The River Lea boils over the Kings Weir at Broxbourne with determination. Its ever-present roar hushes the screaming passenger jets that stream overhead in a conga to Stansted. The sooty hum of cars, buses and trucks from the nearby A10 is similarly quietened, yet the two-note phrase of a cuckoo rings clear. It is as if this old river, coolly tunnelled by its bankside attendants of towering willow, dusky thorns and maples, steadfastly refuses to admit the modern world. More remarkable is that this place, where nature trumps the 21st century, is less than 30 miles from Hyde Park Corner.
To cast a line into these crystal flowing waters is a joyful, natural act; the perfect location to see in the opening day of the coarse fishing season. Better yet, angling here is to follow in the historic footsteps
