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RiverDay ticket

White Horse Fishery, Downton

White Horse Fishery is a cracking mile of Hampshire Avon from Downton’s white-painted Iron Bridge down to the old Salisbury–Wimborne railway crossing. It’s a varied middle-Avon stretch on the true right-hand bank, with chub, dace, roach, perch, barbel, bream and more.

Run by The Salisbury District Angling Club · checked 6 Oct 2026

The lowdown

  • The fishery starts right by Downton High Street’s white-painted Iron Bridge, then runs downstream for roughly a mile. The lower boundary is the former Salisbury–Wimborne railway crossing site.
  • Fishing is from the true right-hand, western bank only. Access is via Green Lane upstream, with another entrance from South Lane around the middle of the fishery.
  • It’s a proper mixed bit of river, with shallow gravel glides, occasional deeper holes and the historically noted Bull Water. Plenty to pick apart.
  • The banks change character as you go. Expect woodland swims, reedbed pegs and spots from high grassy banks. A nice bit of variety rather than the same swim repeated all day.
  • Chub are the main event now, with fish over 5 lb present. Dace, roach, perch, pike, barbel and eels are also in the stretch, with some good bream swims to find.
  • Trotting the gravel shallows is a bob-on way to target dace. Keep the float working through the crease and be ready for a cheeky chub sitting just off the faster water.
  • Perch are described as exceptional but nomadic, so don’t get too settled if a swim goes quiet. Keep moving and search the edges, holes and cover.
  • High winter flows can open up pike opportunities. When the river carries a bit of colour, the deeper holes and slower margins are worth a proper look.
  • Some margins can be waded when the water is reasonably low, giving a few extra angles. It’s still a stretch for varied tactics, with feeder work, trotting and targeted lure or deadbait approaches all having their place.

Methods: A typical middle-Avon stretch where changing tactics is the name of the game. Trotting the shallow gravel, feeder fishing deeper holes and searching the margins for perch, chub or pike should keep things interesting.

Access & tickets

Coarse day ticket

Day ticket available online from The Salisbury District Angling Club.

£15 (as listed 6 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Day tickets are available online from The Salisbury District Angling Club. The coarse day ticket price is £15.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch, barbel, trout, eel, chub

Key rules

  • Coarse season is 16 June to 14 March inclusive.
  • Fishing is permitted from dawn to dusk only.
  • All coarse fish must be returned.
  • Grayling must not be kept in keepnets before 1 October.
  • An Environment Agency rod licence is required.
  • Anglers must obey local freshwater fishing byelaws.
  • Remain within the club boundaries and use designated access points.
  • Leave no litter and close gates.

Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.

GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Downton Iron Bridge gauge

Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.

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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

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