Thames Twilight: Bank‑Grill Rituals
Richmond to Kingston: 20‑pound pike haunt the weir tails
Lamplit towpaths, moored boats creaking, and the constant hiss under the weirs make this stretch of the Thames feel like a river that still keeps its night secrets. Pike and perch patrol the broken flows: Esox lucius the headline predator, Perca fluviatilis the striped thief.
Methods and late‑night rigs
Anglers favour deadbaits and slow wobblers for pike from June to March, fishing willow margins and bridge pilings; soft plastics and drop-shot rigs are the go-to for perch around snags and moored boats. A 4.5 cm crankbait will tempt a perch tipping along a dock edge, while a twitching sprat presentation often draws the big Esox out of the shadows.
Bank-side grill rituals are as regional as tackle. Fillets are dusted in seasoned flour, seared on a cast-iron grate, then finished with brown ale and thyme; new potatoes wrapped in foil and malt vinegar make the side. Simple tools: tongs, a portable grate and plenty of newspaper to keep embers away from the towpath.
Evening chatter mixes angling lore with recipes and the old Compleat Angler stories; someone always swears they saw a 20‑pounder break surface beneath Kingston Bridge. A lamp throws a ring of gold on the water, the grill spits, and a perch strips the lure in the bridge shadow—then silence, and the river keeps counting its teeth.
Recommended: drop-shot rig kit