Anchor Meadow

Anchor Lane
Harvington
near Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 8PA

Tel: 01386 48065
E-mail: juliastent@aol.com


Anchor Meadow has been run as a private fishery for more than 20 years and has built a reputation as one of the most consistently productive and varied stretches on the Warwickshire Avon, offering deep slow moving water for carp, tench, bream, roach and perch to shallower fast-running stretches favoured by those after barbel and chub.

The stretch is also a renowned pike fishery holding specimens to nearly 30lbs.

The variety of fishing is matched only by the quality. Anchor Meadow has been a favourite with well-known names and ordinary anglers alike, and with carp to 48lbs, Pike to 30lbs, barbel well into double figures, tench to over 7lbs, bream to 9lbs and good sized roach and perch, its easy to see why.

The biggest barbel to have come out of the Anchor Meadow stretch so far in 2005 came from the fast moving water off the island and weighed in at 13lbs 7oz. It was taken from one of the pegs near the tower by an angler from Banbury who was fishing the deep hole about a rod length out with luncheon meat which was allowed to roll through the swim.

Although a cracking fish, it falls short of the 2004 best weight of 14lbs 2oz which was taken by a Black Country angler ledgering meat in the swim just below the weir.

Anchor Meadow's popularity has been further enhanced by owners Ken and Margaret Fisher who are always on hand to offer advice, whilst Ken tends the banks, cuts back and removes intrusive reeds and weeds, clean the gravel stretches twice a year to promote fish breeding and re-stocks with quality roach, tench and bream every five years.

The result is that anglers travel from throughout the UK stay for short angling breaks at Anchor Meadow and with Evesham, Worcester and Stratford on the doorstep there are a host of good pubs, restaurants, shops and tourists attractions within easy driving distance.

There are both camping and caravaning facilities on site with toilets and showers. Electric hook-ups are also available for caravans for an addition al £2.00 per night.

Because Anchor Meadow is popular at weekends, particularly during the summer when about half the 40 or so pegs are usually taken for contests. Because of this, pleasure anglers wanting to fish on Saturdays or Sundays are advised to telephone in advance to check peg availability. However, the river is usually quiet mid-week so telephoning in advance is not necessary.

Anglers can drive their cars to nearly all the pegs at Anchor Meadow so those heading for the slow deeper pegs along the Meadow stretch should either head across the meadow itself or drive down the lane and turn left just before the bridge. Those going to the Island pegs should drive over the bridge and turn either left or right.

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Angling Ticket Prices

	Day tickets (Dawn to Dusk)	Night tickets (Dusk to Dawn)
Adults	£6.00	£6.00
Under 14s	£3.50	£3.50

From Pegs 1-6, up to 13 feet of water can be found under the bank making the pole, swim-feeder or ledgering the most popular techniques for fishing close in.

Because the water is deep and slow moving, these pegs are favoured for carp, tench and bream and are particularly good for the roach and dace in winter. Indeed, it was from Peg 2 in 2001 that an angler from Scotland who visits Avon Meadow for a three-day angling holiday every year took a Common Carp which weighed in at 48lbs. He ledger fished worm under the bank.

From Pegs 7-19 the river shallows as it approaches the lock, coming up to six feet deep. Because these pegs are shallower than those at the top end, float fishing is easier. However, because the bank along the whole of the Meadow length is undercut it forms a natural lie for the fish, making it unnecessary to cast more than a rod length out unless anglers want to fish the faster moving water towards the centre of the river either on swimfeeder/ledger tackle or trotting an Avon Stick downstream in the current.

Pegs 17 and 18 where the water slackens near the entrance to the lock are particularly favoured by those going for the tench. Evening fishing is generally most productive and it pays to bait up a swim and leave it for an hour before starting to fish.

Anglers looking to catch some of the big bream should fish close in under their feet on the Meadow bank or within about 10 feet of the far side. When going for the bream, roach, perch, dace and other silver fish it pays to feed generously and often to keep the fish in your swim.

When it comes to baits, almost anything goes although luncheon and pet meat on a Size 8 or 10 hook are favoured by those after the carp, tench and bream with surface-fished dog biscuits being popular for anglers wanting to take carp off the surface. Chopped worm is another popular bait with maggots, casters and bread always forming a popular fall-back and slugs being particularly effective for the chub. Black slugs usually work well whilst those night fishing should try snails - still in their shells - again fished on a Size 8 or 10 hook.

For the most part both entrances to the lock are only three feet deep and, being still water when the lock is not in use, are easy to fish with float on both rod and pole using stillwater techniques.

The bottom is quite silty and it is obvious when the fish are feeding because great dark brown clouds and bubbles are thrown up as the fish rummage through the silt. Look out for the tell-take signs and you should be in for some fun!

The main methods of fishing the Island pegs are trotting an Avon Stick downstream, using a swimfeeder or ledgering. Most popular baits are luncheon and pet meat, a fairly hefty bunch of chopped worms or slugs for the barbel and chub and maggots, casters and bread for the roach, bream and perch.

When float fishing it often pays to wear chest or thigh waders and to wade out slightly from the bank. Although it doesn't look it, the water at times of normal flow is only about three-and-a-half feet deep, but wearing waders enables you to control the float better. Set the depth at between three and four feet and 'button shot' the line by spacing weights evenly along its length with fine dust shot nearer the hook. After casting, hold the float back slightly to allow the bait to run downstream ahead of the float. Bites will usually be obvious as the barbel tend to take the bait fairly viciously. However, be prepared for a good scrap as you will not only be fighting the fish but also the current!

Float fishing is really only suitable from Pegs 19, 20, 32, 27, 28, 29 and 38, 39 and 40 off the downstream point of the island.

When ledgering use about a one-ounce free-running Arlesey Bomb on the main line stopped about 18 inches to two-feet from the hook by a lead shot. An alternative is to set up a similar sized weight on a fixed paternoster which acts like a bolt-rig. Again, whichever technique you use, the bites will be vigourous so those fishing lighter lines of under 6lbs should slacken their slipping clutches to avoid being broken on the take.

An alternative technique is to freeline worm or meat, using part of a blade of grass or grass stalk to hold the bait on the hook.

When fishing for the roach and other silver fish, anglers need to take plenty of bait as regular feeding is required to keep the fish in the swim. A good supply of float and ledger weights is also required as the current can roll the weight around the river bed causing the terminal tackle to snag on rocks on the bottom on occasions, although this shouldn't happen if angler fish with their float set shallower and hold it back as it passes down the swim.

From Evesham, take the A435 north towards Norton. At the mini-roundabout take the second exit for the B439 and follow this for about a quarter of a mile until you come to Anchor Lane on the right. Proceed into Anchor Lane going over the new by-pass and Anchor Lane Fishery is at the very far end of this road.

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