Stanford End Loddon Report 16th June - 20th August 2011 by Head Bailiff John Glover

A mixed start to the season on the Loddon this year depending on what you were targeting. The river condition for much of the time have been low and clear, so for the majority of anglers who attend this venue looking for Barbel and Chub it seems it has been a bit of a struggle, more so during the daylight hours. Not really a surprise to hear that the better fish are showing up from dusk onwards and also into the later part of the evening and small hours.

I do notice that angler numbers visiting the venue are still what I would describe as low but steady. More and more though are fishing for the smaller species like Roach, Perch and Dace and the catch rates here so far are very encouraging as are the fish sizes.

Weed is in abundance this year, I would say more so than last year, but not by a huge margin. Some of the swims have changed somewhat due summer growth and offer some interesting options.

A couple of points to note so far. One has been the construction work in the top field to construct a relief channel and the restorative work going on, there have been a few occasions where this has caused a significant colouration of the water and for some this means a disaster but for others it seems to be a godsend. Funny those two views were phoned into me on the same day proving as ever there is always two sides to a story and meaning you can decide yourselves which is the happy ending!

The second point is about the cows, so we should clear this up. The access to the fishery and areas we can fish do not change just because there are cows in one of the fields. Field 3 at the lower end is accessed by hopping over the fence. It is there to stop the cows getting out not to stop you getting in! Don't miss out on fishing just because of cattle. Also FAS does not have any say in where the cows go and in what field, it is a working farm and things change from day to day, week to week.

A quick reminder as well about unhooking mats. This is an FAS requirement and you must have one in your possession. Please do not set up fishing if you have forgotten your mat as we will ask you to stop fishing and collect it if you want to continue.

All in all not a great deal to report so far as we are only 2 months into the season at the time of writing. With that in mind, it's fair to say that the start has been reasonable for some and maybe less so for others. I wish everyone luck in their pursuits on the Loddon this year.

Thanks also to Barry, Mick and Bruce the bailiffs for their continued support.

November 2010 – March 2011 end of season: John Glover - Head Bailiff

A very typical few winter months from November onwards saw a decrease in angler numbers and a change of style for many of the regulars. Chub and Perch became the main targets as anglers scaled down tactics to account for the colder conditions. There were some good catches of both species during the winter months, but as always the very quick changeable levels of the river provided quite a challenge, with December and January were very quiet months of the year un-surprisingly: most anglers continuing to diversify their approach and few were after the Barbel at this time !

The weather stayed cold during February with low and clear water levels for much of the time, and with the onset of March things were still a bit chilly in the first week. As ever, moving into the second week of March and with the end of season bearing down upon us, it saw a flurry of activity at Stanford End as the temperatures notched up a bit and spring it seemed had finally sprung. Chub were still the obvious target and many bagged one or two in the final week of fishing.

Looking back over the last season it has been one of the better ones at Stanford End. Whilst there was not the "outstanding" catches of yesteryear (with the exception of a Society record Chub), what we did enjoy was a more consistent traditional season. A good summer followed by a very settled autumn period and a good old fashioned freezing cold winter with lots of snow. Whilst we did get some high levels of water during the winter months and a small localised patch of flooding, there was nothing like the carnage of 2007, so for many the conditions were much more favourable and in line with expectations.

Its interesting to see just how changeable the conditions can be at Stanford End, in a matter of days things can be vastly different which means you never really know what you are going to get until you get there ! I like the fact that nobody ever really nails this river, and for anyone who thinks they have, then the experience does not usually last for very long!

Once again, from a bailiffing perspective I am pleased to report that the season just gone has been a trouble free experience with impeccable behaviour from our regular anglers. We are not just enjoying a trouble free venue, but also a litter free venue thanks to the unselfish actions of our regular anglers who take care of our surroundings. My thanks to all of you for keeping the venue up to the high standards we are used to. Long may it continue. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my team of bailiffs for their help during the last season, your input is greatly appreciated.

