Compton Chamberlayne Beat 4

Around 0.38 miles of single-bank dry fly and nymph water on the River Nadder, Beat 4 at Compton Chamberlayne sits within a well-kept Wiltshire estate just west of Salisbury. The beat opens at a mill pool before the river straightens out upstream, meandering less than any of the other beats on the fishery. The Nadder runs deeply incised through the valley, with serpentine bends creating sequences of riffles and deep pools — varied enough to hold fish throughout the season. It is a mixed-geology chalk stream, flowing over chalk where the main fishing takes place but rising in sands and clay further upstream. As a result it carries a slight tinge of opaqueness and can colour more noticeably after heavy rainfall — worth bearing in mind when planning a visit.

The beat holds both brown and rainbow trout and is heavily stocked. Although there are plenty of wild fish, the river is stocked with high-quality brown trout. The season runs 18 April to 3 October. Early in the season expect good hatches of large dark olives and grannom, while the mayfly is the main event and can be spectacularly good even in poor visibility conditions; later in the season, early morning and evening sedges give the best chance of sport. The beat is rated as adventurer difficulty — expect bankside vegetation that demands accurate casting. Upstream dry fly only applies until 1 July, after which upstream nymph on a maximum size 12 hook is permitted.

Up to six rods can fish the beat, making it well suited to a small group day. Each beat has a small fishing hut equipped with table and chairs. A brace limit of two fish per rod per day applies, with a minimum size of 12 inches. A current Environment Agency rod licence is required.