Abbots Salford River

The lowdown

• This is a rural, tree-lined bit of the Avon, with a lovely natural feel rather than a polished commercial setup.
• There are 72 pegs, although the club’s overview also refers to more than 60 comfortable pegs. Either way, there’s a decent choice of swims.
• Many pegs sit alongside reeds, lily pads and overhanging trees. That cover is proper fish-holding stuff, so fish tight to it rather than automatically piling gear into open water.
• It’s a mixed bag venue. Specimen anglers can target barbel, while pleasure anglers can enjoy good bags of silver fish.
• Barbel are the big draw, with fish over 10 lb present and recent captures reported to 14 lb. A solid feeder or ledger approach is well worth a go.
• Chub to 5 lb and bream to 6 lb are named too, with roach, rudd, dace, bleak, perch, tench, carp, eel, pike and zander also identified at the venue.
• Keep things simple with maggots, casters, pellets, bread, worms, sweetcorn, luncheon meat, paste, punch crumb, groundbait, boilies, particle seed baits, lures or dead baits. All other baits are banned.
• Parking for pegs 1–20 is at the pump house. From peg 20 onwards, driving along the river is allowed only when conditions permit. If it’s muddy, park at the pump house and walk.
• Don’t block access, and leave vehicles at the widest points. Disabled access is unavailable, so check the practicalities before planning a session.

Methods: For barbel, a feeder or ledger fished near cover looks the bob-on starting point, while maggot, caster or punch tactics should suit the silver fish. Keep an eye on the reeds, lilies and tree cover, and fish the crease or slack water when the river has a bit of colour.

Access & tickets

The club does not advertise day tickets for this venue, so access is through Astwood Bank Angling Club membership. Membership runs from the joining date until 31 March of the following year; a £10 joining fee applies except to juniors and children.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch, rudd, eel, zander

Key rules

• Keepnets are allowed.
• Only maggots, casters, pellets, bread, worms, sweetcorn, luncheon meat, paste, punch crumb, groundbait, boilies, particle seed baits, lures and dead baits may be used.
• All other baits are banned.
• Driving along the river is prohibited in muddy conditions.
• Do not obstruct access for other anglers.
• Park vehicles at the widest points.
• Disabled access is unavailable.

River level

Where it is