River updates from the current season, previous years' updates can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.

Winter 2025

Winter is well and truly here, along with it comes increased rainfall and higher river levels. these bring many challenges to the club in managing the river banks and ensuring all culverts and fish passages remain clear and free of debris - a somewhat never ending task! Despite the scale of the challenges winter brings club members are regularly out in force on work parties ensuring the river is kept in the best condition possible for the up coming season. Whilst the trout season is closed Grayling fishing and fishing for coarse fish is permitted - although conditions are not favourable and in places dangerous, if you do venture out in search of an elusive Grayling Silver Springs has seen a handful caught over the past couple of years so this is probably the best bet.

Autumn 2025

A lot has happened in the time since the last update. The EA visited the river and carried out an electrofishing survey at Silver Springs, I don't think there were too many surprises with the results, however a couple of notable returns being 5 Salmon Parr and 151 Bullhead! Perhaps tie up a few Bullhead patterns over the close season. The Wessex Rivers Trust have carried out habitat improvement works above the railway bridge, this mainly involved the introduction of Large Woody Debris into the river channel to alter the river flow and provide cover for fish from predators. Next year the WRT plan to carry out more habitat improvement works between the railway bridge and Anjou bridge. A new gate has also been erected north of Anjou bridge, the old wooden and 5 bar gates had seen better days so this was a much needed improvement.

Club members have been busy over the past few work parties carrying out general bank maintenance right across our beats, from Bugle Meadow right up to Silver Springs. The trout fishing season has now closed, however members can still coarse fish on Bugle Meadow beat and fly fish for coarse species - including grayling - across all beats. Please take care when accessing the river if fishing as the banks can become treacherous as rainfall and water levels increase.

June/July 2025

Apologies for the delay in this next river update, I finally managed to get down the river this week and had my first real crack at some fish this season. On arrival just upstream of Anjou Bridge I was initially pleased to see the water levels higher than I expected. After a short stroll upstream however it quickly became clear that the river levels were significantly lower than I had first thought. I fished from North Abbey Meadow right up to above the motorway bridge, spotting good numbers of stocked fish in Abbey Meadow - 110 fish were stocked on 2nd July and appear to have not travelled too far. Above the railway bridge the water levels are probably as low as I've seen them and with no rain and a heatwave forecast it's not looking likely this will improve soon. I did manage to spot a few fish in the deeper holes but travelling up river without spooking them was not easy! I didn't manage to get myself any sort of trout but did manage to bag a Ghost Carp that seems to have escaped from the carp fishery opposite Badlands. There have been various catches of Sea Trout over the past few weeks and good numbers of stocked fish being caught north of Anjou bridge - a reminder that if you are planning to C&R then please play the fish quickly and keep them in the water as much as possible before returning them, water temperatures on the river have been recorded at >17C.

May 2025

The season is off to a flying start with lots of good catch returns reported and Mayfly spotted along the river. Due to the lack of recent rain the river levels are already quite low - this is very evident along the Old River which is already running pretty low and clear in parts. The ranunculus planted over the past couple of seasons is spreading and I noticed quite a few new beds beginning to flourish. I've not visited Bugle much this season but a recent work party has made efforts to clear the bankside vegetation to allow easier access to the river and open up some swims in preparation for 16th June when the coarse fishing season begins. After recently completing a RiverFly monitoring course I took some initial samples from the river, as expected freshwater shrimp made up a vast majority of the invertebrate life but I also discovered a larger than expected population of caseless Caddis and Bullheads, these were backed up with good numbers of Baetis and Olive nymphs - it was pleasing to see a healthy population of insect life in the river and a good sign there's plenty of food for the trout!

March 2025

The first river update for this year, and on my trip to the river I was pleasantly supprised by the conditions I found. The water levels look good, not too high and along all the clubs water the river remains within it's banks. In places the water clarity is also improving. The banks are wet, but not sodden and flooded; a contrast to the standing water we saw that delayed the start of last season and made the banks treacherous. I visited every beat from Bugle Meadow right up to Silver Springs and I'm optimistic for a good start to the trout fishing season. The conditions and water levels reminded me of April/May last year when at the start of the season I had some good fishing on the old river fishing 'klink and dink', I found the higher water levels made the fish less spooky and was able to refine my fishing before the fish got tricky later on in the year. A lot of improvement work has been carried out by members over the last couple of months, including repairs to the stock fencing below Anjou bridge, new access points added to Silver Springs and soon the introduction of a fishing hut. Here's hoping the season lives up to the fantastic fishing we were fortunate to experience last year. Tight Lines!