River Nadder – Elizabeth Gardens - Town path Bridge

There are a few places that can produce large bags of dace and grayling in times of heavy prolonged rain. The Nadder has a tendency to colour up and rise when we have rain for a few days. The levels can also rise due to it being a tributary of the larger River Avon causing it to back up around the Salisbury area where the two rivers meet. One place that fishes really well when the river rises and colours up to the shade of a good cup of tea, is Elizabeth Gardens.

 In the Elizabeth Gardens kiddies play area there is a wooden bridge leading to what is known as the Town Path which leads to West Harnham Mill. A side stream coming from a nearby mill joins the Nadder as it flows under this bridge. Normally that small shallow stream is a still water, but when we have a lot of rain it moves slowly and the fast flow of the main river causes a backflow into it. This causes a large crease where the two meet. Normally there are no fish in this silted up side stream, but when the main river is high and running fast, large shoals of dace and grayling seek shelter on the smooth side of the crease.

I am not sure whether the local angling club allow fishing from the bridge or not, but I have never been stopped when I have cast a line from it.  To actually fish the bridge you have to stand on the middle section and cast just past the crease and allow your float to slowly work its way along it. You need to hold your line up high so as not to have your excess line to be picked up by the fast current. 

Depending on how coloured the water is you can get immediate action and on a good day you can get a hundred dace between 8oz and a pound.  If the water is really dark, a bit like very strong tea you may have to switch to large bits of bread flake. When hooked the fish race out into the main flow in a bid to take you under the bridge. If they manage to do this you will inevitably lose it. The answer is to use bigger hooks and 3-4lb line and to take no prisoners. You need to give them some stick and control the situation.

You will also need to lift them to hand as you cannot net them due to being so high above the water. My friends and I have had many 50lb plus bags  from this spot. You will need to get there early as it is a well known local hotspot and if there is more than 3 anglers on the bridge it gets a bit messy with all sorts of tangles and bad tempers.

Once the river drops and returns to that bluish green tinge the shoals move back into the main river and the swim only produces a few fish and it is much harder to control your tackle through it.