Burton-on-Trent, Baileys Meadow (25 pegs) — Coors Angling Club

River level

The lowdown

• This is a natural River Trent setting tucked close to Burton’s urban area. The club describes it as interesting weir-pool fishing, so there’s plenty to get your head around.
• There are 25 swims in total, although seasonal weed growth can affect what’s available. Eighteen pegs have purpose-built fishing platforms, and members can park behind each platform peg.
• Access is from the Meadow side road off Burton Bridge. Follow the tarmac onto the rough track and the combination-locked gate is on the right. Peg zero is the newer platform just before the entrance gate.
• Peg 1 is around 6 feet deep and fishes towards mid-river. A solid-looking option for working the main flow rather than just chucking tight to the bank.
• Peg 3 can produce bream and tench in summer along the far-bank tree line. Worth keeping in mind when the river has settled and the margins are doing a bit of growing.
• Pegs 12 to 14 are lily-fringed in summer and noted for silver bream. Those lilies should give the swim a bit of cover and make for interesting feeder or float lines when conditions behave.
• Pegs 15 to 18 are reed-fringed, with roughly 9 feet in the middle. That’s a decent change of depth and a likely place to look for fish holding off the bank.
• The later pegs are mainly fast, shallow chub and barbel swims, so trotting or working a feeder through the crease looks the natural approach. Peg 23 also has a backwater opposite, which can hold large chub and perch.
• The platform area targets roach, perch, chub, silver bream and pike. Keep an eye on the season, though: the river close season runs from 15 March until 16 June inclusive.

Methods: Match the approach to the peg. Try float work or a feeder around the deeper, reed and lily-fringed swims, then go lighter and mobile for the fast shallow chub and barbel water. The backwater opposite peg 23 is a proper one to investigate for chub and perch.

Access & tickets

Apply to Coors Angling Club for membership; applications need committee approval. No river day-ticket offer is published.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch, barbel, chub

Key rules

• An EA rod licence and current Coors club membership card are required.
• The river close season is 15 March until 16 June inclusive.
• No fish may be taken from Coors waters or used for live baiting.
• Zander, Wels catfish and American signal crayfish must be dealt with under official EA policy.
• No alcohol, drugs or fires are permitted on club waters.
• Remove litter and close, lock and scramble the gate combination after entry.
• A maximum 5 mph speed limit applies when driving on the Baileys section and specified associated club stretches.
• Temporary closures may occur at the landowner’s request.

Where it is