored waters at Abbotswood, so perhaps you might wish to pick a time when you think it may be less popular to avoid disappointment. Several anglers have fished the Glyme with good reports, with a wild 5lbs cock fish caught and returned last week and some other leviathans lost apparently!! Cornbury is fishing very well with some excellent over wintered fish being taken.
12.4.08
Most of our waters have now been stocked with the initial batch of fish. Further stocking will take place later this month and into May ready for the Mayfly. The following waters have been stocked: Windrush (Widford, Asthall, Worsham, Stanton Harcourt), Coln, Little Farringdon, Leach, Dikler (Upper Lake at Abbotswood & Bourton), Cornbury and Glyme.
Several cars have been parked on our waters without the clubs sticker in the windscreen. Please make sure you clearly display this as it is one of the clubs requirements and helps us identify our members. Also, please remember to wear your badge so we can identify you from a distance without having to disturb your fishing. There has been one incident of poaching reported already.
In the last few weeks before the start of the season, the fishery staff completed some good work on the upper Glyme. I would strongly recommend that you give the Glyme a go before the mayfly and in particular the lower betas before it weeds up. There are a lot of very good over wintered fish in this water, which we believe feed on the crayfish... hence their big size! You might also bump into the otter too!!
The last of the river visits took place today and was well attended. If you were unable to attend one of these and are unsure where our fishing is, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will try to help you out with directions.
23.2.08
Much has been happening behind the scenes since the start of the year preparing our waters for the start of the new season in April.
River Leach: Bank clearance and habitat improvements have been undertaken on much of this water. In particular, the water at Southrop has been improved with a lot of bank work being now completed. The bottom beat is accessible and best accessed by wading (body waders are best). There are many very good pools here and fishing should now be much easier with many overhanging trees and bushes cleared. The middle beat and top beats have had their banks cleared on the true left bank, so that a 5m clearance for casting and easier walking is now possible. Many trees and bushes have been dropped to create deflectors and channel narrowing as well as letting more light into the river bed to encourage weed growth. What is interesting about this water, is that when we purchased the lease a few years ago, there was virtually no weed in this section. This winter we observed large areas where as many as 4-5 different weed species including Ranunculus can be found carpeting the river bed. We were also encouraged with the large number of redds seen, some quite large. Regards access and parking at Southrop, we are still trying to negotiate with the land owner for an improved entry point. So far we have been unable to secure a new agreement, but we hope to make progress in the next week or two. The Leach at Little Farrigndon has also had work completed with some pruning of overhanging trees and bushes as well as a path cut right to the top (100m from boundary) of the water. A new style has been put in just below the point where our water meets the Lechlade Fishery. The footbridge downstream of the car park has been improved and now has a hand rail. There are a large number of wild fish in the Leach waters with many up to a pound in weight..... worth a look at!
Stanton Harcourt: A new gate has been erected at the road entrance as the old metal gate was becoming difficult to use. I hope this will enable anglers easier access to this fishery. Unfortunately we have been having some problems with the anglers from the adjacent lake at Linear. Large amounts of litter have been accumulating on our water as well as some more thoughtless anglers using the area as a replacement for the chemical toilet. We are on the case and Linear are very aware of our concerns. If you come across anglers dumping litter etc, could you please let us know as soon as possible.
Dikler: Phase two of the work on the Dikler has now been completed. The section flowing through the woodland above the lake and into the upstream field has now been cleared on the true left bank. Numerous deflectors and channel narrowing structures have been put in place as well as a new style and 'foot bridge' across the fallen tree above the wood. On the 18th February 60 tonnes of gravel were put into the river above the wood with some underwater features put in place. This work has removed a significant amount of silt that has accumulated over the past 25 years and has enabled us to provide large areas where spawning can now take place. The local farm which has been the source of this silt has been contacted by the EA and measures have been put in place to prevent future soil erosion. Due to the disruptive nature of this work, we now hope that the next 6 weeks will allow the river here to settle down and the fish move back onto the newly created lies. You may recall that we have received a grant from the WTT to undertake this work. In recognition of their support, we are entering the Dikler and Leach into the WTT Habitat Restoration Awards this year.
Meeting 'Open Night': There is to be a club night at the Marlborough Hotel in Witney on Thursday 28th February at 7.30pm. There are many activities taking place and Orvis will be participating in the event. This will be an ideal opportunity to ask questions on where and how to fish our waters in the answer question session during the evening.
8.1.08
A Very Happy New Year to all our members.
