The Witham in Grantham

[Stathamender]

As some of you may know I recently acquired a Mordex 'Witham' rod at a car boot for a fiver and I've been thinking about opportunities for using it on the river it's named after. As I'm dependent on public transport and those special trains from Sheffield don't run any longer this leaves me with few opportunities. However I found a website the other day which claims that fishing the Witham is free when it passes through Queen Elizabeth Park in Grantham, which I can get to reasonably easily. Any one know if this is true?

[Swythyn Troutbeck]

Yes, it's not only free, it's good! Very nice Roach and some nice chubby Chub, No trouble spotting the fish as the water is usually clear and you'll have no trouble finding a place to fish. At least that was the case before I moved to France twelve years ago but I doubt that the situation has changed. Bread is a good bait as the fish mop up all the crust thrown to the ducks by other park users. I believe that Bob James fished this stretch in his lunch hours during his tenure of the ACA in Grantham.

Troutbeck

[Stathamender]

Merci beaucoup, mon brave!

[Loop Erimder]

I fancy some of that, its only an hour away for me. I couldn't find Queen Elizabeth park

[Stathamender]

I think it was renamed recently, it used to be Wyndham Park, north of the town centre.

[Swythyn Troutbeck]

If I remember rightly, all of the river from Spittlegate Mill downstream from the town centre is council owned and free fishing. Don't forget to explore the part of the park on the other side of Belton Road bridge, downstream all the way to Harrowby Mill (the weir) but the small lake in the park is leased to the local fishing club as a learner's lake.

Immediately below the bridge is some cracking chub fishing but you have to get down between the tree roots to get at it. The river runs along the garden walls of the housing estate in a series of holes and riffles and I never failed to shock, awe and amaze passers by with the size of the chub I freelined out on crust or worm. Actually they were only in the 2lb to 4lb class but most people only expect minnows in the middle of a town so they were easily impressed. The Chub are short and stocky and it's tricky "Injun" fishing the sort that David Carl Forbes would fully have approved of. My Edgar Sealey "The Roach Rod" could have been designed especially for it...just right with wide drum Aerial. A ten foot rod is the most you will need.

Loop, you should treat yourself to a Grantham Anglers Association book. The GAA have cracking fishing on the upper Witham and Grantham canal (great early morning Tench fishing between Denton Bridge and the Reservoir and fun plug fishing in winter for Pike). It's the only thing I really miss about England.

Troutbeck

[Loop Erimder]

I may just look into it

[Stathamender]

I'll get down there early in the season and see what gives. Who knows this might merit a TFF convocation.

[Loop Erimder]

Only £25 membership and some nice looking stretches