Canal fishing in Surrey
Information about fishing in the Basingstoke Canal, a 32 mile stretch of waterway running from Greywell in Hampshire to Woodham in Surrey, where it joins the Wey Navigation.
The Surrey section of the Basingstoke Canal starts at Ash where the Canal crosses the Blackwater (and the A331), and enters the county on its journey down to the Wey. There are 29 locks, with 28 of them in Surrey. Overall the canal rises some 200 feet from the Wey through these locks. About half of the navigable canal is in Surrey.
The locks were built in flights and in Surrey sit mainly in groups that run from Woodham to Byfleet.
Angling on the Canal is controlled by the Basingstoke Canal Angling Association, and permits can be purchased from the Canal Centre. For many years angling clubs that operate in Surrey had an affiliation to the BCAA that resulted in permits being issued to their members; from 2024 this is no longer the case and anglers must purchase tickets directly from the BCAA.
The standard coarse fishing season operates on the Basingstoke Canal.
In order to catalogue the angling on the Surrey stretch this website has divided the Canal into three stretches.
Information:| Use our species pages to find the fisheries that suit you: CARP, PIKE, TENCH, TROUT, CATFISH, BARBEL. Use search options for different categories such as day ticket, night fishing and season ticket. Scroll to the foot of each page for Search and useful links. Please contact us to add your fishery or angling club, or to have details updated or corrected. All listings are totally free. If you like our content, why not see how you can Support This Website? |
Select the stretch you wish to view:
Details
| OWNER / CLUB |
| Basingstoke Canal AA |
| Details of owner / club |
| CLICK HERE |
| Website of owner / club |
| CLICK HERE (no link means no website) |
| TICKET |
| Season and day tickets |
| SEASON |
| Standard coarse |
| ROD LIMIT |
| 2 |
| BAITBOATS ALLOWED |
| Yes |
| BOATS ALLOWED |
| No |
| DOGS |
| No |
| NIGHT FISHING |
| Yes, but not within 50 yards of any private dwelling. |
| HOOKS (usage rules) |
| Barbless or micro barbed only |
| KEEPNETS |
| Yes, but not for carp |
| SIZE |
| 32 miles |
No tins or fires. No obstructing the towpath.
Fishing from towpath only.
Day fishing times: 5am-10pm June 16 to Oct 31 / 5am to 7pm Nov 1 to Mar 14.
No bloodworm or joker except 1st Oct to 14 March, 1/2 kilo limit per angler.
Species available in this venue
| SPECIES | PRESENT | TOP WGHT |
| CARP | YES | |
| PIKE | YES | |
| CATFISH | ||
| TENCH | YES | |
| BREAM | YES | |
| BARBEL | ||
| CHUB | YES | |
| TROUT | ||
| GRAYLING | ||
| RUDD | YES | |
| DACE | ||
| ROACH | YES | |
| PERCH | YES | |
| CRUCIANS | YES | |
| EELS | ||
| GOLDEN ORFE | ||
| GEN CRSE FISH |
Fishing tactics
All the usual canal tactics will work for pleasure angling.
Summer: squats, pinkies, maggots, casters; sweetcorn or pellets for larger fish.
Winter: fining down on the above, try hook link line of 0.06; also try bread punch over liquidised bread or punch crumb (Van Den Eynde or similar produce ready made packs). For Bob Nudd’s article on winter bread punch tips click HERE.
Watch canal fishing videos: CLICK HERE