While I have a few moments I would like to update you on the work carried out recently on the Dikler above Abbotswood. Following on from the AGM, work has commenced on this section of water at the top of our beat. Most of the river passing along the Water Works, through the wood has now been cleared. As has the overgrowth near the gauge and the old bridge at the top. Now efforts are concentrating on building structures that will improve the habitat, by creating increased flow to remove years of silt. Already, masses has been removed by dropping trees to act as deflectors and sitting faggot bundles in appropriate places. Some reed beds have been cleared and the flow concentrated in narrow sections to prevent future growth blocking the river. Several members have volunteered with this work and their help has been greatly appreciated. While there is still quite a lot of work still to be done here, our efforts are now going to concentrate on our other waters. A new gate is being installed at Stanton harcourt, to replace the old one. Trees are being cleared at our Southrop water to aid easier access among many other jobs to be done before the start of the season. I will fill you in on our progress later.
1.9.07
Our waters are now getting back to reasonable levels which will enable us to fish them again. Many are still quite high, but the flooding seems to have cleared a number of them making them far more attractive to fish. Stocking has been difficult as access to the rivers has been impossible in some cases and actually dangerous. Many of the walls have been knocked out due to the high water and numerous trees have been knocked down and fallen across the rivers. With only a month left of the Brown Trout season, fishing should be good with these higher than normal levels.
17.7.07
Grass cutting was put on hold for June due to the very high water levels, making cutting dangerous. The contractors have now been instructed to cut the following rivers within the next week: Coln, Stanton Harcourt, Asthall, Southrop. The Windrush has been cut regularly as has the Glyme and access on these two fisheries has been good. 175 Rainbows were stocked into Cornbury on the 10th July and a further 500 browns will be stocked into the rivers the week commencing 23rd July. The Windrush still continues to be high and coloured, but the spring fed rivers are running clear and continue to fish well... see fishery reports.
3.7.07
The continued heavy rain has made many of our rivers quite coloured and very high. Several are close to bursting their banks and the flow can be quite fast. However, I was walking the Dikler yesterday and the water was running clear and at a good height. I saw several fish rising confidently. If you want some fishing right now, I would suggest you look at our spring fed rivers for a bit of sport... Leach, Coln and the Dikler.
12.5.07
The Mayfly has started to appear on most of our waters. Cornbury has a very good hatch at present and fish are starting to take both natural and artificial's regularly. On the Windrush, the Mayfly has been up for a few weeks now, but fish are not yet responding to the hatches.
The recent rain has brought river levels up again and should fish well once they have settled. Be careful along the margins as they can be very soft!
Dates for your diary:
Cornbury will be having major events on the following dates: 16th June, 30th June, 7/8 July, 21st July, 7/8/9th September. It may be wise to alter your fishing at this time!
23.4.07
There have been several reports of cars being broken into in the Windrush valley. A members car was broken into at Asthall. Please be aware of this and ensure that you leave nothing which might encourage thieves to enter your car.
Several members have encountered poachers on both the Coln and Dikler. One group, which numbered 6 were aggressive and refused to move on. Unfortunately the member was unable to get through to the police only getting their answer machine. Please do not confront these people as they often are not the sort of people you could have a sensible conversation with!!!Take details such as car registration numbers, appearance of the individuals etc and report it to the police..... if you can get through! We are working on this issue and hope to come up with a strategy soon.
28.3.07
As the dry weather continues, the rivers are now getting back to a satisfactory level for stocking. The fisheries team will be stocking the Windrush at Asthall and Stanton Harcourt, as well as a few more into Widford this Thursday 22nd March. A number of rainbows will also be put into Cornbury shortly to add to the browns stocked on the 19th of this month. The full stocking will then be completed by the middle of April.
19.3.07
Stocking: Some stocking has taken place this week, but due to the high flows and conditions in some rivers, we have not done a full stocking. The following waters have been stocked:
Cornbury..... normal stocking with Brown trout and Rainbows
Coln.... normal
Leach.... normal
Windrush at Widford... limited
As soon a river conditions are in any way back to normal, the full stocking program will be completed. We estimate that at this time, this will take place sometime around mid April.
River flows in the Leach and Coln are excellent, but high. Both rivers are running clear and have good stocks of fish.
Dates for your diary: Cornbury Park have public events, which may effect access and the quality of your fishing day! So please take this into consideration if you intend to fish there on these dates:
16th June Whitney Model Flying Club
30th June Shakespeare in the Park
7/8th July Cornbury Festival
21st July Benjafield Sprint
7/8/9 Sept National Association for Disabled Bikers
Closed dates at Williamstrip:
29th May, 5th June, 10th July.
