Hambridge Farm is a short length of the natural river Kennet upstream of Hambridge Road. It stretches for about 400 yards from just upstream of the farm buildings to the pinch point where the river is very close to the canal. There is a NAA limit marker and a thorny bush, and going past this point is prohibited because it is private property beyond.
The river flows strongly and has varying depths, eddies, slacks and other features especially where the river Lambourn flows in.
The stock is mostly roach and dace, with some mid-sized barbel.
Parking is at Bellwood and you walk across the road to the river. Please do not park in the farm.
Speen Moors is a very special piece of water which would be the envy of many clubs. There are several miles of river with many different characters in this fine stretch of the river Kennet. It consists of Parliament Draught and the river Kennet proper.
Furthest upstream is the straight reach of Parliament Draught from just below the Newbury bypass to the permitted path where it turns left along the "green bank" to the metal bridge. Here it turns right and runs straight for a long reach, eventually passes under a low concrete bridge and turns back towars the main river. The Draught is shallow, wide and streamy for most of its length. The fish are mainly smaller silver fish with some larger chub.
The main river enters our stretch via two weirs. The large one is a great spot for wading for roach and perch, but because of the path so close you might get the occasional dog jump in with you. The small weir leads into a shallow stream with one deep hole made famous in the "Passion for Angling" TV programme. After the two streams join the water is still streamy until it passes under a long steel footbridge. Below this the character changes into a slower deeper river all the way down to Egypt point where it joins the canal. The fish in this lower stretch are chub, bream, tench and some very good pike.
Parking is available near the railway bridge in Bone Mill Lane off Enborne Road on the south side of the fishery, and near the metal bridge accessed from the A4 on the north side. Beware that sometimes the A4 access can be flooded wher it passes under the bypass. Also be aware that the permitted path can be very busy with Sunday walkers, but you should be in peace off this path and and walkers without an NAA permit can be reminded that they are out of bounds.
Aldermaston is the furthest downstream stretch that the club offers. It is a broad deep and powerful stretch of the natural river Kennet, about 1 mile long. Our water begins about half a mile downstream from the Basingstoke Road bridge and ends at Padworth Mill.
Beginning at the car park the river is broad and approximately straight. About half way down there are a series of bends where deeper holes have scoured out and some patches of slack water can be found. The lowest peg fishes toward the wier at the mill.
The stock is mostly good barbel, chub and dace. However this can be a difficult water to fish and will challenge your skill as a river angler.
There is a small car park which is accessed through the new housing estate opposite the Butt Inn, then through a gate and along a track. You will need a padlock key to access this water, which can be obtained from Thatcham Angling centre in exchange for a deposit.
Brimpton is a stretch of the natural river Kennet of about 1.5 miles upstream from the bridge where the Brimpton road crosses the river. It ends at the top of the Aldershot stream where it meets the canal. The Aldershot itself is a small run-off overflow from the canal and is shallow with variable flow. It contains many small silver fish.
After joining the main river the water is fast and shallow with some deeper holes, it passes through an almost impenetrable wooded section, then it is back in the open for a long shallow reach, a few bends where there may be deeper holes, finishing in a deep slow reach at the downstream end.
The stock is mostly large chub, some barbel and dace.
There is a small car park at the bottom end about 400 yards south of the railway bridge, near the bridge over a stream. Take care leaving the car park, visibility is not good and vehicles approach quickly.
