The River Stour, Suffolk

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The Tuesday Swim
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The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by The Tuesday Swim »

As a East End residence I have two regular escape routes, one is down to Sussex to a private lake the other is to the river Wye.

There's plenty of fishing in between but I feel that there is something missing, a good chance of catching some river roach and pike. My thoughts are to try the Suffolk Stour, does anyone fish there and can tell me more about it, the good places to fish and the access?

Your thoughts are most welcome!

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Harry H
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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Harry H »

Not fished it for a couple of years but its a lovely river,very good for Pike,Bream and roach
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The Tuesday Swim
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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by The Tuesday Swim »

Thanks for your reply Henry, could you give me more details on clubs, locations, etc?

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Harry H
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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Harry H »

I have asked my brother in law who lives in sudbury and he says you can get a day ticket on the bank for £5.I would try phoning the local tackle shop for more info 01787 312118.
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ChrispDuck

Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by ChrispDuck »

I fish the Stour a lot and you can always try the mill pool at Dedham. You can fish the bank opposite the car park for free. Some very large shoals of bream in the pool at times, I've had 96lb out in a session with individual fish to over 8lb. Some good roach also and in the swim closest to the lock gates had good perch out on jigs.
A few large pike on deadbaits but plenty of small jack.

You can also walk down stream towards Flatford Mill and fish that whole stretch for free. Most of the species mentioned above are present, but it gets very weedy during the summer and is often over the banks after heavy rain.

Revell366

Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Revell366 »

As been said the tackle shop does tickets but also worth checking out Sudbury aa as there's some bits that are club only but friars meadow was day ticket parking is behind the quey theatre was free ;0) or you can park at the kingfisher swimming pool and the main bridge at ballingdon in between the railway bridge there was parking there at one time hope this helps

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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Floppy Hat »

My home territory. And that of Mr River Monsters himself, Jeremy Wade, who learned to fish on the Stour at Nayland. Let us start by saying what you will find in the river. just about everything that swims and has fins. Most of the river is either club, private (no entry) or sydicate. So you'll need to do your homework regarding where you want to fish.
It begins being fishable around Clare. It is quite weedy and slow running. It is the home of the roving angler with all he needs in his pockets, a light napsac, one rod and a landing net. Be prepared to walk and stalk. You will come across nice chub and roach which like the taste of a piece of breadflake.
At Glemsford, there is a small pool (very deep) by a car park. Just south of the old railway station. Downstream of here are some quality roach swims. Nice chub and bream too. again, travel light. The closer you get to Long Melford, the wider and slower it becomes....and more private!!! There are Barbel in this stretch.
Below Long Melford you will come to Rodbridge. Here is a small section of free fishing on the picnic site. This is a wide slow running section right down to Henny. There are small narrow shallow sections. Check locally in Sudbury for information on where to fish as some is free and some ticket and some club water.
Below Ballingdon bridge the river becomes quite wide indeed and is frequented by a variety of sailing and rowing boats as well as canoeists. The traffic carries on to Cornard where a weir blocks their passage. Good bags of roach and bream are found along here plus the occasional carp and large tench. It is slow and meandering down to Henny.
Below Henny weir London clubs,including Billericay, have the rights. It would be good to point out that if you are from Suffolk, anywhere south (and including) of Colchester is London. Mind you I've never seen anyone fishing these sections. At lamarsh, Daws Hall it is Sydicate water. This stretch has some monster chub and barbel in, both above the weir at Daws Hall and below. Blow the rail bridge is LAA water but again, i've never seen anyone fishing here. It is along way from the road and I think this puts the modern angler off. Modern anglers appear to have lost th function of their legs and if they cannot drive to the waters edge, ignore it. Good for them. More river for me.
Going downstream towards Bures it is slow deep and meanderinga nd there are plenty of Roach, Bream, Chub, Perch and Pike to be had. If you can find them.
below Bures roadbridge was the onetime haunt of John Wilson. he had many large bags of quality roach from this stretch. Sadly the roach are not as prolific, but theere are still plenty to be had if you can find them. Below Bures Mill, the river changes to a narrow streamy and weedy river. Very clear. Back to having everything in your pockets, hunting out solitary chub that hide in glides between the weed beds. It carries on like this alternating from narrow shallow runs to deep sections all the way to Wormingford. Below Wormingford bridge it goes narow and streamy again. Many years ago, in the seventies, I spent an afternoon catching huge gudgeon just below the bridge. I have never caught them as big since. Below the camp site at Rushbanks farm Wissington (free fishing for campers), the river widens again. the banks are very hard to get to on the suffolk side but accessable on the Essex side. I've spoken to anglers here while canoing and they told me it is good fishing.
From Wissington Mill and weir, it belongs to C.A.P.S. Colchester Angling Preservation Soc. I've had good bags in the wier and below. Downstream of here the river widens once again until you get to Nayland. it can be very weedy in the summer. I have seen carp anglers upstream of the bypass bridge. i've never caught one but have had nice roach and chub.
Downsream of Nayland step weir is a very streamy section belonging to CAPS. there used to be loads of big chub here and CAPS stocked this section with barbel. i've never seen of caught any. The river runs down toward Boxted mill and the closer you get the wider and slower it gets. It is CAPS water. Boxted Mill is very private and the mill pool is well off limits. Look over the iron bridge and drool.
Below Boxted iron bridge it is either CAPS or CPS, Colchester Piscatorial soc, all the way down to half way between Stratford St Mary and Dedham. It is a very deep slow section with good bream, roach perch and pike. There are barbel in this stretch.
From Dedham mill upstream for a few hundred metres, the mill pool (not the weir wall, lock and surrounds,very private) is free. Below the bridge is free to the first fence but no one will bother you either side right down to Fen Bridge. plenty of fish of all sorts, including carp.
The meadows upstream of flatford bridge are ticket water but if you fish there in the winter, no one will bother you. these meadows go right up to Dedham. When i was boy you could never find a swim for the first hlf mile of the bridge but in the eighties they moved the car park up to the top of the hill. Thus it became too much of a chore to walk the extra hundred metres 9if you park at the bottom end of the new car park the distance is the same. In the summer this area, Dedham to Flatford, is full of rowing boats and tourists. Probably best avoided in the summer at weekends between 09.00 and 20.00. Below the bridge is Natioanl Trust and they stopped the fishing when they purchased the land in the eighties. there is now no fishing from the bridge to fifty metres below the mill wall. Huge bags of bream and roach used to pulled out of the mill pool in days of old. now you have to watch the bream and huge carp swim around laughing at you.
Below the mill pooll to Judas Gap is ticket but depending when you go, no one will bother you. Below Judus gap the land is now owned by the RSPB and is off limits both side. I have had big bags of bream on this section. The only only problem was the carp that would always snap you. I have caught big tench in this section. Biggest eight and a quarter pounds. The is the section from Flatford Mill, down to Cattwade barrage. There is a free section at Cattawade that can get very very weedy in the summer.

