One for Bill Yards (probably)

#1

We have Penk(ridge)

We have Leam(ington)

So why the Sow, and not the Staff

#2

TK,
The River Sow was named from where it originates.
It originates from Sowhead Brook, out in the wilds above Eccleshall somewhere.
Years ago it was fantastic fishing; it was nothing to have coaches coming here full of anglers, mainly from Birmingham. The roach fishing was fabulous and there were chub and dace to add interest. 40 lbs catches were two a penny.
Our local Council have crappity smack it up with straighening out scemes, flood prevention schemes and other crap decision that cost millions.
Nowadays theree is very limited fishing on it; there is a free stretch right near where I live; you can catch up to 10 lbs of roach plus the odd dace in it from December to the end of the season but conditions need to be spot on.
Instead of flooding north of the town it now floods south of the town.
I think most think it was named after some of the sows that live here

#3

mooo.

I visted the source of the sow in eccleshall for a school trip ages ago.

#4

Cheers for that Bill

Always fancy it when I see it as I cross it at Radford Bank (thats unless its in the fields)

Was up your neck of the woods yesterday, and the name got me thinking as I looked across at it......

#5

TK
The river at Radford aint the Sow!
It's the upsream end of the Penk

#6

Oooops...........

I was looking at it on google Earth and thought it was snaking back to Penkridge, but never folloed it all the way

Does the Sow run right through the town then (at the bottom end - just before the 'high street')

But I still like the look of that bit of the Penk though

- always looks 'fishy to me (from the car windscreen as I whizz past) - is that any 'good'?

Whereabouts on the Sow did you refer to above Bill (close to your home), like to have a zoom in on it on the maps

#7

Right o TK. The Penk actually comes off the Sow not too far, (less than a mile) from where you saw it at Radford. It is quite shallow there but slightly above Radford Bridge are some bends where you can catch a few chub and small fish.
The Sow runs through the town centre in Stafford. The stretch near me can fish quite well in the winter after the weed has died down.
If you pick the river up on Google in the town centre you will follow it past Asda, there are a few chub in that area.
It then flows down to a road bridge; the road is called Riverway. That is the area that is OK and offers some decent winter fishing, look for a likely swim above or more likely below the bridge.
Fish a stick float mid river, if you can, - it is only narrow and you will be literally under your rod end.
Bait requirements; a quarter of a pint of maggots (reds) same casters. That is it, literally six maggots or casters every run down. The swims below Riverway Bridge are slightly deeper, you may find as much as 4 feet in the odd swim, otherwise they are barely 3 feet.
Species are mostly roach with the odd decent perch and occasional chub, skimmer and dace. Pike can be a nuisance at times. You can actually fish a swim for five or six hours with very careful feeding.
Despite the weed dying off there are plenty of other snags in the river.
It is all free fishing from the footpath bank only.
Try and pick a longish swim if you can; it is quite interesting down there and can fish like a mini Trent on a good day.
The last time I went I had 62 fish, mainly roach, a decent perch nearly 2lb and odd dace for almost 10 lbs.
You will also catch after a frost but not as many. You will catch crappity smack all if the river is up too much. It is Ok for a change

#8

Cheers for all that info Bill

My education continues - so much for that geography O level I got 30 odd years ago ;) ..........an incorrect assumption is now remedied

I'll get google mapping and clocking them willy pegs

#9

Done a bit of google mapping……………and followed the Sow east out of the town. (On Sunday I was looking at it by the multi-storey car park at the bottom of the town – it had got a fair pace on it there)

Yep I know Riverway, I’ve crossed it a few times there in the past whilst on the way to or back from the hospital – I’ll pay it more attention next time.

Can you give me a bit more of a geography lesson Bill?

The Sow looks like it joins up with the Penk at Baswich Lane?
After this pint the river then flows east running north of the cut at Greengore Lane, I’ve noticed it when fishing the odd match down on that section. But is that bit of the river now the Penk or still the Sow?

Then I presume it reaches its end when it joins up with the Trent at the back of Shugborough?

#10

TK,
The Penk and the Sow do join very near Baswich.
The Sow flows from Riverway down to St Leonards; this is where I was on about with the roach. From St Leonards it flows at the back of Dormans (now called Perkins) to near the Ladder Bridge. (All this is free). At this point it used to join the Penk but now it is lower down towards Baswich as you rightly say. The river then goes under Baswich Lane; if you look from the bridge downstream you will see some pylons. There is a small shoal of barbel here. They have been caught to over 11 lbs. This is Prince Albert AS water. From here it flows down to Brancote sh!t Works (IWAA water) bream, roach, dace odd chub and an annual double figure barbel! From here as you say it goes to Walton them Milford. Some club has it at Walton, - IWAA have it at Milford. It then goes though to Shugborough and joins the Trent at the bottom end more like Great Haywood. If you walk from the river bridge on Mill Lane, near Gt Haywodd it is only a short distonce to the confluence. Massive catches of roach come from this area, 40-50 lb but I am unsure who controls the fishing, it may be Prince Albert AS again.

#11

Ta Bill - I'll have to get the walking boots on and go for a stroll one of the days