Sunday 28/06/1959 - Maxwell's Farm - River Chew

My first recollection of going fishing was with Dad when I was aged about ten. Dad would take me with him to the River Chew. To a place called Maxwell’s Farm, which is located in the village of Woollard, just a few miles South West of Keynsham. Many years later Mum told me that Dad would try and get up without waking me, but I would be waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs!

The only transport available to us was cycling. Dad would cycle the ten miles round trip from Withywood with me on a seat he had made at work, which was bolted to his bikes cross bar. Still lucid was the return journey and of Dad pushing me, tackle and his bike up the steep hill which leads out of Woollard Village and stopping in Whitchurch Village sweet shop (which is still there today).

Maxwell’s Farm was a place that all of Dad’s family fished. In the photograph (right – trust me they are there) on top the Weir are Granfer, Uncle George (Dad’s brother) and Uncle Ron (Dad’s brother-in-law). Dad would have taken the photographs.

On these fishing trips Dad would tie a rope around my waist and tie the other end to a tree, so that if I fell in I could easily be retrieved, preventing me from drowning! I know I often went home will no socks! I remember Dad carrying me over his shoulders up a steep wooded bank, complete with tackle, slipping and sliding as he went.

This is the venue where I started to learn the importance of getting the feeding and presentation right and identifying the best location for the Dace and Roach. For floats we used Porcupine Quills with a shotting of 3BB. These floats would often be sucked under in the whirl pool of the weir.

Dad and Granfer would stand on top of the weir fishing down into the weir pool using silk weed on the hook to catch Dace and Roach. The photograph (right) shows Granfer landing a typical River Chew Dace.

My Uncle Doug (another of Dad’s Brothers) worked for a building company and had access to a large Van, and was able to use it on weekends. This enabled us to travel further a field – typically River Avon at Limpley Stoke and the River Huntspill. The picture below shows us on a family fishing outing (pictured left - clockwise; is Uncle Doug, Granfer with Dog, me and Cousin Doug).

April 2009 I returned to Maxwell’s Farm and walked the swims we fished back then. This left me feeling emotional. I took a few photographs’ (which follow). You will notice that the main weir middle portion has now been blocked by “time and man”. I also discovered that Maxwell's Farm no longer exists as such, as the Farm has now been divided in to five separate dwellings.

I believe this weir to be the highest weir-fall on the River Chew.