Change in the River Lea

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Mark
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Change in the River Lea

Post by Mark »

I have just been re-reading Bob Buteux book 'Full Circle' and these two pictures of River Lea are from the book, what has happened to the river to make it lose the bend near the spinney.

1950's
1950's.jpg
Today
Today.jpg
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The most precious places in the English landscape are those secretive corners,
where you find only elder trees, nettles and dreams. (BB - Denys Watkins-Pitchford).

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Tengisgol
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Tengisgol »

The river was straightened post-war presumably when they dug the pit that I know of as Langridge Lake but others call Holyfield. They put a concrete bank in on the lake side of the river, known as 'the wall' to the fishermen. It always used to be great chub and barbel fishing but a bit tougher now. On the Google maps image you can see the sluice on the lake where I once saw a monster barbel (obviously a flood escapee)!


Image


I have always assumed that this is it, pictures from the Peter Frost book 'Barbel - Fishing Step by Step' from 1976. There are many pictures of Kings Weir in that book. Fifteen years later (if it is the same spot, and I am sure it is) it was all very much overgrown and we encouraged many trees (willows mainly) to go over into the river to create fish holding rafts on both banks.



Image
Where the willows meet the water...

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Rojj
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Rojj »

Hi there,
Would this be near Fishers Green? I used to fish there in the '60's, and the Lea there has just as many bends as I recall, from looking on Google Maps. The fishery itself though, is virtually unrecognisable. That was before the Flood Relief Channel was put in, and, so far as I can tell, all of the water went down the Lea, all of the time.
On several occasions, after rain, I arrived at the fishery, and the pits and river had merged to create a giant eddy!
It was a great place, especially for Roach on the pole from the river, using Hemp.
Rojj

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Tengisgol
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Tengisgol »

This is the next stretch upstream from Fishers Green Rojj.
Where the willows meet the water...

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Tizer
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Tizer »

Tengisgol,did you ever fish the police pit.Next to Friday lake?

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Tengisgol
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Tengisgol »

Tizer, no I don't believe I did. I fished North Met, Langridge, Waterhole, the Lagoons and some friends fished at Admirals Walk. I fished the Turnford pits a couple of times too. I think that's it but I'd need to look at my photos to jog my memory!

North Met was an amazing place. Took my inflatable out there one closed season and saw some remarkable carp and a great big crucian (or at least that is what it looked like).

What was Friday Pit like then Tizer?
Where the willows meet the water...

https://sites.google.com/site/tengisgol/

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Tizer
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Tizer »

Did we bump into each other,?I fished all them pits and bailiffed a few,I ALWAYS had my dogs with me,you would remember me if you had met me,I loved Admirals for the piking,If you remember there was one big one in there and I know it came out at least 12 times in one season and then there was the close season(thank god) and it came out again the next winter,which proves that they can survive repeat captures if they are handled correctly and the place was well bailiffed,you might remember the Kirbys used to fish over there.

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Totman
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Totman »

Used to fish the lea and fishers green over 40 years ago, often read about some of the huge chub coming out at fishers green often caught chub around 3lb mark and barbel up to 8lb but nothing like whats being landed now!!! just wondering why the improvement in size of fish. can no longer fish their as i now live over 200 miles away .regards totman

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Olly
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Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Olly »

The RMC/Leisure Sport/CEMEX water started at the downstream end of the King's Weir section.

Isn't the sluice in the bottom right of Tengisgol's picture the outlet from the Flood Relief Channel that carries on at the southernmost end of Landridge/Holyfield Lake?

Still known as Fishers Green and run by a consortium of local clubs.

Stuart Whiting

Re: Change in the River Lea

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Olly wrote:The RMC/Leisure Sport/CEMEX water started at the downstream end of the King's Weir section.

Isn't the sluice in the bottom right of Tengisgol's picture the outlet from the Flood Relief Channel that carries on at the southernmost end of Landridge/Holyfield Lake?

Still known as Fishers Green and run by a consortium of local clubs.
Yep the sluice is still there and yes the fishers green stretch of river is run by the green consortium consisting of 11 clubs, 2 of which I'm a member of , have fished kings weir and fishers green for the last 28 years and tacking 102 x 6lb + chub within this time and 4 x 7lber's :Hat:

Best ever was 8 x 6lber's and 2 x 5's in one very hectic session all taken on wag n mag tactics and never got anywhere near to that since

Image

Stuart

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