Three Avon Twilight Beats
Avoncliff Weir, Bradford-on-Avon: the upstream seam
Avoncliff weir, just west of Bradford-on-Avon, throws a tight seam and glassy glide that draws brown trout into sight at first evening light. Paths are narrow, banks soft with sedge; fish stack along the tail where fly life concentrates and wary trout patrol the margins.
Three twilight beats
Beat one — the mill pool below Bradford-on-Avon bridge. Low sun catches trout backs; sight-stalking from the upstream stones yields selective rises to small dries and emerger patterns. Move in low, avoid shadows, and rely on soft steps and good wading boots when edging the shallows.
Beat two — Avoncliff long glide. This under‑fished reach favours a downstream presentation with a gentle tuck cast across seams. Brown trout hold in eddy seams off submerged willows; a lightly weighted nymph fished tight or a small upstream emerger brings sharp takes on the drop.
Beat three — Freshford riffles and margins. Evening insects hatch over shallow gravel; cruising trout nose along margins and sip emergers. A long leader, soft rod tip and a dry fly rod set to a delicate touch pay dividends when stalking fish by silhouette.
Conservation note: chalk stream etiquette rules here — ankle‑deep approaches, single hooks, barbless flies, and minimal handling keep the Avon healthy and its sight‑fishing honest.