The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I too once fished the Roding regularly, though a bit further downstream at patch Park just outside Abridge, the last fish I caught from there were Tench on floatfished bredflake! I also used to fish the tidal stretch in Barking when I was at primary school, once caught an eel and a friend caught a small skeleton, either a cat or rabbit, can't recall which. It was a wonderful little river, too far away for a dedicated visit, but perhaps if work takes me back that way.......

I still haven't been back and fished that spot but I have kept the little crow's quill. It has been 'annus horrbilis' this year, in terms of matters preventing me from fishing, but I am determined that 2017 will be better.

Thank you for your memories NTC; you've one over me there - I don't recall ever catching a Roding tench though I knew there were one or two about in the slower stretches.

All the best.

Nice piece Phil, hopefully the river with your favourite swim will still be there when the M25 and it’s hustle and bussel is long gone !
Tight lines Dave

I was over at Patch Park last week... We were on our way back from meeting the in-laws for lunch and I stopped to have a look at the river.... How it has changed...
I remembered walking the Roding from Debden up to Abridge on a Boxing Day... (I was about 15 or 16 at the time) I couldn't get any bait (not even bread, as my mum needed it for brekky next morning) so I went **** kicking, (kicking over cowpats for anything that could be used as bait) a couple of "Leatherjackets" and the odd Brandling were found and I managed a couple of Chublets and dace... Tackle in those days was a 7' solid glass rod with an old Intrepid Prince Regent... ledgering with too heavy a lead and too big a hook was the norm...

Back in those days I was a member of Loughton AS and we had the whole bit from Debden to the Old Mill at Passingford Bridge... Sadly those bits are all segmented and run by different clubs or privately owned... Billericay DAC has the Patch Park stretch, but Passingford Bridge is out of bounds nowadays...
I'll have to give Patch Park another go... it's been nearly 30 odd years since I last wet a line down there, although I still dabble at Shonks Mill (BDAC water) and occasionally the ODAS stretches... Ongar has the sections above and Below Halsford Bridge, there are a few nice Chub, Pike and Perch in the deeper pools, but pollution, abstraction, Crays and predation have taken their toll over the years and the fishing is nowhere near as good as it used to be....

Great read. Looking forward to reading the next installment ; how you caught some wonderful perch with your new crow quill float.

Just read this Tengisgol - it's a fabulous post and I was with you every step of the way.

I had a very similar experience with the M25 at Betchworth in Surrey on the River Mole. The A25 was just a country lane when we boys used to cycle from Merstham to Betchworth in the dark 55 years ago.

its all very different now.....

Super post - thanks Phil.

Superb river and I visit soon after this read ...