Longstock/Leckford Eel Traps in Hampshire...

keety

keety

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Just as a heads up, it seems the land owners are getting a bit funny about people taking photos of the Eel traps at Longstock in Hampshire (Nr Stockbridge).. I was there today and a guy in a 4x4 stopped next to me and started having a pop, saying that it was private property (I was stood on the road at the time and pointed this out to him) , he disapeared off but came back a few times to see if I had jumped over the gate (you can normally stand like 10 feet inside)... possibly getting annoyed due to it being in Outdoor Photography location guide the other month

They get a bit funny round here.... a few years back there were reports of barbed wire being strung across the Test to stop people canoeing up and down...
 
That attitude is, at least, very sad. I can understand the bloke being annoyed if people wander all over private land but he must have known you were on a public road. I had not heard of these traps before your post but they are interesting.

Dave
 
The River test is an odd one.... there are very few places that you can actually get down to it as it's almost entirely in private hands and they are very protective of it due to the world renowned fishing (American Presidents etc fly in to fish on it, Roger Waters has a fish farm on it and so on)...disappointing really as there are some really stunning areas along its route...
 
I did start a project a few years ago with the intention of maybe producing a book of the Test right from Ash where it rises (not far from me) to where it runs into Southampton water. It became a little too difficult. I have been to Longstock many times and when it pops up In mags is when you normally have issues. I have been there when it's been shoulder to shoulder togs. I move off down stream toward Mottisfont in those cases. There are some stretches of the test you can walk, but as you say as its a prime Trout fishery they get very tetchy!
Some gamekeepers are fine, but some get the hump, much the same as farmers. I always find my 'camouflage' helps especially on farmland I shouldn't particularly be on. That's a flat cap, Barbour jacket with NFU badges on and a John Deere tee shirt :). I was brought up on a farm so I can talk the talk too. It's surprising if you are polite and just explain you just want to take pictures of the beautiful countryside what you will get away with.

Incidentally that stretch is actually owned by John Lewis Partnership.

There are some nice areas up at Whitchurch as well as down through Stockbridge.
 
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Fordsabroad said:
That's a shame, It is on my list of places to go this winter.
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Don't let it put you off just, let the rush die down. If it's been publicised recently so it will have a flurry of activity. Parking is pretty non existent, just a very small area you can get s couple of cars in or park in the village and walk back, about 3 min walk. At the end of the day they cannot stop you shooting off the public road and you get just as good a shot off one or other side of the bridge.
Dawn is a good time as you get some nice mist off the water, also about an hour before sunset this time of year the sun hits the side of the thatched hut on the traps.
 
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