Is it worth chucking the fluff at the tidal Thames (below Teddington / Richmond Locks)? I live near Richmond but have never seen anyone wielding a fly rod, so is it worth a go? Or are all the locals solvent enough to spend all their time at Syon catching stockies...?

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"It's just a ride,...No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. A choice, right now, between fear and love." Bill Hicks

years ago there were dace and bleak that would take small nymphs and wets , more recently these fish seem to have gone .
However around the Mortlake brewery on the odd day you might find a few spey casters practicing ,and there is the odd shoal of river carp ,not sussed out how to catch them though .

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Andy Wren
Winter grayling taking a year off !
Claret not just a great dubbing colour!

baloo321, try a search for francais/francais. angling club. probably one of the last clubs to fish from punts on the tidal river. they are based in one of the riverside pubs.also bill rushmoore , writes for anglers mail, a mine of information.and has a tidal 30 to his name. steve.

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skingfisher.

I'm not familiar with the Teddington stretch, but there are lots of fish upriver at Weybridge/Walton/Chertsey. I find it much tougher going over the winter (and frankly would choose to fish elsewhere as the Thames is such a big river it becomes more miss than hit) but there is very good fishing in the summer - perch, pike and dace in abundance. The dace will throw themselves at a dry as well...

It is easiest if you have access to a boat as there is limited backcast room along the Thames pathways. If you're keen to have a go, punts can be rented near the various weirs.