The Leaze – Dorset Stour

Brief description of fishery:

A very lightly fished stretch of river which contains some very good fish. A roving approach can produce results as there is a lot of water to cover. The extra effort can be well worth it to reach some lovely trotting swims, which are rarely targeted.

This stretch holds a large variety of species, with a small head of barbel predominantly found in the upper half of the stretch. The chub go to over 7lb, roach to over 2lb, perch to over 3lb, good dace and some large pike are also present.

There are some lovely, deep holes below Julian’s Bridge before the water shallows and large gravel runs harbour great stalking opportunities between the ranunculus. The water then deepens off and continues downstream to where the River Allen enters at the bottom boundary and the Canford Bridge stretch begins on the opposite bank.

The venue gets very little footfall and vegetation growth can impede access during the summer. There are also a number of canoe and paddle board users that access this stretch, and it can get busy with watercraft, especially in the summer holidays and weekend, whilst these do not put the fish off early mornings are recommended.