Re: Salmon Jumping

Returning to the little River Rother for one moment, not so much for its fishing but more in appreciation of the historic blessings that sit aside its banks as it enters Sussex from Hampshire little more than a small stream. It follows much the A272 (:An Ode to a Road by Pieter Boogaart]
, still a delightful road to drive which I find rare these days. My wife and I use it a lot in the Summer months when the sun is out, the air being heavy with the scent of fields of yellow Rape and the odd field of Lavender, set against the ever changing colours of the soil from deep red sand to clay. Those who have a convertible will also be blessed to hear the endless song of the Skylarks as they drive.

From the Hampshire border the little river reaches Midhurst an old market town. Here is the Cowdray Estate and the famous Polo Grounds loved by Prince Charles and the Upper Crust. The river now is quite brisk and valued by the fly fisherman for its trout. Here it passes the remains of Cowdray House, alas the remains after the fire of 1793, but still standing and still imposing, here once stayed Queen Elizabeth the First and King Henry the 8th. So the river flows on for a few more miles passing small estate houses with traditional yellow door frames and windows until it meets another great Estate that of Petworth House. However even here the little River had its importance and secrets..

Re: Salmon Jumping

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The above picture is Coultershaw Mill as it was, some one mile south of Petworth House and standing on the little River Rother. I believe this original building was destroyed by fire and later replaced with another. This building houses the beam pump installed in 1782 by the Lord of Egremont to pump water from the Rother the one mile to the Grand Petworth House.
A new addition has been added to Coultershaw Mill, being a Archimede's Screw water turbine for generating electricity. First I would confirm that the Archimedes Screw was invented well over 2000 years ago and here we are generating electricity with it today from the water flow. I understand that one generating twice as much electricity could have been installed and surplus returned to the grid, however the existing was installed with a grant, had it generated more no grant would have been given. Can anybody explain that??
Also at the time of installation a few Chub had taken up residence in the small area of installation, remember the river flows throw it. However to take a few Chub out of the little area and put them back into the adjacent river, the environment agency confirmed they would need a fish transfer licence, this would take weeks and adverts in papers. Rather like me not being allowed to move a few rabbits out of my house that had wandered in, back outside. Has the modern world gone mad or is it me?

So again this it it, designed some 2,500 years ago .Plus the added advantage is it allows fish , sea trout runs etc straight through as fish can run through it. No they do not go around and around.

Re: Salmon Jumping

Petworth House and grounds. Not intending to expand on the house and its Art Gems. Except much loved by Turner who did a lot of his painting there. The top ends of the grounds accessed by the car park on the north road out of Petworth is a nice free stroll down pass the lakes which hold good fish. Better take a camera as the grounds are full of deer. I have not bothered with deer pictures as I believe Turner's picture above covered the scene well and nothing has changed.

Re: Salmon Jumping

A brilliant thread this Thankyou. Being a fisherman myself but afraid arthritis dictates when I can get onto the river banks and certainly not this weather. I have fond memories mentioned in these threads of walking over frozen grass and hear it crunch underfoot on a cold frosty morning. Sitting under a brolley in a snow or rain storm with the wind whistling around me. My son try's his best to extricate me from a warm house to fish at dawn. Sadly I decline but I have many memories and am in awe of the fishermen that are young enough to get out also the older people who are still able. A fairly decent day still gets me out with rod in hand doing a little course fishing, but my love was the fly rod wading up the river seeking that elusive trout. About four weeks ago I ventured onto the Ripon canal and had a session spinning for pike. Some I lost the feeling of the take was fantastic. The two that I did bring to the net were just a little under ten pound in weight. Still I had a great day even after finding myself a long way from the car and the walk back crippled me. Earlier in the year I walked along the river Tees at Egglescliffe in Teesside near Yarm. I was saddened to see an otter on the river bank munching away on a pike which I estimate to be in the region of twenty pounds weight. Although I wasn't fishing I recalled memories of catching a three pound perch from the spot where I stood. Memories are great when you are a fisherman / countryman. The memories of past conversations with other fishermen and passers by and giving a helping hand to youngsters, and some times tackle as well as showing them how to do things to keep their interest alive. Once again a brilliant thread .

Re: Salmon Jumping

Hi Sableline,

Very nice to get your post which I have only just picked up on as I have not looked in of late as I thought it of interest to anybody.
Great to read about your passion for angling and sorry you have joined the club where the mind is more than willing and the body weak. Alas I am the same and wonder if I will go again, but still I have zero intentions of selling my tackle being more inclined to buy more which will never be used on the water by me.
No regrets in life for me, the pleasure of being by the waterside cannot be replaced with the gadgets of today. What better for me in past years than the pleasure given on the long awaited June 16th, finding myself on the bank of a still water as the early mists came off the water and the float slides under the water by a unseen Tench, my movement startling a water-fowl who till then had not seen me.
However I have not finished with the thread yet, even the Arun and the Rother . Then while poor in rivers we still have the River Adur a lesser river which I have not spoken about yet.

Re: Salmon Jumping

My husband is an avid fisherman, and would be delighted with this thread.
We are lucky enough to live in salmon country, and my man can be found on the banks of a river in the wee hours or late in the day. He often goes out with a friend who has a boat also. Fishing is a way of life here.
While I no longer fish (mobility crap) I did thoroughly enjoy your pictures!
Thank you.

A common scene here

Re: Salmon Jumping

Hi LMB

Nice to get your post. My intention when I first married was to move to Canada for a better outdoor life. Alas the Mother-in-Law would have none of it.
Watched a TV prog a few weeks back, fishing on a lake in North Canada. Only fished for a few weeks each year due to being iced over but what magic. Total silence the only sign of man in one week was the vapor trail of one high flying plane. The fishing was amazing indeed and the only watchers were the odd bear and Deer that came down to the waterside.

That is what I call a holiday, alas when fit the money for such things was not there.

Re: Salmon Jumping

Sorry you never made it here, you would've loved it being a nature man!

Re: Salmon Jumping

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And next, our other short and tidal river, the River Adur which flows in from Shoreham-by-Sea rather wide and proud.

Re: Salmon Jumping