Upper Benyon — River Kennet
Upper Benyon is a proper attractive Lower Kennet stretch, with fast runs, sweeping bends and a cracking mixed coarse and game-fishing line-up. It’s run by Reading & District Angling Association and sits under the RDAA General Permit.
Run by Reading & District Angling Association · checked 15 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club
River Kennet
Upper Benyon — River Kennet
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Reading Calcot Bridge gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open Reading Calcot Bridge on Live River Levels
The lowdown
- This is one of the most attractive stretches of the Lower Kennet. The river winds through sweeping bends, with plenty of character rather than a boring straight run.
- The fast runs are a big part of the venue’s appeal. Expect a varied river, with quicker water alongside the quieter-looking sections created by those bends.
- Upper Benyon has historically produced very large numbers of barbel, and large fish are still present. That’s the headline attraction for plenty of anglers.
- Chub are present too, while wild brown trout — including some very large fish — add a proper game-fishing angle to the stretch.
- There’s more besides. Pike are present, perch can reach specimen sizes, and grayling have been stocked recently and appear to be doing well.
- The lower sections get shoals of dace and roach, giving lighter river fishing another option when the smaller silver fish are on the munch.
- It’s a mixed coarse and game-fishing venue, so the approach can be varied. Barbel, chub, perch and pike give the stretch plenty of scope, while trout and grayling add another dimension.
- Access is supported by an upstream roadside car park, an RDAA upstream car park and downstream parking. The supplied venue postcode is RG7 4HY; RDAA identifies exact access points using what3words.
- Take care on the bank. RDAA warns that riverbanks may be uneven, slippery, high or undercut, so a steady approach is bob on. Remove litter from the swim and handle fish properly.
Methods: The mixed fishery gives you scope for coarse or game approaches, with the fast runs and sweeping bends providing the main river features to work. If targeting pike, bring suitable unhooking kit — that’s required by the RDAA predator rules.
Access & tickets
Adult annual RDAA permit
General Permit. Provides access to all RDAA venues.
£90 (as listed 15 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Senior/concessionary annual RDAA permit
General Permit. Provides access to all RDAA venues.
£67.50 (as listed 15 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Guest day ticket
Available for a member’s guest after the member obtains the ticket.
Buy the £10 non-member day permit through the Clubmate booking service linked by RDAA. Guest tickets are also listed for Wallingford B.
Fish the club names
carp, chub, trout, pike, perch, roach, rudd
Key rules
- Return fish only after they have recovered.
- Do not place fish on hard surfaces.
- Remove litter from the swim.
- When targeting pike, suitable pike unhooking equipment is required.
- Fishing outside permitted access times requires the relevant night permit.
- RDAA’s bronze night permit excludes night fishing on Upper Benyon’s south bank.
- Exact access points are identified by RDAA using what3words.
- Take care around uneven, slippery, high or undercut riverbanks.
Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.
GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fishWhere it is
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
Community reported
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