Fishing at Bisterne

The famous Bisterne Fishery is a renowned stretch of the Hampshire Avon that produces huge coarse fish and salmon year after year.

The river Avon rises near the Salisbury plain, and is a chalk-stream by birth. After passing through Salisbury and on to its mouth in Christchurch harbour, it is fed by the acid streams draining the New Forest’s western edge, giving it remarkable botanical features.

Salmon fishing has a long heritage here at Bisterne, dating back some 200 years and yielding some typically large and deep Avon specimens. We have extensive records at the Manor.

The salmon catches on the Avon have improved greatly over the last few years – and it is not entirely clear which of the various factors are responsible: cleaner waters, less siltation from farms, cessation of weed-cutting, no netting at Christchurch harbour, better policing of poaching, cleaner gravels or some factors external to the river such as less netting at sea.

in 2021, our star fish was a 46″ cock salmon caught on the Lower Beat. Using the usual tables, this theoretically converts to a 42lbs. salmon, but our honest assessment is that it was more likely a 35-pounder, as it was slightly red and out of condition. Still, nice to know that the famous Avon genetics are still around!

We have two fisheries: Bisterne and Winkton. Bisterne has three beats, Winkton two.

To fish at Winkton, you have to be a member of the Christchurch Angling Club. There are two stretches: Upper Winkton and Lower Winkton. The coarse fishing there is spectacular and a 3.2lb roach, over 20 years old, has been landed. The fishery features frequently in Angling Times.

To coarse fish at Bisterne please buy tickets from the River Keeper’s house at 28 Bisterne, Bisterne BH24 3BN. For Christchurch members, here is some detail for the Bisterne Fishery.