The Darent: Small Rivers Of Kent, Part 5
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Another instalment of my "small rivers of Kent " series, this time I head back to the beautiful chalk stream that is the Darent.
float fishing with maggots as bait I try to catch Chub, Roach, Dace and Perch as well as a load of Minnows!
That spot at 5 mins 30, is ingrained in my mind. 35 years ago I hooked and landed a brownie well over 3lb with my Dads old centrepin on 1lb line and a size 20 hook. I knew I only had limited time to land it before getting heat from the locals but it was going bonkers. I wouldn't nowadays but I took it home for dinner. I bagged it and dashed back to the station. My Grandad was so proud of my catch when I got home. We shared a fine dinner of Trout and chips with Mayonnaise.
Thanks for watching, what a great story. It's a lovely spot and the no fishing sign is still there from I guess when you fished it? I think it's OK to fish now, as I've never been asked to leave.
PS. You don't know of any big Roach spots on the river?
@@PaulVicaryfishing Thanks mate, It was a very long time ago and I have lived for decades up in Northumberland, However, If the streams that I used to fish as a young teen are as they were then I had a Roach on the River Cray at over a pound and a half, Above a small weir as it approached Crayford, night fishing. Beneath that little weir were decent Perch. One spot on the Darent was amazing for chub. I can't describe the exact location due to it being so long ago but me and two friends went to Otford back in the late 80's. The stretch was a bend in the river in a pretty open field. The river was slower and deeper but quite narrow at this spot. The chub were highly concentrated into this stretch. I know this because my buddies caught (and I am not joking) at least 10 chub over 3lbs and a few 2lb plus, I fished just upstream and below them and caught precious little. I went back on my own a few days later and caught a few 3lb plus chub in that spot on legered spam in about 30 minutes. I'm uncertain how 'private' it was but being on my own and seeing someone approaching, I packed up and left like any good child angler would :)
ps I didn't notice the 'no fishing' sign :) a hundred or so yards downstream of that place I vaguely remember a spot that was referred to as 'The old bats garden' , perhaps unfairly :) If we fished her highly fish rich weir type pool, you could catch a fine fish very quickly, but my god you had to be quick...or you would get some heat from her. fair play, It was like scrumping for apples but at least we were putting them back .Childhood memories ...
@@stuross8190 Thanks for sharing real pleasure to read.
What a lovely little river the Darent is.
Amazed by how many fish you caught out of that stretch so quickly. Well done Paul 🎣
Yes they really were queuing up! i find on such small waters if they are there you catch them very quickly, no need for long sessions.
I live in kemsing and I fished Shoreham river a few times but I can't place where you are when you walk past the lion hotel
Thanks for watching. It's in Farningham.
@PaulVicaryfishing thanks. A guy in Medway tackle suggested I found your channel and said you go in there. Ha ent fished Shoreham river for about 20 years !
Used to fish the river in Otford but that has been void of anything decent on that stretch for years since it flooded .
@@matk22 had a few good ones around Otford this year, worth another look.
Greetings from Hungary, very nice fishing place and beautiful fish. Have a nice day.
Thanks for watching, and glad you enjoyed. What type of fishing do you do in Hungary?
Greetings from Hungary. I live close to the Danube, many species of fish live here, perch, catfish, bream, but the real sport fish is the mullet. But I prefer fishing in smaller rivers@@PaulVicaryfishing
Hello. I switched to spinning and fly fishing a few years ago, but after seeing your videos, I got the urge to go fishing on the Danube with a float@@PaulVicaryfishing
I was up the Darent today down by sutton at hone, loads of pike there today! And plenty of chub, was only there for a few hours but had a few out
Thanks for watching Paul, I haven't ventured that far downstream yet and haven't caught a pike from the Darent yet. Is it free fishing or with a club?
Nice little spot haven’t fished down there for years is that a free stretch ?
Thanks for watching. As far as I know it's free, 100 % Shoreham is free
Wonderful video - love that this stretch is just on my doorstep. What rod were you using for this session please?
thanks for watching @Karlrichrds4125, the rod i was using was from Savage gear and is one of their ultra light lure rods, i cant recall the exact name but its 6 1/2 feet long and has a rating of 0.3 - 3gram its a great rod for these small rivers but you do need to be strong when hooking chub elst they will do you!
Very close to buying a darent valley rod from the tackle box in Dartford, a friend has one which im going to tyry this weekend.
@@PaulVicaryfishing - tidy, I’ve been asking around on a forum I’m a member of and the Tackle Box rods were highly recommended on there, I’m popping in today too to have a waggle 😁
@@karlrichards4125 yes i had heard the same about their rods, so bought a 8ft quiver rod last weekend, had a suprising amount of poke to it.
I have a picture of me and my dad somewhere with a chub about 1.5lb from behind Horton Kirby lakes in about 1976, just before the long summer drought . I was 5 at the time, but remember it as clear as can be .we caught it in the early morning on a big black slug
Thanks for watching, I love hearing all these old stories. I heard that the Darent dried up in 1976?
Tight lines
Yes ,I t would probably been start of the season. I know that the worst of the drought was in the August
@@PaulVicaryfishing
The sign on the bridge at the weir 😅
What sign? I never saw it.
A really beautiful urban river. You were obviously fishing too light to have been broken off twice leaving fish with hooks and line attached to them. One fish I caught a barbel had four hooks in it. There was a very obvious sign saying no fishing you really shouldn't have been there, respect the rules.
That sign has been up for for a very long time ago when there was a trout fishery. It's fine to fish now