So for now June 16th, seems a long way away, and us river anglers need something easy, and simple to do. Something that does not require much thought to be getting on with. . . Yep its time to go Carp fishing on a lake ! ! ! ! !.

September to November 2010: John Glover - Head Bailiff

After a reasonable and fairly consistent first few months on the Loddon this season it was good to see the transition into September continue the trend with good all round catches and favourable weather.

Nothing in the way of extreme weather or floods September proved to be an enjoyable end of Summer experience with the cooler days and evenings providing ideal fishing conditions as the nights began to slowly draw in.

From the reports I received, it seemed the daytime fishing had improved whilst the evening and night time fishing may have trailed off a bit, but this is not and never will be an exact science. That said, it would be fair to say that September whilst not outstanding, still delivered a reasonable catch rate and success for the regular visitors.

As ever, the number one target at SE are the Barbel and there were good catches of fish in the 7Ib to 10Ib category with double figure fish also caught with some good catches up to around twelve pounds. One angler struck lucky with a superb fish of 14Ib 3oz.

There were also some excellent Chub being caught as well, though the overall numbers appeared to be lower the reports of specimen fish were very encouraging and a fair few personal best Chub were caught often unexpectedly. The smaller species continued to show well with good reports of Perch and Roach coming in. One note of interest were two fine river Carp that were reported during September as well which is always encouraging to hear about. The usual baits were working well, being pellets, boilies and meat presented over a bed of hemp or corn.

Free lined bread flake as well proved to be irresistible to the Chub in certain stretches during September.

Moving into October and late autumn saw the natural slow down in catch rates, partly due to angler numbers decreasing and weather factoring in a little bit more and it was here during the evenings where conditions were more favourable that patience was paying off, more notably in the top section as regular anglers were choosing the easier path of this part of the venue as it does provide a bit more protection for the angler and the fish. Yes it was certainly classic autumn fishing with the increase in the water flow and depth from overnight rain helping things along and the third week in particular proved to be very good if you were targeting Chub. Maggot feeders and small boilies were flavour of the month for October, with meat working well for the Barbel.

Of course having a good summer and reasonable autumn rather suggests that every silver lining has a cloud so November arrived with some ominous signs and then went on to deliver an early freeze in the later stages and proving the point entirely. Not much to be said for November as it was truly difficult with such changeable conditions.
Having said that for much of the time river conditions were ideal even if the weather was not so good and there were respectable catches of Chub and Perch for the anglers that scaled their tactics down.

Once again a big thank you to all visiting SE, for keeping it the pleasant and litter free venue that it is.

16th June to 20th August 2010 - John Glover, Head Bailiff

The start of the season as ever was a busy one at Stanford End with people eager to be on the water from midnight right from the word go. June 16th promises so much but for many delivers very little as the Loddon being the fickle river it is never fails to let you down when you least need it the most! So for many the opening was as it has
always been over the last few years a bit of a brutal awakening as many who were there for the kick off went home on a blank, but for one or two they went home with fond memories of a great opener after bagging the odd Barbel or two, not to mention some very nice chub on the way.

The fishing during June was a bit hit and miss as low water levels and a fairly dry period slowed things down. The weather during June gave us a few chances as the river got the occasional splash from rain, but it was very sporadic and it meant weather watching and timing played a big part if you were after the Barbel. Certainly during June some
great fish were caught and it was encouraging to hear from members that the river was generally fishing well for most species, so all in all not a bad start considering.

Moving into July the river hit quite a dry spell and the water level was quite low. The initial interest dropped off and the weed gathered pace but the lower fields proved again that evening sessions late into the night were proving fruitful and some fine Barbel into double figures were being taken. The usual baits were working well, meat,
pellets, and small boilies over beds of hemp, trout pellets, or maggots and these simple methods were drawing the fish in. All other species had a fair showing as well with plenty of Roach, Dace and Perch being caught, with just one exception Pike, we haven't seen much from them this year on the spinners. It was great to get reports of
fish from the most unlikely and untouched swims which really shows that our river anglers do stop and think their watercraft through. Fair play to them, they tell me I could learn from them but that is a different story!

