The Kennet - One of England's Nicest Rivers

The river Kennet is some thirty miles in length, though with all the side streams and carriers there is probably sixty miles of fishable waters. In my book, the Kennet is still one of the nicest rivers in England, though it's not the river of my youth, back in the 1940's 50's. Water abstraction, house building and industry are the main causes in the decline of this once magnificent river which flows in an easterly direction towards the urban town of Reading where it enters the river Thames.

The River starts life around Clatford not far from the Avebury stones, as we follow its journey towards the mighty river Thames we come to Marlborough, a delightful market town and best known for its fine shops and public school where apart from normal subjects, they also teach the art of dry fly fishing. Downstream of Marlborough is the Savernake Forest, where a syndicate of fly fishers named after the forest have some three miles of trout fishing. Further down the Kennet Valley there are some delightful villages, Stitchcombe, Ramsbury, Froxfield and Chilton Foliat. Where the fishing is mostly preserved by a few wealthy owners, but there is still the occasional fly fishing syndicate. where anglers seek the brown trout.

After Knighton there is the Littlecote Estate fishery, then downstream the Chilton Foliat trout fishery, two places I would enjoy casting a dry fly given the opportunity. A few miles further on, we come to the famed Hungerford Town fishery. It's probably the oldest fishery in the country given to the people of Hungerford by John O'Gaunt in the 1300's during the Battle of the Roses. Its a fishery that has offered me some delightful trout and grayling fishing over the years, sadly today much of the fishing is for rainbows which I personally feel should not be stocked in our rivers.

The Hungerford Fishery is well managed by a great river keeper Rob Starr who really does know his job. They even mow the river bank, making it feel as if your walking on a carpet. Being close to Hungerford the fishing is a bit urbanised. But for all that. its delightful to walk the banks casting a dry fly for a rising fish. Apart from the brown trout and the stocked rainbows there are some fine grayling.

On my first visit I was shown the various pools, which included the well known Wine Cellar, a spot where the fly fishers would deposit their wine to cool as they fished. Walking the banks on my first visit I was impressed with the amount of wildlife and fly life. Though sadly these days much of the ranunculus has disappeared, which I am certain must upset the balance of this river. There have been many occassions when I have stood on the old Bath road bridge over this delightful river feeding the trout Trout weighing several pounds, on chips from a local shop.

Just downstream from Hungerford at Kintbury there is Sir Richard Suttons property Benham Park Estate, which includes the Wilderness, one well known stretch is the 'Wilderness' where we find some of the best coarse and trout fishing in the country. Anglers who visit this fishery often talk of monster trout, perch, chub and roach. Sometimes these monsters are caught. Recently Author Chapman Pincher a great journalist of the 20th Century caught a twenty pound plus rainbow trout. I well remember perch fishing with a red tipped float, centre pin reel and a light Avon action rod catching 30 odd perch with nine over 3lbs the best at 3-11-0. On another occasion fishing during May, I caught several good perch to 3lb plus, while seeking the brown trout using a Richard Walker mayfly nymph. A great attraction on the Kennet are kingfishers, which are around in profusion.

From Thatcham downstream to Reading, its mainly coarse fish where barbel come into prominence, taking over from the trout. Though its a coarse fisherman's river, there are still some excellent brown trout to be caught. I've been lucky to catch several trout over 3lbs the best at 3-12-0, fishing a dry fly. I well remember catching a big brown on breadcrust, which weighed over 5lbs from Brimpton weir pool on the Wasing Park estate where the fishing and shooting is extremely well managed by Kevin Rolls, a true gentleman who treats all his rods with kindness and offers good advice. Without a doubt, Kevin must rank alongside some of the great river keepers from the past.

When one looks back over the past hundred or more years, some great anglers have walked the banks of the Kennet. William Senior a past editor of the Field Magazine, Hugh Tempest Sheringham my favourite author who was also a one time editor of the Field Magazine. Sheringham fished up and down the Kennet valley in search of its trout and coarse fish. Among his many books, I rate 'An Angler's Hours' its an excellent read. Reading this title you feel your sitting on his shoulder as he seeks the coarse fish and trout. I would rate this as my favourite book. author Dr J C Mottram who in the early 1920's founded the Kennet Valley fisheries association, John Waller Hills author of A Summer on the Test. Air-Marshall Sir Robert Saundby author 'A Fly Rod on Many Waters'.

Howard Marshal author of that delightful book 'Reflections on a River' I recommend this book to every angler. Howard was one of the great cricket broadcasters of the 1930's through to the 1950's. He was also one of the voices behind the BBC broadcast of the Coronation of our present Queen. John Goddard and Brian Clark authors of 'The Trout and The Fly' The book was also shown as a documentary on BBC 2 TV and was filmed on the Kennet. Actor Michael Horden was a great fisher, who lived close to the Kennet near to his favourite beat. One of the nicest guys on TV today, is all round angler Chris Tarrant, Chris is a great Kennet fan. I enjoy the time spent in his company when I am on this delightful water. Another great character who fishes the Kennet is George Melly Jazz singer and raconteur. His book Hooked! Published by Robson books is well worth reading.

For trout fishing a 5 weight nine foot rod is ideal, matched with a double taper floating line and a leader around 12 feet. Coarse fishing for roach, chub, bream and dace I would choose an 11-12 foot rod with an Avon action, either a centre pin or fixed spool. Line strength would depend on the species being fished for. Roach and dace, choose a line of 3lb breaking strain, chub and bream its 6lb line. For barbel I would go for an 11-12 foot Avon action rod, again you can choose either a centre pin or fixed spool reel. I suggest a line between 10 and 12lbs breaking strain. I am not a fan of stiff rods with little action. Baits are numerous with pellets and boilies being very popular, though my first choice bait is probably bread crust or flake, with cheese paste a close second, followed by lobworms.