Leamington Angling controls most of the fishing on the river Leam, from the narrow streamy stretches at Offchurch to the wider, slower lengths in the town and on to the confluence with the Avon.
Here's Ian Smallwood with a 15 lbs pike from Welches Meadow.
In the lower reaches, the weir pool at Princes Drive and the hidden swims behind the Edmonscote track hold chub to 4 lbs together with some of the biggest roach you are ever likely to encounter. Regular feeding with red maggot down the weirstream soon brings a response from the chub. A long- handled landing net is an essential piece of equipment here, and beware of the slippery steps on the weir itself. This is one of the few locations where the technique of using "silkweed" as bait still works, and has produced some superb specimen roach. Just pluck a small bunch of weed from the weir itself and drape it on a size 12 hook. The weir pool and the swims just below it also hold good pike and perch which are partial to a blue and silver Mepps spinner or a sprat deadbait.
The Princess Drive weir holds back the Leam to create a long wide stretch in the Victoria Park and on through the town. There are good parking areas to give good access to most sections of the Leam through the town. Roach, perch and bream are the main species. Bread punch is one of the favourite methods and can produce some big catches, using liquidized bread as feed, little and often.
Recent surveys have shown big shoals of roach and bream above the Mill weir together with specimen perch and the occasional zander. Newbold Comyn is now producing some excellent fish and, for those who don't mind the walk, there are some superb winter swims upstream where the river twists and turns and forms some deep pools on the bends.
TICKETS - Leamington Angling members or day tickets.
PARKING - Plenty of convenient parking off the Radford road for upper Newbold Comyn, and on the swimming pool side for the lower Comyn. More parking is available in Mill Road, Archery Road and near Princes Drive.
MATCH BOOKINGS - Radford Road, Welches Meadow and Victoria Park are best suited for matches. Contact Pauline Haynes on 01926 424491 for more details.