It may be possible to get an alternative date by phoning John Reeve on 01285 750564
3.3.07
A lot of rain has fallen over the past few months and the rivers are all in full flow. The Dikler, Leach and Coln are at very good levels and are running quite clear once the heavier rains have filtered through. Unfortunately the Windrush is very high and coloured and the prospect of it clearing and going down to normal levels before the season starts is not looking great. The stocking program is under review at the moment and any decisions on stocking will be reviewed before the end of the month. We are obviously not keen in putting large numbers of brown trout into fast flowing coloured water.
Further work has continued on the Dikler at Abbotswood and the clearing of the reeds is now complete. More information to follow on this.
The club has negotiated a new section of the Dikler and details will be published later when the final details have been agreed.
18.1.07
Several important changes were made to the fishing rules following recommendations from the Committee. These concern Cornbury Park and are as follows:
The handbook contains six guest tickets for use outside the Mayfly season (10-31st May) on the Windrush and Coln only. Two of these tickets may be used to take guests to Cornbury Park after 31 May. Guests are allowed in accordance with fishing rule 5, and must be accompanied by a member at all times. A member may, in accordance with rule 6, be accompanied by a child under instruction. Picnicking is not allowed.
The first trout caught on each visit between 1 April and 30 September must be killed. These fish count towards the weekly and annual limits specified in fishing rule 10.
I have recently bought a wading stick from a gentleman in Adderbury. His sticks are hand made are of extremely good quality with a 10cm steel end to give it some weight. The heads come in various designs and are made of deer horn, or a variety of beautiful woods. He also makes walking sticks of similar quality. He has some on display at the 'Crown' pub in Church Enstone and can be contacted on 01295 810041 (Brian Hosband). They are very good value and cost about £50. He is more than happy to make them to specification, which takes about a week. If you do contact him, please mention the Cotswold Flyfishers!
On the river front, a great deal of work has been carried out on the Dikler this winter with some work yet to be completed. A very large amount of tree and brush growth has been removed and several sections cleared of reed! This is the first stage of work to be completed and a detailed account of the developments and fishing on this water will be posted soon. If you are interested, you can view some of the photographs taken before and after the work was completed on the 2007 photographs page.
It goes without saying that water levels are very good and present. All the EA reports are indicating a recharging of aquifers and over 100% typical winter flows for our rivers. This has certainly helped us on our work on the Dikler and has removed large sections of silt, in conjunction with some of the work done on the weirs and removal of large fallen trees, which have held up the flow for many years.
The stock pond is doing very well with virtually no sign of any disease in the fish. This is very encouraging given that we had the pond drained last year and sterilized. Unfortunately we have been visited by a rather persistent otter. He has been killing up to 10 fish a day, but a recently installed electric fence within the boundary of the pond has halted this and he has not visited the pond since! However, he has been taking a few native chub and carp from around the Widford stretch.
The storms of this week have reeked havoc at Cornbury Park and the upper Leach fishery. Several very large trees have fallen and some ended up in the lakes and river. The park staff have been working hard to clear the damage and the fishery team will be working on the upper Leach section next month. The fishery officers have also removed many pike from Stud lake( first lake) some up to 16lbs in weight. However, the majority of pike being removed are between 2-4lbs. These fish are being transferred to the second Coarse Lake where they can be fished for by the membership.
27.4.06
Most of our waters have been stocked again this week to include the Windrush, Coln, Glyme and Cornbury. Once the fish have settled down, the fishing should be very good, especially if there is a good hatch on.
Please see note on poachers in the Fishery reports section.
19.4.06
If you are interested in getting some tuition in fly fishing, we have a member in the CFF that is a qualified instructor, for further information please follow this link. Fly fishing tuition.
23.2.06
There are still several members who have not yet renewed their tickets for the 2006 season. The club secretary is in the process of processing memberships and badges at the present time and would encourage you to get in contact asap.
News regards the work carried out by the fisheries team is described in the 'Fishery Developments' page. Photographs of some of this winters work is now in the 'Photographs' pages for 2006. Much work has been done and still some to do, but you should see a big difference in many of our fisheries this year.
6.1.06
Happy New Year to all our members. Work has recently been completed on the Windrush at Widford and Stanton Harcourt. Bank clearance has taken place, removing many old willow trees that had collapsed preventing access to large sections of river. The fisheries team will be commencing work on several of our rivers this month, particularly on the Leach. The clearance of the stock pond seems to be reaping benefits already. The fish are feeding very well and there is no sign of disease, however, the otter has returned and is taking the odd fish now and again from the pond! Photographs have been posted showing some of this work... more to follow.
