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Darren Cox @ Stratford Recreation Ground

Hi Anthony

We have all joined Hugh’s Fish Fight. Great cause.

I did my feature at the Rec yesterday and in 3 hours 55 mins had 15lb of roach plus a 3lb tench and a 6lb bream. The article is going into Improve Your Coarse Fishing and they were over the moon with the feature. I would urge any members who want a fantastic days fishing to get down there before the season ends. I balled in 8 jaffas at 13m with a few dead maggots, pinkies and casters and fished maggot then caster for the bigger roach over the top. You could catch on a stick or waggler if you wanted and have a lovely days bagging.

I will try and get the pics for you as soon as I can.

Kind regards

Darren

These two stretches of the beautiful Warwickshire Avon provide consistent sport in winter and summer. Being conveniently located close to the centre of Stratford means that angling can be combined with other activities for all the family. Quality shops, pubs, restaurants and the Stratford Leisure Centre with swimming pool are all nearby.

Both stretches have superb shoals of roach which often provide double figure bags. The Lido has a good head of chub, especially in swims with overhanging trees and bushes. In the upstream swims, these are joined by some quality dace and occasional barbel. Other species include gudgeon, bream, pike, zander and eels. Big carp now inhabit the first few pegs opposite the theatre on the Recreation Ground stretch and recent match catches of bream have approached 100lbs. Truly a superb stretch of river, whatever your prefered method. As if all this were not enough, the downstream section at the Recreation Ground holds a good number of barbel into double figures. Feeder fished maggot, corn, hemp and recently pellets are the best baits.

Recent electro-fishing surveys by the Environment Agency have confirmed the huge head of quality fish in this section of the Avon (see picture). 

In summer, waggler and pole are the most productive methods with hemp, maggot and caster combinations working best. A stick float can also prove useful in certain swims. In summer, when the water is clear and the weather warm, hemp or tares can bring roach and chub on the feed. Tackle may need to be scaled down to a 22 hook to 1lb hooklength.

Boat traffic and huge numbers of tourists tend to keep anglers away from the Recreation Ground in summer, but autumn and winter, with a little more pace and colour in the river create one of the most prolific lengths of the river Avon. Stick, waggler and feeder all produce well and a link ledger, gently edged along the bottom can be the deadliest method. Double or single maggot is the prefered bait, again with a size 22 to 1lb hooklength. Best areas are opposite the Shakespeare Theatre, opposite and downstream of the church and at the Lido, the sandbank and upstream island pegs with the Lido itself providing a haven for fish (and anglers!) in flood conditions.

TICKETS. Leamington Angling members or day tickets on the bank.

PARKING. For the Lido, park in the car park off the A439 (see map). This is free at the time of writing. For the Recreation Ground, park in the public car park (pay and display) or if you intend fishing towards Lucy's Mill, you can park at the Greenways car park on Seven Meadows Road which is free and only 5 minutes walk down to the river and over the footbridge.      

CLOSE SEASON  All rivers are closed between 15th March and 15th June each year                                                                                                                                                                                                   

MATCH BOOKINGS  Phone Nick Adams between 7pm and 9pm ONLY