Compton Chamberlayne Beat 1

Beat 1 at Compton Chamberlayne covers around 0.38 miles of the River Nadder near Dinton in Wiltshire, just west of Salisbury. It is the most open of all the beats on the fishery, with the downstream section running through the water meadows and the top section more shaded with trees and a deep pool. The Nadder is deeply incised in the ground, with a series of serpentine bends slowing its flow and creating sequences of riffles through to deep pools. It is classified as a mixed-geology chalk stream — flowing over chalk where the main fishing takes place, but rising in sands and clay, which means it can carry a slight tinge of colour and may cloud more noticeably after heavy rain.

Brown and rainbow trout are the target species, with the beat heavily stocked throughout the season, which runs from 18 April to 3 October. Fly fishing only, with upstream dry fly the method from the season opener. From 1 July, upstream nymph up to size 12 may also be used. The Nadder fishes well from the off, with strong early-season hatches of large dark olives and grannom — the latter in particular can drive trout into a feeding frenzy and make for a memorable season opener. The main event is the mayfly, which can be spectacularly good even after heavy rain and poor visibility. Through summer, long evenings bring hatches of olives and sedges that keep brown trout rising well into the dusk. The beat is rated as adventurer difficulty — the open water meadow character of the lower section suits a range of abilities, but the deeper, tree-lined upper pool demands more considered presentation.

Up to six rods can fish the beat in a day. Wading is permitted but generally not necessary. A fishing hut is on site for shelter and kit storage. Catch returns should be delivered to the river keeper at the end of the day. A current Environment Agency rod licence is required.