As promised in Sunday’s newsletter, today I’m swapping the rod for a 60″ raiserschnitt scythe and joining river keepers and volunteers up and down the Test to begin this year’s weedcut.
We started not long after first light, four of us strung out across the channel in a line, working upstream in that slow, steady rhythm you only really pick up after a few seasons of doing it. The ranunculus has come on strong this year, thicker and further out into the channel than I remember it being this time last summer, which tells you everything about the winter rainfall we had.
By mid morning we were already struggling to keep pace with what we were cutting, fresh in the knowledge we would be going over today’s work with a sharpened scythe tomorrow. There’s something quietly satisfying about watching a channel that was choked solid open back up into clean, fast running water within the space of an hour. We’ll be working our way down through the beats over the next ten days, and if you’re out and about on the river and see us hip deep in weed, do come and say hello.
For anyone booked in over the next couple of weeks, it’s worth knowing what to expect while the cut is underway.
The beats we’ve cut today will likely run a little coloured for a day or so, as the last of the loose weed works its way downstream, so don’t be alarmed if the water isn’t quite gin clear when you arrive. It settles quickly. We have a pre-confirmed window within which we can cut the weed and clear down the river before fishing resumes and we are on track!
What’s more interesting is what happens to the fish once the weed comes out. They get moved on from the lies they’ve been holding all spring, and for a few days they can seem a bit unsettled, sitting somewhere unfamiliar and feeding a little more cautiously than usual. Give it a day or two though and they generally resettle into new lies in the freshly opened water, often feeding harder than before now they’ve got faster, more oxygenated flow to work with. If you’ve got a guided day booked in over the next fortnight, don’t worry, we’ll simply work around whichever beats have been cut and steer you towards the water that’s fishing best on the day.
There’s still time to get out on the Test, Itchen, or Kennet while the evening rise is running strong. We have a range of days available across Hampshire in the coming weeks, including some private beats not advertised online.
Do get in touch to chat over your plans and find a day that suits.
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That’s all from me this week, back to the scythe I go.
Wishing you the very best of luck and the tightest of lines if you’re beside the river in the next few days.
Best wishes,
Jamie Hayes-Pankhurst
Founder & Managing Director
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