Walthamstow (London)

[Ian]

I miss my days fishing in London. Afterall, this is where my ff all started. Syon Park mid winter was awesome, escpecially at the little bridge area.

Walthamstow had some owesome dry fly action at the club members only reservoir.

[tolla]

Yip Ian, the one you are talking about is the East Warick reservoir, there are some lovely browns in there and it is catch and release only, no fishing up there for the whole of the uk summer, loads of fish get taken by the birds and poachers though

[chris williams]

Does the Queen Mother reservoir at Datchet, near Heathrow, still allow fishing? Not very scenic being a large round concrete bowl but it used to hold mega-sized 'bows. For cheap summer flyfishing practice why not fish on the Thames for shoals of bleak or dace with a light fly rod and a small dry like a Griffiths Gnat? Or for chub under willows etc with heavier tackle. I also used to flyfish for perch on the Serpentine 9st. James Park) in summer

[JamesW]

Hello James...

Thanks for the Haywards fishery referral. Don't like catch and keep places, so won't try Syon Park. Will probably check out Walthamstow or Haywards.

Sorry I have to disagree about the "friendly" guys in the Orvis shop. Maybe its just me, but the Orvis shop and Sportfish in Pall Mall have the unfriendliest and most unhelpful guys. The orvis shop is small, and not a single salesperson asked if I needed assistance for about 10mins of me browsing in the shop. I had a worse experience in Sportfish. These are experiences from last year September and June this year. Fortunately I knew what I was looking for, then browsed and left. No one spoke to me. I knew one of the previous managers in the Orvis shop. He was also a South African and I guided him here in SA. This was after invting him to come out fishing with me - he was very friendly and helpful - this was way back in about 2001 or so.

During my second visit to Sportfish in June this year, the sales guys again were too busy stocking the shelves to ask me if I needed any assistance (and I did this time). Eventually, after about 8mins, one of the guys who was walking past, asked me if I needed assistance, all in a by the way manner. I did not appreciate this kind of service and left the store without extending any browsing, paid for what I found and then left. Wont be hurrying back to any of these stores unless I really need something.

Maybe its just me, or that's the way of the Londoners. However, I received a completely different reception at stores outside of London and in Wales.

Thanks again for the Haywards referral.

Regards
Sudesh

The more i think about it the more i realise those pr*cks didn't serve me until i wanted to buy something!! Especially the guys in the shop in High Ken Sportfish . . . And i had to introduce myself to them rather then the other way round!. . . But as you say it just the (bloody) London way!! i guess! Jimmy at Orvis was always friendly to me, but then again he didn't have a choice after i forced myself upon the store

Heywards was awesome as i say, but then again they didn't let me fish the C&R dam til i bought a C&R tool for 15quid. . . So if going to Haywards take a C&R tool with you!!! just a word of advice, but once on the C&R dam you have it all to yourself as no one seems to fish C&R at Heywards. . .

[JamesW]

Does the Queen Mother reservoir at Datchet, near Heathrow, still allow fishing? Not very scenic being a large round concrete bowl but it used to hold mega-sized 'bows. For cheap summer flyfishing practice why not fish on the Thames for shoals of bleak or dace with a light fly rod and a small dry like a Griffiths Gnat? Or for chub under willows etc with heavier tackle. I also used to flyfish for perch on the Serpentine 9st. James Park) in summer

Chris you make it sound so easy (as always) the Thames might be cleanish these days but where is a reasonable access point?
Where on the Thames did you used to fish?

btw thought fishing on the Serpentine was not allowed?? But i guess Saffa's can do what they like, after all it just means a free ticket home