Stratford Upon Avon Angling Association
Town Centre Waters
A practical visiting anglers guide.
Stratford Angling Association waters start on the edge of the town centre and run for miles downstream but there are other town centre waters available to fish.
As the town is a major tourist destination it can be tricky to navigate so here is our quick practical guide to having a days fishing in Stratford for visiting anglers.
Parking
There are no free parking options for the town centre or on street parking close enough to walk to the river, the closest residential roads without parking restrictions are close to the Greenway car park, (CV379AL) there is a path running adjacent to the road around 200 metres in length which brings you out at the start of the seven meadows, (its worth noting if you are a full member of Stratford Upon Avon Angling Association and are fishing the Seven Meadows you can park free right next to the river at the start of the seven meadows stretch but only in dry conditions !)
Once you have reached the river you can turn right for the seven meadows stretch or cross the river for Lucys Mill and the RSC Theatre via the footbridge.
Payment for parking is via App or card and most parking options start at £1.40 per hour
Bait, Tackle, Licences
There is only one place to buy bait and tackle in Stratford upon Avon and that is Stratford Fishing & Outdoors, (CV37 9NQ) for a lot of anglers it's their first stop on a visit to the town for bait, licences and tackle.
Martyn Edwards is the owner, the shop is on an industrial estate next to welcome garages and stocks a broad range of bait and tackle, full licences are available as well as day tickets.
Stratford Fishing & Outdoors,
29 Timothy's Bridge Road,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
CV37 9NQ
Opening hours
Closed - Monday
8.30 - 5pm - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
8.30 - 5.30pm - Friday.
8.30 - 4pm - Saturday.
Closed - Sunday
Town Centre Waters
Riverside - Bathing Place - Lido - Theatre & Recreation Ground - Lucys Mill - Seven Meadows.
The majority of waters in the Stratford town centre around the RSC theatre are controlled by our friends at the Leamington Angling Association, day tickets are also available on the bank.
Bathing Place & Warwick Road Lido
The old bathing place is a large still bay found on the A429 Warwick Road just before you get into Stratford, it is a popular spot for a days angling controlled by Leamington Angling Association, there is a pay and display car park literally 50 yards from the river bank along with a nice picnic area, boats do turn round here due to the width of the river and recently it has become an access for paddle boarders, canoes and wild swimmers so in summer months can be a bit busy.
Moving downstream from the bathing place the river returns to its normal width and there follows 100 yards of good river Avon fishing moving into a right hand bend known locally as 'birds corner'.
200 yards behind you there is another parking option at the leisure centre which has a café and some toilets.
RSC Theatre & Recreation Ground
The RSC's Iconic Theatre provides an impressive backdrop to a days angling as well as some good sport if you pick your time and don't mind the tourists and boats !
Its an iconic place to fish that's for sure, but in the summer it is busy on the rec and in front of the theatre.
The stretch is well stocked with Silvers, the odd Chub and some large shoals of Bream show up every now and again over the far bank particularly from the centre to the right side of the theatre, this could be due the volume of bread thrown in by tourists from the Bancroft gardens (directly in front of the theatre) providing a good and consistent supply of food.
Lucys Mill
Part of the recreation ground Lucys Mill is a popular spot for visiting anglers, with 2 picturesque weirs, interesting slack water and far bank options for Carp, Barbel, Bream and Chub.
Lucy's Mill is a nice, easy place to have a fish, all the usual Avon species can be found there with the weirs urging you to go for Chub and Barbel on the feeder, a nice bit of slack water in between the two weirs opposite the island provides a good option for those who want to use the pole or float down the side and there is a very good hard standing platform that includes the 2nd weir that is good for those with mobility issues.
Seven Meadows
(Stratford Upon Avon Angling Association)
The other side of Lucys mill is the start of the town centre Seven Meadows stretch of the river Avon offering a full range of river Avon fishing, from shallow gravel sections and weir pools to deeper runs, everyone from the town learnt to fish here,
Stratford Angling Association control all of the fishable water downstream of Lucys Mill for around 4-5 miles and this includes :
Seven Meadows
Stannells (next to the racecourse)
Little Luddington Farm (half way down Luddington Road)
Manor Farm (at the foot of Luddington Road)
See the Seven Meadows section for detailed information on these waters.
See the Stratford Angling Association Waters section for detailed information on all our waters.