I found a landing net at Cornbury at the end of the season. If anyone thinks it is theirs, please contact me on my home e-mail address mrighton@stowe.co.uk
Members are reminded that the clubs subscriptions are due this month. It would be appreciated if you could ensure that these reach the membership secretary at the appropriate time.
1.9.05
Much work has been carried out on the stock pond at Windford during August. The pond was completely drained and many years of sediment (nearly 2m in places) was removed making the pond considerably deeper. Most of the reeds around the edges were cleared to allow easier netting and snags removed from the bottom of the pond. Stocking for next year will commence at the end of the month and hopefully will produce the usual high quality fish we have come to be used to.
19.4.05
Following the excellent start at Cornbury Park this season with over 90 rod visits already, it is hoped to start a Fishery Report Page. As Cornbury is the only fishery which we get direct feedback on catches etc. we are going to start with this. If you fish a particular river and have a good day and would like us to know what you caught and with what etc. I will be happy to compile this for our members to view. Please e-mail me at mrighton@stowe.co.uk
Following last nights committee meeting, it was mentioned that the EA are going to extend the introduction of Granduncles onto our stretch of the Glyme. If anyone is willing to help we would very much appreciate it. We need about 6 volunteers on Friday 6th May. Unfortunately most of the fishery assistants are at work and unable to get involved on that day. If you would like to help, could you please contact me on mrighton@stowe.co.uk
1.3.05
The club has acquired another stretch of the Leach (Little Farringdon) near Lechlade. A stretch of wonderful clear water below the Lechlade trout farm which has many deep pools and riffles. The fishery officers have cleared many overhanging trees to allow access to the water which were previously unfishable. The water has recently been stocked with brown trout and is well worth a visit. Wading is allowed and would be the preferred method of access. Walk carefully as there are several submerged branches and boulders. We would be interested in any comments if you visit this water. It is our intention to further develop this water creating new pools and features. Please forward any comments to wildbrownie@yahoo.co.uk
Having signed a 25 year lease much work has also been carried out on the Leach at Southrop. Contractors were called in to remove a large number of trees and access has been made easier with work from the fisheries team. A map of the beat can be found on the maps icon at the side of this page or by clicking on 'Leach Southrop'. This is primarily a wild trout fishery and members should find this water far more accessible following this work.
The club has acquired a fourth lake at Cornbury Park. The top Lake (Superior) has recently been stocked with trout and should provide excellent fishing for our members. The other lakes have also been stocked in March in preparation for the new season. The existing stock have wintered well having gained weight and should produce some surprises to visiting anglers. Please remember to complete the returns sheet in the car park before you leave.
Please note the the changes to the dates available at the Williamstrip fishery (see handbook). This offers excellent fishing on the Coln at Coln St Aldwyns. Fishing is available on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. To book please phone Trevor Cramphorn on 07981 247546.Trevor is taking booking until the the 25th April when David Reinger will be the contact for bookings. A map of the fishery can be found on the 'Maps' icon at the side of the page or by clicking on 'Williamstrip fishery'.
The club has now secured the fishing opposite Abrham's meadow at Minster Lovell as part of an agreement with the coarse anglers who operate a syndicate on this water. We can also use the small car park close to the river. Please see the map for details by clicking on the Maps icon at the side of this page or by clicking on Windrush Minster Lovell.
Booking is now not required on the Glyme at Wooton. However, members are reminded of the Sunday ruling regarding this water and details can be found in your handbook.
A great deal of work has been done on our water on the Coln near Fairford. Contractors have removed many fallen trees and made several sections now fishable.
Just a reminder to members about the Stanton Harcourt water. Linear fisheries now have access to the lakes off the true right bank of our water. It has been agreed that their members should not interfere with our water and it is strongly recommended that CFF members wear their membership badges at all times. You may be approached by CFF as well as Linear bailiffs to prove identification in order to control poaching on this section. A reminder of the rabbit holes along this bank which in places are treacherous! Having fallen down them many times myself I am acutely aware of the danger they present.
Members requested to wear their membership badges at all times when on CFF waters. The fishery officers will be looking for these when checking the waters for 'unauthorised' visitors!
We are introducing a new page this year on the CFF web site. We are having a notice board that will highlight open days where fishery officers will do guided tours of our waters, good fishing deals on rivers and lakes as well as opportunities for fishing and accommodation abroad. If you would like to contribute please contact Trevor Cramphorn on wildbrownie@yahoo.co.uk
