A Little Bit of Personal History - The Lower Dorset Stour and Throop
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- Опубликовано: 4 апр 2020
- This is an amended version of the slide show that was to support a talk I was scheduled to give to the highly popular and successful monthly presentations hosted by The Avon & Stour Anglers Forum.
Those events have been suspended due to the coronavirus emergency. Let's hope we can soon start up again. 
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Nice film Neil. The aerial view of Throop Mill and the old course of the river is special, not many people these days know how the river's course was butchered by the old Avon & Dorset River Authority. I inherited from Ernie Leah a series of large black and white aerial photos of the entire length of the fishery taken before the works started on behalf of the Malmesbury Estate. When I left Throop I gave those and many more historical items about the fishery to Hants Public Record Office, including the fisheries catch book for game fish, they destroyed almost all of it including the items mentioned. Your map of the fishery bears the hand writing of Ernie Leah. The forked tree blew over in the 1980's. I planted the willow now growing on the south bank below school bridge along with those all along the Leaden Stour. I remember in the 80's when the bank above the pig shoot was piled and at that time barbel corner was dredged by the river authority (soon to become the Environment Agency) of thousands of tons of gravel, all of which was heaped onto the north bank. I built the weir at the top of barbel corner, the one above school bridge and the one on the golf course, all to hold water back in drought and create oxygen rich pools and runs below. We cut the water weed by hand with hand scythes and chain scythes and trapped the cut weed in a boom strung across the river at the top of nettlebed from where it was dragged ou. I also put in the first steel foit bridges below school bridge and across the moors river, before there had been telegraph poles and sometimes, loose planks. I say I, but I mean I and Ron Biles and David Cutler and Chris Allport and Tim Bawn and other bailiffs, some like Ron, long gone. Happy days for the most part. Your video brought back some good memories 👍
Hi Glen, thanks for the comments. I missed most of the late 80's into the 90's as work took me to London and further afield. Used to get back as much as possible and finally retired back to Dorset 5 years ago. Since returning I've had my Stour best barbel (from just above the weir that quite rightly bears your name) as well as my Stour best chub from Chibbs. Throop continues to be my "home patch" particularly in winter. Much of it reflects your hand and very positively at that. Cheers Neil.
what a great little filmsome proper anglers there....a few weeks ago i had my long overdue(50 years)return to the stour for few days fishing at throop,,,i met a few local anglers who were keen to offer advice ,as were the guys in the christchurch angling centre,it was well worth the 375 mile round trip and as soon as the covid restrictions are lifted i will be returning.tight lines all.
Lovely memories of the family and your introduction to fishing , i am going to Throop on 11-09-2022 with my son for the first time , i hope we come away with similar memories..
I enjoyed this video! My Surname (Stowers) most likely comes from the River Stour. When we first came to America from England it was spelled De Stour, but then gradually changed over time to the current spelling. There isn't a whole lot of info that I've been able to find about the River Stour and seeing all of the older photos was definitely awesome. It is actually kind of awesome knowing that fishing was such a huge part of the River Stour. It seems like that tradition carried over for my family as well lol! I fish, my dad fishes, his dad fished and so on. Thanks for sharing all of the photos!
Very nicely made Neil that many anglers, even ones who don't know the Dorset Stour well, will relate to. Good luck with the talk.
Wonderful vid and a loverly piece of history - love it ! 👍
Loved this video, came across it purely by accident. Really enjoyed.
Really enjoyed this video, nice to see a different aspect of the Throop fishery.
As the years pass memory lane has become a well worn swim for me.