Compton Chamberlayne Beat 6

Beat 6 on the Compton Chamberlayne fishery sits on a deeply incised stretch of the River Nadder in Wiltshire, where serpentine bends slow the current and create sequences of riffles leading into mysteriously deep pools. The beat covers just under 0.4 miles of single-bank main river, and it is the most varied beat on the fishery — steep banks and generous tree cover make for a characterful day's fishing, though it is best avoided by anyone with mobility difficulties. The Nadder is a mixed-geology chalk stream: it flows over chalk through the main fishing reaches but rises in greensand, which gives it a slight opaqueness compared to a pure chalk stream and means it can colour after heavy rain.

The beat holds both brown and rainbow trout and is heavily stocked, giving consistent sport throughout a season that runs from 18 April to 3 October. Fishing is fly only — dry fly and nymph — and the water rewards an attentive approach. The Nadder starts the season well with good hatches of grannom, and the main event is the mayfly, which can be spectacularly good even after heavy rain and poor visibility. Later in the season, early morning and evening sedge hatches give the best chance of good sport. The river is generally clear enough to spot fish at which you are casting, making sight fishing a realistic tactic on calmer days. The beat is rated for adventurer-level anglers — the combination of steep banks, overhanging trees, and tight casting angles means it suits those comfortable working in confined, technical conditions.

Up to six rods can fish the beat on any given day. A fishing hut equipped with table and chairs is provided on the beat. A 9-foot, 4- or 5-weight rod covers most situations; carry a selection of grannom and mayfly dries for spring, with CDC olives, elk-hair sedges, and a few nymph patterns for the summer months.