Shropshire Union Canal – Market Drayton Stretch

The Shropshire Union Canal around Market Drayton is proper old-school canal fishing, run by Hodnet Angling Club and leased from Canal & River Trust. There’s no lake complex here — it’s a roughly 2.5-mile canal stretch running from Bridge 61 at Tyrley through to Bridge 69 at Adderley.

• 2 lakes: Bridge 61–66, Tyrley to Betton Wood, Bridge 66–69, Betton Wood to Adderley
• Fish: carp, chub, bream, roach, perch
• Tickets from: Public day ticket — Shropshire Union Canal Bridges 51–61 section only — £3
• Find it: Market Drayton · TF9 1HL

Based on how each lake is set up — not a ranking.

The Shropshire Union Canal around Market Drayton is proper old-school canal fishing, run by Hodnet Angling Club and leased from Canal & River Trust. There’s no lake complex here — it’s a roughly 2.5-mile canal stretch running from Bridge 61 at Tyrley through to Bridge 69 at Adderley. Plenty of water to explore, but you’ll need to think like a canal angler rather than rock up expecting a line of identical pegs.

The main Market Drayton section runs from Bridge 61 to Bridge 66 at Betton Wood. This bit is members-only, with no day tickets available, and fishing is from the towpath bank only. That makes your swim choice important. Have a good look at the far bank, boat channel, shelves and margins before setting up, then keep things tidy and fish accurately rather than chucking gear about for the sake of it.

From Bridge 66 to Bridge 69 at Adderley, the additional HAC section follows the club’s normal rules. There’s limited free roadside parking or drop-off space near Bridge 69, but access to much of the section involves a considerable walk. So pack sensibly, keep the kit compact and avoid bringing every bit of tackle you own. A light bag, landing net, unhooking gear and a couple of reliable canal options should save a fair bit of faff.

HAC describes its nearby Shropshire Union Canal water as containing carp, chub, bream, gudgeon, perch and roach. The official Market Drayton page doesn’t publish a separate species list for this exact stretch, so a mixed approach makes most sense. A pole, float tackle or light feeder setup gives you options, while a few changes of bait let you switch gears if the fish aren’t properly on the munch.

The Bridge 61–66 section is available all year, but the marina rules need taking seriously. Fishing is banned in the small marina between Bridges 62 and 63 at all times. The large marina between Bridges 63 and 64 is closed to fishing from 1 April to 30 September inclusive. Around its boat moorings, casting and loose feed must not go beyond the ends of the landing platforms. Also, keep poles and other kit on your side of garden hedges and fences — no cheeky poking over or through them.

Sort the admin before travelling. The Bridge 61–66 section needs the right HAC membership, and tickets must be obtained at least a day in advance through the Membership Secretary or an authorised booking method. Clubmate handles online joining and renewal. There’s no published opening-hours timetable, and the site doesn’t advertise toilets, a tackle shop or café, so take what you need. Before heading off, check the current rules, ask the club about the exact section you’re targeting and confirm any access details. Get that bit bob on, and you can concentrate on finding a quiet swim and nicking a few fish from the margins.

Good background reading. Most of it is a few years old, so treat it as a starting point and ask on the day.

Videos linked by the fishery

• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “A proper canal stretch around Market Drayton, running from Bridge 61 at Tyrley through to Bridge 69 at Adderley. The main Bridge 61–66 water is members-only, with the extra Bridge 66–69 section fishing under normal HAC club rules.”

This is our own summary of recurring public feedback and the venue details we checked, not a copied customer review or a promise you’ll catch. Feedback changes, so we keep it separate from the Tackle Index score.