TackleIndex
RiverClub water · MembersGuest ticketOvernight ticket

River Thames — Wallingford A, above Benson Lock

Wallingford A is RDAA’s upstream section above Benson Lock on the Oxfordshire Thames. It’s a members-and-guests stretch, with night fishing available on the Bronze permit — not somewhere to turn up with a non-member day ticket.

Run by Reading & District Angling Association · checked 3 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club

The lowdown

  • Get the right bit of bank in mind: Wallingford A is the upstream section of RDAA’s two-part Wallingford fishery. A and B sit above and below Benson Lock, so that distinction matters.
  • The advertised tally of approximately 85 swims covers A and B together. Don’t read that as 85 pegs above the lock — there’s no separate A-only count to plan your session around.
  • There’s a proper mixed line-up named for the Wallingford fishery: barbel, chub, roach, perch, zander and pike. That’s the combined fishery’s list, rather than a promise about any particular swim on A.
  • Sort your access before loading the tackle. Non-member day tickets expressly exclude Wallingford A, but guest tickets are available. Your member mate must accompany you, with guests staying within sight or earshot.
  • Fancy a session after dark? Night fishing is available with the Bronze permit. Wallingford A also has an exemption from the general river ban on bedchairs, bivvies and sided brollies — a useful distinction here.
  • For the weir-footbridge approach, RDAA gives OX10 6SL. Keep local residents’ access clear, and secure gates and barriers again after passing through. A little care saves everyone unnecessary faff.
  • Watch your footing and where you put the kit: the venue warns about protruding former fence spikes. Also keep fishing at least 25 metres away from locks, bridges and their associated structures.
  • Put the seasonal break in your diary: fishing is closed from 15 March through 15 June inclusive. When it’s open, the two-rod maximum applies, and your EA rod licence needs to accompany your RDAA permit.

Methods: Keep your setup within the two-rod limit and your fishing clear of the 25-metre exclusion around structures. There’s no stretch-specific steer on rigs, depths or flow here to favour trotting over feeder fishing.

Access & tickets

Annual adult permit

RDAA annual adult membership permit, issued electronically through Clubmate.

£90 (as listed 3 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Annual Bronze permit

Night fishing is available at Wallingford A with this permit.

£165 (as listed 3 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Guest ticket

Available for Wallingford A. The member must accompany the guest, who must stay within sight or earshot.

Buy the £10 non-member day permit through the Clubmate booking service linked by RDAA. Guest tickets are also listed for Wallingford B.

Fish the club names

barbel, chub, roach, perch, zander, pike

Named by Reading & District Angling Association across its waters, not for this stretch on its own.

Key rules

  • Fishing is closed from 15 March through 15 June inclusive.
  • Carry a valid Environment Agency rod licence alongside your RDAA permit; use no more than two rods.
  • Members must accompany guests, who must remain within sight or earshot.
  • Do not fish within 25 metres of locks, bridges or associated structures.
  • No fish may be removed from RDAA waters, including trout.
  • Open fires are prohibited; remove all litter within your swim.
  • Preserve local residents’ access and secure gates and barriers again after passage.
  • Wallingford A is exempt from the general river ban on bedchairs, bivvies and sided brollies.

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

Benson Lock gauge

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

Loading latest reading…

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.

Community reported

Recent angler updates

No angler updates yet — that's normal. Be the first to help the next angler.

How busy was it?

Nobody's said yet. It's part of the 20-second update below.

No live tracking — this is what anglers told us after their session, and it's never part of the venue score.

Water updates from anglers

No active water updates.

Help other anglers