Once again, check to see what parts you can get to. Maybe a day or weekend reccying the river. There are some big fish to be had. It is my river. It is where i learned to fish and still fish. if you send me a private messgae I will do what I can to help out.

Here's one I caught between Flatford and Cattawade a few years back. Now off limits on RSPB land.
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Danny

Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Danny »

A very helpful thread indeed. Are the writers of this still active. I'm new to Essex , colchester specifically, and I'm hoping to find some nice river spots in hope of some good roach and perch through autumn. Ive walked some of the colne and it's appeal isn't great for me. Not on the bits I've seen at least. Very weedy and hard to get to. And sadly not much fish activity to mention. I really enjoyed reading this thread on the stour and it's swayed me into thinking this is where I must go and look at next. Would love to hear if anyone still fishes it and how it's fairing. Kindest regards

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Tengisgol
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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Tengisgol »

I have a friend who is involved in a syndicate on the Stour with some nice roach fishing. I believe there were places available for this season and I don't recall it being overly expensive. I recall it was around Bures. I am based in Chelmsford but tend to either fish very locally or travel up to the Wensum, skipping over the Stour on the way, so I declined an opportunity to join. Let me know if you want me to make an enquiry and introduction.

The Essex/Suffolk Stour is a very lovely river.

I don't know the Colne but you may find it better after Xmas when we've had some frosts and floods to clear the weed. That's certainly the same for the rivers further down my way such as the Chelmer, Wid and Roding.
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Re: The River Stour, Suffolk

Post by Stathamender »

Tengisgol wrote: Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:59 am I have a friend who is involved in a syndicate on the Stour with some nice roach fishing. I believe there were places available for this season and I don't recall it being overly expensive. I recall it was around Bures. I am based in Chelmsford but tend to either fish very locally or travel up to the Wensum, skipping over the Stour on the way, so I declined an opportunity to join. Let me know if you want me to make an enquiry and introduction.

The Essex/Suffolk Stour is a very lovely river.

I don't know the Colne but you may find it better after Xmas when we've had some frosts and floods to clear the weed. That's certainly the same for the rivers further down my way such as the Chelmer, Wid and Roding.
I have many happy memories of fishing the Stour, especially the Colchester Angling stretches at Nayland and Stratford St Mary http://www.caps.org.uk/frames.htm. London Anglers have stretches of the Stour at Cavendish, Clare, Glemsford and Bures: https://www.londonanglers.co.uk/stour.html and https://www.londonanglers.co.uk/stillwaters.html. The last two also offer good lake fishing.
Last edited by Stathamender on Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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