Free Fishing in Harpenden

Since the fence went up along the bank of the River Lea Marquis Meadow I’ve been curious whether fishing was still allowed on the river through Harpenden and, having been unable to find a definitive answer online, I emailed the council to ask. The Green Spaces team were really helpful and even provided a map (as shown at the bottom of the page) about where fishing is allowed. In short, there is free fishing along the blue line on the map but fishing isn’t allowed in the chalk stream or by the allotments at Riverside, (nor is it allowed in Southdown Ponds, which was my other question).

My thoughts on how I’d fish the stretch are below, however it’s great that we have such a lovely, free resource in Harpenden (NB - you will still need a fishing rod licence if you’re over 12 years old). But it is also a privilege and one we need to protect. The Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve Management Plan 2024-2027 includes a solitary reference to fishing: “Litter has also increased around the park, particularly around fishing hotspots such as Marquis Meadow and Lower Luton road.” Having popped down this week with my kids to suss out the stretch, sadly I found four empty beer/cider cans swarming with ants in one of the swims. I believe that as anglers we need to take responsibility for the environment that brings us so much pleasure and should always leave it better than we found it. I’ll be heading down again this weekend and this time will take a litter picker and bin bag with me.

So how would I fish this stretch?

Between the industrial estate and the allotments there are a lot of fish - not big but nonetheless pretty. Chub, roach and barbel were in numerous shoals. But that doesn’t mean it is easy fishing. The water is shallow, the fish are spooky and there is tree cover overhead. (Btw I’m not complaining about the tree cover. As well as the biodiversity the trees support, they also provide cover and the shade keeps the water cooler. That said I’d like to see more trees or deflectors in the water creating variations in flow, depth and habitat along what is a very canalised section.)

So, how would I fish it? Not with the 4m whips I’d brought for the girls and the heavy pole floats I’d hastily attached before leaving the house… The splash of the float landing spooked the fish, while a young child striking at a bite was invariably followed by me rescuing the line from an overhead tree. You could fish it with a lighter pole float, a light feeder set up or even a fly rod (when nobody else is about) but the easiest way would be to stand in the river and trot a maggot downstream. Trickle in some maggots and a bit of groundbait and I suspect you’d have hours of fun even if I the monsters may not be in evidence during the day.

Marquis Meadow was the other section we experimented with. Accompanied by small children I was looking for easy access, a deep (>40cm) run with broken water and a clear casting/striking zone as well as somewhere comfortable for us to hang out. And I found a couple of spots without really looking. We had plenty of fish (chub, minnows, gudgeon) from both of swims we tried. Nothing of any size, but then we were being as subtle as a herd of baby elephants. A 4 meter whip felt right for one of these spots and a 5 meter version would have given a little more opportunity at the other. With the cover and variation in water I can imagine that there are some big fish in this stretch (I know there are a little further downstream and they will move around). Trotting would work well in some spots, a feeder in others.

I still need to fish the top third of the stretch but I know there is a deeper channel and pool leading up to and under bridge. I look forward to finding out if it holds any surprises.

Anyway Harpenden, enjoy our free fishing and I look forward to seeing what you catch too.

Where you can fish for free (you still need a rod licence) on the River Lea in Harpenden courtesy of the Green Spaces team at Harpenden Town Council.