Fordingbridge

[Olly]

I have fished above and below this area but not this actual reach.

Looking at all the videos of the Avon will give you a good idea of what to expect. From bank to bank flowing weeds; shallows; deep holes; etc. The sections I currently fish are just like that. Trotting with maggots for dace, roach, chub and possibly a barbel. Ledgering with meat, pellet or maggot for them with a better chance of a barbel or chub.

Wading - well you need a stick. It could be inches deep at the Rec. but 10ft elsewhere. Sandy Balls did day tickets but with Covid - I now dont know.
Christchurch AC and Ringwood & DAC do/did day tickets for the river and some stillwaters.

[JohnH]

Many thanks Olly; that's a great help. The advice on bait/tactics is much appreciated (particularly as chub and, hopefully, even a barbel are the main targets) but also wondered if a hemp & tare (or hemp & maggot) approach might be good for the roach and dace? Cheers, John

[DaceAce]

A bit of Avon roach tares fishing from a recent session:https://youtu.be/nfu9AbyDUAM

This year c-19 restrictions mean less day ticket fishing on the Avon; Fordingbridge Park should be available but I think CAC have suspended their tickets, the Several Fishery doesn't have tickets any more and Sandy Balls have suspended CAC's access which leaves the Royalty and Britford plus various Salisbury DAA waters. Ringwood Tackle and Reids Tackle at Witherington should be able to advise further.

[JohnH]

Thanks for the info DaceAce and the video was very helpful. If we need to, we can just restrict ourselves to fishing the short stretch in the grounds of the lodge we are staying in. Cheers, John

[Goosequill]

Is there still a free stretch at the park in Fordingbridge?

[Olly]

https: //www.riversidekiosk.co.uk/FISHING.php - website with phone number.

[Tengisgol]

The Recreation Ground has for many decades been a prolific fishing spot, for large specimens. It is renowned particularly for its roach and they grow very, very large. There aren’t many stretches of river that have produced more two (and three) pound roach than here. Back in the eighties and nineties all the local roach anglers (and some not so local, like me!) would be dropping in here when the height and colour was right, to add to their tally.

There are only about six swims so they can be popular. You buy your ticket from the cafe and there is parking just nearby. Payment for parking is with an App on your phone; quick to do once set up.

I was last there in 2019 (or was it 2018?) on a family holiday, just grabbing an hour or so in the mornings and evenings. This time of year. I hadn’t been for twenty years but the same tactics worked.

For me it is always about the roach. A nice trotting rod capable of landing a chub but not too heavy that it isn’t a delight for roach. A decent balsa float carrying three to four AAA, bulk shot 18” from a size ten. It is generally around four to five feet deep. Pinch of flake and some mashed or liquidised bread.

Most of the swims are running off your tip or a rod length out but one swim, casting over and off the back of the island, is far bank trotting. Have a pike rod ready at your side - one that can land a twenty - as they will soon start grabbing the roach and dace when you get them coming to your rod (and you don’t want to have a two pounder taken from you!).

I was lucky and got some nice roach on that trip, including a two pounder. With respect and homage to Budgie (RIP) and Trevor of the Avon Roach Project for making it all possible again.

Here is my write up from back then: viewtopic.php?t=31048