The Hampshire Avon’s Winter Silver Fish
The Hampshire Avon’s Winter Silver Fish
At Harnham Bridge, near Salisbury, the Hampshire Avon carries one of Britain’s most enduring coarse-fishing traditions. In winter, its clear glides and deeper carriers become the stage for roach and dace, the bright-sided “redfins” that generations of anglers have followed through cold mornings. A grayling may join the catch, while chub and pike wait in the darker water.
The old method is wonderfully direct. A long float rod, a centrepin reel and an Avon stick float allow the angler to trot a bait naturally through the current, holding back for a heartbeat before letting it run again. Maggots or casters are the usual fare, with bread still carrying the romance of traditional Avon fishing. The float’s steady progress becomes a quiet form of river reading.
Trotting the carriers and glides
The Main Carrier below Harnham Bridge has long been spoken of as a place for exceptional roach, while the Navigation around Britford offers deeper water where larger dace and roach can settle. A fine rig might use a size 16 hook, double maggot and only enough shot to keep the float tracking low and true. The tackle stays light, but the presentation is precise.
After dark, these sessions become the stuff of riverside stories: steaming tea, damp landing nets and silver scales flashing beneath a headlamp. The Hampshire Avon’s appeal lies in that mixture of skill and atmosphere. Each run of the float carries the angler past chalk banks, old bridges and winter reeds, until a redfin folds the rod and the quiet river briefly comes alive.
Recommended: Traditional river trotting float