Burbage, Wiltshire to Hampshire Avon at Salisbury · 20 miles
Fly Fishing on the River Bourne
3 beats on the River Bourne sell access by the day.
Where the River Bourne runs
The river's course with every beat and fishery we list on it. Tap a marker for a quick read on price.
Fishing Beats on the River Bourne
3 beats availableBrowse day tickets, syndicate rods, and permit fishing on the River Bourne. Each beat listing includes pricing, species, and booking details.
Clubs and syndicates on the River Bourne
1 clubMembership bodies holding water on the River Bourne. Some sell day tickets alongside membership, others are open to members only, and a few run a waiting list.
About the River Bourne
River Bourne at a glance
- Length
- 20 miles
- Source
- Burbage, Wiltshire
- Mouth
- Hampshire Avon at Salisbury
- Tributary of
- Hampshire Avon
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Water type
- Chalk stream
Fish species
Anglers on the River Bourne can target brown trout and grayling. Brown trout dominate most chalk stream beats; grayling, sea trout, and salmon appear on certain rivers and seasons.
The Wiltshire River Bourne runs down the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain from Burbage to the Hampshire Avon at Salisbury, around 20 miles through Collingbourne, Idmiston, Gomeldon, Winterbourne and Laverstock. It is a winterbourne for part of its length, meaning the upper reaches run dry in a hot summer and fill again with the autumn rain, and that shapes the fishing: the water is small, very clear, and the fish are wild and wary.
The quarry is brown trout, grayling, and on the Bourne it is the grayling that are the draw. The club record grayling, 2lb 4.5oz, came from this river, and the lower beats at Laverstock hold fish of that order. Fishing is close range and stealthy, upstream nymph and small dry fly, often from the water rather than the bank. Casting room is tight in places and a rod of eight feet or under is easier than a longer one.
With 3 beats listed on FishingBeats, the Bourne is almost entirely club water. Salisbury and District Angling Club holds three fisheries on it: the Upper Bourne at Gomeldon, Hurdcott below it, and Laverstock on the edge of Salisbury, where the season runs to the coarse calendar so members can fish for grayling through the winter.
Hatch Calendar
The River Bourne hosts a sequence of seasonal insect hatches that dictate fly choice through the year.
Expected in October
Typical months for the River Bourne, not a live report. A cold spring or a hot week will shift any of these.
Caperer
Sedge · #10-12
Kite's Imperial
Dry fly · #14-16
Daddy Long Legs
Terrestrial · #10-12
Sawyer's Killer Bug
Nymph · #12-16
The year ahead
Every hatch and the months it usually runs. Darker means a heavier hatch, and the highlighted column follows the month above. Tap a letter to jump to it.
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FAQ
River Bourne FAQs
Common questions about fishing the River Bourne, from day tickets and seasons to what to expect on the bank.