Going into August and the weather certainly starts to have an impact. Rain really starts to make a difference and the river picks up as the water level rises. High levels of rain put the river into almost perfect conditions, leaving it coloured and fast running and for decent periods of time. It can be grim conditions to fish in but the river certainly benefited as the catch rates seemed to be more consistent. It certainly has been quite a few years since we saw the Loddon in such good condition during August.

In summary the river has fished quite well thus far. Certainly an improvement over recent seasons. Simple baits and methods are working well.

Members are reminded about the need to give Barbel ample recovery time before release and to always be in possession of an unhooking mat and a decent sized landing net if Barbel fishing. It is also unacceptable to be sharing a landing net and puts not only the fish at risk but the individuals permits as well. Please do not let this spoil your
fishing.

Finally, a big thank you to our river anglers for keeping the place tidy and clean. It is very much appreciated.

Please have a look at the Stanford End gallery to see just a few of the quality fish that have been caught from this section of the river

The Ron Hayes Trophy (best Chub from Society waters)

The 2009 trophy was won by Colin Rane with a 4lb 10oz Chub caught on 2nd August.

September to November 2009:

Alby Jones caught a 14lb 4oz Barbel on 29th September.

September was another difficult month on the Loddon at SE with most anglers complaining about the lack of water and the apparent lack of fish. Daytime sessions were proving difficult for the Barbel anglers and the catch rate of Chub seemed to be lower than this time last year. For the small species the faster water in and around the weirs proved to be the better areas for catching.

Evening sessions tended to be more favourable with the first hour of darkness often triggering a bite or two. Certainly the die-hard overnighters who were making the most of the better weather were catching the best fish.

October saw things pick up especially into the last week after some steady rain brought the levels up and coloured the water. Some very good fish were starting to appear and once again it was the few who stayed on until the small hours that were being rewarded. The top section was busier than normal because of the cattle in the lower fields had scared many off after the press reported a few people getting killed around the country by mad cows. No one got killed at SE but a few got trapped in as the farmer had left a drink trough by the gate. In any case the cooler weather and improvements in the water were contributing to better fishing both day and night.

Moving into November saw a similar picture but with increasing rain and clag coming downstream things were being made difficult. Most people were now targeting Barbel and Chub but November saw things a little more hit and miss. Pike were showing to the usual dead baits and a few good Perch were also caught. Some pretty poor weather during the month kept a lot of people away, though once again the late evening and small hours were proving to yield results.

August 2009:

August is traditionally a poor month on the River Loddon at Stanford End and 2009 did not fail to break this tradition in any way.

With about 80% of visitors targeting Barbel most of them went home with a blank during August as the river literally switched off. Chub fishing also suffered particularly in the first two weeks of the month though began to pick up a bit towards the end. There were a few exceptions during mid August and it was noticeable that any Barbel that were being caught, came out mostly on night sessions well into the small hours.

The general fishing was confirmed by people who contacted me that had gone small species fishing and had come up with very little. I did the same myself during August and also noticed that there did not seem to be much in the way of Dace, Perch and Roach. Spinning for Pike however proved to be quite productive with some nice fish up to ten pounds being caught on the lure.

Water levels in the river have been the lowest I can remember for many years. This time last year the levels were consistently up by about a foot due consistent rain. No flooding and little rain during the month had left the level very low indeed and gin clear. The river has also been weedier than in previous years though the low levels of water probably exaggerate this.

The last week of August went some way to restore confidence as nighttime catches of Barbel and Chub picked up and a few significant fish well into double figures were caught. Freelining meat seemed the best method and bait during August.

Angler levels also dropped off in August due partly to the poor fishing and also by the cows, bull and calves roaming in the bottom fields.

Two anglers were denied access to the river in August, one who was not a member claiming he forgot to rejoin and another who had no unhooking mat.