River Great Ouse – Hambarn, Blunham

River level

The lowdown

• This is proper bream water. The club says 100 lb bags are possible when the shoals are feeding, so there’s plenty of appeal for anglers chasing a big net.
• The combined Blunham waters cover about a mile, with Hambarn making up the larger stretch. Around 70 permanent pegs are provided here.
• Tench are a regular target for Blunham anglers, while roach fishing is reported to be good in late summer and early autumn.
• Resident chub feed throughout the year, giving the stretch a steady target outside the main bream windows.
• The wider Blunham Ouse waters also hold perch, gudgeon, bleak and pike. A decent mix, then, rather than a one-fish venue.
• Fishing is from the provided pegs where the water is pegged. Keep your unhooking mat with you and stick to the marked swims.
• The club waters are closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive, except Shepherds Way. General fishing times are 4 am to 10 pm from April to September, then 6 am to 7 pm from October to March.
• It’s a club-and-reciprocal-access venue, not an open day-ticket stretch. Barnet members can fish, and Luton Angling Club members are covered through the official water-share arrangement.
• Guest permits are available, but they’re chargeable, limited to two per member per day and not valid for night fishing. Carry your current membership card and Environment Agency rod licence.
• Watch the surroundings as well as the swim. The club flags possible steep banks, dangerous paths and overhead power lines, with litter, bank, fence and vegetation damage strictly prohibited.
• We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.

Methods: The facts point to a venue built around the bream shoals, with tench, late-summer and early-autumn roach, and year-round chub also on the agenda. Choose your approach around the species you’re targeting and fish from the designated pegs.

Access & tickets

Apply online through Clubmate, entering your personal details and uploading a membership photograph. A club key covering Sonning and Shepherds Way costs a separate one-off £18.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch

Key rules

• Fishing is for club members or anglers covered by an official reciprocal water-share arrangement.
• Carry and produce a current membership card when requested.
• Carry and produce an Environment Agency rod licence when requested.
• Club waters are closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive, except Shepherds Way.
• A maximum of two rods may be used, with no more than two rods in one swim.
• Fish from the provided pegs where a water is pegged.
• Live baiting is prohibited.
• Carry an unhooking mat. Do not litter or damage banks, fences or vegetation. Fish must not be removed except during an official netting party.

Where it is