The Itchen Navigation at Shawford - private fishing?

[CraigM]

I'd always understood that it was free fishing upstream of the Inn on the Bridge to the end of the field above the weir & pool.

However, the owner of the house on the bank opposite the pub (on the way up to the footbridge where the river splits), told me that he owns the (private) fishing from the footbridge up to @ 200 yards down from the pool, ie. to where the bankside trees end.

There's a small notice on the footbridge to that effect, which wasn't there before. He's also very anti wading as he says the fish spawn along that section.

No reason to doubt him & he was very polite about it.

Any comments, as I know this is a spot the TFF visits annually?

[Chevin]

If that's true then it is only recent...... fished there just after Christmas and was no sign then, neither was I challenged, was actually fishing the stretch by said house aswell. I always understood that the fishing was never free as the rights belonged to the locals only, but nobody ever seemed that bothered about where you were from.

I wonder if its just a local chancing his arm and laying claim to the stretch.

[Chubman]

if you google, free fishing at shawford and clik on the twyford parish council link you will find the relative information.tight lines chubman.

[CraigM]

Thanks Chubman.

That answers it.

Not so free after all. Parishioners only.

My bloke reckoned that, as owner of that house, he'd bought the fishing rights too. Will leave him to argue it with the locals.

[JAA]

My grandfather 'Old Bob', once spent several hours standing underneath Twyford bridge, as he went to poach a salmon he spotted lying upstream of. Went and got got his 'pole with the wire noose' (technically a sort of fishing rod) and waded up under the arch from the downstream side...then the vicar stopped to watch the fish, a rare enough thing...then the village bobby (remember those?), then a couple of other folk stopped by to watch and chat and pretty soon, he reckoned, the whole blasted (well he didn't say 'blasted' but, 'you know') village was there whilst he stood in the freezing cold stuff up to his nicky-nacky-noos.

By the time the party had dispersed he was frozen in personal places and the salmon of course had bu88ered off up to Winchester.

[Kev Parr]

Nice tale JAA!

[Kev Parr]

When I lived in Winchester I did ask locally about the 'Parishioner's only' rule for the Twyford Meads stretch. Nobody really seemed to have a definitive answer, the feeling among those who had fished it being that if it was treated respectfully then no-one would object....

There are big grayling in the free stretches in Winchester though - the river itself and the Navigation below Blackbridge. I've caught them to over two pounds but know a chap who had a 3.10 on a nymph.

Then there are the roach..........lordy - there are some massive roach mooching around Winchester..

[Chubman]

those winchester red fins would be hiding out in the moors river near winnall i assume.

[Danny Boy]

does this mean no more tff vists to this wonderful part of the itchen

[Kev Parr]

those winchester red fins would be hiding out in the moors river near winnall i assume.

Certainly some good fish up there but I've also seen them in some unlikely looking spots...