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RiverDay ticket

Upper Bigsweir

Upper Bigsweir is a cracking lower-Wye salmon beat, with roughly three-quarters of a mile on the left bank. It’s wooded, steep-sided and packed with nine named pools, with fresh fish arriving from the tide most days.

Run by Wye & Usk Foundation, through The Fishing Passport · checked 13 Oct 2026

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Lydbrook 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 River Ready

The lowdown

  • The beat sits about a mile downstream of Redbrook and three miles above Bigsweir, running from Cadora Tail below Cadora Pool down to Digby’s Pool.
  • It’s a proper wooded valley setting, with steep sides and plenty of character. Not a manicured fishery — more classic lower Wye stuff.
  • There are nine named pools to work through, plus some croys in the middle and lower sections. Handy spots when you want to hold position and work a pool properly.
  • The riverbed is mainly gravel with the odd boulder, and wading varies from manageable to properly deep. Take care and pick your line sensibly.
  • The top half is wadeable with care when the Redbrook gauge is below 750mm. Conditions will make a big difference to how much water you can cover.
  • Access is helped by steps and ladders to some pools, while secure off-road parking is available close to the river. Bob on for keeping the faff down.
  • Fly and spinning are both available. Fly fishing applies from 1 June, while spinning must be done with single hooks only.
  • The beat receives fresh fish from the tide most days and is described as one of the lower Wye’s prolific salmon areas. There’s plenty of reason to keep moving and searching.
  • A resident ghillie may be available, subject to availability. The fishing hut is retained for private use, so don’t plan on using it as your base.
  • Maximum availability is two salmon tickets per day, giving the stretch a quieter feel. Dogs are welcome but must be kept under control, and the wash-off policy applies.

Methods: Fly fishing and spinning are available, with the fly season starting on 1 June. Work the named pools, croys and likely lies carefully, keeping an eye on flow and wading depth.

Access & tickets

Full-day salmon ticket

Maximum availability of two salmon tickets per day. Catch-and-release applies at all times.

£70 (as listed 13 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Tickets are booked through The Fishing Passport, operated by the Wye & Usk Foundation. A maximum of 2 day tickets is available.

Fish the club names

The club doesn't list species for this stretch, so we haven't guessed.

Key rules

  • National fishing byelaws apply.
  • Salmon fishing is catch-and-release at all times.
  • Fly fishing only applies from 1 June.
  • Spinning must use single hooks only.
  • Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control.
  • The beat operates a wash-off policy.
  • Professional guides are not permitted to operate on the water.
  • Maximum availability is two salmon tickets per day.
  • The fishing hut is retained for private use only.

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 fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

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